Acts of Mercy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As always, the wonderful team at Ballantine Books deserves huge thanks for their endless support-Kate Collins, Linda Marrow, Libby McGuire, Scott Shannon, Kim Hovey, Theresa Zoro, Sarina Evan (with congratulations-such a beautiful bride!), Kelli Fillingim, Nancy Delia, Crystal Velasquez-and apologies to anyone I may have forgotten!

Once again, several charities have benefited from donations made by the generous souls who won raffles or silent auctions entitling them to lend their name to a character in this book:

Carole Woolum (who requested that her character be “bad but not horrible”), whose donation benefited California’s Citrus College;

Chris Coutinho’s donation to the Woodlawn School in North Carolina bought him a “good guy” role;

Don Holland wished for himself and his wife, Laurie Heiss, to be villains (and Don, I took you at your word!)-and so they are, by virtue of their donation to Union Hospital, Elkton, MD.

I hope you all are happy with the characters that bear your names.

I must also thank Trula Comfort for once again lending her name to the recurring character who lends so much color and, well, character to this book.

Mary Corcoran for letting me use her name once again in this book, which is known in some circles as “Mary III.”

And thanks, as always, to my family for putting up with me.