Breaking Creed

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As with each of my novels I have quite a few people to thank and acknowledge.

Thanks go to:

My publishing teams: Nita Taublib, Ivan Held, Meaghan Wagner, Kate Stark, Alexis Welby, and Stephanie Hargadon at Putnam. And at Little, Brown/Sphere: David Shelley, Catherine Burke, and Jade Chandler.

My agent, Scott Miller, and his colleague Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group.

Martin and Patti Bremmer for a friendship that includes dropping everything and literally coming to the rescue, holding down the fort, and taking care of the pack in a moment’s notice.

Dr. Stephen Cassivi and the wonderful staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for making “cancer” not such a scary word. I look forward to the day that Clare can read my books and maybe one day when I might read hers.

My friends and family put up with my long absences and still manage to love me and keep me grounded: Patricia Kava, Marlene Haney, Sandy and Fred Rockwood, Patricia Sierra, Sharon Kator, Maricela Barajas, Annie Belatti, Nancy Tworek, Patti El-Kachouti, Diane Prohaska, Cari Conine, Lisa Munk, Luann Causey, Patti Carlin, and Dr. Elvira Rios.

Special thanks to my friend Amee Rief for feeding us through some terribly sad and stressful days.

My fellow authors and friends who make this business a bit less crazy: Sharon Car, Erica Spindler, and J. T. Ellison.

The experts who I know I can call or email with the strangest questions and the oddest requests: Leigh Ann Retelsdorf, Melissa Connor, Gary Plank, and John Beck.

Ray Kunze, once again, for lending his name to Maggie O’Dell’s boss. And for the record, the real Ray Kunze is a nice guy who would never send Maggie on wild-goose chases.

Penelope La Lone and Penny Clemence for donating to a charity event for Gloria La Lone’s continued fight against cancer. They won the auction to have a character named for them. Penelope Clemence is the dog rescuer who convinces Creed to take a chance on Chance.

My pack depends on some amazing veterinarians, and now they’ve become friends as well as invaluable resources for writing this series. Special thanks to:

Dr. Enita Larson and her crew at Tender Care Animal Hospital, and Dr. Tonya McIlnay and the team at Veterinary Eye Specialist of Nebraska.

An extra thank-you to Dr. Larson for allowing me to name my fictional veterinarian after her children: Avelyn Faye and Ayden Parker. We’ll see Dr. Avelyn Parker in each of the Creed novels.

Thanks also to the booksellers, book bloggers, and librarians for mentioning and recommending my novels.

A big thank-you to all of my VIR Club members, Facebook friends, and faithful readers. With so many wonderful novels available, I’m honored that you continue to choose mine. Without you, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to tell my twisted tales.

And, as always, a special thank-you to Deb Carlin and the rest of the pack: Duncan, Boomer, and Maggie. They are my heart and soul.