Lie Still

Acknowledgments

Thanks to:

Pam Ahearn, my loyal and dedicated agent, who stood tough in all kinds of hurricanes this past year, including two churned up by Mother Nature. I’d link arms and face down a strong wind with her any day.

Kate Miciak, my editor at Bantam, for red-penning manuscripts until they bleed, for caring about every word, for that brilliant line about little girls in the dark, and for generally providing a master class in thriller writing for the last two years.

Katherine Armstrong and Alex Holroyd at Faber and Faber, for their enthusiasm and hard work in getting both Playing Dead and Lie Still into the hands of the British.

Kirstin Herrera, dear, smart, curious, tough, unselfish friend, who has supported me since Word One.

Stephanie Heppenstall, neighbor, friend, and fashion adviser, who makes me wear her good luck ring and gets the prize for actually jumping up and down over all of my book news.

Tommie and Sadie McLeod, strong, hilarious Southern women bursting with material, who hand-sell my books to every stranger they meet.

Christopher Kelly. A Yankee, but still the best. There aren’t enough words.

My mother and father, Chuck and Sue Heaberlin, to whom this book is dedicated, and to the rest of my extended Complicated Family who regularly encourage and make fun of me. I live in my imagination, people.

Cindy Knotts, for introducing me as her “author friend” long before I had a contract, and Dawn Cox, for marketing my books to people going in and out of anesthesia.

The three G’s: Gina, Geoffrey, and Gillian McPhail. Especially the uber-talented Geoffrey, an eighteen-year-old dreamer and actor, for providing video expertise and the occasional dramatic reading.

Taylor Stevens, for her generosity, hopefulness, and love of bacon.

Laura DiCaro, a small-town Texas girl like me who can have just as much fun when things go awry as when they go right. Because it’s all about laughing. Letty is for you.

My New Yorker best buds, who put me up, and put up with me: Deb von Glahn and Susan Stark. (Also, P. R. Stark for giving my characters midnight legal advice.)

Carla Buckley, author pal who keeps me sane, and Maddee James, a sweetheart who designs beautiful things out of air (including my website).

Jill Johnson and Dave Hogerty, photographers extraordinaire, for being there with a camera whenever I need it.

Every single reader and blogger who bothers to email, or post, or stop me in person to say something nice. Every enthusiastic librarian I’ve met, especially the ones with tattoos. The kind, supportive women in my own book club for ripping into “literary” bestsellers, but never into me.

My favorite guys: husband, Steve, for paying the bills, and for never asking, “What have you done all day?” And son, Sam, for his blunt writing advice, and for always asking: “When do we get a royalty check?”

And, finally: the entire team at Random House, including but not limited to: Jane von Mehren, Gina Wachtel, Libby McGuire, Loren Noveck, Pam Feinstein, Rachel Kind, Jennifer Backe, Angela McNally, Victoria Wong, Karin Batten, Susan Corcoran, Alison Masciovecchio, Leigh Marchant, Maggie Oberrender, Randall Klein, Beverly Leung, Eileen Carey, Kent Mathews, Beck Stvan, and Marie Killen. And a special bouquet of gratefulness goes to the enthusiastic and dedicated sales force that has worked so hard on my behalf.