Pandemic

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A novel like this doesn’t happen without tapping the expertise of people who know far more than I do about many things. The people listed below helped make this book as realistic as possible.

Also, I am terrible at taking notes about those who help me do what I do. If I left you off the list, my sincere apologies.

The public servants, active-duty personnel and veterans listed below provided governmental and military facts, and also guided me on how to best personify those who serve in the United States military. I thank them for their help, and also for their service: Ted Arthur (Navy SPECWAR), Chris Grall (Army), J.P. Harvey (Air Force), Joel Palmer (FEMA), Scott Pond (Navy), Joseph Root (Navy), Josef W. Wimmer (TSA).

I try to make the science of my novels as accurate as possible while still telling a fantastical story. These three gentlemen beat this tale up one side and down the other. I thank them for their efforts, and hope they continue to help me make my stories better: Joseph A. Albietz III, M.D., Jeremy Ellis, Ph.D., and Tom Merritt, Ph.D.

In my research, I stumbled across Jin Tong’s “Combined-bionic UUV” video on YouTube. The Platypus came to life in these pages thanks to his help. Chris “Cheffie” Otto spent many years working in the field of underwater construction and salvage. His experiences helped me bring Cooper and Jeff to life.

My novels are interlinked and, as such, they require a great deal of internal fact-checking to make sure the stories fit the 800-year-long timeline. I thank John Vizcarra for his careful attention to Siglerverse detail.

Thanks to Shannon Fairlamb and author P.C. Haring, residents of Chicago, for checking on all the details of the Windy City.

Since my novel Contagious, I have worked closely with my business partner, A Kovacs. Her guidance and organizational abilities were critical in getting this book made. She rocks. I couldn’t do this without her, nor would I want to.

This is the fifth book I have made with Julian Pavia as my editor. To have that kind of consistent editorial support is a rare blessing in the world of publishing. Shiv, thanks for a great run.

Thanks to Engine Co. 98 / Ambulance 11 for help with the details that made the final scenes truly rock.

Tim Feely is a character in the novel Ancestor. If you want to see what he went through on Black Manitou Island, pick up that book.