Protect And Defend

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Emily Bestler and Sloan Harris, my editor and agent, for your friendship and many talents. To David Brown for being the best publicist in the business. To Jack Romanos, Carolyn Reidy, Judith Curr, and Louise Burke, and the rest of the Atria, Pocket, and Simon amp; Schuster family; thank you for all of your hard work and support. To Sarah Branham, Laura Stern, Kristyn Keene, and Niki Castle, thank you for being so good at what you do, and for being nice while you do it. To Jamie Kimmes for making life significantly less cluttered, which to a writer is no small thing.

To Rob Richer for your friendship and wisdom. To Judd Stat-tine and Bob Olson for your integrity and professionalism. To Dr. Jodi Bakkegard for taking such good care of me. To Chad Harris at thethirdoption.net for keeping things rolling. To Sunny Wicka and Brad England for your generous contribution to the fight to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and to my wife, Lysa, for being my classy, calm partner in an otherwise chaotic life.