Time to thank all those people who helped with publishing, marketing, publicizing and supporting yours truly with Street Freaks. Boy, did I need that support and that sense of community. Forty years in the business sure came in handy when it was time to call on friends long-standing and recent for help that was desperately needed.
First and always, Judine. Without her, nothing works. Especially me.
Del Rey was right there from the beginning, supporting an effort they could have ignored simply because we have a long standing close relationship and they wanted to see it succeed. Anne Groell and David Moench, in particular, were always available to answer a question or offer a suggestion.
My agent Anne Sibbald, even though she had a few doubts, never hesitated to jump in feet first and work through the tangle of legalities. When Anne wasn’t about – or even if she was, but not handy – there was Chad Luibi to step in.
Refugees from Del Rey who migrated to other employers (many of them right here in the NW) – Kuo-Yu and Adrian Liang. Chris Schluep, Collen Lindsay and a handful of others at Amazon Books guided me through the process all the way. Jen Risko from Shelf Awareness explained the rules of the game. The people at Ingram and Barnes & Noble took a chance. Bookstores large and small were prepared to do the same, many of them hosting an event, many just stocking the book – some without even knowing who the heck Grim Oak Press was.
Speaking of which. Where would I be without Shawn Speakman? I shudder to think. He has been my faithful Web Druid now for more than twenty years. He runs my website and Facebook pages. He has published numerous special editions of my books. He serves as a reliable source of data that I have long forgotten about my many books. He has done everything I have asked of him and never once griped about it. At least, not to me.
Along with his new partner, Jeff Lawson (he of the formidable German mother and her intensely wonderful cooking), have stood by me the whole way in all the ways that mattered. I will never be able to thank them enough. Although, I will try.
This doesn’t happen often with acknowledgements, but who knows if I will ever do so again. Thanks to those authors who agree to support the book with a few kind words on the jacket copy – Robin Hobb, James Rollins and Tamora Pierce. Also Marie Lu, who we exploited mercilessly online. Many others replied to our request for a quote as well. Such a pleasure to be able to call them friends and fellow practitioners of the magic. Even without asking for help, many others – from the past and more recent – gave their support to this effort. I will never forget any of them.
I am probably missing someone, but only because my memory isn’t what it once was. Apologies to those I have somehow overlooked. As a sop for this error, I shall name a character after you in a new book.
This has been a journey I needed to make. Without all of the above to share it with me, I cannot imagine it would have been nearly so wonderful.
All good magic to one and all, Terry