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Acknowledgments
I have more people to thank for a variety of critical roles, which underscores the fantastic response I have experienced from my previous novels, Black Flagged and The Jakarta Pandemic. I'm going to switch up the order here, so be patient.
Drum roll please…
To my wife, the very first pre-reader. She has developed an insightful, critical eye for my writing and knows when I wander too far astray. I know a number of writers who don't let their partners read their magnum opus until it's a finished and polished product. I say pass it along in the early stages.
To Jeroen ten Berge for a stunning cover design. Words can barely describe his ability to simultaneously capture both the core of a book's theme and the essence of a writer's vision.
To my pre-readers…the list grew significantly since Black Flagged. Bill, who listened to my original concept for this book and told me "you can't do that." This is the best kind of advice a writer can receive, and he was dead right; Joe H., for colluding with my wife and pushing me to tighten up the main plot. A little "between the eyes" honesty, early in the game, kept me focused on the novel's core; Trent, for finally informing me that I overuse commas. He staged a punctuation intervention that was badly needed. He also gave me some deep insight regarding my writing style, which will pay dividends in the future…and on the final version of this book; Bruce, for providing excellent feedback and another comprehensive redline; Glen, for finally identifying the right genre for the Black Flagged series. Technothriller. Dead on. Welcome to the team and thank you for your insight about character development; Nancy, for providing an additional female perspective. G36C assault rifle or M4A1? Who cares, right? She looked past all of this and focused on the characters and the story. I need this, since I often get a little too preoccupied with the technical details; Finally, to Jon, a long-time reader and the most recent addition to the pre-reader crew. He was one of the earliest reviewers of The Jakarta Pandemic.
To my writing group for their fantastic initial reaction and advice. I learn something new every time we meet, and you guys really squared me away with the start of Black Flagged Redux. I will forever tread lightly with back story. I would apologize for the violence you had to endure reading my selections, but Joe S. topped it with his amazing undead novel. Joe, I owe you a debt of gratitude for your encouragement of my writing career and your input regarding my latest book. Congratulations on finishing The Reawakening. Coming soon?
To Felicia A. Sullivan, still my editor extraordinaire. I'm one book closer to writing another post-apocalyptic thriller. You can see some of the potential in Black Flagged Redux…who says I can't write a zombie novel?
Finally, to Russell Blake, a talented author and great friend. Russell has redefined the concept of "dedication to writing" and has an incredible knack for the business side. His blog (russellblake.com) serves as a guiding light for indie authors interested in maximizing their exposure to the reader world. He also writes incredible thrillers.