A Stirring from Salem (23 page)

Without the inspiration, patience, love, and hard work of so many people, this novel never would have happened. I want to send a huge thank you once again to Ken Corday, Greg Meng, and Corday Productions for inviting me back into the world of Days of our Lives and giving me total creative freedom. Lois Winslow’s grace and help has been over and above. At Sourcebooks, Peter Lynch’s edits and notes added clarity to the storytelling that enriched both plot and character, Diane Dannenfeldt’s copy edits kept me both accurate and cogent, and ItGirl Public Relations and Klear PR worked tirelessly to promote the novel series to a broad and welcoming media and audience.

The passion with which my sister, Judy Speas, continued as my personal editor could not be appreciated enough, and Michele Reilly’s input and support were more significant than ever. Lawrence Zarian’s amazing friendship and contributions to story and character were remarkable, and to those who also helped with my extensive research I tip my hat. Gregory Zarian and Joe Balthazar’s glimpse into the worlds of modeling and photo shoots were both enlightening and generous. Cobus Gauche, Brendan Pollecutt, and Burgert Muller’s knowledge and sensitivity to both the beauty and conflict that is South Africa were unparalleled. And once again Google saved my life with facts and figures that astounded me on a daily basis.

Thanks to Paul Cohen, for his amazing humor, patience, and optimism that is infectious. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Franz Marx, who invited me to work with him twice in South Africa. They were trips that both inspired and enriched my life. To those at the Chateau Marmont who let me carve out a place to write with no interruptions in a delicious atmosphere, and to those at Roundup Valley Ranch who let me write on their porch on weekends while taking in the breathtaking Santa Ynez scenery, I cannot say enough.

As for my husband, Paca—pronounced Pay-ka—his unconditional love, inspiration, and support especially during my sporadic periods of writer’s block are historic. And the glasses of wine in front of the fire while holding hands on the couch at the end of a long day remind me daily that love and romance live.

To the fans, new and old—there would be no novels or Days of our Lives without you.

Two-time Emmy-winning writer Sheri Anderson was responsible for more than 3,000 hours of network television before authoring the fiction novel series,
Salem’s Secrets, Scandals, and Lies.
She is widely credited for some of the most memorable characters and groundbreaking storylines on the small screen. Shows she helmed or co-headwrote include
Days of our Lives
,
General Hospital
,
Santa Barbara
, and
Falcon Crest
. She is also a partner in CohenThomas Management, a firm representing actors in film and television. Sheri resides in Los Angeles with her husband Paca Thomas, five-time Emmy winner and owner of the media arts company pacaworks.com. He is also the on-air sidekick and producer on Bernie Taupin’s
American Roots Radio
.

A Stirring from Salem
is the second in the series.