Made Men (31 page)

Living in Alaska has many perks: mountain
views, eagles and bears and moose galore
;
a gifted
editor behind every black spruce. That last part was fiction … the part after
the semicolon. Though my editor is roughly 4500 miles away, Maxann Dobson has
become a trusted friend. She knows the book industry and its inner workings
like a tiny book written on the back of her hand.

My beta readers,
Laurene, Linda,
Mark
—thank you for your insights
and encouragement. To stay in touch with friends and co-workers from past jobs
has kept me grounded in the solitary act of tapping away at computer keys and
grimacing like a madman during the long dark winter. I so appreciate your
perspective, wit, and honesty.

Emily, Sarah,
Rachel, you are some of the strongest, most resilient, most intelligent people
I have had the pleasure to know.

Tucker, your
support and tech-savvy ways are humbling.

Sam, who can
out-lift any characters in this book, and who has the fortitude to keep his
dreams clenched in one fist, and his family safe with the other.

To all children
who are warm and safe and fed, and the rest who should be—and the parents
who are light sleepers so that kids can relax and have kid dreams.

Ted, who this
book is dedicated to, and Alice, who has lived a life dedicated to us all.

June, who still
keeps her birthday wishes secret at 101.

Sara, who thinks I’m good when I’m not sure,
“thank you
”
could never suffice.

P, who practices typing and drinking coffee,
and who takes me by the hand to play when I need to stop doing those
things.

To readers who
have taken the time.

All characters in this work are fictitious …
some more than others.

Join me on Facebook, Goodreads, and see my
next projects at
http://bradleyernst.com/

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All the best,

Bradley