Poison Bay (37 page)
Authors: Belinda Pollard
The people of Te Anau, New Zealand were generous with information, hot chocolate, venison pies—and some good-natured teasing—while I undertook my research. Lloyd Matheson and Alan Johnston explained Search and Rescue operations in Fiordland National Park. Fishing boat operators Steve and David told me their experiences of the real Poison Bay. To those who can tell when I have taken liberties with geography and topography for plot purposes, I apologize; writers make stuff up!
Helen and Nita of Ultimate Hikes were a key reason that I and my eccentric knees completed the Milford Track without needing to be rescued.
Varuna, The Writers House gave me more than an award—their Publisher Fellowship was that first crucial validation, a catalyst that helped me persevere. Varuna manuscript consultant Carol Major guided me in the discovery of both flaws and possibilities.
I honor the amazing beta readers who critiqued my manuscript, and who deserve medals for their skill, patience, generosity, encouragement and wise suggestions. They are:
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Dawn Dicker, content strategist and writer.
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Molly Greene, author of the Gen Delacourt mystery series.
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Karin Cox, editor and multi-published author of both non-fiction and fiction, including the Cruxim dark fantasy series.
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Sophie Cayeux, author of the upcoming Mauritius Migrants women’s fiction series.
Journalist, author of Sell Your Books! and Type 1 diabetes advocate Debbie Young corrected my many misunderstandings about both the physical and emotional impacts of the survival situation for Rachel and her mother. Her attention to detail was extraordinary. Nurse and writer Sarah Edgecumbe tutored me in the use of insulin pens and blood sugar monitors. If you have been touched by the Type 1 diabetes storyline, please consider supporting the work of JDRF, the leading charitable funder of the search for a cure.
Retired NZ police inspector Grant Middlemiss not only corrected and enhanced my understanding of police procedures and likely behaviors, he offered savvy suggestions for how to get around plot problems and when to boldly take literary license. Grant is also the author of Waikato River Gunboats.
Any mistakes that persist after the feedback of these experts are of course my own.
My editor Jo Swinney was much more than a typo corrector. She shared my vision for this book in a way that lifted me. She tightened my prose and strengthened my story through intelligent feedback full of grace and humor.
I honor my parents Jim and Barbara Pollard, who believed I could write a novel even on the days when I wasn’t so sure, and who helped me in countless practical ways, from feeding me during training hikes for my research expedition, to correcting my drafts. Dad, I wish you were still here to see this; Mum, thank you so much for everything.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks to the Creator, who first imagined the beauty of Fiordland, and decided to share it with us.
Belinda Pollard
Belinda Pollard
is an award-winning former journalist who loves mountain hiking despite bad knees and a fear of heights. She has been a professional writer/editor for decades, and a contributor to the
Closer to God
series since 1999. The name “Poison Bay” on a map triggered her journey to the sinister end of the bookshelf. Spooky and remote, it was a location just begging for a mystery.
Poison Bay
is her first novel, and won a Varuna Publisher Fellowship in 2011. Belinda lives in Brisbane, Australia where she undertakes ball-throwing duties for a dog named Rufus, and turns on the air-conditioning so she can dream of snow...
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Poison Bay
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