Sea of Crises (38 page)

It was a damn good question.

And, as is the case with a lot of damn good questions, it answered itself.

So, I finally did it. And, it feels good.

However, I’d be less than honest if I suggested that this book could possibly have happened without help. A lot of help.

Where do I start?

Well, first of all, with my wife, Martha. I’ve dedicated this book to her. But that’s completely inadequate, and I know it. Truth be told, I wrote this story for her. As with just about everything I do in my life, I wanted to impress her. Once I finished each chapter and massaged it until I thought it was just right, I printed it and gave it to her for the initial read. Then I waited anxiously for her judgment. And, God bless her, she loved each one. (For that, and for so much more, I love her.)

But I knew I needed more objective feedback. So, I turned to my beta readers: Damon Jespersen, Cathryn Cormier, Geri Hunter, Lisa Siegel, Hal Light, Brad Neel and Paul Lusby. Each read a fairly raw version of the manuscript, and, through feedback, contributed greatly to the final version of the story. To all of them, I extend my profound thanks.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the assistance of two industry professionals for their advice and editorial assistance: Kathryn Johnson and Hillel Black. Their guidance was invaluable, and this novel is so much more than it would have been without their help.

Finally, my thanks to Ben Lizardi, who designed a fabulous book cover and who, more importantly, has been a terrific friend for many years.

It’s humbling looking back and realizing just how important others have been in one’s “personal” endeavors. But it’s also uplifting.

Of course, all of the foregoing being said, the final product is mine. And all criticisms of this book, good and - yikes - bad, fall on me. That’s as it should be. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, tell others. If you don’t, purge it from your memory.

After all, life is about the good stuff.

Table of Contents

PART ONE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

PART TWO

8

9

10

11

12

PART THREE

13

14

15

16

17

A Note from the Author