Claim Me: A Novel Page 35
Acknowledgments
I almost hesitate to include this page because I am certain that I will forget someone, but I’m going to soldier on, wrangle my memory, and hope that whomever I accidentally slight will let me make it up to them with a martini (Damien Stark’s Glen Garioch bourbon is a little out of my league).
Right up front I have to say that I am cheating a bit with this acknowledgment, because it is as much about Release Me as it is about this book, and I have to start off by thanking everyone who helped get Release Me and the Stark Trilogy as a whole out to readers.
Most especially, I want to thank my fabulous agent, Kimberly Whalen, my amazing editor, Shauna Summers, and everyone else on the team at Bantam, who has made diving into the world of Damien and Nikki such an absolute pleasure: Gina Wachtel, Jennifer Hershey, Maggie Oberrender, Susan Grimshaw, Alison Masciovecchio, Sarah Murphy, Matt Schwartz, Rachel Kind, Donna Duverglas, everyone I’ve missed (sorry!); the rest of the folks at Trident; Janet Stark and Sofia Willingham who brought Nikki’s voice to life; and the wonderful publishers in foreign territories, especially the folks at Headline such as Kate Byrne and Veronique Norton, who have made Twittering across “the pond” such fun.
Special thanks to my “betas”—K.J., Heather, Stefani, and Liz. Thanks so much for the feedback!
And, of course, I have to thank my husband and my kids for putting up with “Mommy needs to write,” and supporting me in so many ways.
Most of all, though, I want to thank the readers, especially those who have reached out to let me know how much Damien and Nikki have come to life for them. Every email, every tweet, every comment on my website and Facebook page is appreciated. Thank you! And a special shout-out to Kathy Womack, who coined the term “Damienized,” which I have boldly appropriated, and to Redhotpolkadots on Twitter, whose #StarkOnSpeedDial hashtag made me grin—here you go, girl!
by J. Kenner
claim me
release me
PHOTO: KATHY WHITTAKER PHOTOGRAPHY
J. KENNER loves wine, dark chocolate, and books. She lives in Texas with her husband and daughters. Visit her online at www.jkenner.com to learn more about her and her other pen names, to get a peek at what she’s working on, and to connect through social media.