Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1)(127)

Fortunately, in the small-world tangle that is publishing, some good things continue, and others come around again. My new series is set in the familiar world of the Fells, where you still don’t want to be one of my characters.

I continue to benefit from the wise counsel of my agent, Christopher Schelling, who has managed to scrub every vestige of Ohio from his skin and from under his nails but who still houses a huge Midwestern heart. Thanks to my foreign rights reps, Chris Lotts and Lara Allen, who decipher the indecipherable.

The team at HarperCollins has given me such a warm welcome. I am beginning this new journey with an old friend, senior editor Abby Ranger. I first worked with Abby at my previous publisher, Hyperion. Abby knows how to sound those chords that are in your heart already. There are very few suggestions she makes that don’t resonate.

I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate in my covers throughout my career. Thanks to designer Erin Fitzsimmons and illustrator Sasha Vinogradova, the winning streak continues with a spectacular cover for Flamecaster, full of pizzazz and glitterbits. Senior art director Amy Ryan oversaw the cover process, dealing patiently with ephemeral demons in the artwork and adding sparkle at every stage.

The publicity, sales, and marketing staff are critical in bringing my work to the attention of readers. Thanks to publicist Lindsey Karl, the marketing team of Nellie Kurtzman (another familiar face!) and Jenna Lisanti, and associate publisher and senior vice president of sales Andrea Pappenheimer. They have all made me feel like a visible fish in the publishing pond.

As always, thanks to my husband, Rod, the most responsive webmaster ever; my sons and other early readers; and all of the other writers who offer critique, support, commiseration, sage advice, and the occasional glass of wine. I raise my glass to all of you.