Near Dark (Scot Harvath #19)(111)
One of the achievements I am most proud of is that all twenty of my novels have been with my wonderful family at Simon & Schuster. I cannot imagine working with a more talented, brilliant, kind, and professional team. It is an absolute joy to have brought to life so many books together. My deepest, heartfelt thanks to all of you.
With that heartfelt thanks, I have to admit that my heart is also broken, as this year we lost the amazing Carolyn Reidy, Simon & Schuster’s President and CEO. Carolyn was an outstanding leader but an even more outstanding human being. I will miss her laughter, her fierce determination, and most of all, her friendship. Thank you, Carolyn, for every single thing you did for me.
While it is hard to lose someone who is so much a part of your career, it only makes you realize how fantastic and valuable all of the other pros are whom you work with.
Right at the top of that list, is my phenomenal publisher and editor, Emily Bestler. Emily and I have been together since the very beginning. After reading my first thriller, it was she who invited me to join the S&S family. One of the smartest things I ever did was saying yes. Since then, Emily has not only helped expertly guide me through the writing of twenty books, she has also become one of my dearest friends. Thank you for all of it, Emily, and for sprinkling in so much laughter and good humor along the way.
Along with Emily, the sensational Lara Jones and the rest of the Emily Bestler Books team are the absolute best of the best! Thank you, all.
Simon & Schuster’s extraordinary President and Publisher, Jon Karp, is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He has had a monumental career, because he not only understands the publishing industry inside and out, but (as one himself) he also understands writers. Thank you for always being such a powerful advocate for me at S&S. I look forward to working together for many more years to come.
Remarkable people with superb ideas are the wellspring of success. I couldn’t be happier than to have Atria publisher Libby McGuire and associate publisher Suzanne Donahue in my life. You two continue to be amazing, and I appreciate all that you have done for me. Thank you.
I also have to add the incomparable Kristin Fassler and Dana Trocker to the list of people I am so grateful for. You know you are working with confident, accomplished professionals when they refuse to rest on their laurels, are always looking for new ways to do things, and always want to go farther than last time. Thank you, both.
I don’t get to thank the spectacular Gary Urda and John Hardy often enough. Having them on my side is like having my own Special Forces team inside Simon & Schuster. Every single day they are figuring out bold, new ways to advance, take ground, and achieve success. I am incredibly fortunate to know and to be working with them. Thank you, gentlemen.
While I’m doling out the praise, I want to give a big thank-you to the marvelous Jen Long and the outstanding team at Pocket Books. We have been putting some fantastic initiatives into play this year, and it is because of their creative genius. I really appreciate all of you. Thank you.
My awesome publicist, David Brown, continues to crush it, year in and year out. Always thinking, always adapting, and always coming up with new strategies, he is tireless in all that he does on my behalf. David, I’m the luckiest author on the planet. Thank you.
And, speaking of crushing it, I want to extend a huge thanks and my deepest appreciation to the superb Atria, Emily Bestler Books, and Pocket Books sales teams. If you’re reading this, it’s because they helped get it to the right bookseller. They are absolute pros, and I am so blessed to be working with them. Thank you, all.
Behind the scenes, the impressive Colin Shields, Paula Amendolara, Janice Fryer, Adene Corns, Liz Perl, and Lisa Keim continue to leap tall buildings on my behalf! You, along with the terrific Gregory Hruska, Mark Speer, and Stuart Smith, are an out-of-this-world team. Thank you!
Knocking it out of the park, the Simon & Schuster audio division continues to put unbelievable points on the board. The job they do not only producing the audio versions of my books but also selling and marketing them is amazing. I want to thank every brilliant person under their banner, including Chris Lynch, Tom Spain, Sarah Lieberman, Desiree Vecchio, and Armand Schultz. Thank you.
Like Scot Harvath, when you choose someone to watch your back, you want that person to be off-the-charts talented. That’s what I have in my sharpshooter, Al Madocs of the Atria/Emily Bestler Books Production Department. No matter what the mission requires, Al is always there with a smile and a can-do attitude. Al, a million thank-yous would never be enough. You’re the best. Thanks for everything.
This year, we wanted to enhance our “look,” and that job fell to the peerless Jimmy Iacobelli of the Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Pocket Books Art Departments. The Near Dark artwork—especially when you see it on the hardcover edition—is nothing short of stunning. Jimmy, I tip my creative hat to you. Extremely well done, sir. Thank you.
My unbelievable copyeditor, Fred Chase, did such a terrific job keeping me on the straight and narrow. Thank you so much for your professionalism and hard work.
Twenty novels—and every one of them lovingly overseen by my formidable agent and dear friend, Heide Lange of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Heide is the representative every author dreams of having. She is brilliant, an absolute savant when it comes to publishing, gives great counsel, and is a highly respected negotiator. No matter where you encounter her in the process, she will always treat you fairly. Simply put, they don’t make them better than Heide Lange. Thank you for such an incredible journey.