The Candidate (30 page)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to my mum Sophie, and friends Naomi and Toni who bravely and kindly read
The Candidate
in its very early stages and offered nothing but encouragement and praise. My immeasurable gratitude to Michaela who provided such wise insights into my characters and urged – told – me to let Mac out of his box.

Thank you to my brother Reuben for helping me find injuries for Ginny and Mac that suited not only the storyline but also retained some medical plausibility. My thanks are also due to my cousin, Mark, for assisting with some of the finer details of the storyline, and to Glenn and Mark for ensuring my attempts at police procedure were not too far off the mark. Any errors, omissions or inconsistencies are completely and utterly my own.

My most sincere thanks to Tina, Antoinette and Penelope for the gentle persuasion, expertise and support in helping me shape what was a very messy manuscript into the product I always wanted to create.

Thank you to my father and his photographic skill that enabled me to describe Auckland in greater detail than what my memories would allow, and for his astute final proofread.

My research for
The Candidate
drew upon the experiences of past and present NZSAS soldiers and other New Zealand military professionals who have made their stories public. For their honesty, humour and courage I am very grateful.

Lastly, my thanks to June, who showed me it is never too late to do what you love. And to her grandson, Alistair, who answered hundreds of questions on cars, locks, polishing floors, drills and downpipes, and – perhaps inadvertently – provided the soundtrack.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Juliet Francis lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her two children.

Visit her at
www.facebook.com/JulietFrancisAuthor