The River (19 page)
Once again I had the good fortune to have the backing of a great independent bookstore. A giant thank you to the Pages and co. at Island Books for moral support and letting me tinker on this project in the children’s department.
Another big thanks goes to Lieutenants Autumn Fowler and Lisa Flores of the Bellevue Police Department for letting me ride along and opening my eyes about how bad the meth epidemic really is.
Kit Close of Ranch Records in Salem, Oregon, graciously supplied me with the original Tiny story that sparked my imagination but unfortunately didn’t make it into the final novel. If you’re ever in Salem, stop by the store and have him tell it to you. It’s a good one.
Steven Chudney is a wonderful agent. I’m glad he’s on my team. I’m also really fortunate in Jennifer Hunt and T. S. Ferguson at Little, Brown, who saw an earlier, amorphous version of
The River
and took a chance on it even though it needed gutting. Thanks for a) staying with me and b) giving this project its shape.
Peggy King Anderson provided valuable feedback on more drafts than I can count.
My family, Juan, Sofia, and Ricky, gave me love, patience, and M&M’s. Did I hit the jackpot or what?
And finally, thank you to Gretchen and Kristin for being better friends than I deserved when I was growing up. I miss you both.