Many thanks to my assistant Patricia Chichester, who loved this book even while we were both bleary-eyed from late nights spent writing, typing, rewriting, and retyping. Patricia’s careful and quick work on all aspects of the manuscript, including research and working closely with Kate Hartson, made this book possible.
Thanks, too, to my assistant Dianne Francis, who also burned the midnight oil to keep the office running, and who became Nelson DeMille while I was locked in my writing cell. Thank you, Dianne, for keeping the world at bay.
Another good decision, made over vino at a long lunch, was my joining up with Jennifer Joel and Sloan Harris, literary agents extraordinaire, at International Creative Management Partners. Jenn and I go back many years, and Sloan had not had the pleasure of my company until we met at that fateful lunch. We all clicked, and I’m happy and proud to be represented by true professionals.
No writer should try to read a publishing or movie contract, or try to deal with the U. S. Copyright Office. I have been fortunate to have as a friend and attorney David Westermann, who won’t let me sign my name to anything he hasn’t read and revised — including his checks.
Thanks, Dave, for your good counsel.When I first wrote
And last, but never least, I thank my young bride, Sandy DeMille, who said to me, when I was having doubts during the rewriting of