It Takes a Real Village to Manage a Fictional One

We don’t wake up looking like this. And Foreign Relations, the latest in our Val & Kit Mystery Series, didn’t arrive on anyone’s Kindle or bookshelf without help from a lot of people.

COPY EDITOR

Thank you to Sarah. Don’t be fooled by the fancy title, it’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. It means she gets the first “final” draft and a lot of work. (Note to selves: give Sarah a huge six-figure bonus.)

COVER GIRL

Laura is the brilliant woman who takes our amateur photographs and turns them into dazzling covers (and bookmarks). We are so thankful for her. (Note to selves: book Laura into a weekend spa in Paris.)

FIRST RESPONDERS

Melissa and Kerri, our first beta readers and the first to ♥ us on Instagram and Facebook, are our cheerleaders. (Note to selves: send these girls on a Caribbean cruise.)

SPECIAL-MENTION RESPONDERS

Johnny and Jack. (Note to selves: these guys deserve a new fishing boat; let’s get on this.)

COMMENTARY

Pete is always the first to comment on our blog. Since Pete is also a writer, we look forward to his witty critiques crammed full of entertaining trivia. (Note to selves: build a log cabin in Jackson Hole for Pete to write in.)

PROPS DEPARTMENT

Emma, Anna Lydia, and Anna Belle. These three girls all contributed to the photo shoot for the cover of Foreign Relations. And handling bloody knives is a lot to ask of teenage girls. (Note to selves: get them Ed Sheeran concert tickets, front row, with backstage passes.)

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Since Foreign Relations is set in England, we called on Jill and Jennie to make sure we were doing stuff that the English really do. (Note to selves: send Jill and Jennie to Disneyland in California for a week.)

ARTWORK

Thank you to Mike for our fabulous logo.  

(Note to selves: let’s send him to Las Vegas.)

THE REVIEWERS (BUT ONLY THE GOOD ONES)

We love, love, love our reviewers, especially those who take the time to write a good one on Amazon.  (Note to selves: sign them all up with Steak-of-the-Month Club.)

THE AUTHORS

That would be us. But without our READERS we wouldn’t be here. An enormous thank-you for buying our books and helping us keep our village maintained. It’s not easy. Or cheap.  (Note to selves: rethink all suggested gift items above; and remember, a bookmark is always nice too.)

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