by Marko Kloos
The book you are holding right now in whatever physical or digital form is my tenth published novel since 2013. That’s a lot of acknowledgments to write. But if you notice that the same names tend to pop up at the end of each book, it’s because I am lucky enough to have a stable support network of family, friends, editors, and trusted colleagues.
First on the list to thank is always my wife, Robin, who runs the ship and keeps things together at the Castle so I can disappear in my office every day and talk to imaginary people in my head.
Thank you to the 47North team—my editors, Adrienne and Jason; my developmental editor, Andrea Hurst; my production editor, Laura Barrett; the marketing crew; and everyone else who has had a hand in getting this book in front of readers. Last year, I had two of my short stories adapted into episodes for an animated Netflix series, and one of the unit directors told me in an e-mail that seventy people worked on one thirteen-minute episode for six months. Movie and TV production are pretty flashy business, and book publishing largely isn’t, but I suspect that the number of people working on a book behind the scenes is probably equal to or greater than that TV team head count. I may not ever get to meet you all to thank you in person, but know that I appreciate you and the work you do.
It’s June 2020 as I write this, and the world is a weird place right now. We have a global pandemic raging, the country is politically divided and seemingly on edge, and international tourism has flatlined. I haven’t been able to go to any cons or family visits this year, and that probably won’t change for a good while. Writing is a solitary job, and I was already used to spending a lot of time indoors by myself, so this hasn’t been a radical change for me. But in times like these, our friend networks become even more important than before, and I am lucky to have good, kind, smart friends who bring joy and humor to my day. So thank you to my Doge crew: Tracie, Paul, Tam, Stacy, and Monica; my local friends Kate and Seth, Heather, Jana, Michael and Sophia, David, Christina, Kristin and Morgan; my writer pal and con buddy Melissa Olson; and my friend and collaboration partner Kris Herndon. You’re all the most wonderful people, and being friends with you keeps me grounded and happy.
Thank you to George R. R. Martin, Melinda Snodgrass, and the rest of the Wild Cards crew for letting me be part of something much bigger and better than the sum of its parts, and for your friendship, support, and advice over the years.
And as much as first thanks always go to my wife, my final thanks always go out to my readers. You make it all possible, and your continued support is the main reason why I sit down to work every day. I hope you stick around for what comes next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marko Kloos is the author of two military science fiction series: The Palladium Wars, which includes Aftershocks and Ballistic, and the Frontlines series, which includes, most recently, Points of Impact. Born in Germany and raised in and around the city of Münster, Marko was previously a soldier, bookseller, freight dockworker, and corporate IT administrator before deciding that he wasn’t cut out for anything except making stuff up for fun and profit. A member of George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards consortium, Marko writes primarily science fiction and fantasy—his first genre loves ever since his youth, when he spent his allowance on German SF pulp serials. He likes bookstores, kind people, October in New England, fountain pens, and wristwatches. Marko resides at Castle Frostbite in New Hampshire with his wife, two children, and roving pack of voracious dachshunds. For more information visit www.markokloos.com.
