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MURDERERS CREEK, Maggie Blackthorne #2
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Acknowledgments
Pat Dannen, my high school English teacher, often praised my writing. More than a decade after we lost contact, she reached out to encourage me to keep writing. Thank you, Pat. I’ll always remember that.
Others who have been particularly wise and instructive are the writers Emily Chenoweth, Martha Gies, Debbie Guyol, Karen Karbo, Nam Le, Angela M. Sanders, and Leni Zumas. The folks in both of my current writing groups have been tolerant, insightful, encouraging, and occasionally a pain, but I’m indebted to all of you: Debbie Guyol, Charlotte Rains Dixon, Jenni Gainsborough, Angela M. Sanders, Ann Littlewood, Doug Levin, and Dave Lewis. I’d also like to thank the writers Dan Bern, Alan Rose, Deb Stone, Colleen Strohm, and Laura Wood for their thoughtful comments and encouragement.
Many, many thanks to friends and colleagues who agreed to beta read a draft of the full novel: Mary-Beth Baptista, Charlotte Rains Dixon, Jenni Gainsborough, Debbie Guyol, Sarah Landis, Angela M. Sanders, and Mark Wiggington. Your comments and encouragement were exactly what I needed.
Special thanks to Angela M. Sanders, whose wisdom and practical advice has been amazing, and always a plus—she’s got good taste and a damn good sense of humor, too. Also special thanks to Rachel Crocker for whipping me into shape.
I want to thank my agent, Gail Fortune, along with the team at Severn River Publishing—Andrew Watts, Amber Hudock, Cate Streissguth, Mo Metlen, and my fabulous editor, Kate Schomaker.
Finally, Tom Griffin-Valade is my rock, but our children and their partners—Shawn and Erin; Amy and Tony; Alexis and Ahmed; Kai and Hannah—have been abundantly supportive, along with my grandchildren, Lauren, Logan, Piper, and Zio.
About the Author
LaVonne Griffin-Valade was born and raised in the high desert country along the John Day River of eastern Oregon—a place that stoked her imagination and inspired her to become a lifetime writer of short stories, essays, poetry, and novels. She has worn many professional hats: elementary school teacher, mentor, education equity advocate, and Auditor of the City of Portland. Griffin-Valade has published essays and pieces of fiction in multiple publications including the Oregon Humanities Magazine and the Clackamas Literary Review. After receiving her MFA from Portland State University in 2017 she moved to fiction writing. LaVonne lives in Portland, Oregon and works as a full time writer. Dead Point, the first book in the Maggie Blackthorne series, is her debut novel.
Dead Point (Maggie Blackthorne Book 1) Page 33
