It’s funny where a novel can take an author, in both the figurative and literal sense. Admittedly, I’m a seeker; I love finding out things, and in the course of writing this book I found out a lot. I also found myself, once again, entering into worlds I never would have otherwise explored. Of course, that meant having to bug a lot of people for information, but as has always been the case, I was fortunate enough to meet people who were gracious and beyond helpful at every turn; to those individuals, I send my warmest and most sincere thanks. One side note, by the way, any inaccuracies in this book are my own—I take full responsibility. In addition to the experts, I also offer thanks to the many others who gave their love, support and good wishes as I struggled to write this novel. The words on these pages would not have been the same without the people who gave of themselves.
To Kelley Eskridge at Sterling Editing, a big thanks, not only for being a ridiculously talented editor but also for being a genuinely sincere and kind person. She catered to my every neurosis throughout this process, sometimes humoring me, sometimes encouraging me, and quite often sharing her depth of knowledge about writing, something for which we both share a profound passion. She made sure every word in this novel counted and helped make this book everything I wanted it to be. I have enormous respect for the people who do this often-thankless work because I also know how difficult it can be. To do it with constant enthusiasm and good cheer can’t be easy, and yet that’s just what she did.
To Patty G. Henderson at Boulevard Photografica for her amazing cover design and assistance with the interior design for the paperback version of this novel. She never fails to amaze me with what she comes up with—not only that, but she does it all with enthusiasm, excitement, and talent that blows me away every time.
On the technical side, thanks to Dana Lerner, LCSW, who was instrumental in helping me develop the many complex facets of Patrick’s character and personal struggles. With her knowledge, I was able to breathe life into him. Also of great help on this front was Dr. Byron Egeland from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, who helped me gain a deeper understanding of child abuse and its devastating effects. He generously offered his knowledge so that I could portray Patrick’s tragic past and current battles in a realistic, meaningful way.
My sincere appreciation to Jeff Bell at the International OCD Foundation and Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz, Professor and Associate Chair of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their insight on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was, without question, vital to this novel. I wanted to present the issue in a compassionate, moving, and informative manner, and they helped me do it. I came away not only with new knowledge about OCD, but also with new respect for the people who suffer from this debilitating and challenging disorder. I hope I did them justice by portraying it through Patrick Bannister.
Thanks to Lori Boggs of the Oregon State Hospital for sharing her professional experiences and giving me the details I needed to write the Glenview chapters. I wanted to give the reader a visceral sense of what this environment is like, and she helped me achieve that goal.
On the legal front, Barbara Smith, Attorney at Law, shared her knowledge about the death penalty, all things legal, and helped me map out Ronald Lucas’s story of injustice. We bounced a lot of ideas back and forth, and she let me know which would fly and which wouldn’t. With her guidance, I was finally able to come up with a story that worked.
To Marty Weiner of Atlantic Veal, and Matthew Leone--thanks for helping me understand inner workings of a meatpacking plant. Staging the book’s climax there was a challenge—mapping out an action-packed, meat hook-suspended, rolling chicken fight, even more so. But with their help, I was able to pull it off—or at least, I hope so.
A very special thanks to my good friend Linda Boulanger at TreasureLine Books & Publishing for her unfailing professional and personal support. Even though she was busy running a publishing business along with a demanding and heavily populated household, she never once wavered as a friend and professional comrade. There aren’t enough pages here to list all the times she stepped up to the plate for me (including her beautiful work formatting both the e-book and paperback interior), but it never went unnoticed or unappreciated. You just don’t find friends like her very often, and I’m beyond thankful and pleased to call her one of mine.
To my team of beta/proof readers (in no specific order): Diane Harrison, Barbara Richards, Jenny Hilborne, Linda Boulanger, Jaimey Grant, Peg Brantley, Kyle Myer, Deanna Rickrode, Chris Janzen, Gayla Catrett, and Jodie Renner: you don’t know how much I value your input and the time you spent reading my earlier drafts so I could make this book shine. Having those ten extra pair of eyes was a crucial part of this process.
To the lucky (or unlucky) winners of this year’s contest to be (murdered) characters in this novel: much thanks for being such good sports and for having the courage to put your lives in my twisted hands. To Madison Johns, for allowing me to kill her (on paper, that is) and to Nissie Lambert, who, due a deficiency of female murder victims, escaped my evil wrath but still got a part as sister to the wrongly convicted and executed Ronald Lucas. Extra thanks as well to Nissie for her continuous support and encouragement throughout this process and for picking up the pom-poms whenever my spirits were low.
To my good friend Barbara Richards who has always been there for me throughout the years. It’s great having someone to lean on when life gets a little wobbly, and she never hesitated to step in and offer a dose of stability whenever needed; it wasn’t always easy, but it was always genuine, always greatly appreciated. To Kyle Myer for his thoughtful insight, advice, and guidance which he offered with generosity and sincerity. To Kay, Paul, and Deanna Rickrode for looking after me and treating me as one of their own.
Much love to my mother who I know is smiling down on me from up above and to my dad who’s got my back here on earth.
And finally, to my readers: I am in awe of you. In this day when the publishing industry changes by the minute and where the reading choices multiply almost as quickly, I’m amazed and thrilled beyond measure that you choose to read my work. All I’ve ever wanted was to tell my stories, and you’ve given me a place to do it. There are no words to express what that means to me. How I got so lucky, I have no idea, but I’m thankful for it and humbled by it more than you can know. It’s for those reasons and many more that I dedicate this book to you.
About the Author
Andrew E. Kaufman is an award winning journalist and author living in Southern California, along with his three Labrador Retrievers, two horses, and a very bossy Jack Russell Terrier who thinks she owns the place. His debut novel, While the Savage Sleeps, a forensic paranormal mystery, broke out on four of Amazon’s bestsellers lists, taking the #1 spot on two of them and third place on the much-coveted Movers and Shakers list. It also dominated six of their Top-Rated lists. The novel is available on Kindle, trade paperback, and other e-book formats. He also wrote a story for Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book where he chronicled his battle with the disease.
After receiving his journalism and political science degrees at San Diego State University, Andrew began his writing career as an Emmy-nominated writer/producer, working at KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego, then at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, he produced special series and covered many nationally known cases, including the O.J. Simpson Trial.
For more information about Andrew and his work,
please visit his website: http://www.andrewekaufman.com
and his blog: http://www.andrewekaufman.blogspot.com
While The Savage Sleeps - available in the Amazon Kindle Store:
http://www.amazon.com/While-the-Savage-Sleeps-ebook/dp/B003RCJUCM
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