Against All Odds
Page 30
To a former FBI agent out West who reviewed my entire manuscript and gave it a thumbs-up for accuracy. Since he didn’t change a word, he felt he didn’t contribute much and declined any recognition. But his blessing on my research contributed greatly to my peace of mind! He knows who he is, and I thank him for plowing through all four-hundred-plus manuscript pages when he had far better things to do.
To the wonderful people at Revell, who have welcomed me so warmly. To my editor, Jennifer Leep, for her insights and belief in my work; to Cat Hoort, who has now moved on, for her enthusiasm for this book during our brief association; to Cheryl Van Andel for her incredible responsiveness to my cover suggestions; to Kristin Kornoelje for her superb copyediting; and to all the other folks I met on my visit whom I haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with as I write this . . . I look forward to a fabulous partnership.
To gifted author Dee Henderson for her graciousness and her fabulous endorsement for this novel.
Last, but by no means least, to my agent, Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Thanks for believing in this project, for your perseverance, and for finding the perfect home for my suspense debut.
Finally, on a personal note, I’d like to pay tribute to three people who have had a tremendous influence on my writing career.
To the special man in my life—my husband, Tom—whose love and support mean the world to me.
And to the greatest parents (and proofreaders!) ever, James and Dorothy Hannon, who have always encouraged me to reach for the stars.
Irene Hannon is an award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of ten with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay . . . maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.
Since then, she has written more than twenty-five romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), the HOLT Medallion, and a Reviewer’s Choice award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine.
Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics, and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous shows. She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a cantor at her church (where she does not ham it up!).
When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop, and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.
To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.