Don't Say a Word (Strangers Series) (24 page)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to many people who helped bring this book to life. First of all, a huge thanks to David Wilson, Ashley Previte, Chelle Olsen, Charlotte Herscher, and Maxine Groves for their insight and keen eyes. I am also grateful to all of the experts who helped answer technical questions: Kari Schultz; Travis White; Detective Carlos Flores; Police Chief Richard Penn; retired homicide detective Brad Strawn; Roger Canaff; Gena S. Dry, RN; Desiree X; Shannon Hysell; and Donna Crisler.

Thanks to my husband, Brian, for being a first reader, giving me constructive notes, and most of all for helping with the kids all summer so I could write. I think I left the house less than ten times the whole summer. Seriously! It was a pretty intense time.

Thanks to Reida O’Brien and Terry O’Brien for their unflagging support and encouragement in everything I do—and for always being there for me; Sage Gallegos for being an amazing and patient friend, encourager, and wonderful auntie; Mark Klein for being such a wonderful pen pal for the last fifteen years. Without your continued belief in me, Mark, I wonder if I’d even have completed my first book.

Thank you to all the wonderful people at Thomas & Mercer, especially JoVon Sotak, Anh Schluep, Jacque Ben-Zekry, and Alan Turkus. Thank you for believing in my books and for getting them in front of so many thousands of readers here and abroad. I couldn’t have imagined a better, more fulfilling experience with a publisher.

And last, but certainly not least, a big thanks to my amazing twin sons, Christopher and Ryan. Thank you for making Mommy’s life so much more beautiful . . . in so many incredible ways.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © 2014 Alan Weissman

Since graduating from Old Dominion University with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and a minor in management, Jennifer Jaynes has made her living as a content manager, webmaster, news publisher, editor, and copywriter. Her first novel,
Never Smile at Strangers
, quickly found an audience and in 2014 became a
USA Today
bestseller.

When she’s not writing or spending time with her husband and twin sons, Jennifer loves reading, cooking, studying nutrition, doing CrossFit training, and playing poker. She and her family live in the Dallas area.