Ghost Hand (34 page)

My extended family, for loving me and for being my first fans.

The speculative fiction community of New Zealand, particularly SpecFicNZ, for backing me in every way possible. Writers need writers. You taught me that.

A special Kickstarter thanks to the following backers for making
Ghost Hand
possible:

Pam Bainbridge-Cowan, Pip Ballantine, Susan Bernardo, Kevin Berry, David Bishop, Roxanne Bland, Grace Bridges, Laura Buchholz, Jan Butterworth, Kura Carpenter, Angie Chute, Angelica Clark, Brenda Cooper, Matt Cooper, Matt Cowens, Tatiana and Natasha Crenshaw, Nathan Crowder, Clare Davies, Petra Delarocha, Mark English, Amanda Fitzwater, Tricia Grissom, Stephanie Gunn, Jess Haley, Kelly A. Harmon, J.C. Hart, Edwina Harvey, Joffre Horlor, Deb E. Howell, Elaine King, Jim and Paula Kirk, Catherine Langford, Kam Oi Lee, Helen Lowe, Kevin Maclean, Juliet Marillier, Deborah L. Marshall, Angel Leigh McCoy, Karen Johnson Mead, Elizabeth Millin, S.P Miskowski, Virginia M. Mohlere, Terry Morris, Bill Mulholland, Matt Mulholland, Royal and Sarah Mulholland, Deirdre Murphy, Sylvia Oliver, Colum Paget, Neil Patton, Simon Petrie, Mark E. Phair, Beaulah Pragg, Dan Rabarts, Paulette Rae, Rebecca Rahne, Jim Ryan, Ted Sanders, Silvernis, Darian Smith, Hannah Karahkwenhawe Stacy, Sonia, Tevarre, Jhakka Turul, Rob U, Mary Victoria, Paul Wilson, and Jeremy Zimmerman.

All those who who gave of their skills and talents to make
Ghost Hand
the best book it could be: Angel Leigh McCoy for very early readings and for convincing me I was a novelist. Kura Carpenter for the most amazing cover ever. Debbie Marshall and Tricia Grissom for their passionate creative and content editing. Edwina Harvey for her proofreading magic. Catherine Langford for the beautiful typesetting, and Simon Petrie for turning
Ghost Hand
into an e-book I could be proud of.

And to the many other writers who have influenced and encouraged me throughout the years, particularly and more recently, Helen Lowe and Juliet Marillier.

Ripley Patton
is an award-winning author who lives in Portland, Oregon with two teenagers, one cat, and a man who wants to live on a boat. During a five-year adventure in New Zealand, Ripley and her family survived the Canterbury Earthquakes (a 7.1 and a 6.3) that rocked their home city of Christchurch. While in New Zealand, Ripley won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Short Story of 2009, and the Sir Julius Vogel Award 2011 for Services to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Ghost Hand
is Ripley’s fist novel, and the first of a three book series.

To learn more about Ripley and read some of her short fiction be sure to check out her website at
www.ripleypatton.com
. You can also sign up for The PSS Chronicles series updates by sending an e-mail to
[email protected]
.