The Rented Mule (48 page)

Kyle Jennings and his wife, Jill Conner Browne, liked what I had to say from early on and encouraged me to write before anyone was willing to read the stories. Kyle is an excellent editor and business manager and, thankfully, he handles all the gritty details, allowing me to concentrate on storytelling.

Terry Goodman and the entire Amazon and Thomas & Mercer team are simply amazing. I can’t thank them enough for all of their support here and abroad.

My wife, Melissa, and daughter, Jessi, have been constant and consistent supporters. They both allow me to bounce random ideas off them, and they give me honest critiques, along with no small amount of concerned looks. And I’m grateful to them for allowing me to disappear many nights and weekends while I try to piece together a cohesive story. My wife wishes that I’d write love stories, and Jessi would prefer something with vampires, but both seem to have come to grips with my preferred genre. Thank y’all. I love you both more than I can express here.

I’ll never forget taking my mother, Peggy Cole, to the Pike Road Library book signing near Montgomery, Alabama, and how happy she was to listen to me talk about my books. I thank you, Mom, for your unwavering love and for your
many Montgomery area friends and their support. And a special thanks to Barbara Bryan and Deborah Speigner—as far as sisters go, I can’t imagine any better.

A profound and extraordinary thanks to my Mossy Oak family, who have always been incredibly supportive of my writing. A man couldn’t ask for a better place to work or for a better employer than the Haas family. Both are truly special. My friends at Alabama Farmers Co-op have also been very supportive, and for that I am genuinely grateful.

To the exceptional folks of West Point, Mississippi, a heartfelt thank-you for the enthusiasm you have displayed for my stories, especially Ginger and Randy Weimer and Connie Hudson.

Thanks again to those who have suffered through very rough drafts: Dr. Bill Billington, Robbie Speigner, Art Shirley, Traci LaChance, Jon Sverson, Tim Brooks, Norman Snead, Jesse Raley, and Page Todd. I appreciate all of the great feedback.

A particular thank-you to David Housel: a voracious reader, who discovered my stories by word of mouth years ago and now may be my most ardent supporter.

Thanks goes to the countless readers of
The Dummy Line
and
Moon Underfoot
who made the effort to find my e-mail address and contact me. Now you can reach me on Facebook at Bobby Cole Books.

Finally, a big thank-you to all of you who told friends and family about my writings and who e-mailed links, gave books as gifts, invited me to book clubs and book signings, and, in general, encouraged me at every opportunity. I could never name everyone, but you know who you are. It’s my sincere hope and prayer that you enjoyed this story too.

Bobby Cole is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and president of Mossy Oak
^®
BioLogic
^®
. Additionally, he is an avid wildlife manager, hunter, and active supporter of the Catch-A-Dream
^™
Foundation. He lives with his wife and daughter in West Point, Mississippi. Bobby is also the author of the novels
The Dummy Line
and
Moon Underfoot
.