A very special thanks goes to my amazing beta-readers: Astrid Mohr, Audrey Beach, Abby Brown, Emma Buell, Sierra Luce, Zoe Sklein and, extra-specially, Vanessa Van Decker. These astute, perceptive readers ranged in age from twelve to twenty, reminding me time and time again who this novel was for—and why I was writing it. Special thanks, as well, to Emma’s mother, Patti Buell, an adult beta-reader who brought Emma to one of my readings when she was only a few weeks old.
For emotional support, thanks, as ever, go to the Fiction Writers’ Co-op on Facebook, and to Jenifer McVaugh and Johanna Antonia Zomers of the WWW (Wilno Women Writers), my hometown writers’ group.
A huge thanks (with hugs) to my Fearsome cheerleaders, to whom I owe everything: my husband, Richard Gulland, our daughter, Carrie Sudds, and our son, Chet Gulland.
At the last, I’d like to mention, in memoriam, François Marie René Héritier Combe, with whom I had delightful chats about this work and who would have been surprised and pleased to see his name mentioned here.
Also in memoriam, sadly, my dear friend and colleague, Paul Kropp, from whom I learned so much about writing for young adults, and who I pray forgives me in spirit for what happened to little Nelly.
About the Author
Sandra Gulland is an American-born Canadian novelist specializing in historical fiction. She is the author of the internationally bestselling trilogy of adult books based on the life of Josephine de Beauharnais Bonaparte, as well as two novels set at the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Her books have been published in sixteen countries, translated into thirteen languages, and sold more than a million copies worldwide.
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The Game of Hope Page 31