If only he could somehow reach through the wide expanse and pull her close into the safety of his arms. As he drifted off into a restless sleep, Ren thought he smelled her sweet scent surround him and felt the ghost of her touch as she kissed his nose and pillowed her head on his paws. Her beloved voice whispered softly on the breeze, “Mujhe tumse pyarhai, Ren.” He caught the wisp of the thought, clung to it, and slept at last.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would be greatly remiss if I did not thank my mother, Kathleen, and my sister, Tonnie, for their hard work in promoting my books. Mom started her own fan club at work, hung posters, learned how to e-mail and Facebook, and sold earrings, bookmarks, T-shirts, and books to everyone she met. She’s even come up with crazy ideas such as belly dancing at my events or selling the books on the sidewalk on Saturdays. If we would let her do it, she would be out there every weekend.
I don’t think there is one person in, or near, Forest Grove, Oregon, who has met my sister and not heard about the books. This includes the mail carrier, the bus driver, her kid’s teachers, the checkout lady at Safeway, her clogging group, people at church, and every soccer mom in the neighborhood. Together, my mom and my sister are personally responsible for the sale of more than four hundred books, which is quite an accomplishment.
I’m also grateful for my husband, who still loves me even after all of our editing arguments, and I still love him, even though he likes to try to sneak in drastic changes on copy edits. He is tirelessly supportive, and he’s always willing to take a leap into the unknown with me.
Thanks to my fabulous editor, Cindy Loh, who has been constantly at my side for months as we’ve worked on the nearly insurmountable task of getting three books out in one year. I have learned a lot from her and am a better writer because of her influence.
I want to especially acknowledge my agent, Alex Glass, who scooped me up a week before I self-published Tiger’s Voyage, much to the dismay of my early fans. Though he was called the devil in disguise by some, I still think of him as my personal guardian angel and am always grateful for his wisdom, expertise, and patience.
Hurrahs for Jared and Suki, my brother and his wife, for their tremendous efforts on my behalf. They work for a pittance and spend much of their free time trying to answer my questions and talk me through my technology emergencies. They are part of my early-reading group, and all of their comments keep me laughing.
Most of all, I’d like to express my appreciation for my fans. It’s finally here! In the past few years, I’ve received hundreds of letters filled with encouragement, support, and desperate pleading for any details that I’m willing to share. Tiger’s Voyage would not have been published this quickly or perhaps at all, without their support. They’ve opened their hearts to my tigers and to me, promoted the series, and embraced their inner radishes.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
COLLEEN HOUCK’s debut novel,
Tiger’s Curse, was a New York Times bestseller.
Her Tiger’s Curse series continues with Tiger’s
Quest and Tiger’s Voyage. Colleen lives in
Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a white
stuffed tiger.
To find out more, visit
www.tigerscursebook.com.
PRAISE FOR Tiger’s Voyage:
“Epic, grand adventure rolled into a sweeping love story …”
—SOPHIE JORDAN, author of Firelight
“An epic love triangle that kept me eagerly turning the pages!”
—ALEXANDRA MONIR, author of Timeless
PRAISE FOR Tiger’s Quest:
“… shocking, heart-rending, soul-tearing…”
—Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR Tiger’s Curse:
“Tiger’s Curse is magical!”
—BECCA FITZPATRICK,
New York Times bestselling author of Hush, Hush
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