Stepping into the hallway, I turned. Only Aliena’s head and the collar of her Bugs Bunny top showed above the blankets. I laughed softly. This gorgeous, eternal creature, who hunted and occasionally killed human beings, slept in my guest room wearing cartoon pajamas.
I pressed my hand to the glass plate and sealed her inside, thinking how much I loved my immortal life.
Sebastian Montero
Malibu, California
Acknowledgments
The most important person to the development of this story and the others in the Montero series is Mia Turner. She beta read every chapter of the first two books as I wrote them, and the image of her sitting at her desk and drumming her fingers (I don’t think she really did that) while she waited for the next chapter kept me writing constantly. Her comments and corrections forced me to think about every detail in the story, and her suggestions were invaluable. Thank you, Miafraulein.
Thank you to Helena Braunstein, my very first beta reader, a sharp young lady who helped shape the details of this story. Thanks to my daughter Lauren and her friend Kristi Cha for asking, “But where’s the vampire?” Thanks to Dr. Lisa Scheinin at the LA county coroner’s office for her help with my forensics questions, and to LAPD Detective Ernest “Dino” Caldera for his insights into police procedure. I owe a debt to everyone who read my books long before they were published and provided me with important feedback: Leila Drager, Sandy Caldera, Shelley Kelly, Anna Marie Licata, Danielle Licata, Janet Colbern, Kristi Cha, my daughter Lauren, Cort Mongrain, and Holly Schultz, to name a few.
Thanks to Jean Jenkins for her patient and thorough edits, and to Sandra, my Kindle Scout Editor, for putting the final polish on the manuscript.
And finally, a very special thank-you to my mother Barbara, who bought me all the books I wanted when I was a kid.
To Kill a Sorcerer Page 31