by J. K. Barber
"Hi, Iluak. Thanks!” Niko said with great bravado, far too loud as close as he was to the therianthrope. Iluak was used to it though from their travels together and merely gritted his teeth against the ear piercing noise. “Hey,” Niko’s grin turned mischievous, as he asked, “where might a visitor find some cheese around these parts?" As usual, the Nhyme’s lips broke into an infectious crooked smile that was so big it threatened to split his face.
Iluak could not help but laugh, his spirits lifted.
About the Authors
Jay and Katie Barber live in Roswell, GA with their children, Maya and Gabe, as well as their four rescue cats. Jay graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English Literature, and Katie graduated from The University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in English Creative Writing. They combine their educations, writing together as a co-author team, for projects such as the Chronicles of Aronshae. Jay and Katie enjoy tabletop gaming, mixed martial arts, reading, spending time with family and friends, riding motorcycles, and playing MMOs such as World of Warcraft.
Please visit their webpage at: www.jkbarber.com
Facebook: J. K. Barber Twitter: 0jkbarber0
Acknowledgements
We wanted to thank our parents, John A. Barber, Vivian Barber, Missie Pierce, Bill Pierce, and John Raudabaugh for their support throughout the years and for always encouraging us to reach for our dreams. The Chronicles of Aronshae is truly a dream realized. It is unreal that we started the trilogy back in 2006. There were quite a few bumps in the road, but we picked ourselves up and kept on with the project. During the last six years, our lives have dramatically changed. We became adults (we hope) and had two beautiful children, Maya and Gabe. One would think having children would slow down our writing, but having kids did the opposite effect. We got our lives together, and our little ones’ presences, while irksome at times in that they'd play loudly while we were trying to work, only added grease to the well-oiled machine that became this trilogy. Two of the novels are dedicated to Maya and Gabe, and you will see them in the books as characters. These two little rug rats have made our life complete and enriched it to its fullest. Love you kiddos! Maya and Gabe, you are our inspiration.
We also wanted to thank our friends, especially those who donated countless hours, being test readers for our novels.
To our fans, thank you. Without you guys and your imaginations, Aronshae would not live in our world. As for words of wisdom, Mother Maya might say, "Many words are whispered on the wind. Look to your heart for the true ones."
-Jay and Katie Barber
(Upon completion of Oathbound in 2012)
Special thanks to the following test readers:
Steve Frey, Missie Pierce, Jonathan Gardner, Kathy Barker,
Jennifer Frame, Bill Frame, and Meg Dudley