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Acknowledgments

In itself, writing is a solitary, oftentimes lonely, endeavour, even in a collaborative relationship like our own. Nonetheless, we have found that our own act of sub-creation, to use that beautiful phrase of Tolkien's, has been aided and abetted beyond calculation by many, many people. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude. Without them, this book would never have seen the light of day.

First and foremost come family members—spouses, children, brothers and sisters, parents, in-laws—who never lost faith in the work, supporting us both materially and morally through the lean times.

Then there are friends like Tolkien illustrator Ted Nasmith, who has always been an unflagging supporter, even during those long stretches when the whole project seemed stalled in the doldrums. We recognize and wish to thank the many others who, in the creation of this work, provided us with support and critical feedback: Fr. Bob Wild, Fr. Jim Duffy, Dr. David Craig, Professor Guy Trudel, Tom and Jane Bowen, Neil O'Connor, Jeremy and Monique Rivett-Carnac, John and Susan Artymko, Diane Davis, Elena Afelskie, Rob Huston, James Riley, Wendy Shepherd, and Gonzalo Moran, to name just a few.

A special note of thanks is due to Joe Durepos, who introduced us to our aptly named agent Peter Rubie, a true gem, who recognized the potential in our work from the very outset and connected us with our editor, Jim Minz, and all the wonderful folks at Baen. The astuteness and critical insight Peter and Jim bring to the project have enhanced our writing, raising it to a level we could not have achieved on our own. It is our pleasure to call them not just business associates, but friends, and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship. We would also like to acknowledge Todd Lockwood for gracing the cover of this book with his artwork.

And to all those many others, as well, who have encouraged us in this journey in ways both great and small—to you, friends, we extend our heartfelt thanks. Though too numerous to mention here, you are never far from our hearts and thoughts.

 

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Framed