The Bitter Seed of Magic

epic emails, and for loving Genny & Co.

Thanks to Jaye (the Sabina Kane vampire series) Wells for not only being a stellar crit partner, and a brilliant, funny writer (go buy her books!), but for letting me ‘steal’—an apple a day keeps the vampires away. Thanks to my superb, superfast beta readers: Hasna Saadani (The Book Pushers) and Amanda Rutter (Floor to Ceiling Books), you ladies rock! And to Karen Duvall, to whom I owe thanks to for her insightful help with The Cold Kiss of Death (mea culpa).

Thanks to the Thursday Writers, a truly inspiring bunch for all their help and encouragement: Malcolm Angel, Alison Aquilina, Judy Monckton, and Doreen Cory, who have travelled this amazing journey with me from the start. And massive thanks to BFF Fiona Mackenzie for her endless suffering through many drafts, her dedication to Genny & Co., and her masterful debunking of the paranoia goblins when the muse deserts me.

To Norman, my love, my best friend, and the light in my life, without you the dreams would not be possible, or mean as much—thank you, now and always.

And last, but not least, to all those readers who have read, enjoyed, and taken my books into their hearts—I hope you enjoy this one, and a huge, huge ‘thank you’ to you all.

Suzanne McLeod

Dorset

August 2010