Deadly Pursuit (39 page)
Authors: Irene Hannon
As with all my suspense books,
Deadly Pursuit
was a research-intensive project. It took me to places I've never beenâand hope never to visit in real life! I can't imagine writing a book like this without the internet.
But online research only takes a writer so far. In the end, you need real peopleâexperts who can weigh in on situations unique to your book. And in that regard I've been incredibly blessed with every suspense book I've written.
Deadly Pursuit
is no exception.
So I'd like to offer my sincere thanks to:
Lieutenant Tom Larkin, Commander of the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons, who not only answered my many, many questions with patience and promptness but gave me a deeper appreciation for the nuances of criminal investigation and for all the men and women who dedicate their lives to bringing justice to the victims of crime.
The St. Louis County staff of the Children's Division/Department of Social Services, who provided answers to my questions about Alison's job, especially Program Manager Mary Beth Carpenter.
Captain Ed Nestor from the Chesterfield, Missouri, Police Department, who remains my go-to person for amazing sources. Ed, you are the best.
The fabulous team at Revellâespecially Jennifer Leep, Kristin Kornoelje, Twila Bennett, Michele Misiak, Cheryl Van Andel, and Deonne Beron. It's a joy to work with you.
Finally, love and thanks to my parents for their unwavering support and enthusiasm, and to my husband, Tom . . . always. The dedication in this book says it all.
Irene Hannon
is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of ten with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay . . . maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But she
was
one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children's magazine. And she likes to think of that as her official fiction-writing debut!
Since then, she has written more than thirty-five contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. A five-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's coveted RITA award (the Oscar of romantic fiction), she took the golden statuette home in 2003. Her books have also been honored with a HOLT medallion, a Daphne du Maurier award, and two Reviewers' Choice awards from
RT Book Reviews
magazine.
Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time. She is happy to say she has no regrets. As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics, and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.
A trained vocalist, Irene has sung the leading role in numerous community musical theater productions and is also a soloist at her church.
When not otherwise occupied, she loves to cook, garden, and take long walks. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop, and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.
To learn more about Irene and her books, visit
www.irenehannon.com
.
Books by Irene Hannon
Heroes of Quantico Series
Against All Odds
An Eye for an Eye
In Harm's Way
Guardians of Justice Series
Fatal Judgment
Deadly Pursuit
