Sufficient Ransom (38 page)
Authors: Sylvia Sarno
Smiling, Julian turned to go. He stopped. Raking his hand through his hair, he looked as if he were debating whether to say something more. Finally he said, “You know, Ann. You’re abrasive and demanding and—” A trace of admiration crept into his voice. “And I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
Ann grinned. “And I’ve never met anyone like you before either, Julian Fox.” She was happy that she and the agent had finally come to an understanding.
After Julian left, Ann turned to Tom Long. He had risen from his chair. “You were with us every step of the way, Tom. We can never repay you...” Her eyes started to fill. “Sorry. I get emotional thinking about things.”
His gray eyes serene, Tom took her hand in his. “Take care of yourself, Ann. And remember to be happy.”
The door shutting quietly, Ann turned toward the open window. The sky was a cloudless blue. Somewhere beyond, Travis shouted, “Daddy! Wait till Mom hears about that fish!”
Ann’s life had been given back to her and she intended to make the most of it.
A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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special thank you to my parents, Cal and Sylvia, for their support, help, and enthusiasm for my new career, and for nurturing in me a love of ideas. My editor, Alice Peck, was invaluable. She helped in so many ways, including reigning in some pretty far out ideas. Thanks, Alice! Thanks to Tammy Greenwood for teaching me how to fine-tune the emotional aspects of the story. Thanks to Kathryn Takach, Annemarie Hall, and Becky Robinson for taking the time to read an early version of the story and
not
burning it—it was that bad! Also, thanks to Kathryn and Becky for their insightful advice on the book cover. Thanks to my sister, Debby, for advice on several different versions of the first chapter, as well as her tireless suggestions on my bio, the back cover copy, and the book cover. Thanks to my sister, Jil, for her interest in my work and for encouraging me to get it
done
. Thanks to Jennifer Murphy for her excellent advice on polishing the manuscript, the book cover and title, my bio, and for her support as a fellow writer. Thanks to Jill Donello for her significant feedback on the manuscript and for some great lines, including “The sheer insanity of …” (If I quote any more it will give the mystery away!) Also, thanks to Jill for her insightful advice on the back cover copy. Thanks to Ann Connolly-Shultz for help with the title, the book cover, and for her support as a fellow writer. Thanks to Geri McCann, Kate Yoak, and Jeff Yoak for their keen advice on the book cover. Thanks to Terry Lynn Fisher of Orange County Child
Protective Services for answering my many questions about the work of CPS social workers. Daniel Salcedo, Investigator for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, was very generous with his time. He explained how police handle kidnapping and murder cases. He also patiently listened while I described various scenes in the story, commenting on what made sense vis-à-vis law enforcement and what didn’t. Thank you, Dan! Also, thanks to Detective Gary Hassen of San Diego Police for answering questions about police procedure. Gary also helped, by means of a key suggestion, make the plot more realistic. Thanks to my Facebook and Twitter friends—old and new—for all your support. Thanks to Susan Gilbert for creating my website and for her invaluable marketing advice. Thanks to Alexander von Ness for creating a great book cover and for being so patient with me during the process.
Finally, massive thanks to my husband, Dana, without whom this book would never have been written; and if it had, it would have been
really
bad. Not only did he help me fine-tune my ideas, he encouraged me to focus more on the action, and he provided much editing advice. He also supports me financially, never once complaining that I left a successful business career to make a few dollars writing and selling books. Lastly, I can never properly thank Dana for his emotional and spiritual support. Echoing what my character Ann said about her husband, the smartest thing
I
ever did was to marry Dana. Thank you, Dana!
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BOUT THE
A
UTHOR
S
ufficient Ransom
is Sylvia Sarno’s first novel. A former business owner, she is currently at work on a second novel—a suspense story set in the near future. She lives in California.
Visit her website at:
A personal note to my readers
Thank you for reading
Sufficient Ransom
. I hope you enjoyed it! If you have the time to write a review on Amazon about this book, I would love to hear what you have to say.
All the best,
Sylvia