Shifting Selves (29 page)
Authors: Mia Marshall
Acknowledgments
At times, this book felt like something of a beast (pun totally intended)—a lumbering, uncontrollable creature determined to have its way. These are the people who helped me tame it, and I am beyond grateful for all their hard work.
My editor, Kaari Busick, continues to be my greatest champion, and her love for the Elements series helps keep me excited about writing it, even on those days when it feels like I’d have better luck bench-pressing grizzly bears than meeting my word count.
Sarah Goshman, publicist extraordinaire, has done an amazing job helping readers discover the Elements series, and I cannot thank her enough for her work.
Carrie Stewart has helped in so many ways, both big and little, that I can’t even begin to list them all. Suffice it to say this book would not have been published without her.
Special thanks to my tireless betas, Jessica, Rachel, and Shelly, who assured me I hadn’t taken the series completely off the rails while also pointing out an embarrassing number of plot holes and unclear motivations. Thanks as well to Carol, for generously volunteering her time to review the final draft, and to Cynthia Fliege, for creating another fabulous cover.
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care were the source of my improved knowledge about the local wildlife population and the reason I now know bears adore watermelon and bobcats only pee in water—important information to possess, I’m sure you’ll agree. They have an open house every August, and if you’re visiting Tahoe, it’s definitely worth the trip.
Thanks to the citizens of Truckee for not screaming too loudly about the way I frequently install buildings where none exist and insist on raising the town’s crime rate.
Finally, thanks to the readers who have become invested in the Elements world. It still amazes me that others are connecting with these characters and places I love, and I am thrilled to share them with you.
Elements, Etc.
The Elements series, in order:
Shifting Selves
Turning Tides (available May 2014)
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Thanks for reading!
About the Author
Mia Marshall has always been obsessed with stories. When younger, her version of cleaning her room involved neatly organizing her books, then ignoring all other messes in favor of re-reading
The Wizard of Oz
series just one more time. As an adult, she earned an unnecessary number of degrees in literature, education, and film. She planned to spend the rest of her life teaching stories to others, but she became distracted and started writing those stories herself.
Mia has lived all over the US west coast and throughout the UK. These days, she lives somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where she is hard at work on the next Elements book.
Shifting Selves
Copyright © 2013 by Mia Marshall
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any matter whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except where permitted by law.
Printed in the United States of America.
Publisher's Note:
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Resemblances to actual locales or events or persons living or dead is coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-9889761-4-6
ISBN 978-0-9889761-3-9 (ebook)
Match Books Press, LLC
http://matchbookspress.com