Spirit of the Wolves (41 page)

My profound thanks to Jennifer Weltz, amazing wolf agent and ally, for her fierce support, invaluable advice, and humor. My editor Emily Graff's sharp eye, editorial prowess, and deep understanding of the wolves and their story made
the book much stronger and richer. The fabulous Mollie Glick was the wolves' first champion back when
Promise of the Wolves
was fifty pages and some big ideas, and continues to be an indispensable partner, mentor, and friend. Kerri Kolen masterfully shaped the first two books of The Wolf Chronicles and shared them with the world. Thanks to Amanda Ferber for great ideas on marketing and writing and to the publicity and marketing team at Simon & Schuster for sending TWC out into the world. Many thanks to Heather Florence for sound advice and guidance, and production editor Stephen Llano and copyeditor Anne Cherry. Thank you, Murray Dropkin, Rick Hanson, Frances Hesselbein, Cheryl Jones, and Tzipora Krupnik for your wisdom. Thanks to Lori Cheung and Melissa K. Smith for great wolf photos and to Sam Blake and the wolves and wolfdogs of Never Cry Wolf Rescue for the photo ops.

Everlasting gratitude to and admiration for my writing buddies Pamela Berkman, Mary Mackey, Harriet Rohmer, Elizabeth Stark, and writing buddy/on-call anthropology consultant Jaida Samudra, as well as to life consultants Bonnie Akimoto, Cheryl Greenway, Laura Mazzola, and Johanna Vondeling. The exchange of ideas, creative energy, and guidance has been precious, delightful, and challenging. Thank you to the women of WOM-BA for the inspiration and support, especially in helping me find my way back to writing after my mother's death.

My martial arts practice is central to my writing and my life, and I am grateful to the wonderful White Crane Silat community. Special thanks to Peter Ajemian and everyone at Soja Martial Arts for creating such a warm and special place to
call home. Thanks to Mark Davey for the story about the bear and the sack of food hanging off the cliff.

Always and forever, I am so grateful to those who have been there to talk to about life and publishing, and who were there for tea, a phone call, or a chat when I crawled out of the writing cave: Bridget Ahern, Diane Bodiford, Allison Brunner, Paul Foster Rafael Frongillo, Lesley Iura, Pam MacLean, Karen Murphy, Tom Murphy, Debbie Notkin, Jennifer Obrochta, Donna Ryan, Dave Shirley, Jin Tsubota, Kari Tsubota.

I read countless books and articles about wolves, ravens, evolution, and nature (see my website for a list!) and am deeply indebted to the authors of these works for their wisdom. Thanks to Amy Kay Kerber for being on call for wolf info, and to Susan Holt, Julia Charles, and Marc Lenburg for the articles and scientific insights. All mistakes are, of course, mine. Thank you to all the wolf conservation and environmental organizations that fight for wolves and the lands they need.

Many thanks to the librarians and to the bookstore owners and staff for helping to get The Wolf Chronicles to readers, and to the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, where I worked on the first chapters of the trilogy. Humble thanks to the science fiction and fantasy community for welcoming the wolves to your world, and to the libraries everywhere for the free access to all the knowledge on the planet.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the readers of
Promise of the Wolves
and
Secrets of the Wolves
who have shared Kaala's journey so far, and to those who have written to me expressing your enthusiasm for her story. Your notes and emails got me through many a long writing day.

I love to write in cafés and am grateful to the café owners who let me camp out in their lovely spaces. A special thanks to Espresso Roma and Philz and all the great people who work there.

Many howls and treats to my research assistants, including Burrito, Inna, Akela, Milo, Moose, Nike, Talisman, Lucy, Rollo, Shelby, and Flower, and those beautiful beasties who have gone to doggy heaven, Happy, Jude, Noni, Ice, and Kuma. Rufus, Sasha, and my beautiful, beautiful Emmi, who died shortly after this book was completed and who taught me every way in which dogs make us better people. And to their cousins in the wild. May we someday be wise enough creatures to deserve you.

Also by Dorothy Hearst

THE WOLF CHRONICLES

Secrets of the Wolves

Promise of the Wolves

Simon & Schuster

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

www.simonspeakers.com
.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 by Dorothy Hearst

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition December 2014

SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Jacket photographs: full moon © Mmphotos/Getty Images; wolf © Eric Isselee/Shutterstock

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 Hearst, Dorothy, 1966–

  Spirit of the wolves : a novel / Dorothy Hearst.—First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

    pages cm.—(The wolf chronicles ; bk. three)

1. Wolves—Fiction. 2. Prehistoric peoples—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3608.E27S44 2014

  813'.6—dc23

2014001440

ISBN 978-1-4165-7002-8

ISBN 978-1-4165-7023-3 (ebook)