The Queen's Gambit: Book One of Imirillia (The Books of Imirillia 1) (33 page)

Thank you: Rose, for all the years of saying we would; Andrea, for being one of the first to wade through the mire; Z, for arguing with me at 1:00 A.M. over a cheap diner breakfast, and for throwing the manuscript across the room in tears; Rob & Janesse, for running casting calls over Thai Curry; Uncle Brad, for being wise; Aaron, for finding Peter Pan; Angie, for telling me to go for it while we ate end-of-august ice cream.
                                         

Thank you to the team who helped get this book off the ground: Phil Jackson, for bringing the ink soul to my pencil maps. Here we are, all these years later, doing what we love. Allysha Unguren, for traversing the desert many, many times, and going to the aid of whomever needed you, whether in Aemogen or Imirillia, or some place in between. It is, after all, what you do. Julie Ogborn, for being such a brilliant finish editor, and having passionate conversations with me about the em dash. Kevin Cantrell, for being an absolute genius and taking the time. The covers are beautiful. Stephanie Winzeler, for the undertaking of bringing my dreams into the physical dimension. I hope you know what it means.
             

An especial thanks to ALL my siblings, both the natives, and the brave souls who married into the tribe. With you lie many of my fiercest affections. Thank you, every one of you. You have been a tremendous support, and been willing to encourage me onward. I love you, and have always been proud to be in this clan.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being people of great faith. Mom, you taught me that individuals were complicated, worth seeing, and worth loving. Dad, your passion for words and family has been a polar star in my life. I love you both.                                                        

And Kip, I know what it is like to be across the ten thousand miles of the world from you, and I am so glad you are at my side. Thank you for all the evenings you came home and said, “Why don’t you write?” I could not have a truer, more supportive, husband.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Like many of my siblings, I would sneak out of bed, slip into the hallway, and pull my favorite books from the book closet. I read my way through the bottom shelf, then the next shelf up, and the shelf above that, until I could climb to the very top shelf—stacked two layers deep and two layers high—and read the titles of the classics. My desire to create stories grew as I was learning to read them.

Subsequently, I spent my time scribbling in notebooks rather than listening to math lectures at school.

I graduated with a degree in literary studies, and have spent several years working on the novels that keep pounding on the doors of my mind, as none of my characters are very patient to wait their turn. I currently live in Orem, Utah, with my wonderful chemist husband, and books in every room of the house.

www.bethbrower.com