Acknowledgements.

Many thanks go out to the people who made this dream a reality. I want to thank my first readers, Brian Braden, A.B. Riddle and Kimberly Shursen. You took a chance on a stranger joining your writer's group and somehow let me stay. You read chapter out of chapter with an unfailing honesty and constant support that made feel like my story was indeed worth telling. You are my writer's soulmates and I am better for having met you.

Thanks to my Author Salon team, Amy Grossklaus, Fran Kefalas, Jackie Krah and Ingrid Seymour. Girls, you were the support team I needed when making the choice to send my baby into the world. I've learned a lot from such talented writers, but it's your friends.h.i.+p and kindness that keep me going when the road seems impossible. Thanks go out to Michael Neff, who's tough love taught me a lot about a high concept idea and how to make sure I had one.

Many thanks go out to my writer's group partners, Nancy Brown and Greg Warner, who met mostly for my benefit. You shared stories, laughs and a few gla.s.ses of wine. You listened to me ramble on about writing many summer nights. Those are good times I will always remember. Several other friends read pages along the way, so thanks go out to Marlena Bravender, Trista Dymond, Greg Martin and Amanda Kimosh. Your friends.h.i.+p is without measure.

Thanks to my cover artist, Andrew Pavlik, who put up with my constantly changing mind. Thanks to Catherine Adams, editor extraordinaire. You helped me find Riley's path back home and the books is so much better because of your insight. If I only learn half of what you know about the English language, I'll be in good shape.

Finally, thank you is not a big enough phrase to tell my family how much I appreciate their love and support. Without my parents none of this would have been possible. They fiercely believed I could do anything and made a geeky, self-conscious kid believe it, too. Thank you for making me the (semi) well-adjusted member of society I am today. To my children, you are the light in my life. And lastly, to Ryan: It doesn't get any better than spending my life with you.

About the Author.

Katie French first imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. Though her social life suffered, her love for literature thrived. She studied English at Eastern Michigan University, where she veered from writing and earned an education degree. She spent nine years teaching high school English. Currently she is a school counselor, doing a job that is both one of the hardest things she's ever done and the most rewarding. In her free time she writes, reads great books and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She is a contributor and co-creator of Underground Book Reviews, a website dedicated to erasing the boundaries between traditional and non-traditional publis.h.i.+ng. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. You can find her at www.katiefrenchbooks.com, at www.undergroundbookreviews.com or on Facebook.

If you enjoyed The Breeders, please leave a review on Amazon, Barnesandn.o.bel or GoodReads. For updates on book two of the series, like me on Facebook or visit my website at www.katiefrenchbooks.com.

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