Whenever I finish a novel, I always feel compelled to thank my regular support system, including my best friend, the very talented writer Eric Shaw Quinn, as well as my always wonderful mother, Anne Rice; my aunt Karen O’Brien; Sandra Lassalle; my amazing webmaster Cathy Dipierro at The Unreal Agency; and her crack-shot graphic designer Christine Bocchiaro.

And now a standard disclaimer: Altamira can’t be found on any map. Neither can most of the roads and highways mentioned as passing through it. That’s a shame, because once they get some of their issues sorted out, I think it could be a pretty great place to live. We’ll see.