The Earl's Complete Surrender (29 page)

 

Acknowledgments

Writing is a continuous learning experience—­a journey of the imagination—­and because of this, there are moments when I find myself stumbling, overthinking an issue, or simply coming to a complete standstill. Thankfully, I work with an extraordinary group of ­people who always help me get back on my feet, point me in the right direction, or give me that extra push that I need. Each and every one of them deserves my deepest thanks and gratitude, because when all is said and done, a book isn't the work of just one person but of many.

I'd like to thank my wonderful editor, Erika Tsang, and her assistant, Chelsey Emmelhainz, for being so incredibly helpful and easy to talk to—­working with both of you is an absolute pleasure!

Together with the rest of the Avon Books team, which includes (but is far from limited to) copyeditor Nan Reinhardt, publicists Pam Spengler-­Jaffee, Jessie Edwards, Caroline Perny and Emily Homonoff, and senior director of marketing, Shawn Nicholls, they have offered guidance and support whenever it was needed. My sincerest thanks to all of you for being so wonderful!

Another person who must be acknowledged for his talent is artist James Griffin, who has created the stunning cover for this book, capturing not only the feel of the story but also the way in which I envisioned the characters looking—­you've done such a beautiful job!

To my fabulous beta-­readers, Victoria Reeder and Rebecca Harvey, whose insight has been tremendously helpful in strengthening the story, thank you so much!

I would also like to thank Nancy Mayer for her assistance. Whenever I was faced with a question regarding the Regency era that I couldn't answer on my own, I turned to Nancy for advice. Her help has been invaluable.

My family and friends deserve my thanks as well, especially for reminding me to take a break occasionally, to step away from the computer and just unwind—­I would be lost without you.

And to you, dear reader—­thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. Your support is, as always, hugely appreciated!

 

About the Author

Born in Denmark, SOPHIE BARNES spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She's lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian. But, most impressive of all, she's been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.

When she's not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.

Visit Sophie Barnes at
www.sophiebarnes.com
. You can also find her on Facebook and on Twitter @BarnesSophie.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

 

By Sophie Barnes

Novels

Novellas

M
ISTLETOE
M
AG
IC

(from
F
IVE
G
OLDEN
R
INGS:

A
C
HRIST
MAS
C
OLLECTION
)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Map courtesy of Sophie Barnes.

Copyright © 2016 by Sophie Barnes. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Edition JANUARY 2016 ISBN: 9780062358905

Print Edition ISBN: 9780062358899

FIRST EDITION

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1