ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks first of all to my DC Comics editor, Christopher Cerasi, who liked my other two novels enough to hire me to write a third, and who also provided me with tons of useful reference material (like the fifth-season scripts that told me how to spell Castiel’s nickname). Also to my Titan Books editor Cath Trechman, who kept things moving smoothly— or at least smoothly as her deadbeat writer would allow. Cath, Christopher and Supernatural’s Rebecca Dessertine had tons of brilliant suggestions that made this book so much better, and I am excessively grateful to them all.

Eric Kripke and his merry band of loonies (in particular Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund) for giving us Supernatural in the first place and continuing to write such nifty stories involving Sam, Dean, and the rest.

Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester), Jim Beaver (Bobby Singer), Ridge Canipe (Young Dean), Misha Collins (Castiel), Alex Ferris and Colin Ford (Young Sam), Kurt Fuller (Zachariah), Amy Gumenick (Mary Campbell), Allison Hossack (Deanna Campbell), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester), Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester), and Mitch Pileggi (Samuel Campbell) for their onscreen portrayals that gave voice, face, and life to several of the characters appearing in this novel.

My ever-excellent gaggle of beta readers: Constance Cochran, Kara Cox, GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandido, Heidi Ellis, Marina Frants, Natalie Jumper, and Nicholas Knight.

Speaking of Mr. Knight, his many volumes of Supernatural: The Official Companion were immensely helpful reference sources. So were two books by Alex Irvine: The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls and John Winchester’s Journal. So were the two comic book miniseries Supernatural: Origins by Peter Johnson and Matthew Dow Smith and Supernatural: Rising Son by Peter Johnson, Rebecca Dessertine, and Diego Olmos. Props must also be given to Jeff Mariotte, author of the other extant Supernatural novel, Witch’s Canyon, and to Joe Schreiber and to Rebecca Dessertine & David Reed, authors of the two upcoming Supernatural novels.

Deborah and Nic Grabien for putting me up (or putting up with me) in San Francisco in March 2009 and answering many questions about the city.

The New York Public Library (Research)—that’s the big building with the lions—which was, as always, a magnificent place for research. Also thanks to the SFPL.org web site and to the kind soul who was working the phones in the International Center of the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library the day I called with several more questions.

Shihan Paul and the rest of the folks at the dojo, for constantly enriching my body and spirit.

Finally to friends, family, and felines, for everything.