T his tale is the result of browsing through a centuries-old travel writer’s account of his visit to Constantinople. He was particularly taken by the Topkapi Palace and the once-forbidden hallways of its harem. I followed in his footsteps in 2004 with a lively few days in Istanbul and experienced my own awe at this same palace and its historic city…a setting just begging to be absorbed into a fantasy tale.
As always, plenty of people support my efforts and must be thanked, including: Gary Havelberg, Sonya Caddy, Pip Klimentou, and Judy Downs. My thanks to Apolonia Niemirowski for her encouragement and international sleuthing skills in finding every kind of reference material this author could possibly need. Sincere thanks to Matt Whitney, who at short notice leaped at the opportunity to create a map of Percheron; and to Trent Hayes, who continues to keep my busy bulletin board and Web site running smoothly.
A nod to the booksellers around the United States for their boundless enthusiasm for the genre—particularly Steve Hubbard in Minnesota—and to all at HarperCollins—especially Kate Nintzel and Jennifer Brehl.
Special thanks to Chris Lotts in New York for helping to take my work to new markets around the globe…it is wonderfully rewarding to hear from readers all over the world.
Finally my love and heartfelt thanks to Ian, Will, and Jack, who keep me firmly in the real world despite my wanderings through make-believe ones.