The remains of the Tome School still exist in Port Deposit, Maryland. It was part of the Bainbridge Naval Training Center, which the government abandoned long ago. To the best of my knowledge, there is no underground bunker that houses children with psychic powers below the school, but attempts to develop the property have been delayed for decades. So I could be wrong . . .
This book is dedicated to Gareth, my oldest son and the intrepid photographer who helped me map out the Tome School for the final scenes of the book. He also made me aware of my parental inconsistency, since he was forbidden to go exploring a supposedly haunted house in high school and then <mumble, mumble> years later, I asked him to explore a supposedly haunted school for this book. The pictures turned out incredibly well, and if you’re curious, you can view them at rysa.com/tome.
I have an incredible support team at Skyscape, and I can never find enough words to thank them. Courtney Miller had faith in my work from the very beginning, and without her unflagging confidence, I’d almost certainly still be working my day job. Amara Holstein lent her considerable talents to the developmental edit, and this book is infinitely better for her suggestions. Thanks also to Britt Rogers, Kim Cowser, Adrienne Procaccini, Michelle Hope Anderson, Nicole Burns-Ascue, Christina Troup, Rebecca Jaynes, and the rest of the behind-the-scenes crew who do so much to get my books into the hands of readers. Mike Corley—thanks for creating a gorgeous cover!
When I’m not in the Writing Cave, my writer and reader friends on social media keep me entertained and informed. Some of those friends are also beta readers, and their input helped to make this book a better read. I am deeply indebted for their feedback. This is a partial list, but there are many more: Alexandria Ang, Ariana Ascherl, Mary Anna Ascherl, Blair Babylon, Annie Bellet, Karen Benson, Bill Brooks, E. B. Brown, Shell Bryce, Allison Clowers, Kristi and Marshall Clowers, James Cobalt, Lorca Damon, Susan Allison Dean, Fred Douglis, Elizabeth Evans, Patrice Fitzgerald, Rebekkah Ford, Joe Frazier, Mary Freeman and Maddy Freeman-McFarland, Jen Gonzales, Dori Gray, Donna Harrison Green, Meg Griffin, Al and Bonnie Harrison, Mike and Lana Harrison, Susan Helliesen, Matthew Izen, Stephanie Johns-Bragg, Cody Jones, Joy Joo, Autumn Kalquist, Theresa Kay, Dana Kolbfleisch, Jeff Kolbfleisch, Richard Lawrence, Mary Frances Lebamoff, Oleg Lysyj, Jenny MacRunnel, Cale Madewell, Nooce Miller, Tasha Patton-Smith, Trisha Davis Perry, Susan Kaye Quinn, Sara Reine, Lesa Ruckman, Simon Rudd, John Scafidi, Sarah Short, Lydia Smith, Gareth Sparks, Karen Stansbury, Teri Suzuki, Janet B. Taylor, Hailey Mulconrey Theile, Billy Thomas, Antigone Trowbridge, Ian Walniuk, Ryan Walniuk, Meg A. Watt, Jen Foehner Wells, Libby Wells-Pritchett, Jen Wesner, Dan Wilson, Jessica Wolfsohn, and my multitude of nieces and nephews. Special kudos to Chris Fried for noticing several gaffes in my depiction of group home security.
A special shout-out to the person or persons I’ve forgotten . . . you know who you are and what you did and, hopefully, why I’m grateful. And if you don’t, please remind me to tell you.
An extra-big thank-you to the readers, book bloggers, and reviewers who have been so supportive of my work. You are the reason I write—well, you and the fact that I’d probably end up crazy if I didn’t. But seriously, your love of and appreciation for our books is what keeps writers like myself energized and creative.
A furry person—our golden retriever Lucy—has been my companion in the Writing Cave for the past five years. She was a rescue dog, nearly six years old when we adopted her, and many of her personality traits found their way into Katherine’s dog, Daphne, in the CHRONOS Files. We added a second golden earlier this year, and much of this book was written while Griffin and Lucy played nearby. Sadly, we’re down to one golden again. We’ll miss you, Lucy. If you’re still wondering who’s the good girl, there’s no question—it was you, from the very beginning and always.
Finally, many thanks to my family for everything you do and just for being who you are. Plus, I’ll toss in some extra kudos for your patience when I freak out over deadlines. I’d promise you that it won’t happen with the next book, but you’re way too smart to believe me. Love you guys!