Yesterday I posted the first episode of Gut Shot on this blog. Although the Dedication and Acknowledgments page appears at the end of the book, I thought it appropriate to include it here before proceeding with the rest of the book.

You can now order paperback copies of Gut Shot direct from my Cliff Knowles Mysteries website at a lower price than anywhere else ($12 outside of California, $13.05 in California including sales tax). PayPal and credit cards accepted.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the men and women of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI is the finest law enforcement organization in the world. I’m proud to have served as a Special Agent of the FBI for twenty-five years and will always cherish the opportunity I had to serve my country in that way. Agents put their lives on the line every day to protect the public. The support personnel work every bit as hard as the agents and do an incredible job for ridiculously small salaries. We all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

When reading works of fiction involving the FBI, it is easy to forget the reality and assume a cynical or inaccurate attitude toward the agency. The same is true for police and other public safety professionals. This book is fiction. The characters are not real. Any resemblance or similarity to real people is coincidence. The views expressed herein are not those of the FBI. The story and characters are created solely for entertainment and do not reflect the more mundane reality of protecting the public day in and day out. Enjoy the story, but do not let it detract from your appreciation of the people who allow you to live a safe and comfortable life in this country.

Acknowledgments

            I want to thank all those who made this book possible. First and foremost among them are my FBI coworkers who have inadvertently provided inspiration for the stories I have to tell simply by living them. My cover artist Doug Heatherly of Lighthouse24.com has contributed enormously to all my books’ successes. My beta readers and proofreaders have made many corrections and excellent suggestions that have greatly improved the books. These generous souls include Glenn Stewart, Becky Allen, and my daughter Cori Atkinson. Any inaccuracies or mistakes are my responsibility alone. Taking my cue from Silicon Valley culture: “They aren’t bugs; they’re features.” This book will be serialized on my blog: blog.ackgame.com. For that idea I thank my son Lincoln Atkinson.