Alien Diplomacy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    I realize why authors stop thanking their agent and editor after a few books—not because the agent and editor, in my case, Cherry Weiner and Sheila Gilbert, are any less amazing and awesome now than they were for the prior books. No, it’s because you start running out of adjectives and end up repeating yourself when you say, “You two are the best in the world!”
    That goes as well for my crit partner and main beta reader, Lisa Dovichi and Mary Fiore. It’s hard to keep coming up with synonyms for “fabulous” and “best ever.”
    But I persevere.
    I don’t think it can get old, though, saying thank you with all my love to Team Gini, all those on Hook Me Up!, and all the Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing around the world—y’all make all the work, the deadlines, the late nights, the pre-release stress, and the general insanity that is my writing life worthwhile. I have the best fans in the world, and you all constantly rock my world.
    Many thanks again and always to the legion of book review bloggers who continue to support books in general and my books in particular. *Smootchies* to all my Twitter peeps and Facebook folks, just ’cause. And, as always, thanks to all I’ve thanked before, anyone I’ve missed somehow (DAW’s copy editor assures me this seems impossible, given the length of my acknowledgments for every book), and anyone on or added on to my own Alpha Team between the time I wrote this and the time the book comes out—love and appreciate you all.
    Special shout outs to: Marnie Walski, for making me almost stop breathing when you asked if you could start an official fan site for me (The Alien Collective Virtual HQ) and then making such an awesome one; all the mods and members at said fan site (did I mention the name? The Alien Collective Virtual HQ, in case you missed it.); Paul Sparks and Kenton Schassberger for putting a lot of time and creative energy into scientifically proving that my science ain’t all that soft after all; the Queen Creek Writer’s Group for being anawesome writer’s group and having me out to run the yap live so often; my sis-in-law, Akiko, for letting me use her company, Akiko Clothing, as Kitty’s Washington, D.C. designer (even though Akiko Clothing is located in Los Angeles—hey, it’s fiction, right?), and my little bro, Danny, for being understanding about why Blackhearts Brigade didn’t make this particular cut; Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, for being awesome and supporting me and my books constantly; and everyone who came to see us before, during, and after Comic-Con, effectively creating little areas of fun and calm around that awesome but always overwhelming event.
    Finally, thanks to my husband, Steve, for always supporting me, even when I probably sound insane or incoherent, and patiently listening to me ramble on about characters and plot points; and to my daughter, Veronica, for being my utility player in all of this and always being there when I need your help to handle whatever the crisis—beta reading, contest naming, promotional ideas, plot nightmares—with efficiency and understanding, as well as snarky wit (I have no idea where you get that from). You’re both the best and I love you even more than I love writing or the pets. Put together. Honest.

T HEY CALL BOXING THE SWEET SCIENCE. I have no idea why. It’s not like two guys beating each other up can be called sweet in any culture, and it’s hard to buy the science part when there’s not that much scientific theory involved in “hit harder, longer, until the other guy goes down.”
    Now diplomacy, there’s your sweet science. You have to be sweet even when you don’t want to be. Or your husband has the little “representing an entire race” chat with you. And figuring out the many layers, links, connections, and conspiracies attached to just one diplomat is hard enough. Try doing that with every diplomat on Earth. Then expand past Earth. Then wonder why your husband can keep it all straight when you can’t and await the “if you’d only read the briefing file” chat.
    Diplomacy has opened up a whole new world of chatting for Jeff and me. So far, I haven’t enjoyed any of them, but hope springs eternal.
    Being one of the head diplomats for Centaurion Division’s Diplomatic Corps is quite the honor. Kind of wish I’d had a little more time to transition from marketing manager to superbeing exterminator to newlywed to new mother to retired