Although with a surname like Lawless, she supposed acquiring enemies might be more of a design feature than a bug. The first time Eden acquired an archnemesis, she had just turned twenty and was not exactly in the market for one. So, this book is dedicated to my inspiration, friend, and narrator-the legendary Angela Dawe. Her suppressed longing, icy competence, and sharp, no-nonsense take on my villain floored me so much that I immediately wanted to write Michelle’s story. Angela’s voicing of Michelle Hastings in First-Class Villains, a short story from my Sliced Ice anthology, was stunning. The Fixer and Chaos Agent would not exist if not for Angela Dawe. I hope you enjoy her journey to redemption as much as I did writing it. Now I see who she really is-and nothing is as it seems. I used to think it was impossible too, given she was so awful to Catherine Ayers in The Red Files and Under Your Skin. I heard a lot: But HOW can Michelle be redeemed? Lastly, thank you to my readers for taking a chance on a book with a protagonist I know everyone hated. Gratitude as well goes to my copy editor Michelle Aguilar.

Huge thanks, once more, go to my exemplary content editor Alissa McGowan, who always sharpens and improves my books so much. So, if anyone wants to create a top-secret DC corporation that flies under the radar but also pays all its taxes (to avoid attention), feel free to use our Fixers’ template! Working out the accounting and financial nuances for bringing The Fixers into being was no easy feat. Thanks, mate!Īnn Etter earns my undying appreciation for helping me invent a company that doesn’t exist and yet does. My eternally entertaining friend Charlotte Loudermilt offered comments that ranged from insightful and observant to hilariously insulting, as always. Órla Smith was my expert on my Irish characters-and I now have considerably more Irish sayings and slang in my vocabulary! Sandy Unger was my wonderful Jewish sensitivity reader once more, offering her knowledge of the inner workings of amusing, meddling saftas and their uptight granddaughters. I am so appreciative to my friend, Ylva CEO Astrid Ohletz, who always seems to magically know when there’s a scene missing. Clearly redeeming someone as complex as Michelle Hastings cannot be rushed! As a result, it was no small favor asking my beta readers to pore over two books not one. I never intended to write one story told over two books, but it turns out some ice queens take quite a bit longer to melt than others. On the Record – The Complete Collection (box set)

The Red Files by Lee Winter