If you’re like me, you want to get right to the story. Never mind all the self-important ramblings an author feels compelled to inject before she gets rolling. Like she’s nervous the story isn’t ready to start, or needs some preamble explanation.

None of that here, but I won’t fault you none for skipping the next couple of paragraphs. Go ahead. Permission granted.

Still with me? Alrighty, then. I promise this won’t hurt much.

Just know that in this book, Tracking Shadow, I collect two stories I previously cast into the wind by their lonesome. The first, Waiting for Shadow—which ain’t much about Shadow, as some readers have let me know (hint: it’s about the waiting, people)—I released as a prequel to the Tracking Jane series. The second, Shadow-7—there, with Shadow finally in full play—came out as episode number one.

Together, with a couple of short (and never seen before!) chapters added in, I’m releasing this as a novel. My agent tells me I needed to do that, on account of length, seeing as to how this is a print edition and all. As the thinking goes, people don’t like to buy skinny books. To that end, I give you Tracking Shadow, a tome with all the heft required to whack someone over the head and leave a proper impression.

Well, I never much cared for long essays. I fear at this juncture, I’ve extended past my attention span for trying to make a coherent point. Without further hot winded pomposity, then, I give you Tracking Shadow.