Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale - Colin McComb

Dedication
This book is dedicated to the three most important women in my life: my daughter, my wife, and
my mother, and to the two most important men: my son and my stepfather. To the family I grew
with, and the family I'm growing. Your support and your love are my world, the walls of which
can face the fiercest storms.
Acknowledgements
This is the part where I get to thank everyone without whose help I could not have done even this
much. Naturally, all errors are mine. Any advice or insight provided to me was done so on the
basis of expertise and authority, and I converted it for use in developing the story. If I have
destroyed details, forgotten something, or bastardized that knowledge, it is entirely my
responsibility and no blame should accrue to others.
Many thanks to those who worked on this book. It is good to know people, but in particular, it is
very, very good to know these people.
• My editor, Ray Vallese, who needs no adjective because he is superlative.
• My fantastic cover artist, Stone Perales (www.stonewurks.com)
• Graphic designer extraordinaire, Don Strandell (www.donstrandell.com)
• Electronic formatting maestro, game designer, and writer Guido Henkel
(www.guidohenkel.com)
• Andrew Hernandez, for suggestions, advice, and help of all stripes
To my first readers: Bradford Clay Matheson, Gavin and Scott McComb, Kevin Pohle (and Toni
and Andrew and Nickel), David Thomas, and David Wise. Your insights and enthusiasm kept me
going.
For invaluable advice, whether they knew they were giving it or not: Phil Athans, my brother
Mike McComb of the US Navy, and Pierce Watters.
For some particular friends, who helped spark my brain: Chris Avellone, who is dreamy; Chip
Bumgardner, who is fearless; Monte Cook, who taught me to yes, have some; Bruce Cordell,
leader of Team Ninja; Tony, Angela, and Sophia DiTerlizzi for a friendship almost two decades
long; Paul and Jen Kemp and their three rapscallions (can I say rapscallions? Awesome); Sean
Reynolds for being shavey first; and Steven Schend and Sarah Joseph and young Oscar, who is
soon to be a big brother.
Many thanks to my patrons, both the ridiculously generous and the very interested. You know
who you are. Your aid, no matter the amount, was humbling and uplifting. It is my sincere hope
that you feel you've received fair value for your faith, and that you'll stick around to see where the
story goes. Without you, this book might well have remained unpublished and unpolished.
To my senior patrons: Clinton J. Boomer, Will Cronenwett, Steven Dengler, and Nancy
Wastcoat Garbett—enjoy your villainy!
Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale
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