It's All Relative

Author’s Note

Author’s Note

While there is actually a city called Sugarcreek in Pennsylvania, I have never been there, and the town in this book by the same name is entirely fictional. As far as I know, none of the landmarks or businesses I mention in the story exist in the “real” Sugarcreek, with the possible exception of Wawa (which are spreading up and down the east coast, it seems). The other cities mentioned in the story—Franklin and Union City in Pennsylvania, Fort Myer, Fort Detrick, Fort Lee, Baltimore, and of course Washington, DC—are also real and again, fictionalized here. Just to clear the record, I realize that nobody does basic training at Fort Lee, Virginia. As I understand, it’s mostly home to the quartermaster corps, but it suited the story to move that function to the more northern Fort Myer.

Though the characters in this story do not resemble anyone that I am aware of, living or dead, I must admit that the basis of this story started in 1997, when my grandmother passed away. I just knew there was a story hidden somewhere in the family drama and anxiety that surrounded the days preceding her funeral, and I must apologize to anyone I may unintentionally offend in the telling of this tale. I know it’s a bit sappy in parts, a bit over the top in others, but it’s a fun ride and I think—I hope—you’ll enjoy it.

That said, I must thank my friend Billy for his role as ubiquitous beta reader (don’t worry, that’s not a bad thing). Also, I must thank my brother Patrick and my friend Hilary from my writers’ group for their help in honing the first few chapters. They didn’t get much farther than that, though, since the s*x made them uneasy. Fortunately I decided to nix my brother’s suggestion of removing all the s*x from the story, since that’s a large part of it, and what people really like to read.

Finally, I want to thank my readers for their patience in waiting for this book to be published. I mentioned it on my website over a year ago, but couldn’t get it edited in time to print it that autumn. Well, your wait is over. I hope it was worth it. Thanks for reading.

J.M. Snyder, October 4th, 2004