If you've read Picking Up the Pace, then you've meet Sam, for Sam is Jimmy. I always thought he was the quirkiest guy on the planet, which is why I stole his character and put him in my fiction world.

Sam was found murdered in his apartment Oct 31, 2005. It kills me to know that he, who would never hurt any-one, was taken from us in such a gruesome way.

He was a driving force behind my success as a writer -- never shy to deliver a swift kick in the butt when I whined about writer's block ...

Everyone who has read my novel and enjoyed it owes a lot to Sam. I'm not sure I would have finished it without his constant calls and text messages demanding updates.

I'll always have fond memories of Sam, even though he was brutally taken, even though I will never be able to ruffle his hair or pull his cap over his eyes again.

He'll live on in my fiction world, as Jimmy. He'll live in my heart as Sam. And I will never forget his generosity and love.