[poohbear_nc]

[Author's Note]

DISCLAIMER: This is entirely a work of fiction. No moderators were killed, injured, or damaged in real life (except maybe pilotbob - we're still performing CPR). I am NOT a murderer. And, I am NOT edible.

OK, glad that's cleared up.

Now to move on to the closing stuff.

Although the idea for this bizarre plot did arise solely in my twisted brain, I had lots of help shaping it into the final product that you have read, and hopefully enjoyed. This was truly a team effort, one in which all the moderation team participated: Alex, Dr. Drib, HarryT, mtravellerh, pdurrant, WT Sharpe, dreams, Mark_liest, pilotbob, ravenne, Jellby, DaleDe, Nate the Great.

We hope you had as much fun reading, and solving it, as we did creating it for you!

Now, in no particular order:

Thank you Alex! When I mentioned that I was in the mood to write another mystery, you encouraged me to develop one suitable for a contest. Although you subsequently did flee to several European countries that lacked Internet access, you did work tirelessly to obtain sponsors for the prizes. Lots of prizes!

Thank you ravenne and WT Sharpe - for your brilliant art work ideas and animations. I can't even begin to imagine the hours you spent trying to figure out what I had in mind - but you did it! And the final result was splendidly chilling!
Special thanks to the children of ravenne - for drawing my special stocking! And the other ordinary stockings on the mantelpiece. [Keep an eye on them ravenne ....]

Thank you pdurrant and HarryT for your prosodic assistance which transformed a harmless Christmas poem into a paean of murder and death! Thank you DaleDe for adding a poetic touch to my prose, so it would echo the introductory rhythms.

Thank you dreams for your marvelous expertise in adding links, suggesting story additions/changes - all improvements!, and general encouragement as the plot grew completely out of control.

Thank you Jellby for creating "Hercule Poulet", and thank you pdurrant for creating the beautiful "Agatha Chicken" avatar.

Thank you ravenne for your German "annotations" and "footnotes". And thank you Billi for assembling the verses into a narrative of death!

[If any MobileRead member fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, whatever - would like to join us in the next contest to provide language specific "footnotes" - please contact one of the moderators! We'd love to have you!]

Thank you Dr. Drib, HarryT, DaleDe, Nate the Great, Jellby, mtravellerh, pilotbob, Mark_liest - for keeping up with the forums whilst some of us were otherwise preoccupied with getting this show ready for prime time! Spammers have no chance with such a crack team!


And thank you - everybody - the members of MobileRead - for being a wonderful audience! You rock!