From Laura: A Novel: For Olivia, the love of my life, and my best friend

From Outlandish Badland Justice: A Collection of Short Stories and Vignettes: For Olivia, who has stood beside me through more trials and tribulations than any one person should have to experience

From The Empire of Transcendental Harmonies and Joys: A Novel: For my Olivia, my angel, whose love and support has lifted me higher as a writer than I ever could have hoped

From Hollow Promises: A Novel: For my fans, who are far too gracious to stab me in the back and leave me alone to die

From Trees in Repose: A Collection of Poems and Short Essays on the American Interior: For Gloria Smith, who kept the cabin up for me all those years, and who comforted me, physically, when I was lonely, and then got out of the way when I needed seclusion

From The Cat and the Crown: A Profile of Famous Rulers and their Favorite Pets: For Morris, the family cat, who lived for twenty-eight years, surviving blindness, deafness, and being absolutely adorable

From C++ and Me: A Beginner’s Reference Guide to a Wholly Unexpected Change in Career: For Aunt Clara, who sent me a beautiful and heart-warming letter expressing her sorrow that Uncle Clive cut me out of the will, entirely, at the end

From Above the Clouds: A History of the Sherpa Footguides of the Himalayas: For Tenzing, who guided me up as high as the first base camp on Sagarmatha, before my asthma bested me, and who comforted me, physically, when I was freezing

From Colonel Vampireglen’s Brigade of Undead Misfits and the Quest for the Magic Spectacles: For Bridget, the daughter I wasn’t aware of for twenty years, who has turned into the last great joy of my life

From Multiple Dubious Decisions: An Autobiographical Musing on the Life of the Writer Murphy Rufus Doyle:  For me, until such time as I abandon myself, or otherwise let myself down

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Jon Hakes writes biographical sketches under severe protest, and only when he has a very professional reason for doing so.  He writes fiction, mostly, but will write almost anything his brain dares him to try.  His work has appeared in Brain Harvest, which was both an online magazine and an actual brain harvest.  His Internet Self lives at: www.jonhakes.com