let me thank my assistant and best friend , paula woldan , first and foremost , for allowing me the peace of mind to work without worry ; my friends and readers toni l. p. kelner and dana cameron , who help me focus on the important aspects of the work at hand ; victoria koski , who tries to keep the huge world of sookie in order ; and my agent , joshua bilmes , and my editor , ginjer buchanan , who work so hard to keep my professional train on the tracks .