Dragonholder: The Life and Times (so far) of Anne McCaffrey

Dear Readers,

Every year I get more requests than I can count for me to tell my own story: how I spent my childhood, who my friends were, my pets, how I ever thought up Pern and its dragons - the whole nine unvarnished yards. I even get hints and downright demands for invitations to visit me in Ireland - far more than my home could ever actually handle, not and keep functioning on a day-to-day basis! And, I confess, it gets difficult to tell my story over and over, especially when I've got the stories of so many characters - both new and old - to continue to tell in my books.

This book is my invitation to you to step into my world. Welcome to Dragonhold-Underhill, the home that dragons built. Come on into the kitchen - the "heart" of my home - and pull up a chair by the fire. Have a cup of tea. And while I nip back to my computer to resume my work on my latest novel, my son Todd will tell you the story of my life so far. After all, he lived through a lot of it - and you can rest assured I've made certain he's got the other bits right! Ciao now!

- Anne McCaffrey