A Parting Note from Ann
Thank you so much for visiting Rosey Corner with me once again. The Merritt family came to life for me in my book Angel Sister. They lived on in my imagination after that story ended and kept prodding me to tell more of their stories. Love came to call on the Merritt sisters in Small Town Girl, and now love has come home in this story. I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother and her sisters for their wonderful stories about growing up in the small community of Alton, Kentucky. Those stories were the inspiration for my Rosey Corner books.
Once a story is written, many other people help it along its path to a book that you, the reader, can hold in your hands. So I thank all the wonderful people at Revell Books who make that happen. My editor, Lonnie Hull DuPont, is always ready with encouragement and advice on how to make my story better. Barb Barnes and the other copyeditors go over every line to make the reading easy. Cheryl Van Andel and her team design covers to fit my story and grab a reader’s eye. It’s been great to work with Lindsay Davis on so many details of my books. I can always count on her to be helpful and available. Many other people have a hand in getting an author’s book out to readers. I don’t know all their names, but I see and appreciate the result of their work.
I would be remiss not to thank my wonderful agent, Wendy Lawton, who is generous with her help and prayers. Wendy has often mentioned how she lifts me up in prayer as I help care for my mother, who has dementia. Writing this book was a struggle with the hours I’ve needed to spend with my mother. Wendy’s prayers, the prayers of the people at Revell Books, and the prayers of my readers and friends have made such a difference in my life and often meant a more peaceful day for my mother. There’s no way I can thank you all enough.
Nor can I thank the one who answers those prayers enough. Long ago the Lord heard a little girl’s desire to be a writer, and he smiled down on that little girl. Over the years, he has given me words and let me share stories with you.
Last of all, I thank my husband, Darrell, and the rest of my family for their understanding and unfailing support.
I am blessed.
As an extra bonus here’s a recipe for that brown sugar pie Jay loved so much:
| 6 tablespoons | butter |
| 6 teaspoons | all-purpose flour |
| 1½ cups | brown sugar, packed |
| 2 cups | milk |
| ¼ teaspoon | salt |
| 3 large | egg yolks, beaten (save whites for meringue) |
| 1 teaspoon | vanilla extract |
| 1 | 9″ pastry shell, baked |
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat; add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in brown sugar. Return to heat; stir in milk and salt until blended. Cook and stir over medium-high heat in a heavy pan or skillet until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir about 2 tablespoons of the hot pie filling into the egg yolks and add mixture to the pie filling in the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in vanilla. Pour into pastry shell. Cover with meringue and bake (recipe below).
Meringue:
| 3 | egg whites, room temperature |
| ¼ teaspoon | cream of tartar |
| 6 tablespoons | sugar |
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until stiff and glossy. Spread evenly over pie filling, sealing meringue to pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown.