This book is about gratitude: gratitude for friendship, for love, for all the good that God gives us, the sweet companionships that nurture our heart and soul and richly bless our lives.
As a core theme of this novel is gratitude, I’d be remiss if I didn’t express a little of my own for the many extraordinary and talented people who took the reins of this project and helped guide it to completion.
I’ll begin with my tireless agents Jennifer Gates and Natasha Alexis of the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Agency. Thank you, Jen and Natasha, for being willing to take a chance on me. Your insight, brilliant notes, and encouragement made all the difference.
I’ll be forever grateful to Penny Stokes, an editor extraordinaire with a quick pen, a brilliant mind, and a kind heart. Thank you, Penny, from the bottom of my heart for all you did to make this book better.
Thomas Nelson truly is a writer’s dream. There are so many good people there who obviously love their jobs and whose talents are helping to bring about literary works that have blessed and will continue to bless the world. I’m especially grateful for my editor, Becky Monds. Becky, thank you for believing in this project and for being such a calm and steady presence along the way.
I’d like to also express gratitude for the rest of the Thomas Nelson-Zondervan Fiction staff for working so diligently to bring this book to fruition. Thank you Ansley Boatman, Katie Bond, Amanda Bostic, Karli Cajka, Laura Dickerson, Elizabeth Hudson, Jodi Hughes, Ami McConnell, Becky Philpott, and Kerri Potts. A special thanks goes to Vice President and Publisher Daisy Hutton for leading such an extraordinary team!
The support of family and friends is so important to whatever we accomplish in life. I’m grateful to my wonderfully supportive wife, Gina, and my beautiful and talented daughter Chloe June. Thanks to all the remarkable people who have populated my life thus far. By your love and friendship, you’ve made the journey such a rich and rewarding experience.
Lastly, and most importantly, I must express my gratitude and love to God for guiding me every step of the way. That wonderfully simple statement in the book of John pretty much sums it up. “I can of mine own self do nothing.”