First thanks go to my husband, Danny, who worked through every step of this process with me while working overtime hours and completing his master’s program. He kept me on track, helped me set goals, and waded through my meltdowns. He also made me laugh.

Deep appreciation goes to my parents, Scott and Ruyle; my sister, Susannah; my brother, Geoff, and his lovely wife, Amy; my parents-in-law, Ray and Denise; as well as my brother-in-law, Isaac, and my Aunt Jill.

Many thanks to Aimee Madsen for the multicolored three-by-five cards, highlighters, and Post-it notes that helped me plot the second half of the book. To Carrie Sue Halupa, who read drafts and talked through plot developments with me when I was in a squeeze. To Anna Kintigh, who opened her home for an extended plotting session.

To Kara Christensen, whose words of encouragement have always brightened my heart, even when she is far away. To Rachel Lulich, who kept a close eye on Sara’s voice and made sure the characters stayed consistent throughout. To my draft readers—Aimee, Bobbie, Carrie Sue, Danny, Kara, Karen, Rachel, and my mom, Ruyle.

To Rhonda Bergsten, whose winning recipe fit so perfectly into the storyline. To Jared Swezey, who suggested the word foliage (as seen on page 54).

To Sandra Bishop, for being my agent and for telling me to do a synopsis. It helped. To my editors Carolyn McCready and Kim Moore, who helped me shape Sara and who supported me in prayer. To Gene Skinner, who tidied up the manuscript into the lovely thing it became. And to everyone who fed us while I worked on the book.

Lastly, many thanks to my readers. I’ve loved hearing from you. I hope you enjoy Simply Sara!