Recently I read an acknowledgment by Agatha Christie that sums up what I hope my humble stories convey: “To all those that lead monotonous lives, in the hope that they may experience at second hand the delights and dangers of adventure.” I’m ever grateful that books have done that for me. I’m continually inspired by men and women like Daniel and Rebecca Boone, whose lives leave an extraordinarily rich historical trail for us to follow.
Special thanks to Jenny Q, Jenny Quinlan, for being the first to read this manuscript and for sharing her expertise and insight. Historical Editorial is all that and more! I look forward to working with you again.
For my great team at Revell: To editor Andrea Doering, who takes the finished manuscript and is able to read with an eye for making the story the best it can be for readers. Your heart for those who pick up my novels always inspires and humbles me. To my patient, ever-faithful editor Jessica English, who takes the timelessness in my novel and helps me nail down days, something I am not very good at! Heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Van Andel and the art team for covers that reflect the heart of my stories. Last but not least, to all those folks who comprise Revell’s sales and marketing team, and the sales reps who place my books in brick-and-mortar stores—you all are the absolute best. And to the extraordinary Karen Steele, who can take a book and make it shine on her end once finished—many, many thanks.
Heartfelt thanks to my savvy agent, Janet Grant of Books & Such Literary Agency, who made this story possible and the two to follow, all standalone novels after the Ballantyne Legacy series. Knowing she is always in the wings, able to take care of anything needed, is remarkable.
Special thanks to the Friends of Boone Trace, Dr. John Fox, Curtis Penix, and all those who’ve worked tirelessly to preserve the trail Boone blazed in 1775. In the spring of 2016, I was able to walk a portion of this trace starting at Fort Boonesborough to Twitty’s Fort in Kentucky, following in the steps of my hero and those settlers who braved so much to embrace a new land. It was during this trek that I met some of the kin of Kentucky’s first settlers, including Jasper Castle, a direct descendant of the very Castle who settled Castle’s Woods, where James Boone went for supplies in 1773, days before his death. To learn more about this vital preservation effort to keep Boone Trace alive, please visit www.boonetrace1775.com.
And last but not least, to my readers near and far, who are God’s ongoing gift to me. What would my stories be without you?
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Philippians 1:3