AS ALWAYS, I’M THANKFUL FOR MY LOVING FAMILY, INCLUD ing my mother, Lola Goebelbecker; my husband, Joe; and my sons, Zac and Matt. I’m blessed to have such an awesome and amazing family that puts up with me when I’m stressed out about a book deadline. Thank you to my sons, who don’t mind having cookies for lunch on Saturdays when I’m too focused on my book to stop and make a sandwich. Special thanks to Matt, a.k.a. Mr. Thesaurus, for helping me find synonyms. I couldn’t ask for a more adorable wordsmith!
I’m more grateful than words can express to Janet Pecorella and my mother for proofreading for me. I truly appreciate the time you take out of your busy lives to help me polish my books. I’m also grateful to my special Amish friends, who patiently answer my endless stream of questions. Thank you also to Karla Hanns for her quilting expertise and to Jason Clipston for his firefighting information. Thank you also to Jessica Miller, RN, for her medical research for this book.
Thank you to my wonderful church family at Morning Star Lutheran in Matthews, North Carolina, for your encouragement, prayers, love, and friendship. You all mean so much to my family and me. Special thanks to Pastor John Mouritsen, who inspired the faith message in this book. You are a blessing to our congregation!
Thank you to Jamie Mendoza and the fabulous members of my Bakery Bunch! I’m so thankful for your friendship and your excitement about my books. You all are amazing!
To my agent, Natasha Kern—I can’t thank you enough for your guidance, advice, and friendship. You are a tremendous blessing in my life.
Thank you to my amazing editor, Becky Philpott, for your friendship and guidance. Love you, girl!
Thank you also to Julee Schwarzburg for her guidance with the story. I always learn quite a bit about writing and polishing when we work together. Thank you for pushing me to become a better writer. I hope we can work together again in the future!
I’m grateful to Jean Bloom, who helped me polish and refine the story. Jean, you are a master at connecting the dots and filling in the gaps. I’m so thankful that we can continue to work together!
I also would like to thank Samantha Buck and Kristen Golden for tirelessly working to promote my books. I’m grateful to each and every person at HarperCollins Christian Publishing who helped make this book a reality.
To my readers—thank you for choosing my novels. My books are a blessing in my life for many reasons, including the special friendships I’ve formed with my readers. Thank you for your e-mail messages, Facebook notes, and letters.
Thank you most of all to God—for giving me the inspiration and the words to glorify you. I’m grateful and humbled you’ve chosen this path for me.
Special thanks to Cathy and Dennis Zimmermann for their hospitality and research assistance in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Cathy & Dennis Zimmermann, Innkeepers
The Creekside Inn
44 Leacock Road, PO Box 435
Paradise, PA 17562
Toll Free: (866) 604-2574
Local Phone: (717) 687-0333
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the following resource used to research information for this book:
C. Richard Beam, Revised Pennsylvania German Dictionary (Lancaster, PA: Brookshire Publications, Inc., 1991).