ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing this book was a lot of fun. It was made more enjoyable by many wonderful people.

I’m continuously grateful to my terrific agent, Julia Kenny, whose early enthusiasm for Wayne’s story buoyed me. Thank you so much to my editor, Bethany Strout, for your wise guidance, sharp editorial eye, and kind encouragement. I feel blessed to work with you. Heaps of gratitude and thanks to Lisa Yoskowitz, Victoria Stapleton, Jenny Choy, Barbara Bakowski, Ashley Mason, and Maggie Edkins. The entire team at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is top-notch. True story.

Thanks to Bernie Alves, Warren Ayers, Abby (the best dog ever) Chapman, CJ and Momo Chapman, Matt Chapman, Oliva Chapman, Dave Diotalevi, Gloria Harris, Polly Holoyke, Tim (weedwacker) Mason, Julie Neinast, Mary Paj, Patrick “Mr. Q” Quinlan, Les Rosenblatt, Susan Thornton, Sean Vance, and especially Sandra and Eldon Youngblood. Each of you inspired me in important and unique ways that are woven deeply into this book. Special thanks to American Airlines First Officer and Air Force Lt. Colonel Gavin Tade for your insights and encouragement and, most important, your passion for flight and service to our country.

To all of my family, I love you and thank you for supporting me. For my Heavenly Father, for everything. And finally, a special thanks to my readers. Where once I had a file full of rejection letters, I now have a file full of letters from readers. Do you know how cool that is? Pretty cool.