Acknowledgments

The genesis of this love story begins in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. That was the tragic and unforgettable day when this tiny Canadian town nearly doubled its population, taking in some 6,700 airline passengers who had been diverted due to the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. What happened that day in Gander is a story of hospitality and love in its purest sense. The residents opened their hearts and homes to those strangers who needed a place to wait out another kind of storm.

Though this book was inspired by that communal act of kindness, nothing nearly as tragic or earthshattering happens to our protagonist Ally Henderson. However, she does experience a shocking turn of fortune that forces her to lean on the collective shoulders of the people of Bethlehem, Colorado on this fateful Christmas. Like the folks in Gander, they open their hearts and homes, and provide Ally the love and support she so desperately needs in her time of trouble.

I hope you enjoy this Christmas romance as much as I loved writing it. It is my fourth Christmas novel, to go along with the five Christmas movies I’ve either written or co-written over the years. I hope this story shows that most anything can be overcome if we’re not afraid to reach out to others to help us through the storm.

This book wouldn’t have landed in your literary Christmas stocking without the help and guidance of some talented and caring people. I am profoundly grateful to those who shepherded this novel from the early and later drafts to publication. I’d like to first give thanks for my tireless and supremely talented agent, Jessica Kirkland, for believing in me and this book. You are the best.

I’d also like to give a gratitude `shout out’ to the entire team at Entangled Publishing, including (but not limited to) my favorite Editorial Director Stacy Abrams, CEO extraordinaire Liz Pelletier, publicists Debbie Suzuki, Riki Cleveland and Shayla Fereshetian, Production Editor Crystal Havens, and Managing Editor Curtis Svehlak. Also, thanks to Cora Graphics for a truly lovely and wintry cover design. I’m so blessed to have such a competent, professional and talented team behind this project.

I’m also deeply grateful for the many friends and family members who have so richly populated my days and years, as well as you readers far and wide who make me want to keep writing in hopes you’ll find enjoyment in my pages and want to read more. May all your layovers be pleasant ones. Merry Christmas.