Whenever I try to come up with original plots, “different” often means “risky”—which means I email my editor in complete uncertainty. Thanks, Kim, for encouraging me to write this series as it needed written, and to the whole team at Harvest House, who I adore working with! Thanks too to my agent, Karen Ball, for being an awesome cheerleader and go-getter. You amaze me.
And as it may never have gotten written if not for that perfect weekend writing retreat, enormous smiles of gratitude to Stephanie, for instant brainstorming, lots of laughter, and hours of beautiful quiet. Thanks too to Dina for her amazingly quick turnaround while critiquing!
As always, the love and support of my family, from hubby David and beautiful kiddos to my parents and grandparents and sister and mom-in-law, give me the strength and inspiration I need.
Special thanks to Alyson Dow for naming little Elsie as part of a contest win on Go Teen Writers. Big, huge, grand appreciation to Rachel Wilder, fashion expert extraordinaire, who taught me how ladies of the Victorian era dressed, layer by layer.
And though he’s unlikely to ever pick this book up, I also want to thank Dave Cherry, the former coworker who regaled me with stories of his classmate with the perfect memory, who could read books with his eyes closed after merely glancing at the pages. Bet he never knew he’d end up the inspiration for my heroine!