To my Amish friends, as always, thank you.

To my wonderful family, you make my life all I want it to be.

A special thanks to my daughter-in-law Erin for all the help—from office work to powerful brainstorming sessions to endless encouragement. Also special thanks to my youngest son, Tyler, for putting your life on pause, leaving New York, and meeting me at my writing hideout to help as needed, especially by updating notes and charts for editors so I could focus on the creative side of writing. Thank you to Catherine King, reader-turned-brainstorming-partner, for your help.

A very special thank-you to Common Grounds Coffee Shoppe and Mocha Moe’s Coffee House—two very special cafés right here in Flowery Branch, Georgia. The atmosphere and character of each are quite different, and between the two I found the inspiration I needed throughout this three-book series—and as a bonus, many great cups of coffee, tasty foods, and lovely conversations with owners and managers!

I have dear memories of Gene Burch, manager of Common Grounds Coffee Shoppe, who passed away and is deeply missed by countless people. Contrary to normal store hours, Gene opened this coffee shop one beautiful Sunday afternoon in 2009 and helped us hang lights and tulle, and then he served food so I could host a bridal shower in that charming spot. It was then that Common Grounds kindled in me a desire to make that endearing café an integral part of a story line.

Thank you to its owner, Randy Dill, for being a rock in the community and for navigating the changes at the coffee house while supporting Gene through the toughest of times. And a warm thank-you to Susanne McManus, who now runs this lovely coffee shop.

Thank you to Mary Ann, Sameh, Moe, and Samantha Behiry, owners and operators of Mocha Moe’s Coffee House. The ingenuity and resourcefulness of your café are too endearing not to become a part of my heart and therefore a part of the series as Ariana bought adjoining buildings and updated her café.