Both Melissa and Kathryn frequently long for the rain to fall. What do you think the rain symbolizes for each of them, besides literal relief from the drought?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing is a solitary endeavor; publishing is not. It may be my name on the cover, but it never would have made it there without the love and support of my tribe.
First and foremost, to the God of all goodness, mercy, and sense of humor. I never set out to become a “Christian” author per se, but looking back, I can now see His gentle hand nudging me toward it the entire time. Thank You for never giving up on me and giving me this chance to combine my faith and my passion.
To Sarah Rische, Jan Stob, and the entire team at Tyndale, thank you for your enthusiasm and belief in this book. From that very first phone call (where I was struck mute with bronchitis!), I knew this team understood my vision, and I feel so blessed to have found a home for Melissa and Kathryn with people who I know love them as much as I do.
To Natalie Grazian: thank you for plucking me out of the slush pile and seeing the potential in this book when it was still only a shadow of what it would become. I learned so much working with you on this project, and I will be forever in your debt for your sheer determination to see this manuscript in print. Thank you for believing in me.
To Adria Goetz: thank you for sweeping in like the book fairy godmother you are to see this deal through and for always being there to answer my “I’m so new—help!” questions. You never batted an eye at the unexpectedness of our partnership, and your warmth and ambition put me immediately at ease. Thank you for simply being you.
To Samantha McClanahan: you are the reason this book got written. Discouraged by rejection and plagued by writer’s block, I was ready to quit. Your kind emails and words of encouragement are the only reason I didn’t. You were the first person outside my family who told me I could do this. Thank you for being my mentor, my beta reader, my cheerleader, and my friend.
To my parents and my sister: I never did anything the easy way, and I’m sure there were times you wondered what exactly I was doing with my life. I hope this book finally puts your minds at ease and makes you proud. Thank you for your love and support over the years and, most of all, for making it known that I always had a home to come back to.
To my in-laws and extended family: thank you for nagging me over every shelved manuscript and pushing to read my writing even when I was still hiding it from the world. You wouldn’t let me give up—and I am so grateful.
To the countless friends over the years—from elementary school through adulthood—who said, “You should write a book!”: I finally did. Thank you for planting seeds, watering them, and being patient as you waited for them to grow. You kept me encouraged, you kept me laughing, and you kept me writing. I wish I could name each and every one of you here, but you know who you are. Thank you.
Finally, to Jonathan, Matthew, and Meredith: none of this would mean anything if I didn’t have you all standing beside me. Thank you for putting up with years of stress and heartache, small wins and big losses, and for loving me at my most unlovable. When I was sulking over my latest rejection or becoming lost inside my story (and inside my own head), it was the three of you who brought me back to earth and made me remember what was truly important. I love you all even more than books (and that’s saying something).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.
She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, and one rambunctious dachshund.
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