Adoring Addie (28 page)
As all the Cramers and all the Mosiers supported us as one, the grudge between the two households was finally, and entirely, mended.
Numerous people supported me as I wrote this novel, contributed in some way, or helped shape the story. I am very grateful to all of them! My husband, Peter, and children, Kaleb, Taylor, Hana, and Thao, are at the top of my list. God has greatly blessed me in giving me all of you as my family.
My siblings, Kathy Fink, Kelvin Egger, and Laurie Snyder, also continue to bless me, along with our father, Bruce Egger. It was my mother, Leora Houston Eggerâwho is now in heavenâwho first introduced me to God's grace and to Shakespeare's plays. I am forever grateful for her continued influence on my life each day.
First readers of this story include Libby Salter, Laurie Snyder, and Tina Bustamante (so grateful!) and critique group members Melanie Dobson, Nicole Miller, Dawn Shipman, and Kelly Chang (thank you!).
Those cheering from the sidelines, whose encouragement and prayers mean more than I can ever express, include Kate Commerford, Becky Berg, Holly Frakes, Jan Puntenney, Marilyn Weisenburg, Renee Naslund, Rod and Ruth Ann
Richards, Denise Capps, Ann McGraw, Fran Heinith, Julie Johnson, Mary Hake, and the good people who belong to Oregon Christian Writers, along with all my wonderful readers. Thank you! I'm also grateful to Lynn Ferber and Alan Rosenfeld for their support and for, again, providing me with a writer's retreat to finish this story.
A special thank-you to my agent, Chip MacGregor, to Mindy Starns Clark (for all she's taught me about the Amish), and to those in the Plain community who have shared their stories with me. Any mistakes in this novel are mine alone.
I can't thank Bethany House Publishers enough for all of their support, including editors extraordinaire Karen Schurrer and Dave Long. It's been a delight to partner with everyone at Bethany on T
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Leslie Gould
is the coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 CBA bestseller
The Amish Midwife
, a 2012 Christy Award winner; and the author of ECPA bestseller
Courting Cate
, first in the C
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series; and
Beyond the Blue
, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice for Best Inspirational Novel, 2006. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction writing at Multnomah University as an adjunct professor. She and her husband and four children live in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about Leslie at
www.lesliegould.com
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Courting Cate
Adoring Addie
