Randa M. Chance - Of Cabbages and Kings

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I always dreamed about what thatpublished author picture would look like on my first book. I wanted it toconvey the spirit and atmosphere in which I penned my heartrending stories andbrought the reader to tears and laughter.

In my minds eye was a soft-edgedscene of myself as a skinny, dreamy-eyed girl in a dark, silent room, seated ata beautifully scrolled and distressed antique desk, writing stories by hand onunlined paper. This picture was, naturally, in sepia tones, and a gentle sortof light always shone down on my head through a glass window.

Recently I realized that I was alsodelusional.

What I had concocted was anidealized image that combined Jo from Little Women with Anne of Green Gables. Iam far from resembling either one of those fictional creatures.

In reality, skinny went out thewindow about the time I got married, and being the wife of a pastor, mother ofthree children, and working a full-time job outside the home does not lenditself to a great deal of alone time. This manuscript was mostly written inthose rare snatches of quiet in the wee hours of morning with a laptop that wasmissing many keys, when my eyes were gritty and bloodshot and my hair wassticking up all over my head.

The only time I wrote one of thesestories by hand was when I forgot my laptop in my haste to catch a plane, andhad to chicken-scratch on a legal pad for hours. When I tried to transcribe myown notes a few days later, I could barely decipher my left-handedhieroglyphics.

My deepest thanks to the followingindividuals, without whom this book would not exist:

Harry Fleming (designedbyharry.com)for your brilliant cover design and understanding of the concept. The world isa much better looking place because of you.

Brandy Steele (Brandy SteelePhotography), my cousin and photographer extraordinaire who had some incredibleideas for the jacket photo and came up with what you see. (It also looks athousand times better than my typical frazzled-housewife-at-midnight getup.)

Karen Gordon Hemmes,my fellow curly-headed friend, for assembling a magnificent book jacket teaser.

Krystal Mayville and Keli Schlueter,my sisters, who tweaked the things that needed to be, and read and edited andlaughed at me and provided blunt, no-nonsense feedback that hurt andchallenged.

Donna Hieftje, my brown-eyedteacher-mentor who discovered and coaxed out the writer in me so many yearsago.

Randy and Mary Mayville, my parents,who read and laughed and cried and encouraged, and said, On your next bookcover, you need to put Gage and Benjamins faces in front of each cabbage, andstick Devons head under that crown.

Shane, Devon,Gage and Benjamin, my own little clan, I love you for putting up with me, andfor the immeasurable joy and happiness you have brought. You are my life.

Jesus, my best friend, who gave me thestrength to finish writing this when I did not think it ever would be possible.