“‘Swishing gets you nothing’? Honestly, O’Neill!”
“Well, I couldn’t leave it as it was. It was a lie. Besides, I made a solemn pledge to my true love that I would destroy it, and I could not bear to burn the poor tree down.”
“It was a lie,” I agree. “Sometimes wishing gets you something.”
“Wishing got me everything,” he says. “Eventually.”
I dive into the deep water of the Wishing Pool, new dress and all.
Just as my sister would have done.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a debt of gratitude to the many dear friends who have encouraged me on this exciting journey. I could not possibly name each of you here, but I think you know who you are!
Special thanks to:
My husband, John, for putting up with me and quietly believing in me. You mean more to me than words can say.
My sweet grandmother, friend, and fellow book fanatic, Shirley Thomas. You read it first!
My wonderful parents, Tim and Shelley Selleck, for a million reasons.
Williamsport NaNoWriMo cohorts Brenda Crowell, Amanda C. Davis, Laura Rook, Kristina Solomon, and mascot Codi Zanella. Extra thanks to Amanda for being an incredible beta reader and for sharing your knowledge of weird nineteenth-century stuff.
Jenny Brown (writer’s care-package queen), Christine and Jeff Doty, Cindy and Rodney Knier, Mary and Sarah Stover, and Lara Hughey. Friends like you are priceless.
Sunday Parfitt, for inspiring the first line with your parental wisdom.
Pastor Brian C. Johnson and the Kingdom Writers, for accountability and prayers.
Marianna Baer and Courtney Miller at Skyscape, for your expertise and enthusiasm.
And now, I’d like to thank my children even though I promised them I wouldn’t, because they make fun of me every year for being somewhat crazy during National Novel Writing Month. So, Spencer, Ellen, Joel, and Matthias, this is me not thanking you. I love you anyway.
Most of all, I want to thank God. You made beauty from ashes, just as you promised you would.