Barefoot Summer (36 page)
8. When Madison lost Michael, she stuffed down her pain instead of dealing with it. Her mom helped her find the courage to face her feelings, to feel the bad stuff. Have you ever been afraid to “go barefoot”? How did you overcome it? How can trusting in God enable you to make the journey?
9. Life is a God-given gift, yet most of us feel entitled to a long one. Discuss why you think that is and how we can develop a spiritually mature view of death.
10. Beckett feared that his parents’ failures would be replayed in his own life. He said, “Abandonment, divorce, and alcoholism—those are the tools I’m working with.” What tools are you working with? What are some ways you can, with God’s help, build a successful future in spite of or because of your parents’ example?
W
RITING A BOOK IS A TEAM EFFORT, AND
I’
M SO GRATEFUL
for the entire team at Thomas Nelson Fiction, led by publisher Daisy Hutton: Katie Bond, Amanda Bostic, Ruthie Dean, Natalie Hanemann, Jodi Hughes, Laura Dickerson, Kerri Potts, Ami McConnell, Becky Monds, and Kristen Vasgaard.
Thanks especially to my editor, Natalie Hanemann, who helped shape this story, notified me of gaping holes, and otherwise helped me fashion this into a more enjoyable read. I’m forever grateful to the talented LB Norton, who makes me look much better than I am!
Author Colleen Coble is my first reader. Thank you, friend! I wouldn’t want to do this writing thing without my buds and fellow authors Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Kristin Billerbeck. Love you, girls!
I’m grateful to my agent, Karen Solem, who handles all the left-brained matters so I can focus on the right-brained stuff.
I owe a debt of gratitude to sailing enthusiast Rik Hall, who helped me with all the details involving sailing and regattas. I’d have been lost without him! A big thanks also goes out to Dr. Ronda Wells for her tireless efforts in helping me with the facts related to inborn errors of metabolism. Any mistakes that made their way into print are entirely mine.
A special call-out to my small group. What a blessing you all
are! Allen and Kristi Etter, Joy and Denny Geiger, Rod and Vicki Marquart, and Don and Wanietta Stuckey. You brighten up my week!
Thanks to my Facebook friends who helped me title this book and name my hero—y’all have great taste!
To my family: Kevin, Justin, Chad, and Trevor. I treasure and love you all!
Lastly, thank you, friend, for letting me share this story with you. I wouldn’t be doing this without you! I’ve enjoyed connecting with readers like you through my Facebook page. Visit my website at
www.DeniseHunterBooks.com
or just drop me a note at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!
P
HOTO BY
A
MBER
Z
IMMERMAN
D
ENISE
H
UNTER IS THE AWARD-WINNING
and best-selling author of many novels, including
A Cowboy’s Touch
and
Sweetwater Gap
. She and her husband are raising three boys in Indiana.