Ever After
Authors: Karen Kingsbury
Other Life-Changing Fiction™
by Karen Kingsbury
September 11 Series
One Tuesday Morning
Beyond Tuesday Morning
Stand-Alone Titles
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Even Now
A Thousand Tomorrows
Where Yesterday Lives
When Joy Came to Stay
On Every Side
Divine
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Redemption
Remember
Return
Rejoice
Reunion
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Fame
Forgiven
Found
Family
Forever (winter 2007)
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Gideon’s Gift
Maggie’s Miracle
Sarah’s Song
Hannah’s Hope
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Waiting for Morning
Moment of Weakness
Halfway to Forever
Women of Faith Fiction Series
A Time to Dance
A Time to Embrace
Children’s Title
Let Me Hold You Longer
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A Treasury of Christmas Miracles
A Treasury of Miracles for Women
A Treasury of Miracles for Teens
A Treasury of Miracles for Friends
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Stay Close Little Girl
Be Safe Little Boy
Ever After
ePub Format
Copyright © 2006 by Karen Kingsbury
This title is also available as a Zondervan audio product.
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ISBN-10: 0-310-29605-6
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Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 5375 Roundup Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80910
Interior design by Michelle Espinoza
Cover design by Brand Navigation
Cover photo by Stever Gardner,
www.shootpw.com
T
ABLE OF
C
ONTENTS
I
N
M
EMORY OF
J
OSHUA
D
INGLER
I
bring you this book in honor of the memory of Joshua Dingler, age nineteen.
At the final stages of editing
Ever After
, I received a letter from one of my readers — Karen Dingler. She said God had used one of my books to help her understand that her son, Joshua Dingler of the First Battalion, the 108
th
Armor Regiment of the U.S. Army in Calhoun, Georgia, had not died in vain.
What defined Joshua was his life, how he lived. Joshua was the son of a pastor, Tommy Dingler. His mother had just taken on the role of his army unit’s family support group leader when his family learned of his death. Joshua left behind a younger brother, Samuel.
When he was a young boy, Joshua played Little League baseball. He was a Boy Scout who earned the rank Life Scout, and in middle school, he went to Australia and New Zealand as a student ambassador for People 2 People. He helped out at church and volunteered at the sound booth. He was in JROTC at East Paulding High School in Hiram, Georgia, where he was known and loved by everyone he came in contact with. He would defend NASCAR to anyone who questioned it as a sport. Joshua planned to come home and marry his high school love and wanted to be a history teacher.
In honor of Joshua, I am starting two new links on my website,
www.KarenKingsbury.com
. The first is for Active Military Heroes. The second is for Fallen Military Heroes. If you have a friend or loved one serving our country, please send me a photo and a brief description of that person — name, rank, where they are serving, and how we can pray for them. The Active Military Heroes page will honor these men and women. It will be a place where readers can see the face on the fight for freedom, a place where readers can visit to pray for each other. If you’ve lost a loved one or a friend in military action, please send that photo and a brief description also. This will be posted on my Fallen Military Heroes page. Joshua Dingler’s photo will be at the top of that page. If you are sending a photo and information, please put the word “SOLDIER” in the subject line and send it to
[email protected]
.
As you read the pages of
Ever After
, think about Joshua Dingler. The sacrifice for freedom is a real one. And please pray for and support the families and members of the U.S. Military. Pray every day.
In His light and love,
Karen Kingsbury
Joshua Dingler, 1986 – 2005
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
s always, this book couldn’t have come together without the help of many people. First, a special thanks to my great friends at Zondervan, who believe in this sequel and have enormous dreams and prayers for the way it will touch people and change lives. Thank you!
Also, thanks to my amazing agent, Rick Christian, president of Alive Communications. I am amazed more as every day passes at your integrity, your brilliant talent, and your commitment to the Lord and to getting my Life-Changing Fiction™ out to readers all over the world. You are a strong man of God, Rick. You care for my career as if you were personally responsible for the souls God touches through these books. Thank you for looking out for my personal time — the hours I have with my husband and kids. I couldn’t do this without you.
As always, this book wouldn’t be possible without the help of my husband and kids, who will eat just about anything when I’m on deadline and who understand and love me anyway. I thank God I’m still able to spend more time with you than with my pretend people — as Austin calls them. Thanks for understanding the sometimes crazy life I lead and for always being my greatest support.
Also, thanks to my mother and assistant, Anne Kingsbury, for her great sensitivity and love for my readers. You are a reflection of my own heart, Mom, or maybe I’m a reflection of yours. Either way, we are a great team, and I appreciate you more than you know. I’m grateful, also, for my dad, Ted Kingsbury, who is and always has been my greatest encourager. I remember when I was a little girl, Dad, and you would say, “One day, honey, everyone will read your books and know what a wonderful writer you are.” Thank you for believing in me long before anyone else ever did. Thanks also to my sisters, Tricia and Susan and Lynne, who help out with my business when the workload is too large to see around. I appreciate you!
And a thanks to Katie Johnson, who runs a large part of my business life — everything from my accounting to my calendar. God brought you to me, Katie, and I’ll be grateful as long as I’m writing for Him. Don’t ever leave, okay? And to Olga Kalachik, whose hard work helping me prepare for events allows me to operate a significant part of my business from my home. The personal touch you both bring to my ministry is precious to me, priceless to me … thank you with all my heart.
And thanks to my friends and family who continue to surround me with love and prayer and support. I could list you by name, but you know who you are. Thank you for believing in me and for seeing who I really am. A true friend stands by through the changing seasons of life and cheers you on, not for your successes, but for staying true to what matters most. You are the ones who know me that way, and I’m grateful for every one of you. Please keep praying for me, since I can’t do a page of this, not even a word, without God’s strength and gift.
Of course, the greatest thanks goes to God Almighty, the most wonderful Author of all — the Author of life (Hebrews 12:2). The gift is Yours. I pray I might have the incredible opportunity and responsibility to use it for You all the days of my life.