Island of Saints (28 page)

“Listen,” I said in farewell. “I promise, you will not have cause to be fearful or embarrassed by anything I write. And besides,” I added, “I will make sure the publisher classifies the book as ‘Self-Help' or ‘Personal Growth' or one of the other ‘Fiction' categories. No one will ever believe a word of it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HAILED AS A “MODERN-DAY WILL ROGERS WHO HAS quietly become one of the most influential people in America,”
A
NDY
A
NDREWS
is a best-selling novelist and in-demand corporate entertainer for the world's largest organizations.
The Traveler's Gift
, a featured book selection of ABC's
Good Morning America,
has been translated into nearly 20 languages, and was on the
New York Times
bestseller list for 17 weeks. Andy has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents and toured military bases around the world, being called upon by the Department of Defense to speak to the troops. Arguably, there is no single person on the planet better at weaving subtle yet life-changing lessons into riveting tales of adventure and intrigue—both on paper and onstage.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

IN AN UNDERTAKING OF THIS SORT, THE LIST OF PEOPLE TO whom gratitude is owed can be overwhelming. I am blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who have become a team of which I am thrilled to be a part. If one perceives me as a person who makes good and informed choices, it is only because of the reliance on the counsel of these people. Thank you all for your presence in my life:

. . . To Polly, my wife and best friend,

. . . to THE Robert D. Smith, my personal manager and champion,

. . . to Gail and Mike Hyatt, who gave life to my career as an author,

. . . to Brian Hampton, my editor, whose careful eye and quick mind made this a much better book,

. . . to Todd Rainsberger, who helped shape the narrative,

. . . to David M. Brokaw, who was one of the first to see something in my writing,

. . . to Sandi Dorff, Paula Tebbe, and Susie White, who direct the daily parts of my life,

. . . to Jonathan Merkh, Jerry Park, Pamela Clements, and Kyle Olund from Thomas Nelson. Thanks also to Ron Land, Dave Shepard, Jennifer Willingham, and Jana Burson for your energy and amazing skills,

. . . to Scott Jeffrey for his coaching and personal attention to detail,

. . . to Zachary Smith, Nicholas Francis, and Jeremy R. DeYoung for their Web mastery,

. . . to Sarah Herring for her incredible ability to catch mistakes that are invisible to everyone else,

. . . and to Katrina and Jerry Anderson, Don Brindley, Sunny Brownlee, Foncie and Joe Bullard, Brent Burns, Myrth and Cliff Callaway, Cory B. Carlton, Lillian and Edward Gilley, Gloria and Martin Gonzalez, Kay and Chuck Harrison, Lynn and Mike Jakubik, Patsy Jones, Nancy and Ray Knight, Mary and Jim Pace, Glenda and Kevin Perkins, Brenda and Todd Rainsberger, Kathy and Dick Rollins, Barbara Selvey, Katherine and Christopher Surek, Maryann and Jerry Tyler, Maryann and Dave Winck, Kathy and Mike Wooley. Your example and influence in my life are undeniable and very much appreciated.

Very special thanks to those whose memories and information were crucial to this story—who, because of the lives they now lead, have elected to remain anonymous.

REFERENCES

HAVING RESEARCHED THE TOPIC OF FORGIVENESS FOR MANY years, my thoughts and, indeed, the contents of this book have been molded by the works of many people much wiser than I.

Their writing and spoken words have been life-changing for many, and in order to give them proper credit and the reader an opportunity to delve further into their work, the names of these people, in alphabetical order, are presented below. Their lives and influence are greatly appreciated.

Paul Boese

Foncie Bullard

Joe Bullard

Barbara Crafton

Edward Gibbon

Bill Gothard

Drew J. Gunnells

George Herbert

Scott Jeffrey

Clare Boothe Luce

Carol Luebering

Frederic Luskin

John Mason

Malachy McCourt

Mark Muesse

John Musser

Sara Paddison

Harper Shannon

Lewis B. Smedes

Robert D. Smith

Paula Tebbe

Randy Thomas

Rick Warren

The Lost Choice

A Legend of Personal Discovery

When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, his parents launch an investigation that will eventually link the ancient object to such remarkable figures as George Washington Carver, Oskar Shindler, Joan of Arc, and Alfred Vanderbilt. Separate pieces of the artifact—with different but similar inscriptions—shape the lives of those who possess the object.

With each new discovery come new questions: What is the connection between these objects? Is there is another piece? And, if so, how might this final piece complete the object and its message? Could it change the world with its power and wisdom?

A dramatic epilogue reveals not only the origin and fulfillment of this amazing artifact, but also the guiding principles behind this story that can be applied directly to readers' lives.

ISBN: 0-7852-6139-7