Authors: Karen Kingsbury
Take One (2 page)
N
O BOOK COMES TOGETHER WITHOUT A
great and talented team of people making it happen. For that reason, a special thanks to my friends at Zondervan who combined
efforts to make
Above the Line: Take One
all it could be. A special thanks to my dedicated editor, Sue Brower, and to my brilliant publicist Karen Campbell, and to
Karwyn Bursma, whose creative marketing is unrivaled in the publishing business.
Also, thanks to my amazing agent, Rick Christian, president of Alive Communications. Rick, you’ve always believed only the
best for me. When we talk about the highest possible goals, you see them as doable, reachable. You are a brilliant manager
of my career, and I thank God for you. But even with all you do for my ministry of writing, I am doubly grateful for your
encouragement and prayers. Every time I finish a book, you send me a letter that deserves to be framed, and when something
big happens, yours is the first call I receive. Thank you for that. But even more, the fact that you and Debbie are praying
for me and my family keeps me confident every morning that God will continue to breathe life into the stories in my heart.
Thank you for being so much more than a brilliant agent.
A special thank-you to my husband, who puts up with me on deadline and doesn’t mind driving through Taco Bell after a basketball
game if I’ve been editing all day. This wild ride wouldn’t be possible without you, Donald. Your love keeps me writing;your
prayers keep me believing that God has a plan in this ministry of fiction. And thanks for the hours you put in working with
the guestbook entries on my website. It’s a full-time job, and I am grateful for your concern for my reader friends. I look
forward to that time every day when you read through them, sharing them with me and releasing them to the public, lifting
up the prayer requests. Thank you, honey, and thanks to all my kids, who pull together, bring me iced green tea, and understand
my sometimes crazy schedule. I love that you know you’re still first, before any deadline.
Thank you also to my mom, Anne Kingsbury, and to my sisters, Tricia, Sue, and Lynne. Mom, you are amazing as my assistant—working
day and night sorting through the mail from my readers. I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.
Tricia, you are the best executive assistant I could ever hope to have. I treasure your loyalty and honesty, the way you include
me in every decision and the daily exciting website changes. My site has been a different place since you stepped in, and
the hits have grown tenfold. Along the way, the readers have so much more to help them in their faith, so much more than a
story with this Life-Changing Fiction™. Please know that I pray for God’s blessings on you always, for your dedication to
helping me in this season of writing, and for your wonderful son, Andrew. And aren’t we having such a good time too? God works
all things to the good!
Sue, I believe you should’ve been a counselor! From your home far from mine, you get batches of reader letters every day,
and you diligently answer them using God’s wisdom and His Word. When readers get a response from “Karen’s sister Susan,” I
hope they know how carefully you’ve prayed for them and for the responses you give. Thank you for truly loving what you do,
Sue. You’re gifted with people, and I’m blessed to have you aboard.
A special thanks also to Will Montgomery, my road manager. I was terrified to venture into the business of selling my books
at events for a couple of reasons. First, I never wanted to profit from selling my books at speaking events, and second, because
I would never have the time to handle such details. Monty, you came in and made it all come together. With a mission statement
that reads, “To love and serve the readers,” you have helped me supply books and free gifts to tens of thousands of readers
at events across the country. More than that, you’ve become my friend, a very valuable part of the ministry of Life-Changing
Fiction™. You are loyal and kind and fiercely protective of me, my family, and the work God has me doing. Thank you for everything
you’re doing, and will continue to do.
Thanks too, to Olga Kalachik, my office assistant, who helps organize my supplies and storage area, and who prepares our home
for the marketing events and research gatherings that take place there on a regular basis. I appreciate all you’re doing to
make sure I have time to write. You’re wonderful, Olga, and I pray God continues to bless you and your precious family.
I also want to thank my friends with Extraordinary Women—Roy Morgan, Tim and Julie Clinton, Beth Cleveland, Charles Billingsley,
and so many others. How wonderful to be a part of what God is doing through all of you. Thank you for making me part of your
family.
Thanks also to my forever friends and family, the ones who have been there and continue to be there. Your love has been a
tangible source of comfort, pulling us through the tough times and making us know how very blessed we are to have you in our
lives.
And the greatest thanks to God. The gift is Yours. I pray I might use it for years to come in a way that will bring You honor
and glory.
W
HENEVER
I
RECEIVE THE COMPLETED
paperwork for a Forever in Fiction winner, I read through the details of the life being honored in fiction—whether the person
is alive or dead—and I am touched by the real-life stories that come my way. That was especially true when I heard about Rachel
Baugher.
Rachel was the third of four children born to Dan and Sharon Baugher in Chestertown, Maryland. She was kind and loyal, deeply
responsible and intelligent. Rachel gave her life to the Lord at a young age and lived out her faith daily. She had an understanding
of God and a relationship with Him that went beyond that normally seen in young people. Rachel had brown eyes and long shiny
brown hair that fell in gentle layers around her pretty face. Everyone knew her for her smile.
During her high school days, Rachel attended Chestertown Christian Academy where she graduated with a 4.0 and was valedictorian
of her class. Her classmates and teachers remember her as the perfect blend between the Bible’s Mary and Martha, a young woman
who could be serene and reflective while reading or studying the Bible, but who was the first to roll up her sleeves and help
out when a project was due. She loved learning and reading, and I was her favorite author.
Rachel kept a quote book where she jotted down inspirational thoughts and words of wisdom—from teachers and her parents, from
friends or politicians, from Scripture and from my books. Everyone who knew her, knew of her quote book—the carefully kept
words that inspired her on a daily basis.
After graduating from high school, Rachel was accepted to the nursing program at Pensacola Christian College and completed
one year—determined to someday be the best nurse ever, a nurse who would’ve spent her life serving her patients and showing
them Christ’s love.
Tragically, Rachel never had the chance to live out her dream here on earth. She was killed in a car accident on August 7,
2007, at the age of eighteen. Not long afterward, Dave and Sheila Smith of Chestertown, Maryland, came up with the idea to
honor Rachel by having her placed in one of my novels—Forever in Fiction.
For those of you who are not familiar with Forever in Fiction, it is my way of involving you, the readers, in my stories,
while raising money for charities. To date, Forever in Fiction has raised more than $100,000 at charity auctions across the
country. Obviously, I am only able to donate a limited number of these each year. For that reason, I have set a fairly high
minimum bid on this package so that the maximum funds are raised for charities.
Sheila, the development director at Chestertown Christian Academy, wanted to offer Forever in Fiction at the school’s auction,
but she was concerned that even if someone met the minimum bid, they would likely want to name their own friend or family
member as a character in one of my upcoming books. So Sheila took a different approach. She offered the item at the auction
in honor of Rachel, explaining that everyone who donated money toward the item—any money—would be mentioned in the front of
one of my books, and that in the process they could meet the minimum bid, and the entire community could honor Rachel Forever
in Fiction.
The community responded beyond Sheila’s wildest imagination.
At the auction, the donations toward Rachel’s name Forever in Fiction poured in and nearly $10,000 was raised for the school.
Rachel’s memory lives on in Chestertown, Maryland, and now her memory will live on in the pages of this novel, and the entire
Above the Line
Series.
I chose to mirror Rachel’s life in her character in this novel, making her the deceased friend of one of my main characters—Andi
Ellison. In
Above the Line: Take One
, Andi will be deeply hurt and troubled by Rachel’s death. Rachel’s character will have been a very genuine friend for Andi,
and now Andi is questioning her faith in light of Rachel’s accident. The actual quotes from Rachel’s quote book—copies of
which were handed out to all who attended her funeral—will be used occasionally in the
Above the Line
Series as a way of giving Andi a look back at the roots of her faith, a way of helping Andi find the answers that will often
elude her through the early telling of this new series.
The death of a young person is difficult—especially the death of one with so much love and joy, so much potential and faith.
I believe all of us will learn something about the value of life—however long or short—while traveling the pages of this novel
alongside Andi as she processes the loss of Rachel, and the way Rachel’s life truly did make a difference.
I pray that Dave and Sheila Smith, and the community of Rachel’s family and friends in Chestertown, Maryland, will always
see a bit of their precious Rachel when they read her name in the pages of this novel, where she will be Forever in Fiction.
I also pray that her character in this series will deeply honor her memory, and the memory of all the lives she touched along
the short journey of her life.
Rachel was survived by her parents, Dan and Sharon; her older sister Janet and brother-in-law Butch Singleton, and their children
Grace and Luke; her older brother Daniel and sister-in-law Beth; and her younger sister, Rebekah.
A special thanks to the following people who helped place Rachel Forever in Fiction: Ron, Julie, Eddie, and Tricia Athey;
Dolly and Robin Baker; Benjamin and Sarah Baugher; Dan and Sharon Baugher (Dad and Mom of Rachel); Daniel and Beth Baugher;Joe
and Katie Baugher; Joe and Debbie Baugher; John and Dianna Baugher; Rebekah Baugher (in memory of Stuart and Sara Baugher);
Curtis, Derikka, Tatiana, Andrew, Quinn, Genevieve, and Aurora Baughman; Amber Beach; Lynn Beauchamp; Mark and Becky Botts;
Shannon Boyle; Pete, Joyce, Jared, Sam, and Kenley Brice; David and Jamie Brindley; Jim, Susan, James, and Sam Brindley; Pastor,
Jeannette, Bill, and Emily Brindley; Helen Bryden; Daniel, Angela, and Tyler Cerniglia.
Also Lee, Chris, and Shelby Clough; Lewis and Norma Clough; Gordon and Sue Collison; Nathan and Cindy Cronquist; Larry and
Brenda Cryder; Frank, Becky, Catherine, Elizabeth, Lydia, Allison, George, and Elizabeth Davis; Mr. and Mrs. Joe DelCiotto;
Kurt, Connie, Mason, and Megan Dill; Aunt Alice and Uncle Jack Douglas; Joe and Julie Dugan; Greg, Cyndi, Cody, and Caleb
Eichler; Thomas and Helen Elville; Mommom Faulkner; Andrew and Stephanie Feehan; John, Lois, David, and Karyn Foxwell; Madison
Gibson; Todd, Missy, Elizabeth, Amber, and Thomas Green; Ruth Haines; Lois Haines; Lyle Hammer and Melyn Rhodes; Carl, Jennifer,
Carl-David, and LeAnna Hardin;Harry and Pam Harrison.
Also Ray and Anna Harrison; Ken and Edie Hearn, and James Bugaj; Esther Heatwole; Leonard and Jerry Herring; Ken and Jan Hibbs;
John and Gale Holland; Uncle Sonny; Joe Holmes; Sandee Baugher Holmes and Alon Holmes; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ingram; Marion and
Marilyn Ireland; John and Deb Jones; Trenton Kersey; Larry and Judy Leonard; Diana Long; Dickie, Heidi, Ryan, and Logan Manning;
Michael, Ruthie, and Elizabeth Marine;Don, Cindy, Kristen, David, and Brianna McFarland; Wayne and Barbara McFarland; Charlie
Miller; Kelly Mills; John and Debra Mullens; Lesley Murray; Ken and Tammy Newton; Frank, Robin, Leah, and John Plummer; Lauren
Plummer; Dolly Pratt and family; Marian Quick; Peter and Tracy Raymond; Vicki Rhodes; Dave and Cheryl Richardson; Rick and
Diane Rokita; George Rust; Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Rust; Ben and Nancy Baugher Sauselein.
Also Jason, Brandi, Savannah, and Barron Scott; Norman and Donna Scott; Victor and Susie Shepard; Mike Singleton; Butch, Janet,
Grace, and Luke Singleton; Barbara Smith and Gracie, Dave, and Sheila Smith; Al and Nikki Snover and Kathryn Shaw; Chris,
Fiona, and Katrina St. Remy; Jonathan, Jennifer, Emma, Kendall, and Jonathan Stoltzfus; Richard, Marian, Allysa, and Dillon
Stoltzfus; Thomas and Lourdes Suarez; Stephen Swift and family; Aunt Joanne and Uncle Carl Taton; Jennifer Todd and family;
Matt, Torie, Austin, and Ashley Troyer; Tommy, Bonnie, Amanda, and Tommy Tucker; Taylor Walker; Frank and Linda Williams;
Jen Wilson; John, Josie, and Jonathan Wiltbank and Dorothy; Grayson and Beilin Zia.
In addition, a special thanks to Jessica Bryant who won Forever in Fiction at the Christian Youth Theater auction in Washington
State. Jessica chose to honor her deceased mother, Janetta Drake, by naming her Forever in Fiction. Janetta had blonde hair
and blue eyes and an extraordinary love for God and the people He placed in her life.
She was married twenty-three years and raised three children—Jordan, Jason, and Jessica—all of whom are young adults. Janetta
spent her younger married years traveling the country doing evangelism events for children. Later she became a nurse and spent
time as the head of a nursing home. She loved playing the piano and writing, and once penned a children’s book called
Jessica’s Special Angel
. Janetta loved children, and was happiest when she spent time with her family—children and grandchildren. People often said
of Janetta that she loved all children as if they were her own.
Janetta’s character in
Above the Line: Take One
is that of an actress in the first movie being produced by my main characters. In the fictional world of the actors and actresses
that make up the cast of my producers’ first film, there is much arrogance and self-indulgence, many difficult people. In
that arena, Janetta’s character is a bright light, a quiet example to others, and one of the main reasons the producers feel
encouraged to continue in their work.
I pray that Jessica will see the memory of her mother deeply honored by her gift and by Janetta’s placement in
Above the Line: Take One
, and that Jessica will always see a bit of her mom when she reads her name in the pages of this novel, and in subsequent
novels that make up this series, where she will be Forever in Fiction.
If you are interested in having a Forever in Fiction package donated to your auction, contact my assistant, Tricia Kingsbury,
at [email protected]. Please write
Forever in Fiction
in the subject line.
