My Own Shower Of Roses

Dear readers:

I have something very exciting to celebrate today: Olivia and the Little Way is now officially in its second printing! I am so grateful to all of you, young and old, who have supported this book since its debut in October. How can I thank you enough? I especially want to thank:

• All of my young readers who write and e-mail me to tell me how much they love Olivia and learning about her lovely friendship with Saint Therese
• Young Zelie, who wrote an impressive fifth-grade book report about the book. Zelie, I give you an A+!
• The Little Flowers groups who are reading my book and discussing it at meetings
  
• Sixth-grader Jessica, who wrote to me and told me she loved the book "from the very first sentence"
• The kind lady who told me at my very first book signing, "I've been waiting to meet you!" You made my day.
• The mom who told me her daughter is now starting to follow The Little Way every day
• The lady who e-mailed me and told me "You have no idea how this book has touched my life."
• The bookstore managers across the country who gave this book a chance and happily reorder more copies
• The Michigan dad who reads Olivia and the Little Way to his four children each night at bedtime
• The Wisconsin mom who told me it was her daughter's favorite Christmas gift and that she read it cover to cover on Christmas Day
• The bookstore owner who said the book made her cry with happiness
• Not only the girls, but the boys who say they can't put my book down! :-)
• The teachers who are reading this book to their students in Catholic school classrooms and discussing it
• Illustrator Sandra Casali LewAllen, whose beautiful sketches made me cry when I saw them because she drew what was in my head all along
• My friends and family, who tell everyone they meet how special they think this book is
• And, of course, to sweet Saint Therese, who spreads the word about this book in countless ways that I don't even realize.

Thank you, everyone! You are all MY shower of roses from our precious Little Flower. I am proud and humbled to have written this book for all of you...and for God.