When I wrote my first novel, The Christmas Box, I
never imagined it would become an international
bestseller. It was a story for my two (then) little girls.
But as I wrote, I realized that it was also for my mother -
- to ease her pain over losing a child.
My mother was my staunchest supporter and my biggest fan.
A receptionist at a doctor's office, she would sell my
book (sometimes by the case!) to patients in the waiting
room. When The Christmas Box hit #1 on the New York
Times bestseller list, no one, including me, was more
excited than my mother.
I lost my mother on Valentine's Day of 2006. After weeks
of struggling with my grief, I decided I would write a
story for her. As she loved Christmas, I chose to write a
Christmas novel, my first since The Christmas Box.
Finding Noel is about how people come into our lives for a
reason. It is a love story about Macy and Mark, two young
people from different worlds.
I'm sorry that this Christmas, for the first time since I
became a writer, I won't be able to present my mother with
a copy of my book. I think she would have enjoyed reading
it. But, then again, I'm not certain that she hasn't.
As you read Finding Noel, I hope that you enjoy the
journey and feel the same powerful emotions I felt as the
story came to me.