Edge of the Wilderness (28 page)

Daniel looked down at Gen. He pushed her hair back out of her eyes. He whispered gently in Dakota,
“Wastecidaka . . . I love you . . .”
and when he kissed her it was just as he had dreamed, as if the last three years were nothing, as if they had never been apart.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think . . . Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

—Ephesians 3:20–21

Thank you, Chi Librans, for caring about my personal universe.

Thank you, Cindy, for keeping me on track professionally with great kindness.

Thank you, IHCC family, for walking through the valley beside us.

Thank you, Whitsons and Irvins, for still being there. Thank you, dear reader, for allowing me into your life. Sometimes fiction mirrors life. I wrote the first book in this series,
Valley of the Shadow
, while my husband and I walked through our own valley of shadows as he underwent a bone marrow transplant. When the transplant failed, my beloved and I went to the edge of the wilderness together. And now, we are apart for a few years. Bob is in heaven while our children and I run the race God planned for us.

The fact that I was enabled to write two books in the last year of Bob’s life on earth has very little to do with any talent of mine and everything to do with the faithfulness of God, who is strong when we are weak, and who loves us enough to fashion trials that teach us to depend on Him. And so I acknowledge the eternal goodness of my heavenly Father and the everlasting rightness of all that He does and that He allows.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet, I will rejoices in the L
ORD
,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

—Habakkuk 3:17–18

Best-selling author and two-time Christy finalist Stephanie Grace Whitson has made a career out of playing with imaginary friends, and it all started in an abandoned pioneer cemetery that not only provided a hands-on history lesson for Stephanie’s home-schooled children, but also launched her into personal study of the history of the American West. Since writing had always been a favorite hobby, it was only natural for Stephanie to begin jotting down scenes in the life of a nameless woman crossing Nebraska on the Oregon Trail. Eventually that story took on a life of its own and became
Walks the Fire
, her first novel, published in 1995.

Along with antique quilts and pioneer women’s history, French, Italian, and Hawaiian language and culture remain passionate interests. In May of 2012 Whitson received a Master of Historical Studies degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She travels widely to present her series of lectures on a variety of topics to civic organizations, church women’s conferences, and writing conferences.

And then there’s Kitty, the Honda Magna. “In some ways I’m 60,” she says, “in others I’m probably about 26. It all depends on the day.” On days when her virtual age leans toward the younger side of that equation, she’s been known to wake up in the morning and decide to ride Kitty to Canada that day. And then she comes home and descends to “the catacombs” (the basement office in her Victorian-era house) and heads back into the past to play with more imaginary friends.

Valley of the Shadow

Edge of the Wilderness

Heart of the Sandhills

The Key on the Quilt

The Shadow on the Quilt
(September, 2012)

The Message on the Quilt
(Spring, 2013)

Sarah’s Patchwork

Karyn’s Memory Box

Nora’s Ribbon of Memories

Secrets on the Wind

Watchers on the Hill

Footprints on the Horizon

Walks the Fire

Soaring Eagle

Red Bird

“A Patchwork Love” (a novella in A Patchwork Christmas Collection)

A Most Unsuitable Match

Sixteen Brides

A Claim of Her Own

Unbridled Dreams

Jacob’s List

A Garden in Paris

A Hilltop in Tuscany

How to Help a Grieving Friend: A Candid Guide for Those Who Care

Home on the Plains: Quilts and the Sod House Experience

Learn more at
www.stephaniewhitson.com

Contact Stephanie at
[email protected]

Edge of the Wilderness

©2001, 2012 by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Previously published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, under ISBN: 0-7852-6823-5.

First electronic printing in 2012 by eChristian, Inc.

eChristian, Inc.

2235 Enterprise Street, Suite 140

Escondido, CA 92029

http://echristian.com

Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370,
www.booksandsuch.com
.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture quotations noted NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)

All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover and interior design by Larry Taylor.

Produced with the assistance of Livingstone, the Publishing Services Division of eChristian, Inc. Project staff includes: Dan Balow, Afton Rorvik, Linda Taylor, Linda Washington, Ashley Taylor, Lois Jackson, and Tom Shumaker.

ISBN: ePub    978-1-61-843274-2

ISBN: Mobi    978-1-61-843275-9