Boo Hiss (33 page)

S
KARY
, I
NDIANA, HAS BECOME
a second home to me, and I will be eternally grateful for all of those involved in this wonderfully fun project. What started out as one crazy idea turned into a vision for a series. I never imagined when I first dreamed up the town of Skary that it would be as beloved as it is. I’m thankful first and foremost to all of my readers who allowed their imaginations to be captured by the wacky and lovable citizens of Skary.

The incomparable editorial talents of Dudley Delffs made the books unique and the journey fun. Thank you, Dudley, for all those amazing ideas that translated so well into the story. I’d also like to thank Don Pape for the never-ending encouragement he is so famous for offering. You gave me the courage I needed. Thank you to Mark Ford for the brilliant cover designs that have made these books stand out, and to Laura Wright, an insightfully talented editor who always adds that extra punch to the story. I’d also like to thank everyone at WaterBrook Press for your support and your hard work on behalf of these books.

Thanks to Nessie Ng for your stellar and keen editorial eye. And thanks to my agent, Janet Kobobel Grant. Your support through the writing of this book—and the unseen challenges along the way—went above and beyond the call of duty.

I’d also like to thank Dr. Danny Barnes, for restoring my health and restoring my faith in doctors.

Thanks to my parents, Wayne and Karen, for providing the extra baby-sitting time I needed to complete this book.

Thanks to all my Writing Chambers friends, who continue to be a
delight in more ways than I can count. I appreciate all your prayers and your wonderful friendships. Thanks also to my church, WCC, for being such loyal fans and loving friends.

And thank you, Father, for allowing me this great privilege, and for making my journey deeper and broader so that every word I write will continue to point back to You.

R
ENE
G
UTTERIDGE
is the author of seven novels, including
Ghost Writer, Troubled Waters
, and the Boo Series. She worked as a church playwright and drama director, writing over five hundred short sketches, before publishing her first novel and deciding to stay home with her first child.

Rene is married to Sean, a musician, and enjoys raising their two children while writing full time. She also enjoys helping new writers and teaching at writers’ conferences. She and her family make their home in Oklahoma.

Please visit her Web site at
www.renegutteridge.com
.

B
OO
H
ISS
P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
A division of Random House Inc
.

Scripture quotations and paraphrases are taken from the
Holy Bible, New International Version®.
NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

Copyright © 2005 by Rene Gutteridge Inc.

Published in association with the literary agency of Janet Kobobel Grant, Books & Such, 4788 Carissa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95405.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

W
ATER
B
ROOK
and its deer design logo are registered trademarks of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gutteridge, Rene.
      Boo hiss: a novel / Rene Gutteridge.—1st ed.
          p. cm.
      1. Suburban life—Fiction. 2. Social change—Fiction. 3. Housewives—Fiction. I. Title.
      PS3557.U887B663 2005
      813’.6—dc22

2005014143

eISBN: 978-0-307-50757-0

v3.0