Dale Maiella is a first-time author from Texas. She's been married 40+ years and has two grown daughters and three grandchildren. She earned her bachelor's in business management and has worked in the health insurance field for 30 years. Ironically, Dale had no intention of writing a book. This story weighed on her heart for more than a decade - begging to be told. Her oldest daughter (who is nothing if not persistent) wore her down, and together they penned this story - inspired by true events - honoring Dale's treasured friend of 34 years. Dale hopes it will inspire young readers to choose great friends and to do the work to cultivate and maintain those friendships for the long haul (something she will never admit, but she does better than anyone we know).
Dr. Kara Shade is a wife, mom, and award-winning relationship coach. For more than a decade, couples have let her peek behind the curtain into their relationships to offer encouragement and guidance. Most of her report cards said something to the effect of, "She's a bright girl, but she talks too much." To the dismay of her teachers, she was only getting started. She went on to earn her master's in dispute resolution, a PhD in family studies, and she's blogged on relationships for Psychology Today. Dr. Kara believes showing up well for our people is probably the hardest, most important work we'll ever do. She hopes her stories can offer a practical roadmap for doing just that.