Rick Kaiser

I have been Rick's friend since December 7, 1997. We met in a small church in a small town when we both were smaller and had more dark hair. Someone close to Rick at the time told me during the early days of our burgeoning friendship, "Every man who spends time with Rick gets better." Little did I know how true those words would be for me. I first appreciated Rick for his demonstrative love for God, his insanely quick wit, and our mutual appreciation of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Those moments before time and space intervened in our friendship remain as pure gold in my memories. In the nearly 24 years that have passed since I met my best friend, we have seen one another through just about every victory and defeat life can throw at someone. Through it all, I've gotten better because of him.

Anyone who has spent time with him quickly realizes that Rick handles words the way Michael Jordan handles a basketball, with force and elegance. It's a beauty to behold and leaves you wondering, "How did he do that?!" The pictures that Rick is able to paint with words bely a man who has spent equal time honing his craft and ferociously searching for and within the heart of a loving God. His metaphors drip with beauty, his similes are deep enough to swim in, and the characters who spring from his history and imagination are as real to him as the last person with whom he shared a cold brew or a hot cup of java.

Rick's first book, Penny Lane, left me in a puddle of tears, in awe of the tenacious grace that carries us all. Peggy Sue affected me as deeply but in a different way. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't had the good fortune to read it, but trust me, you are in for an emotional ride. Through masterful wordsmithing, Rick takes his readers into the depths of their own souls and uncovers, for better or worse, the things that lay hidden and often dormant in each of us. I had to read both Penny Lane and Peggy Sue in pieces, to give myself time to come up for air.

My hope is that as you read this book, you will discover the kind of person you want to be, the kind of person you want to avoid being, and the courage to do both. May you find yourself in this story and may these words be the salve God uses to heal your brokenness. And once you have found the inspiration to be better, love the Penny Lane's and Peggy Sue's in your own life more deeply; love them to wholeness. Life is hard, but love makes us better.

-Paul Dailey