Fran Caffey Sandin

Music has always been an important part of my life. I enjoy playing the pipe organ at my church as part of the praise team, and I play the piano at home. I'm a group leader for the women's Community Bible Study that meets on Tuesday mornings beginning in September. My husband, Jim, and I enjoy traveling, encouraging our three beautiful grandchildren, occasionally keeping our two grand-dogs, Lilly and Daisy, brown and white dappled dachshunds. They are so much fun! Jim and I were downhill skiers and sailors in the past but now are mainly sightseeing and hiking. I enjoy homemaking, decorating, flower arranging, and baking. I grew up on a farm where my mother and grandmother taught me everyday skills. God has blessed me with many opportunities, and I am grateful and thankful..

Before the days of the bacterial meningitis vaccine, our youngest son, Jeffrey, succumbed to the dreaded disease. Our 17 month-old became ill on a Sunday, required life-support on Wednesday, and passed away on Thursday of the same week. As a registered nurse I had attended families whose loved ones passed away, but when Jeffrey suddenly died, I pondered many questions. Is God punishing me? Does God answer prayer? How can I conquer fear? Am I becoming bitter? Will I ever get over this? Unable to find a book that dealt with these and other issues, I began writing what I had learned. Realizing that other grieving parents were asking the same questions, I felt compassion. After four years, I checked out a library book on how to prepare a manuscript. After 25 submissions and returns I attended a Christian Writer's Conference for suggestions.and rewrote the manuscript. Eleven years after I began writing and on the 27th submission, See You Later, Jeffrey was published by Tyndale. It has since been translated into Russian and widely distributed in the Ukraine, and in Germany. A free Russian translation of this book is available for download on my website--www.fransandin.com