I’m so grateful to have a supportive husband who believes in me and my work, who understands why my stories mean so much to me, and who makes the sacrifices necessary when I need to work sixty hours a week to get a book done.
I’m surrounded by family who supports me every day. To my kids, Jack and Mary, thank you for making me laugh and giving me a reason to work hard. I am so proud to be your mommy. To my mom, brothers, and sisters, thank you for cheering me on—each in your own way. I’m so grateful to have been born into this crazy crew of seven kids.
This book is for my nephew Kai, whose absolute passion for football made me fall in love with the sport so many years ago. Kai, you might notice I stole some of your friends’ names randomly for the book. As the characters are obviously not based on your old friends, this is merely a nod to the bond you all formed playing ball together. That kind of friendship isn’t easy to come by, but it’s the kind I like to give my characters before I drag them through hell. I’m proud of you, kid. Even if you did try to break my nose with your mom’s cell phone when you were three.
I don’t think I’d be able to keep my sanity if it weren’t for my friends. You encourage me, you believe in me, and, when necessary, you pass the vodka. A special shout-out to Mira, whose calls save me from meltdowns and who understands that #livingthedream comes with really effing stressful moments. To Kylie and the entire CrossFit Terre Haute crew, for teaching me to love picking up heavy things, which is, incidentally, a much healthier stress management tool than ice cream. To Annie for believing in me since I was seventeen and wore the identity “writer” like a badge of honor.
To everyone who provided me feedback on Arrow’s story along the way—especially Annie Swanberg, Heather Carver, Mira Lyn Kelly, and Samantha Leighton—you’re all awesome. Thank you for believing in my ability to tell this story when I was having doubts.
Thank you to the Terre Haute Police Department for answering my questions. I know they seemed weird and you didn’t buy for one second that it was research for a book, but four call transfers later, you gave me the information I needed. Thanks for that and for the chuckle.
Thank you to the team that helped me package this book and promote it. Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations designed my beautiful cover and did a lovely job branding the series. Rhonda Stapleton and Lauren McKellar, thank you for the insightful line edits. Thanks to Arran McNicol at Editing720 for proofreading. A shout-out to all of the bloggers and reviewers who help spread the word about my books. I am humbled by the time you take out of your busy lives for my stories. You’re the best.
To my agent, Dan Mandel, for believing in this book years ago and staying by my side through tough career decisions. Thanks to you and Stefanie Diaz for getting my books into the hands of readers all over the world. Thank you for being part of my team.
To my NWBs—Sawyer Bennett, Lauren Blakely, Violet Duke, Jessie Evans, Melody Grace, Monica Murphy, and Kendall Ryan—y’all rock my world. I’m inspired by your tireless work and always encouraged by your friendship. Thank you for being a part of this journey.
To all my writer friends on Twitter, Facebook, and my various writer loops—especially to the Fast Draft Club and the All Awesome group—thank you for keeping me company during those fourteen-hour work days.
And last but certainly not least, a big thank-you to my fans—the coolest, smartest, best readers in the world. I owe my career to you. You’re the reason I get to do this every day and the reason I want to. I appreciate each and every one of you. You’re the best!
~Lexi
About SPINNING OUT
Once, the only thing that mattered to me was football—training, playing, and earning my place on the best team at every level. I had it all, and I threw it away with a semester of drugs, alcohol, and pissing off anyone who tried to stop me. Now I’m suspended from the team, on house arrest, and forced to spend six months at home to get my shit together. The cherry on top of my fuckup sundae? Sleeping in the room next to mine