The Lariat (Finding Justus Series) (26 page)

Acknowledgements

If you have reached this page then you can add your name to the list of people I would like to thank. This book has been especially important, since it has brought to a close my first adventure as a writer. It has been daunting and I am looking forward to what the future holds for me as a writer.

              To God be the glory in all things, including my dramatic, angsty stories. As always to my family: to Vince for allowing me to keep the computer in my lap at odd hours of the night and listening as these stories developed from ideas into actual books. To my kids- Callum, Hayden, Carleigh and Liam, who were a constant source of inspiration and irritation. Mom and Dad, you are a constant blessing to me and my family. You help keep me sane when life gets too hectic. From the beginning my grandmother, Johnnie Bravenec, has always been a fan. Thanks, Nonnie, for holding onto the first book I ever wrote when I was eight. It sits along with my others in a place of honor on her coffee table. Robbie and Kristen, thanks for reading and pushing me forward with this series. Thank you for always giving me your honesty (I think). Your opinions and excitement were invaluable to getting this last book finished.

              Sarah, thanks for being the President of the
Finding Justus
fan club. The idea of someone fangirling over my books will live with me forever. I have enjoyed getting to know you personally and look forward to helping you with your projects as you have done so with mine. Jean, you have been waiting for this last book, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for staying captivated while I strung you along for so long. And Maddie, I hope you enjoy this book as much as the first two. I’m so glad your mom let you read them (even though I told her they were too old for you).

              There are so many more I would like to thank- family members, colleagues, the Inez community, my students online friends, my superman: you all have pushed me to reach this point. Writing is a very solitary venture, but knowing you were there, cheering me on made it anything but lonely.

              I love you all to pieces.

Biography

Mother, author, teacher, singer, super-hero.

You ever come across someone and think,
Wow, that person makes me exhausted?
She is either the biggest stereotype or an absolute maverick, but whatever you think, Ashley Dotson is a tempest. Like her social media and t-shirt collection indicates, Ashley is a high-school English teacher and mother of four busy children. She is a dreamer, lover, cheerleader and Christian.

Ashley is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University where she earned a BA in History and Music Education. She then earned her MA Ed. in Reading from Texas A&M University Kingsville. She has been in the classroom for eleven years, where she focuses on inspiring a love of reading in her students. Ashley is a lover of Young Adult literature, Texas sunsets, and all things Supernatural. She is currently working on her next project, Dincan’s Park, with her oldest son, Callum.

Visit Ashley’s website for more on her adventures and other novels:

www.ashleydotson.com