additional shout-outs go to my high school best friend damon atherly , who patiently plodded through my early attempts at writing ; my buddies james reagh , kris harper , and the late thomas rubick , who were there when race and cody first let me know they had a story to tell ; my sister , angela moist , who added a mothers perspective ; my dad , matt nowak , for his medical expertise : and my awesome husband bob earls , who puts up with my obsessive behavior and lets my cats nap on his head .