ABOUT THE BOOK

Skin in the Game: The Stories My Tattoos Tell is Kelly Mendenhall’s autobiographical debut as an author. In the book, Kelly tells of the significant events and pivotal moments of her life by way of recounting the stories behind her eclectic collection of tattoos. Those moments include the death of her father as a young girl, surviving the physical and sexual abuse she endured as an adolescent, the gut-wrenching loss of friends who died too young, and so much more.

The reader witnesses the author surviving, growing, and thriving throughout each chapter, until her legs fall out from under her, literally and figuratively, at the age of 35. Suddenly, everything changes all over again and she must reinvent herself and overcome once more.

Each chapter is accompanied by photographs of the tattoos described therein, bringing to life the images painted in the reader’s imagination through carefully crafted storytelling. Skin in the Game is a must-read — a narrative of honesty and authenticity rarely observed in a world in which so many of us merely share the highlight reels of our lives.

This book is written for anyone who has ever thought of giving up, anyone needing inspiration to keep on fighting, and anyone who fears that they are too far gone for redemption. This book is Kelly’s way of turning her mess into a message that inspires others to survive and thrive.