Glasswell by Connie Akins

Connie Akins

Denver, Colorado

Connie Akins has spent her life developing and sharing the very best modalities to support and motivate change at the deepest levels, helping others to reunite with their true selves.

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About the author

Connie Akins is a lover of words and how they grow from the heart to reach out to connect with the hearts and minds of others.

She graduated with a degree in Creative Writing from San Diego State University.

She is a certified John Maxwell coach. Her first book, "Find Your Brilliance" is also the name of her coaching business. She works with clients to help them discover their spark of brilliance and how to shape their lives to express it. She has created a number of tools, including her own personality test and her "Arenas of Brilliance".

She is also the author and creator of Jubilee Journaling. A workshop which teaches attendees the powerful and transforming process to confront and resolve the issues that are holding a person back from living a full life.

Connie has written a number of Bible study guides for group discussion including a study on Lay Counseling, Gossip and Isaiah 35.

She is an award-winning speaker in Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that promotes leadership and public speaking. She has coached many speakers and worked in developing strong leadership in the organization.

Connie also plays and composes beautiful and restful music in the style of Jim Brickman and John Tesh. She has performed at various venues, including her own concerts. "Journey to the Heart of Your Garden" is her first CD. Here is a sample of her music.

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All individuals who pre-order a copy of "Glasswell" will be included in a special word of thanks in the Acknowledgments section of my book.

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- AND a free copy of Connie's "Find Your Brilliance" workbook. "Find Your Brilliance" is also the name of Connie's coaching biz. This workbook contains over130 pages of tools, concepts and questions to help you discover your spark of brilliance and how to bring it to life. This workbook also includes the Jubilee Journaling materials and much, much more!

All individuals who pre-order a copy of "Glasswell" will be included in a special word of thanks in the Acknowledgments section of my book.

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- AND one FREE coaching session (two hours) of your choice of Brilliance coaching, Speech Coaching or Journaling coaching.

All individuals who pre-order a copy of "Glasswell" will be included in a special word of thanks in the Acknowledgments section of my book.

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If you aren't in a book club, I will still chat with you personally about the book, either in person or on Skype depending on your location.

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Glasswell

A Novel

A gifted, driven young man lets his deepest secret destroy his life. Through a journey filled with pain and loss, he discovers his true gift and his true self.

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	Literary Fiction
	120,000 words
	100% complete
	8 publishers interested
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Synopsis

Daniel Glasswell is driven, gifted athlete with big Olympic dreams. But he is a secret alcoholic. One bitterly cold night, he goes skiing in the dark, drunk and angry. He crashes and wrecks his body so badly that he can never compete again.

But he won’t give up his dreams and spends the next three years trying to reclaim his former glory. On the day of the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games he had hoped to win gold at, everything begins to spin out of control. Late that night, his family force him to face the truth. But he refuses to listen to them. He explodes in rage, throws a few things into his truck and leaves everything and everyone he has known and loved.

Trying to escape his family and his failure, he begins an amazing journey of discovery as he travels across the United States and even to Venice, Italy, He also experiences much pain and suffering. Eventually, he finds his true calling as an artist. But even then, he still has a deep personal journey to make

Out of all his loss, he becomes a world-renowned artist, though with many regrets and scars. But he creates something very special out of his pain and leaves it as a legacy where it impacts all who see it.

I want to give the reader a deeply satisfying experience as they read my story. But more than that, I want to connect with their unanswered pleas, hidden distress and inescapable regret and offer an alternative perspective that is beautifully redemptive.

Outline

"Glasswell" is an epic story of a lifetime that I have divided into 5 parts. (I realize this is longer than the word max but it is a long and complex story.)

Part One: Durango

In Part One, we meet Daniel as a senior in high school who is smart, handsome, athletic and completely self-centered. He has a terrible crash skiing and cannot accept that he will never make it to the Olympics. In anger, he finally leaves Durango to get away from the truth and his own failure

Chapter One: The Crash

Chapter Two: The Search

Chapter Three: The Hospital

Chapter Four: The Coma

Chapter Five: Waking

Chapter Six: Rehab

Chapter Seven: The Announcement

Chapter Eight: Commencement

Chapter Nine: Square One

Chapter Ten: Flight

Part Two: On the Road

In Part Two, Daniel stops in Kansas City, St. Louis - where he lives with an African American family - A West Virginia coal mine and finally Washington DC where he works for two Jewish brothers in their kosher bakery. Each place gives him something but he also loses something.

Chapter Eleven: Kansas City

Chapter Twelve: St. Louis

Chapter Thirteen: The Arch

Chapter Fourteen: Brothers?

Chapter 15: Appalachia

Chapter 16: Bright Side

Chapter 17: Jack Sr.

Chapter 18: Overburden

Chapter 19: Run Out

Chapter 20: Washington DC

Chapter 21: The Mall

Chapter 22: Christmas

Chapter 23: Cherry Blossoms

Part Three: Savannah

Daniel leaves DC on a bus heading south and decides to stay in Savannah when the bus stops there. He gets a job with a glassblower and discovers a great love and talent. He meets and falls in love with the glassblowers daughter. But she is tragically killed. He turns to alcohol and ends up in jail. But the pain of his loss is too great for him to stay there.

Chapter 24: Glory

Chapter 25: Miss Betinna

Chapter 26: The Glassblower

Chapter 27: Calling Home

Chapter 28: Stella

Chapter 29: New Year's Eve

Chapter 30: "Just a sip"

Chapter 31: Jail time

Chapter 32: Sticky Buns

Chapter 33: The Angel

Chapter 34: The Anniversary

Chapter 35: Escape

Part Four: Venice

In Venice, he hopes to work with the great Murano glass maestros but none will have him. He meets a dark and disgruntled glassblower who had been expelled from Murano. He helps this man prepare an incredible glass exhibit for a competition. But the glassblower betrays Daniel and he is deported.

Chapter 36: Maestros

Chapter 37: For Favor

Chapter 38: Alessandro

Chapter 39: New Years Eve Replay

Chapter 40: The Twins

Chapter 41: The Monsters

Chapter 42: Betrayal

Part Five: The Return

Daniel returns to the US and eventually to Durango to set up his own glass shop. He is successful and respected but a growing discontent pushes him back to the bottle. As his father is dying, Daniel's life is being consumed by alcohol. He has a dark night of the soul and finally sees the deep truth of his being. Now, he is able to grow in the the greatness he has inside of him. Years later he reveals his masterpiece collection and bequeaths it to a museum where all can witness the message of his life.

Chapter 43: NYC

Chapter 44: "Come Quickly"

Chapter 45: Home for Christmas

Chapter 46: The Glass Factory

Chapter 47: Prospering and Discontent

Chapter 48: Glass Competition

Chapter 49: Overheard

Chapter 50: New Year's Eve - Again

Chapter 51: Jim and Sarah make an announcement

Chapter 52: Defeat

Chapter 52: Death

Chapter 53: Ruined, All Ruined

Chapter 54: Inside the Glass

Chapter 55: The Rebuilding

Chapter 56: Rosy and Ben

Chapter 57: The Rumor

Chapter 58: The Masterpiece Collection

Chapter 59: The Final Gift

Audience

My audience is:

- Boomers

- Gen X

- Women

These groups are strong fiction readers according to many polls including every Pew report, NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) and AARP

- Recovery groups: people who are interested in the subjects of alcohol and drug recovery

- Book club attendees. Book Bub published it's top book club book in May of this year. Many of these books are of similar theme and relationship-oriented as my book. Examples: "Heart Berries", "Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows", "Hourglass", "Laura and Emma" and "Anatomy of a Miracle"

Promotion

My promotion plans at this point are going to include:

- Email campaign of my husband and myself (over a thousand contacts combined.)

- Facebook campaign of my husband and myself (close to a thousand friends combined.)

- My husband drives Uber and Lift part-time and will talk to and hand out business cards to as many riders as he can. He normally has about 50 riders a week.

- We both have extensive contacts in our Toastmasters organization that we are going to reach out to.

- We also have a large, extended family who live across the US. We will ask them to join us in reaching out to their groups

- We will also reach out to the different groups at out church.

Competition

1. "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto" by Mitch Albom, published by Harper Collins in 2015. This is a wonderful story of a brilliant musician who was orphaned at birth, raised by a single man who begged a blind musician to train the child. The boy, Frankie, travels from Italy to the US where he has many adventures and hardships but continues to grown as a musician It follows him until his death.

- Out of the five books I have listed here, I believe "The Magic Strings" is most like my book. I don't employ magic realism as does Albom but we both show the life journey of a gifted artist and the powerful, final expression of that person's life. But in my story, my main character must face his own deeply flawed heart, humble himself and create a new trajectory for himself.

2. "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, published by Random House of Canada in 2001. This is a amazing story of a young man from India who loses his family when the ship they're on sinks in the ocean. He is along on the life boat with wild animals from the family's zoo.

- The epic journey in "Life of Pi", the reader discovers, is symbolic, metaphorical. This is true of my book as well. But the symbolism in my book is directly connected to reaching the struggling place in the readers heart.

3. "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, published by Tor Books in 1985. This is the story of a gift young man whose circumstances develop his strength, leadership and talent.

- My character, like Ender, starts with talent and opportunity but through the struggles of his journey become so much more. At the end of "Ender's Game", Ender is deeply disturbed over what he has done. But in the sequels, he grows beyond that experience and uses his new understanding to help people. In my book, that happens at the end of the book in the legacy that my character leaves to the world in his art.

4. "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Author Golden, published by Random House in 1999. This is the journey of a young woman who, against her will, becomes a Geisha.

- Sayuri goes through many stages in her life, seeking for purpose and love. Though she suffers greatly, eventually she wins love and a new life far from the pleasure house. My character also is searching for purpose and love and suffers greatly searching for it. In my book, though, much of the suffering is created by his own blind selfishness. HIs transformation is uplifting and inspiring.

5. "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, published by Berkley in 2011. This the story of a woman who forgets her present life and relationships and in rediscovering them, discovers a lot about herself.

- At the end of "What Alice Forgot", Alice is a different person. She has grown and can make different choices with her life. While that is true with my character as well, he uses his new understanding and personal growth to make a powerful statement through his art that goes far beyond just his life.

8 publishers interested

	Koehler Books 250 copies • Completed manuscript. Koehler Books is an Indie publisher based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Our team of dedicated professionals promises you a holistic publishing experience where you'll receive our full attention, collaboration, and coaching every step of the way. We offer two publishing models: a traditional non-fee model for the highest quality work, as well as a co-publishing model that includes creative development fees for emerging authors. Our titles are broad-based and include nearly every major non-fiction and fiction genre. Hybrid publisher Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Sex & Relationships, Sports & Outdoors, Science Fiction & Humour Worldwide
	1106 Design, LLC Dear Author, You worked hard to write your manuscript; finally, it's ready to release. You know that expert assistance is needed, but perhaps you didn’t know that it’s no longer necessary to work with a publisher—especially publishers who charge fees to produce your book upfront and deduct more costs on the back end whenever a book is sold. 1106 Design is an author services company. We provide all the editorial and design services you’d expect from a publisher to turn your manuscript into a market-ready book—editing, cover design, interior layout, proofreading, eBook formatting, and more—at the traditional publisher level. Unlike a publisher, we’ll help you obtain print-on-demand printing and worldwide distribution in your name so that you earn, in most cases, several dollars more for every book sold instead of a measly “royalty.” We’ll customize a package of services to suit your exact needs at affordable prices ranging from $4,000 to $10,000, depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity. And we’ll manage all the intricacies of book production, so you don’t have to. After this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us. If this sounds like a better way to publish your book, I invite you to browse our services, design samples, no-surprises pricing, outstanding customer reviews, and educational articles at https://1106design.com. 1106 Design has been in business since 2001 and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. We are a “Highly Recommended Expert” at IngramSpark.com and rated "Excellent" at Alli, The Alliance for Independent Authors, at SelfPublishingAdvice.org. How can we serve you today? Sincerely, Michele DeFilippo, owner Service publisher Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Essay, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mythology & Folk Tales, Poetry, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Journalism, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour Worldwide
	24by7Publishing.com 100 copies • Completed manuscript. 24by7publishing.com is India's most creative book publishing platform where the authors control all the major decisions. It helps authors to run his book publishing project as the CEO of his venture or with thought leadership. 24by7publishing.com supports the authors by providing all the related services including editing, proofreading, typesetting, formatting, printing, publishing, distributing, promoting, etc. Authors are entitled to up to 100% royalty profit share. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
	Atmosphere Press 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
	Bookmobile 100 copies • Partial manuscript. Bookmobile provides book printing, graphic design, and other resources to support book publishers in an ever-changing environment. Superior quality, excellent customer service, flexibility, and timely turnarounds have attracted nearly 1,000 satisfied clients to Bookmobile, including trade houses, university presses, independent publishers, museums, galleries, artists, and more. In addition, we manage eBook conversions and produce galleys, and regularly provide short-run reprints of 750 copies or fewer for major publishers such as Graywolf Press. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
	eBooks2go 100 copies • Completed manuscript. eBooks2go, Inc. was founded in 2011 to provide the missing link for all your publishing needs. Our end-to-end solutions provide the guidance and support that enable publishers and independent authors to pursue their passions. To date, we have helped more than 750 authors and 100 publishers worldwide. We offer an array of simple and affordable solutions to assist self-publishing authors at every stage of the book publishing process. Our comprehensive service offering includes editing, print and eBook production, book marketing, cover designs, ISBN registration, and even website designs. We are a single source for all of your publishing needs. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
	Gladiator Publishing Company Gladiator Publishing Co. has held a reputation in the Literary Industry for nearly 100 Years as a Writer-Loyal company. Nearly 100-years later, Gladiator Publishing Company still maintains that strong characteristic. We place our Authors publications first and foremost. You may hear many other "Publishing entities" state that they are "the first" to do this or the "originator/pioneer" of that. If everyone is using the same marketing, promotional, and advertising pipelines what makes them so original? As the proud recipients of six-awards in 2018 for our innovative marketing techniques, media outreach, extremely low budget compared to the Global Industry Standard (72-83% cheaper), and an Author-inclusive style, it is no wonder we are the #1 Requested Publishing Service on the East Coast. We are staffed with industry-specific professionals that are dedicated to market and brand development. Full Editing Services (substantive, copy, formatting, proofreading, story flow, line) are INCLUDED in the price. No hidden fees, no extra cost for something that Publishing Services should be more than happy to provide to benefit the manuscripts success. The industry has turned toward greed and away from literature. It's sick and inappropriate, it's ok to agree, they know it too. Maintain 100% of your royalties in all formats. Maintain 100% of your Copyrights, Intellectual Property, and Creative Control. You be the Author and we'll be the Publisher. Happy Writings!! Service publisher All categories United States
	Happy Self Publishing 100 copies • Completed manuscript. Happy Self Publishing has helped 500+ authors to get their books self-published, hit the #1 position in the Amazon bestseller charts, and also establish their author website & brand to grow their business. And the best thing is, we do all this without taking away your rights and royalties. Let's schedule a call to discuss the next steps in your book project: www.meetme.so/jyotsnaramachandran Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide

Daniel Glasswell stood alone in the night at the top of the snowy mountain. The darkness spread out around him like the ocean depths. Silence swirled thick and heavy with only the uncanny whisper of the wind stealing the bittersweet aroma of the nearby pines. The brutal cold stalked the shifting shadows like a mighty hunter hidden in the bush, his bow drawn to the full. All these messengers went unnoticed by Daniel who was zipped up tight in a heavy jacket, his hands incased in mittens and head covered with a woolen stocking cap. It was a bitter five degrees chased by a biting wind.
            But Daniel only felt the warmth of euphoria coursing through him, lifting him up, up, up to float above the mortal realm and its dangers. He looked up at the moonless night sky, speckled with a million sparks of light. He could barely hear them calling, chanting his name. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a gulp of the frigid air. Its energy jolted every synapse with electricity.  He huffed it out of his mouth in restless anticipation. Looking down the mountain, he saw it more clearly in the darkness than he ever had in the light.  A wide swath of welcoming grey was crowded by blackness on its edges where tall trees waited. The snow almost sparkled in the starlight.
            It was his, all his. No one would deny him, could deny him. It was his right, his destiny and he would take it now. Right now.
            “I own you!” he shouted, raising his arms high over his head, shaking his pre-triumphant fists and laughing loudly at the stars.
            He dropped his arms, firmly planting his ski poles into the packed snow. For a moment he paused, holding perfectly still. Far below, on a road at the very bottom of the mountain, he watched as a single set of headlights wound past. They seemed to slow. Daniel held his breath, letting the darkness hide him from this intruder. The lights sped on and out of sight and he breathed again.
            He loved this moment, the moment of supreme anticipation, especially now when the whole mountain was his.  He felt stronger, lighter, more focused and in control than he ever had. Filling his lungs with the icy air, he stomped his skis twice, always twice. Inside his right mitten, in a motion he had practiced to perfection, he clicked a stopwatch nestled in his palm
            At exactly 6:02 pm on Monday January 11th, 1965 with a mighty push, Daniel Glasswell launched his body down the mountain. His arms pumped for speed and he began to fly. The bitter cold felt like a wall of ice but he slammed right through it. The mountain flew under him, a dark blur. Joy welled up inside of him. The wind, the cold, the snow, even the weight and shape of his skis and the wax on them blended together to create the fastest snow he had ever skied on. Luxurious and dangerous, the snow was as smooth as glass and his skis flew over it with almost zero resistance. But Daniel was young, his body trained, his talent exceptional, his devotion absolute. It all came together in a symphony of grace and speed witnessed by only one. HIs heart pounded with joy as speed and gravity accelerated in perfect unison. Exhilaration built and built with each beat of his heart. Every part of his body, mind and soul thrummed in sync with the perfection of this moment. He knew it was the ride of his life.
            That’s when he hit something. It was just cluster of bumps in the snow left over from the day’s worth of skiers. They came out of nowhere. He would have easily seen them in the daylight and missed them. But in the dark, he hit them going as fast and hard as he’d ever gone.

            When he hit the bumps, his skis flew apart. His equilibrium vanished and that fine, perfect balance shattered. The jumble of gravity, speed and wind sheer tore all control away from him and slammed him down on the mountain, his mountain. He smashed hard into the hard-packed snow which exploded like a bomb. Joy jolted to shock then fear. Momentum shoved his face into the snow, blasting his skin with biting pain. Tangled and twisting, he bounced high and hurled to the ground headfirst. The fall ripped away his ski poles and his arms flailed uselessly like a drowning man’s. For an instant he saw himself from outside his body moving in a fantastical, slow motion dance of destruction. All around him darkness, black and grey, whipped by his eyes in a nightmare of confusion. He bounced on the snow again. His shoulder, back, then his head snapped viciously on hard snow. Still plummeting, he thrashed and rolled. His head slammed again and again. His face plowed through the snow until his eyes, nose and mouth were full of snow. The bindings on his skis held fast and his legs were twisted wickedly by the skis’ violent contortions. Daniel heard a piercing cccrrack!, like the breaking of a great limb of an oak tree. His  skis? A flood of searing pain shot up his legs. He screamed, but the towering spruce swallowed it up. Darkness, panic and pain assaulted Daniel as he hurtled towards the trees. Like a thousand tiny spears, the leafless bushes jabbed and whipped his face. But they slowed his frantic tumble. Two more rolls and he slid to a stop under a huge tree, his head just inches from the trunk. Darkness took him. His broken body lay still in the freezing night.

8.
            It was at a friend of a friend’s house; across town that Daniel had his first encounter with alcohol. It was Thursday night and their homecoming game was the next night. Daniel was the starting quarterback even though he was only a junior. The game was against their main rival whom they had not beaten in five years. It seemed that the entire town was revved up for the game. Motel marquees, the local newspaper, grocery stores, even the churches were all wishing them good luck. That day there had been a huge pep rally followed by a parade right down Main Street.  There had been floats, the marching band and flat bed truck with all the players throwing handfuls of candy. The parade route was packed with cheering families, students, teachers and townspeople.  Daniel felt he was at very center of it. He had to lead the team to victory, he had to make it happen. Win and he would shower the whole town with glory. Lose and cover it humiliation. All eyes would be on him.
            A final team meeting had followed the parade. The sun had just set as the players poured out of the school. Daniel was riding home with a friend that lived up the highway a couple of miles.
            “Hey,” his friend said, “My mom wants me to drop off something at my cousin’s house across town. It’ll only take a few minutes. You okay with that?”
            “Sure, why not?” With their adrenaline sky high, they sped across town breaking every speed limit.
            “Who is your cousin? Why don’t I know him?” asked Daniel as they walked up to the front door.
            “He goes to the Catholic school.”
            “Poor guy.” They both laughed.
            “Yeah,” said the friend, “no girls.” The door opened and Daniel walked into a nicer home than he had ever been in. Big, rich furnishings, color tv, thick carpet, gleaming kitchen. He had always felt he was the king. But clearly in this house, he was not. The friend introduced Daniel to his cousin and uncle. The three boys were heading up to the cousin’s room to see his new skis when the uncle spoke up.
            “Leave Daniel down here. I want to chat with him a bit.”
            Daniel glanced at his friend, and turned around, back toward the uncle.
            “Daniel Glasswell, in the flesh and in my house!”
            “You know me?”
            “Of course, son, the whole town knows you.”
            “Yeah?”
            “Oh yeah, we’re all watching you get better and better on the slopes. And we all expect you to bring home a big win tomorrow night. The whole town’ll be there. You just watch.“
            The whole town? He felt exhilarated and burdened at the same time.
            “You’re the town hero right now, you know.” The uncle, a big and tall man,  smiled warmly and then snapped his fingers. “Hey how about a little toast!”
            “Toast?”
            “Just a shot of … whiskey? Man’s drink, right?”
            Oh…I…uh don’t drink.”
            “Of course you don’t! An athlete like you wouldn’t drink.” He pulled out two heavy crystal glasses. From the cupboard above the refrigerator, he grabbed a square bottle about half full of golden liquid. He poured a shot in each of the glasses. Then added a bit more. “It’ll be our little secret.” The man put a glass into Daniel’s hand.
            One swallow can’t hurt anything, he thought as the man was clinking his glass to Daniel’s, smiling and nodding. The man threw back the glass and swallowed it all in one gulp. So, Daniel did the same. He caught a whiff of something sharp and not altogether pleasant right before the whiskey hit his mouth and lit it on fire. He was so shocked he almost spit it out but he forced himself to swallow it. It burned all the way down. He gasped for breath, his eyes teared and his face turned red.
            “Ha!” The man was gasping too. “That’ll put hair on your chest!” Then he looked at Daniel. “Hey, you okay? Never had whiskey before?” Daniel shook his head, feeling embarrassed and repulsed at the same time. “Here,” he took Daniel’s glass, rinsed it out and filled it with water.” Daniel gulped it down. “Better?”
            “Yeah,” Daniel tried to laugh it off. “Our little secret.”
            “That’s right,” said the uncle. He grabbed Daniel’s shoulder and squeezed it hard. “Crush them tomorrow.”
            “You bet,” Daniel said.
            In the car, moments later, Daniel began to feel the alcohol hit his bloodstream. He hadn’t eaten since lunch many hours before and was feeling shaken, even violated by the man and his whiskey. But then all the tension began to magically disappear. It just smoothed itself out. And not just about the whiskey, but everything, the game, his grades, his future. He felt wonderful, unburdened, released and even joyful.
            “You okay Daniel?”
            “Oh yeah…”
            “Oh hell, my uncle didn’t force his god-awful whiskey on you, did he?” When Daniel didn’t answer, he continued, “Oh man, I am so sorry. I should have never left you alone with him.”
            “It’s okay… Really it is.”
            For the next hour or so Daniel felt like an eight-year old on Christmas morning. He laughed smiled like he was in love. Then little by little, it began to fade. The weight of the world resettled on his shoulders. That night as he lay in his bed, he had a moment of perfect clarity, realizing that he could, should, and would never drink alcohol again. But immediately after that moment, the hunger started.
            They won the game the next night. But it was the beginning of losing for Daniel. He fought it. Oh, he fought it. But he couldn’t beat it. It always beat him. So he buried it deep, so deep he kept it hidden from everyone – including himself.

The author hasn't added any updates, yet.

Gordon Savage
on Oct. 2, 2018, 4:17 a.m.

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You missed "wait" above. I'll email you separately.

Robert Bennett
on Oct. 2, 2018, 9:30 p.m.

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Good luck with your campaign! Many blessings to you!

Judy Akins
on Oct. 2, 2018, 9:51 p.m.

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Looking forward to reading your book.

Jonathan Roseland
on Oct. 3, 2018, 9:30 a.m.

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Hand delivery? :)

Gergana Teofilova
on Oct. 3, 2018, 9:31 a.m.

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I can't wait to read it! :):):)

Woody Roseland
on Oct. 4, 2018, 2:52 p.m.

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Can't wait to Glass some Wells!!

Clare Kennelley
on Oct. 5, 2018, 3:45 p.m.

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Congratulations on your new book, Connie!

Patty Taylor
on Oct. 5, 2018, 5:58 p.m.

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Ok Let the reading begin. Good Luck on this venture. May only great things happen

Gina Marie Evans
on Oct. 8, 2018, 12:52 a.m.

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Everything you create is of excellence my friend! Can't wait to indulge in your latest!

Dale Buehner
on Oct. 10, 2018, 3:38 p.m.

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A bitter sweet, surprising first novel

Jean Riddle
on Oct. 13, 2018, 1:17 a.m.

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Best wishes to you! Will love to read the rest of your book.