Through the Flames

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Through the Flames by Denise Bartlett

*Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) It's so recently NOT a WIP, I have nothing else in process but the sequel, Burning Embers.

*Tag up to five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. It’s that simple.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:
What is the working title of your book? The working title for Through the Flames was Larry.

Where did the idea come from for the book? Athletes are dedicated to their teams and to the game. They grow up with No Pain No Gain drilled into them. Football players and others are 'dinged' or 'have their bell rung' with horrifying consistency. The public needs to think about this phenomena, especially those who are the parents or family members of athletes at the high school and middle school age.
I recently listened to a video online which shows a 40-year veteran football coach at the high school level saying (and I paraphrase): Football is not a contact sport - dancing is a contact sport. Football is a collision sport.
My novel is about a high school football player with multiple concussions and a huge chip on his shoulder to want to 'show them how it's done' - to become the best quarterback the game has ever seen.

What genre does your book fall under? Young adult, sports novels, mainstream fiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? I have no idea!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Football - the Allen family plays it - who would image a series of average hits could change everything for quarterback Larry Allen, his family, and his girlfriend?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? My book was published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing late last week.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? More than a year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I haven't found any like it - as a high school young adult novel, it has lots of interaction between brothers, team members and the family.

Who or What inspired you to write this book? Traumatic Brain Injury survivors and athletes  who have suffered injuries which changed their lives forever. My sports related back injury changed my future and preserving your brain is even more vital than being able to walk and function normally physically.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? Athletes hear No Pain No Gain - Tough it Out - Suck it Up - they don't want to be seen as wimps. Head injuries are being lumped in the same category as a broken leg. We have to wake up and teach them differently. It's a story about growing up as an athlete, a family member, a boyfriend, a team member.