In the summer of 2015, I was living in Las Vegas and undergoing tremendous upheaval in my family, when one day my friend Cheryl T invited me to an event she was throwing. “Get out, Steve, it will do you good,” she said. She was also aware of my mushrooming writing career because she had seen me touting the amazing reviews for “Conflicted,” including that of 17 x New York Times bestselling thriller author John Lescroart.She pulled me aside and whispered she had a client whose memoir writer had bailed on him halfway through the book. He had thrown the draft in the bin but, despite being discouraged, wanted to start fresh with a new writer he could trust to finish the book. Since overcoming adversities was the theme of his life and the book, why should he let one more obstacle stop him, right? She connected me with the kind doctor and the end-product that started as “How Football (and Religion) Saved My Life,” and transformed into “Conquering Your Adversities…from the Mafia-controlled Streets to the NFL to Ultimately Becoming a Successful Doctor,” by Dr. Ken Polke | with Steve Eggleston.It took us a year to write the book because he too was undergoing some major upheaval in his life, including the sale of his dental practice. But the book is now available in hardback, with the legendary literary manager Peter Miller circling it for representation as a novel to submit to publishers and as a feature motion picture to be made in Hollywood (it’s “Rudy” meets “Friday Night Lights” with a hard shake of “The Godfather”). I would also describe Ken’s book as an “Inspirational Memoir,” which is very popular today given the ability of anyone to independently publish his or her book.
The reviews speak volumes for Ken’s inspirational life and how well we were able to collaborate to bring his unique voice to the page. My writing energy became the fuel behind the story, but you can see, hear and feel Ken’s personae and style on every page. The book has now become Ken’s bridge into politics, speaking engagements, brokering medical practices, and serving as sports liaison and athletic director.
Here are several reviews of which I’m particularly proud, for reasons that will be obvious:
Find the book for now (hopefully it will find a home soon with a major publisher), at this link: http://conqueringyouradversities.com/.
