Addict At 10 by Derek Steele (Book Trailer and Giveaway)

Childhood progresses in steps. A child must crawl, then walk, then run. Derek Steele grew in stages, too: he drank alcohol at 8, smoked pot at 10 and was fully addicted to ecstasy, meth and cocaine by 16. His book, Addict at 10 (Synergy Books, January 2010, 978-0-9840760-9-3, $22.95), explores addiction, excess and the long road to recovery.

For Derek, the drugs were less poisonous than the people around him. He came from a family of addicts. His parents laughed as their 8-year-old first sipped margaritas and got drunk for the first time. Derek’s first line of coke came straight from a stash found in his father’s briefcase. Dismissive and materialistic, his parents were absent for most of his childhood. To cope, he sold drugs in junior high, dropped out of high school and wound up behind bars. At age 20, he was homeless, unemployed and hiding from a vicious drug dealer who wanted him dead.

In the middle of the biggest drug deal of his life, Derek had a “moment of clarity” and vowed to make a change. With the help of mentors and 12-step programs, he overcame his addictions, reconciled with his family and began a relationship with God.

Finally sober, Derek set his sights on his career. In 1994, only a year after entering rehab, he became a partner in Houston Roofing Corporation, a residential roofing company. In 1995 Derek founded Steele Contracting, a residential construction company serving clientele with storm-damaged homes across the U.S. The company had revenue of more than $1 million per year. He later co-founded the web-based software development company Portaris, which had 50 developers and revenue of more than $5 million within three years. His last company was the award-winning Hamilton-Steele Outdoor Accents, one of Houston’s largest landscape design, building and maintenance firms.

Derek believes he will find the greatest fulfillment in helping others. Through Addict at 10 and his volunteer work, he aims to help all affected by addiction. He currently works as a business coach and speaker and is a board member and the director of community outreach of Teen and Family Services in Houston, and a volunteer at the Covenant House.

Derek lives in Missouri City, Texas, with his wife, Becky, and their two children. He hopes the positive message in Addict at 10 will inspire others to pursue the better life they’re meant to live.

Learn more about Derek Steele at his website http://dereksteele.com/
Order a copy of this book here.

Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists along with Derek Steele are giving away 3 copies of this book to 3 different winners. All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment with a working email address. I'll draw the names of the 3 winners on Monday the 12th.