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(From Back Cover Description)

Alcoholism is the most universal and widespread disease of our time. Unfortunately, it’s not only the alcoholics who suffer. The larger and frequently-neglected group of family and friends often struggle in the background. Many of them do not realize that they too must heal and recover.

The Happiness Mask: Life and Recovery with an Alcoholic, begins with the childhood memories of author David Szabados as he attempts to cope with, and understand, his alcoholic and abusive father. Later during adulthood, the cycle of alcoholism returns, but this time it is David’s wife who has succumbed to the powerful effects of the disease.

Desperate for answers to help save his wife and family, The Happiness Mask leads the reader through an emotional journey of recovery through David’s eyes as the non-alcoholic family member. Through the revelations and experiences that are learned, The Happiness Mask reveals itself as a memoir that offers a message of hope and lasting healing.

I must be candid. When my wife Alicia began struggling with her alcoholism, I had no clue where to turn for help. She refused the idea of AA and other programs early on. My focus of course was on doing what I needed to get HER into recovery. My own well-being was the furthest thought from my mind. After all, my wife was the one with the problem. She was the alcoholic. Why worry about my own misery? I'd feel better and live my own happy life whenever she'd get better.

What I learned along the way was a difficult lesson. I had let her alcoholism affect and impact me as a person. To recover, I'd need to work on finding my own happiness, regardless of the situation. But how does someone do that? And why? As the alcoholism controlled her. It also controlled me. After all, my life was changed upside down with my attempts to somehow "fix" her. My life was no longer my life. My life was consumed with trying to make everything for her better.

Through these challenges and many experiences, I learned what happiness truly was and how to find it. I found it cathartic to write about these experiences, even the most difficult ones. It was an escape, even when some chapters were written on the very same day of the particular incidents!

Ultimately, I wrote the book for myself and for my family - so we would never forget. Upon its completion, I went through the material again and then thought that others may find peace, support, and inspiration through the stories presented. While it can be a frightening step to expose one's own life to others, if my work could help someone who may be an alcoholic, or a struggling friend or family member of an alcoholic, then it would be immensely gratifying knowing I may have helped in some way. This is what prompted me to release this work.

Certainly. The introduction and several pages of the first chapter are available to preview HERE:

The Happiness Mask: Life and Recovery with an Alcoholic, will be available worldwide in August 2010, through retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. However, it can be purchased NOW and shipped directly from LegendaryTones for $15.95 (plus $1.90 shipping) by using the purchase button below. Copies sold from this site will be exclusively signed.

International Buyers! International USPS Priority Flate Rate Shipping is available. Click below to order your copy for any location in the world! Copies sold from this site will be exclusively signed.

I'm a husband and father of two beautiful daughters who are my world. I'm a writer with professional feature article and column credits in publications ranging in topics from technology to music, including: Storage & Entertainment, Computer Technology Review, ISP Professional, Computer Retail Week, and Music Connection magazine. I have appeared on television and radio as an interview subject for technology trends and news.

In 2000, I founded LegendaryTones.com to serve as an information source for guitarists interested in all areas of guitar tone. This passion provided an opportunity to team with Robert Keeley of Keeley Electronics. In 2003, the fruit of our partnership, the Time Machine Boost pedal was released to critical acclaim. Today, the award-winning Time Machine Boost continues to sell worldwide.

I am a public relations professional in high technology and have represented products from consumer cameras and scanners, to enterprise-level host interface boards and hard disk drives. I hold a B.S. degree in Advertising with a minor in Business from San Jose State University, CA.

The Happiness Mask is dedicated to my mother, Dr. Anna Szabados. Her love, guidance, and strength helped me develop my own strength and find my path.

But there are others I must thank for being part of my life. To my family, Alicia, Samantha, and Emily: I love you all and life ahead will be a fun adventure. To my brother Michael: I'm so glad that we have been connecting more and working to build our relationship.

To my friends and colleagues at work, especially Woody and Brian, Thank you. I appreciate your patience and flexibility as I went through the worst of times during Alicia's recovery and I hope you know I've continued to do my best!

And to my other friends, thank you: Scott Smith, Robert Keeley, Mike Mullen,Kevin Sullivan, Joe Belle, Jon Dunn, George Lynch, Gerry Ganaden, Dave Weiner, David Hendriksz, Dave Shepard, Don and Lucy String, Fryges Kocsis, Gerry Humphrey, Jeffrey Benoit, John Paulsen, Jon Piazza, Mark Leary, Mike Pesta, Peter Kapas, Eric Di Sivilla, Rick De Arana, Sean Cleveland, Serdar Yegulalp, Steve Pipe, Stewart Lewis, Trina Nguyen, Chris and Donna Will, Andy King, Shawn Quinton, Angelina De Bem, Chris Ramseyer, Wes Compton, William Van Winkle.

A very special thank you to my early manuscript readers/friends for their thoughts and encouragement: Tiffany Keeley (the very first reader I shared my work with), Ed Sams, and Jeremy Wagner.




	The Fender Custom Shop Ordering Experience Kevin Sullivan's Bass Harmony Charvel So-Cal Guitar Review PT 1: My Love/Hate Mesa/Boogie Story: Drinking the Boogie Kool Aid A Good Reason to Destroy a $5000 Guitar? Speaker Talk: Celestion Speakers TS808HW limited edition Tube Screamer Can the TS808 reissue sound and feel like a vintage TS808? Latest Maxon 9-Series Reviewed: Three Flavors of Overdrive and an Analog Delay		The Happiness Mask: Life and Recovery with an Alcoholic A Memoir by David Szabados What is this book about? (From Back Cover Description) Alcoholism is the most universal and widespread disease of our time. Unfortunately, it’s not only the alcoholics who suffer. The larger and frequently-neglected group of family and friends often struggle in the background. Many of them do not realize that they too must heal and recover. The Happiness Mask: Life and Recovery with an Alcoholic, begins with the childhood memories of author David Szabados as he attempts to cope with, and understand, his alcoholic and abusive father. Later during adulthood, the cycle of alcoholism returns, but this time it is David’s wife who has succumbed to the powerful effects of the disease. Desperate for answers to help save his wife and family, The Happiness Mask leads the reader through an emotional journey of recovery through David’s eyes as the non-alcoholic family member. Through the revelations and experiences that are learned, The Happiness Mask reveals itself as a memoir that offers a message of hope and lasting healing. Why did I write this book? I must be candid. When my wife Alicia began struggling with her alcoholism, I had no clue where to turn for help. She refused the idea of AA and other programs early on. My focus of course was on doing what I needed to get HER into recovery. My own well-being was the furthest thought from my mind. After all, my wife was the one with the problem. She was the alcoholic. Why worry about my own misery? I'd feel better and live my own happy life whenever she'd get better. What I learned along the way was a difficult lesson. I had let her alcoholism affect and impact me as a person. To recover, I'd need to work on finding my own happiness, regardless of the situation. But how does someone do that? And why? As the alcoholism controlled her. It also controlled me. After all, my life was changed upside down with my attempts to somehow "fix" her. My life was no longer my life. My life was consumed with trying to make everything for her better. Through these challenges and many experiences, I learned what happiness truly was and how to find it. I found it cathartic to write about these experiences, even the most difficult ones. It was an escape, even when some chapters were written on the very same day of the particular incidents! Ultimately, I wrote the book for myself and for my family - so we would never forget. Upon its completion, I went through the material again and then thought that others may find peace, support, and inspiration through the stories presented. While it can be a frightening step to expose one's own life to others, if my work could help someone who may be an alcoholic, or a struggling friend or family member of an alcoholic, then it would be immensely gratifying knowing I may have helped in some way. This is what prompted me to release this work. Can I look inside it first? Certainly. The introduction and several pages of the first chapter are available to preview HERE: *Where can I purchase The Happiness Mask?* The Happiness Mask: Life and Recovery with an Alcoholic, will be available worldwide in August 2010, through retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. However, it can be purchased NOW and shipped directly from LegendaryTones for $15.95 (plus $1.90 shipping) by using the purchase button below. Copies sold from this site will be exclusively signed. International Buyers! International USPS Priority Flate Rate Shipping is available. Click below to order your copy for any location in the world! Copies sold from this site will be exclusively signed. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE AND SUPPORT!! Who is David Szabados? I'm a husband and father of two beautiful daughters who are my world. I'm a writer with professional feature article and column credits in publications ranging in topics from technology to music, including: Storage & Entertainment, Computer Technology Review, ISP Professional, Computer Retail Week, and Music Connection magazine. I have appeared on television and radio as an interview subject for technology trends and news. In 2000, I founded LegendaryTones.com to serve as an information source for guitarists interested in all areas of guitar tone. This passion provided an opportunity to team with Robert Keeley of Keeley Electronics. In 2003, the fruit of our partnership, the Time Machine Boost pedal was released to critical acclaim. Today, the award-winning Time Machine Boost continues to sell worldwide. I am a public relations professional in high technology and have represented products from consumer cameras and scanners, to enterprise-level host interface boards and hard disk drives. I hold a B.S. degree in Advertising with a minor in Business from San Jose State University, CA. And life is good again. Acknowledgments The Happiness Mask is dedicated to my mother, Dr. Anna Szabados. Her love, guidance, and strength helped me develop my own strength and find my path. But there are others I must thank for being part of my life. To my family, Alicia, Samantha, and Emily: I love you all and life ahead will be a fun adventure. To my brother Michael: I'm so glad that we have been connecting more and working to build our relationship. To my friends and colleagues at work, especially Woody and Brian, Thank you. I appreciate your patience and flexibility as I went through the worst of times during Alicia's recovery and I hope you know I've continued to do my best! And to my other friends, thank you: Scott Smith, Robert Keeley, Mike Mullen,Kevin Sullivan, Joe Belle, Jon Dunn, George Lynch, Gerry Ganaden, Dave Weiner, David Hendriksz, Dave Shepard, Don and Lucy String, Fryges Kocsis, Gerry Humphrey, Jeffrey Benoit, John Paulsen, Jon Piazza, Mark Leary, Mike Pesta, Peter Kapas, Eric Di Sivilla, Rick De Arana, Sean Cleveland, Serdar Yegulalp, Steve Pipe, Stewart Lewis, Trina Nguyen, Chris and Donna Will, Andy King, Shawn Quinton, Angelina De Bem, Chris Ramseyer, Wes Compton, William Van Winkle. A very special thank you to my early manuscript readers/friends for their thoughts and encouragement: Tiffany Keeley (the very first reader I shared my work with), Ed Sams, and Jeremy Wagner. Contact: David Szabados, dszabados(at)hotmail.com LegendaryTones Publishing. All materials copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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