Corkscrewed

Book excerpt: "Who would have thought there could be so much excitement to be had from corkscrews!" This is the story of Michael Anthony Cunningham (Mack to many), who collects corkscrews: the first in his collection preserves a happy childhood moment. Before he is fully grown he has collected 471. But, when in his twenties, he chooses to sell them and the value of his treasures comes to the fore. Complications are wont to occur, not least because of interplay – between friends, family, acquaintances, work colleagues – along that continuum which none of us can avoid: the continuum that has observation at one end and stretches through influence and manipulation to control at the other. Words manipulate emotions; "You’ll find your place in the end" – reassure if spoken by a friend; threaten if from an enemy. Silence has its own effect. Corkscrewed is an intriguing tale that will appeal to anyone who enjoys using their own imagination to draw unique conclusions about the characters and their decisions.