Arny Alberts

Arny Alberts is the author of Burnt Cookies: A Quest for Closure, the real story of his experiences as the victim of sexual abuse, its impact on his life, his family, and his community.  Alberts writes vividly of his pain, resulting struggle with addictions, and the strength he found with his family to speak the truth publicly of his experience.  In his own words:

"My book is not easy to read, easy to believe. The truth on these pages still turns my stomach. There exists a much larger problem that needs to be addressed in our great nation that we call the “Land of the Free”. The continuing cycle of sexual abuse needs to be understood at a different level or plain of thought. As you read the disturbing details of my abuse, the aftermath that magnified over time is not the issue we are neglecting to stop. Once the monster is created, it never dies, it never stops wanting, and it only destroys. The physical act of sexual abuse is nowhere near as destructive as the impact it has for decades into the lives of the victims. We must stop sexual abuse before it happens – what a concept! The cycle must be stopped before a story like mine is told to you by your son twenty years after it happened. Or by your brother, or maybe your best friend long after it’s too late. People who are placed in positions of authority are responsible to break the cycle and stop sexual abuse by asking the hard questions and making the correct choices.

Now, I am on a quest to find my inner self worth as are other victims. The healing has begun and it will take time for me to become the man I was intended to be. I have put myself, my wife and my family in jeopardy writing this book. People in our world, in our community are going to react in two ways to this book. I pledged to my wife that I would publish this book, for the sole attempt to help others out there, who are affected in any way by sexual abuse. No matter the consequence – be it loss of friend, family, job or life. I am not afraid. Every time I find the courage to face something that I am afraid of, regardless of success, I gain more power and strength as a man. I can talk about my seizures, my alcohol problems and my sexual abuse – I need to. The story is truth and Cappelleri needs as much help and healing as his victims. The only free men are slaves to the truth."