Book excerpt: Agony Hill is a compelling debut novel about a high school runner's self-discovery of friendship and life, written by first-time author Roger Saltsman, a former Brevard College distance runner (1979-1981) Eric Roberts is a successful runner in a small town in North Carolina who finds himself up against a better runner, Trey Allison, the only runner he could not beat. But Eric discovers there is more to life than winning. In an instant, his life changes and he finds himself searching his soul to find out what is really important to him -- running or friendship or both. Along with his good friend Mary and an unlikely coach, he finds the answer. Agony Hill is a beautifully crafted tale that's heartbreaking, inspiring and uplifting. It captures what it is like to win again.