PHENOM

by Xavier Knight

Abandoned by his mother at a very early age and raised by a single father, Shawn Banks developed his basketball skills on the tough city streets of Gary, Indiana. After leading his Butler Bulldogs to the NCAA National Championship game, Shawn Banks is all but assured of becoming a first round lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

But soon after Shawn enters his name in the draft then his life begins to spiral out of control. A local drug dealer demands a piece of Shawn's NBA contract and will stop at nothing to get it. Then Shawn's longtime girlfriend, Jade Stewart, is viciously attacked and robbed on her way home. Shawn suspects that someone from his past is behind the attack, a past that holds a secret so deadly that it could destroy Shawn's dream of playing in the NBA.

Now, with the help of his two best friends, Shawn sets out on a misson to uncover the truth behind the attack on his girlfriend, and in the process confront his past, before it costs him not only his chances of playing in the NBA, but also his life.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2011

About the author

Xavier Knight is the Christian fiction pen name for Author C. Kelly Robinson. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio and magna cum laude graduate of Howard University and Washington University in St. Louis. Robinson is a marketing communications manager by day and has a long record of volunteer experience across organizations including United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mentor St. Louis, and Student Venture Ministries. Author of five previous novels including the best-selling No More Mr. Nice Guy and the critically acclaimed Between Brothers (Random House), he lives outside Dayton with his wife and daughter. He is hard at work on his next novel and on a nonfiction project. "

Reviews

[Larry Allen]

I found the book very interesting and the author kept me turning the pages. The ending really surprised me and I can't wait to read the sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone loves a good story because this book is more than about basketball. It's about friendship, family, and the hardships one player endures as he tries to keep it all together. Good job Xavier.