What do you think?
Rate this book
A Selfless Man
What would you do to save your son? How far would you go?
Roland Moses was a college running back, the greatest of all time and first round NFL draft pick. Within days of his dream he commits a vicious crime and his world is destroyed.
Years later, the hell of prison life over he returns to the outside only to find a new hell. A hell no father should have to endure.
Author
Shawn Raymond Poalillo is the author of Rerun: A New Face of Terrorism and a retired Special Agent from the Department of Homeland Security with over twenty-four years of federal law enforcement experience.
Roland Moses was a college running back, the greatest of all time and first round NFL draft pick. Within days of his dream he commits a vicious crime and his world is destroyed.
Years later, the hell of prison life over he returns to the outside only to find a new hell. A hell no father should have to endure.
Author
Shawn Raymond Poalillo is the author of Rerun: A New Face of Terrorism and a retired Special Agent from the Department of Homeland Security with over twenty-four years of federal law enforcement experience.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2016
77 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Shawn Raymond Poalillo
8 books66 followersShawn Raymond Poalillo is a retired Special Agent from the Department of Homeland Security with over twenty-four years of federal law enforcement experience. He spent the bulk of these years investigating drug smuggling, money laundering and terrorism cases.
Poalillo is certified in federal court as an expert in the areas of money laundering, bank record analysis and telephone toll analysis and can give expert testimony.
Having attended LIU/CW Post College, the author holds a BA in psychology and business and also graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia.
"Writing is a great joy, each word a small victory. In my first novel - Rerun: A New Face of Terrorism - I tried to bring the realism of true-life law enforcement, something lacking in most novels of the genre, while mixing in an outlandish plot. Cops have a great time all the time. Nothing was serious until it had to be and then it became serious quickly.
"This same quality is seen in my third novel - The Girl With The Black Mark, another Special Agent Michael Poe story.
"Completely different is A Selfless Man, which is a departure from the other two and a more heart wrenching story.
"My goal is to entertain and take the reader away, if only briefly, to a different place. Enjoy!"
Poalillo is certified in federal court as an expert in the areas of money laundering, bank record analysis and telephone toll analysis and can give expert testimony.
Having attended LIU/CW Post College, the author holds a BA in psychology and business and also graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia.
"Writing is a great joy, each word a small victory. In my first novel - Rerun: A New Face of Terrorism - I tried to bring the realism of true-life law enforcement, something lacking in most novels of the genre, while mixing in an outlandish plot. Cops have a great time all the time. Nothing was serious until it had to be and then it became serious quickly.
"This same quality is seen in my third novel - The Girl With The Black Mark, another Special Agent Michael Poe story.
"Completely different is A Selfless Man, which is a departure from the other two and a more heart wrenching story.
"My goal is to entertain and take the reader away, if only briefly, to a different place. Enjoy!"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 19, 2018
I REALLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
Tragic and sweet. This is one well-written book. It follows the life of a black man from highs to lows as he tries to save his son from ruin. Don't read it if you can't take tear-jerkers. Well done. I've read two books by this author and am now following him.
Tragic and sweet. This is one well-written book. It follows the life of a black man from highs to lows as he tries to save his son from ruin. Don't read it if you can't take tear-jerkers. Well done. I've read two books by this author and am now following him.
March 2, 2018
Wow! This book kept me up at night. Great story and well written. I totally would recommend it! I had strong feelings when reading it since i have a boy too... totally worth it!
February 14, 2018
What a great book. I hope that it will be made into a movie. A feel good book about overcoming adversity and how redemption can be won against all odds. Again - thank you Goodreads Giveaways. I loved this one.
November 1, 2019
It's been a good suprise
Mostly because I usually choose to read women authors and I need escapism from time to time, this author surprisingly pulled me in this unusual story. He went over some parts of story too fast or with less details then I'd liked but it worked very well in the end. I was invested, I cried, and the happy ending, I believe we all like, here came as paradox, left me sad and fulfilled somehow on higher soulful level.
Mostly because I usually choose to read women authors and I need escapism from time to time, this author surprisingly pulled me in this unusual story. He went over some parts of story too fast or with less details then I'd liked but it worked very well in the end. I was invested, I cried, and the happy ending, I believe we all like, here came as paradox, left me sad and fulfilled somehow on higher soulful level.
August 23, 2016
Highly recommended. As he did in his excellent under-the-radar debut Rerun, author Shawn Raymond Poalillo shows tremendous range for narratives, but proves himself once again to be a master of characterization. We follow two plot lines, the first of which is Moses’ plight as he endures a prison sentence and struggles to move on afterwards. The second, which is nearly as compelling, features a struggling young girl, Lesinda, whom Moses impregnated unknowingly. Though both characters are deliberately flawed, Poalillo manages to create a pair of entirely sympathetic characters at odds with each other. The open question as to whether Moses and Lesinda is enough to make A Selfless Man a page-turner, although for anyone in or past middle age, the idea of a 46-year-old NFL running back is compelling enough.
Check out the rest of my review at BestThrillers.com
Check out the rest of my review at BestThrillers.com
August 1, 2016
Absolutely Amazing!
This was an absolutely amazing story. It's hard not to say to much and give anything away! It involves a murder, prison, drugs, college football, nypd, and the NFL. The author came up with a truly incredible idea and hit an absolute home run! If you like story's about personal redemption, and a father willing to do the impossible to prove his love to his son, GIVE THIS BOOK A READ!
You WON'T be disappointed !!!
This was an absolutely amazing story. It's hard not to say to much and give anything away! It involves a murder, prison, drugs, college football, nypd, and the NFL. The author came up with a truly incredible idea and hit an absolute home run! If you like story's about personal redemption, and a father willing to do the impossible to prove his love to his son, GIVE THIS BOOK A READ!
You WON'T be disappointed !!!
August 10, 2016
I read all the time. Most books I enjoy for their entertainment value alone, but rarely do I come across a book that truly inspires me. The story was original, the characters believable. Roland Moses is the ultimate hero, and a great man. This is a book club must read and I wouldn't be surprised if it hits the big screen. Do not miss reading this book.
September 21, 2016
Wow!
This was such a page turner. I actually read nonstop all day! I could not put it down . I gave this book 5 stars because it is well worth the read . Well written , not too many characters , and a great plot make this book movie ready. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys romance with a kick, suspense, football and coming out on top of the game.
This was such a page turner. I actually read nonstop all day! I could not put it down . I gave this book 5 stars because it is well worth the read . Well written , not too many characters , and a great plot make this book movie ready. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys romance with a kick, suspense, football and coming out on top of the game.
May 27, 2017
I was afraid this was going to be only about football. It's not. I cried in the beginning, I cried in the middle and I cried at the end. Very urban and very different. Sweet and tragic. BestThrillers.com was right. Highly recommend.
October 27, 2016
WOW!
Make it a MOVIE! I could see Will Smith as Roland. Home Run Mr. Poalillo
Make it a MOVIE! I could see Will Smith as Roland. Home Run Mr. Poalillo
March 27, 2020
A heart touching story, with my favorite sport and my favorite ProTeam thrown into it. A real treat and a great read! If I was to have anything constructive to say it would be that there are numerous errors throughout but as a writer I know how easy it is to miss something here or there when putting together 80k plus words. Overall a great story that I highly recommend.
dnf
August 16, 2018I recieved this via goodreads giveaways.
---
Slowly catching up on my ebook giveaways.. had some life stuff going on and got sidetracked some.
This one wasn't bad, just not my cuppa unfortunately:(
---
Slowly catching up on my ebook giveaways.. had some life stuff going on and got sidetracked some.
This one wasn't bad, just not my cuppa unfortunately:(
June 11, 2020
The story is wonderful. It starts off a little slow, but picks up about halfway through and flies by after that. The book lost a star because the main character is too perfect. Every time I visualized him, I saw a golden halo on his head. People are just not that perfect.
I was also disappointed by the ending. We know what happens, but that, too, seemed too perfect.
[SPOILER]
I wanted Roland to fail. I wanted his son to reject him, or die of an overdose, or some other tragic event. I wanted him to be human.
[END SPOILER]
I was also disappointed by the ending. We know what happens, but that, too, seemed too perfect.
[SPOILER]
I wanted Roland to fail. I wanted his son to reject him, or die of an overdose, or some other tragic event. I wanted him to be human.
[END SPOILER]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2018
what a heartbreaking story, it could almost be true. I fell in love with this guy, the lover, the hero, the father. I believe I read this in one setting. It was truly heartbreaking to read what this man went through and how hard he tried.
The only problem I had with this book is the chapters and the typos. The chapters started but until you read more into them, you had no idea who the author was talking about and then the spaced paragraphs, one would end and go into the next without something to let you know this is the next subject, otherwise this is an excellent read.
Thank you Goodreads for the giveaway for my honest opinion.
Cherie'
The only problem I had with this book is the chapters and the typos. The chapters started but until you read more into them, you had no idea who the author was talking about and then the spaced paragraphs, one would end and go into the next without something to let you know this is the next subject, otherwise this is an excellent read.
Thank you Goodreads for the giveaway for my honest opinion.
Cherie'
July 4, 2019
A story with elements of depth and page turning intensity. Every step in Roland Moses life was paying it forward in some aspect. The author really touches your soul with storytelling. But to be honest in the dialogue I've never heard someone from New York speak the way the writer inflected their enunciation of speech. Besides that the book was a joyous tearjerker!
December 5, 2020
A heart touching story, with my favorite sport and my favorite ProTeam thrown into it. A real treat and a great read! If I was to have anything constructive to say it would be that there are numerous errors throughout but as a writer I know how easy it is to miss something here or there when putting together 80k plus words. Overall a great story that I highly recommend.
November 16, 2018
Great book
A tear-jerker of a story about the devotion of father to son. Not my normal read, but was recommended to me. Glad I listened. Now I recommend it.
A tear-jerker of a story about the devotion of father to son. Not my normal read, but was recommended to me. Glad I listened. Now I recommend it.
January 25, 2020
This book was heartbreaking at times and inspiring at others. I grew to really like the main character.
April 5, 2021
Strange story
This book showed the power of never giving up. The main character no matter what was thrown at him kept going.
This book showed the power of never giving up. The main character no matter what was thrown at him kept going.
February 19, 2018
This is an amazing story! It details the life of a man who is dealt a terrible hand but makes the most of his situation. In spite of the violence, tragedy and oppression he faces, he perseveres, works hard and follows the moral teachings of his mother. In return, he meets interesting characters and is rewarded with unique opportunities. The story manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting in the best way.
I will agree with other reviews I read that the chapters were confusing at times in terms of whom was speaking, and there are a number of spelling and grammatical errors. However, I could overlook these issues as the story was just that great. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to the author and Goodreads for the free copy as part of a giveaway.
I will agree with other reviews I read that the chapters were confusing at times in terms of whom was speaking, and there are a number of spelling and grammatical errors. However, I could overlook these issues as the story was just that great. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to the author and Goodreads for the free copy as part of a giveaway.
Want to read
February 7, 2018I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is a Kindle book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews