Former NBA Player Shares His Story in THE STROKE OF GRACE

Fontana, Calif.

Juaquin Hawkins has played professional basketball for 14 years. He has played in six different countries and became the second oldest rookie in the NBA with the Houston Rockets in 2003. In 2008, as he continued his basketball career in Australia, he would have a stroke that would change his life forever.

"The Stroke of Grace" (published by Xlibris) is the ultimate story of dreams imagined, dreams coming true, dreams shattered and lessons learned to continue to live. It tells the true story of Hawkins as a young boy searching for acceptance and finding it through the sport of basketball. Through perseverance, he makes it to the NBA. His career is cut short by a devastating stroke while playing professionally. Hawkins' journey includes trauma, triumphs, and testimony that describe overcoming challenges to making it to the top of his profession in the NBA and beyond.

According to coauthor Warren G. Landrum Jr., reaching the NBA was satisfying and significant to Hawkins but the work that he has done post-NBA and post-stroke will likely have a more lasting impact and leave an enduring legacy as he constantly strives to satisfy his God-given plan and purpose. "The Stroke of Grace" deals with real life issues by a professional athlete expressing his inner thoughts about the many ups and downs of his life. Juaquin Hawkins teaches readers how to cope with pitfalls and setbacks as well as how to stand up again. It serves as a gentle reminder for everyone to never give up and never lose hope.

"The Stroke of Grace"
By Juaquin Hawkins
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 282 pages | ISBN 9781499018981
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 282 pages | ISBN 9781499018998
E-Book | 282 pages | ISBN 9781499018950
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Juaquin Hawkins is from Lynwood, Calif. He was raised by his mom, grandma and uncle. He attended Long Beach State University on a basketball scholarship and was undrafted to the NBA. He played eight years overseas and in the minor league before becoming the second oldest rookie in the NBA in the 2002-2003 seasons. He is married to Kim Hawkins and they have three beautiful daughters Skyy, Emya, and Kelis.

Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.

To post a comment, you must register and login.