Conviction (Softcover)

I was the star. My future was bright, and tomorrow was promised. But tonight, this star would fall right out of the sky. A harsh voice burst into the night: “Take the keys out of the ignition and throw them out of the car!” Within minutes I was handcuffed, sitting in the back seat of a police car. Raised in a non observant Jewish home in Las Vegas, Shawn Balva is the star quarterback on his high school football team and dreams of going pro. But when the talented athlete dabbles in a world that glorifies violence and crime, he loses control, spiraling into a life of desperation and addiction. When Shawn is arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to prison at the age of twenty-one, he begins a desperate search for meaning. He is determined to change and live a better life —no matter how many obstacles he needs to tackle along the way.  Conviction is the riveting true story of a man who turns his life around, against all odds. From the football fields of Vegas to the prison cells of Otisville, Shawn Balva reveals an inner strength that trumps any touchdown he ever scored. Contains sensitive material.