Ken Harvey used to make a living out of reading NFL defenses; these days, he spends more time writing than reading.
The former Washington Redskins Pro Bowl linebacker and current ‘Director of Responsibility’ for the organization, has just released a new book, called “Xavier – A Hero No More.”
The book is not Harvey’s first – in fact he has written four others – but this is his first contribution to the world of fiction. All four of his previous publications were Children’s Books with great moral messages for their young readers. After meeting an artist named MarySue Hermes at his church, the two would eventually combine their talents together to produce books – Harvey as the writer, Hermes as the illustrator.
“I think I am, or was a kid at heart; and so writing a children’s book was just another part of who I am. When you see kids, you try to find a way to help. Children’s books can bring a smile to their faces.”
So what prompted him to have a go at non-fiction?
“I just wanted to take a situation and see what I could create from it.”
“It was a challenge to see if I could do it.”
A challenge that Harvey said, took years to complete. A challenge that by accomplishing, allowed him to realize a dream.
“We can talk a lot about dreams, but to go out and actually do it is key.”
Harvey was noticeably proud to have been able to complete his latest work. It is about an ex-NFL football player who kills two elderly people in a horrific car accident. It is a suspense/thriller that the author himself describes as a little ‘on the dark side.’ Undoubtedly Harvey drew a lot of inspiration from his favorite writer James Patterson, who has written more than 70 books; few more famous or popular than the ones about forensic psychologist Alex Cross of the Washington D.C. Police Department.
While it has been more than a decade since Harvey walked up and down the Redskins sidelines, he looks like he could still suit up and knock snot bubbles out of people. He spends the majority of his time and energy these days with his marketing company, Jaka Consulting Group. They specialize in Sports Marketing and the Healthcare industry.
The book will have a few of it’s own unique marketing twists, as there are plans for the title character Xavier to have his own blog and Twitter account. The world of literature these days is also high tech, so there is an E-Book available from Amazon. Additionally, Harvey teased the first chapter of his book, via his Facebook page. Just visit his Fan Page and click ‘like,’ and then check out the Notes section to read it yourself.
Those interested in a good old-fashioned hard copy of the book, can find it at http://xavierheronomore.weebly.com. Alternatively, it is also available at Amazon
So what does Harvey himself list as his personal favorite read?
“I don’t have a favorite read, but The Bible is golden.”
Amen Sir, Amen.
Notes: There will be an additional article in the next few days, to find out all of the other things that Harvey is up to, and to get his take on some Redskins-related material. Stay tuned. Follow us @TheHogsdotNet on Twitter or on Facebook to make sure you’re always being updated on THN’s content. You can follow Ken on Twitter @transition57.
Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Mark Solway