I Bet You Never Thought

Book excerpt: Thomas Jefferson Robinson IIIJefferson, to his friendsis born and raised in the tiny town of Leroy, Alabama, in the last decade of the twentieth century. As a kid, Jefferson has two loves: baseball and tae kwon do, the latter of which he discovers when he makes friends with a new boy at school named Jin Ho Kim, whose nickname is Tiger. When it comes time for Jefferson to go to college, he develops into a baseball star, setting off to play for the University of Alabama. As he makes his way in the world, he experiences love, happiness, betrayal, and danger, and his life takes several drastic turns that he could never have imagined. But there is one constant throughout his life: his family. If Jefferson can remain true to his values and himself, he knows hell always find his way back home. In this novel, a young man who is a gifted athlete growing up in small-town Alabama discovers strengths within himself as he builds a life for himself.