Joseph Lewis's Blog, page 11

Fan Mail – Podcast Interview and Thoughts

With Fan Mail launching on all outlets March 30th, I have been involved in a number of promotions recently with more to come. So far, the reception has been exceptional, which is fantastic for you the reader.

I was interviewed on The Author’s Spot Podcast and you can find it at: https://podcast.theauthorsspot.com/1973858/12365749

The interview, which was released yesterday, involved my life and my writing, and of course, my newest book, Fan Mail. I hope you take a listen.

What was interesting to me was that I was interviewed about mid-February, and I listened to it yesterday upon its release. Of course, it was edited and polished for you, the listener, but I discovered two things about me and my writing.

First, the interviewer, K. E. Robinson, was prepared beyond belief. He knew my books and my writing, and it made speaking with him not only easy, but also enjoyable. He referred to my books as cautionary tales. I had never thought about my books in that way, but the more I listened to the podcast and mulled the term over, it fits. My stories, from book to book, involve what the characters do to protect themselves, but more importantly, each other. For several of my characters, this drive is stronger than some of the other boys. But I think the cautionary aspect of my writing comes from my work with kids, primarily as a counselor. I think the guidance I tried to provide them appears in and amongst the pages of my writing.

It is never more apparent than in Fan Mail. Faced with a car bombing that may or may not have been a part of the fan mail onslaught, dealing with their father’s heart attack, letters and messages that at first were benign but escalate to threats, the patchwork group of adopted brothers try to cope with the stress and strain of all that is going on. They seek to understand and to protect each other. It isn’t easy. Their closeness, their brotherly bond embedded in friendship and love, is threatened and the family nearly disintegrates before the reader’s eyes.

The thing is, I watched this happen in the counseling office, in the classroom, the locker room, and in the school hallways. While some of the brothers are better equipped than others, they are still kids. Their reactions and judgement are suspect and at times, faulty. Told through Brian’s eyes, this family struggles with trust- with love for each other and in one or two cases, love for themselves. So yes, I guess Robinson was right when he called my stories cautionary. Those of you who have read the Lives Trilogy and Prequel, Caught in a Web, Spiral Into Darkness, Betrayed, and Blaze In, Blaze Out, will recognize the cautionary aspects in each.

Second, when I sit down and write a story, I don’t think “long term” in terms of themes and threads. I don’t even do that during the editing process. Simply put, I write a story about an idea I have. But as I listened to the podcast and as we talked a little about my life, I didn’t realize how much family, and the protection of family played a role in my writing. I just write, not that I don’t have an idea of where it’s going, but as I said, I am blind when it comes to themes until after it is written.

But the themes of family and love run deep in each of my books. Yes, even with the explosions, with the gun fights, the fires, and in some cases death, the threads of family and love run deep in the pages. I think that is what draws the reader in and why they keep coming back.

When I talk to kids or other authors about story construction, about the importance of character development and setting, I use the movie, Jaws, as an illustration. In the movie, you have three major characters and a shark. Yes, there are other characters: the sheriff’s wife and his two kids, the mother of the little boy who died, the town mayor. But ultimately, the story centers on the shark, the sheriff, the oceanographer, and the captain of the ship. And other than fear and suspense, it’s hard to “feel” anything else about the shark. It’s there. It will eat what it eats when it wants to eat. But you can’t empathize with a shark. There is no relationship the characters have with the shark other than not to be the shark’s lunch. It’s the sheriff, the captain, and the oceanographer who bring the story to life. It’s their relationships to one another, their strength and weakness, their support of one another that drive the story.

I think in any good writing, in any good book, there has to be more than a menacing shark. There has to be at least one, maybe two characters the reader can cheer for, love, and cry and laugh with. Just like life. And I think, from what I heard in the podcast, and from what readers share with me, these qualities come out in my writing. This is what drives Fan Mail. At least, what the early reviews tell me.

I hope you have an opportunity to listen to the podcast. More than that, I hope you pick up a copy of Fan Mail. I think you’ll enjoy it.

As always, thanks for following along on my writing journey. I would love to hear what you think, so please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Thanks for this consideration.

Purchase Fan Mail prior to the publication date of March 30, 2023, and use the promo code: PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount!

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS

Barnes & Noble Link: https://bit.ly/3CRNHya

Book Trailer for Fan Mail:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/MS5VjTzCvM4 Literary Titan: https://wp.me/p3cyvH-dj5

Writing Tips from Authors Who Are Successful!

Since I started writing way back, I leaned and learned on several authors and an agent who were willing to take me under their wing. Honestly, I’m forever grateful for their tips, their guidance, and their direction.

Stacey Donaghy is a fine and successful agent who believed in me way back when. She worked diligently on my behalf, and at that time, I had one book, a hope and a dream to be a writer and get something published. She was kind, compassionate, and gave me great tips along the way.

There are authors who have helped me along the way. Some of them I reach out to when I have completed a manuscript and need a set of eyes, and perhaps, a review. They’ve been generous with their time, knowing that many of them have day jobs, their own writing, and their families to tend to. There are too many to name, but honestly, if you take a peek at my previous posts, you’ll see them in the Meet ____ An Author! posts.

There are two such authors I regularly seek out. Their websites are helpful, and I’ve found them to be knowledgeable about writing. James Glass is a terrific thriller-mystery author and if you pick up any of his books, you’ll be entertained by his use of suspense and his build up to the climax. You can find my interview with him in my previous posts.

Another author is Paul Hollis. While he writes in the thriller genre, Paul is known for his international intrigue and espionage. He posted some great tips for those of you who might be just starting out. You can find my interview with him in my previous posts. I’ve included his website so you can follow him like I do. Here is his latest post in total:

Many new writers ask for my advice for someone who has writing ability. But, they may but stuck in fear or don’t believe they can go the distance with a full-length manuscript? Here is the best writing advice I’ve ever received?

First-time authors may be overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting information that’s going to be flying at them. Try to tune the noise out and write. Write the story you need to tell with your own style and voice, not the one you think agents, publishers, and readers want.

Find the time to write on a schedule every day if you can and write until you draft the story you have always envisioned. Don’t try to force anything. If you experience what it popularly known as writer’s block, there are two things you might do. First, stop for a few minutes and listen to music, or if you are a musician, play a song or two. Second and I love this one, my friend Caleb Pirtle reminds us, “If you are experiencing writer’s block, you may be asking your characters to do something they don’t want to do.”

https://lnkd.in/e9ibyEnp

#TheHollowManSeries #paulhollis

An event I wanted to alert you to is a podcast I had the good fortune to take part in. It airs tomorrow, Friday, 3-3-23. It is on Facebook through the group Authors Spot. The link will be posted tomorrow, and if you follow me on Facebook, I will be certain to post it for you. My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author

On Friday’s episode of @theauthorsspot #podcastI will talk about my life, my writing, and about my newest book, Fan Mail: When A Little Fanfare turns Fairly Obsessive!

I hope you have the opportunity to check it out. Until then, thanks for following along on my journey. Let me know what you think by adding a comment at the bottom of this post.

Fan Mail: Reviews, A Snippet and Thoughts

I’ve been blessed with the response my newest book, Fan Mail, is receiving. The reviews have been terrific so far, and it is still in preorder status. It launches fully on March 30th, and on that day, a seven day Book Blog Tour begins. Here are some of the reviews so far:

“Fan Mail masterfully explores brotherhood and healing while delivering a compelling crime thriller in this latest from Joseph Lewis.” -Sublime Book Review

“An emotionally explosive and life-affirming coming of age story wrapped within a simmering crime thriller.” -BestThrillers.com

“Libraries looking for a vivid, fast-paced story that moves from LGBTQ+ issues to family ties and beyond will find Fan Mail a fine acquisition.” -Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Book Review

“Tough. Gritty. Lewis cuts deep as he tackles teen sexuality questions as well as dangerous stalkers. The story explodes with tension and strength reflective of the personalities involved. Highly recommend it!” -Sharon Middleton, author of the McCarron’s Corner series

“Fan Mail is a thrilling and suspenseful family mystery novel…a page-turning mystery touching different parts of your heart at each turn.” -Literary Titan

“Starts with a bang and does not stop its relentless shrapnel barrage until you are crying with the characters. Fabulous job by the author. You want to read this one.” -Tina O’Hailey, author of Dark Drink

“Fan Mail is like a mirror held up to contemporary society, brilliantly reflecting and portraying our lives, struggles, troubles, delicate relationships, and so much more.” -Readers’ Favorite

“An interesting coming-of-age novel with a dark twist. Looking forward to the next one.” -Joan Livingston, author of the Isabel Long Mystery Series

“Short chapters, fast-paced, and terrific attention to telling details combined with a strong plot and great characters added up to a satisfying read. Thanks for another excellent story!” -Karen E. Osborne, author of Reckonings and Tangled Lies

While I am ecstatic over these, I am also humbled. Like Keith Urban stated in an interview a while back, he sees his songs as his children. He can’t love one more than the other. I feel the same way about my books- each of them. I also realize that while they are mine, once published, they belong to the reader. Some will love it, some won’t. I get that.

Here is a snippet from Fan Mail. To set it up for you, it takes place toward the end of the book, in a chapel in a hospital. Brian has been shot and his life is in the balance. We don’t know if he will live or die. Michael, also known as Two, has wandered off from the waiting area. Jeremy and George went in search of him and found him in the darkened chapel.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

The little chapel, darkened except for dim lighting and votive candles, was
empty except for Two, who sat in the second pew on the left. Head down,
shoulders hunched, weeping quietly.

Jeremy and George sat down on either side of him.

“I thought I’d feel Brian here.”

Neither Jeremy nor George responded.

“I prayed just like Brian taught me. I came with thanks and praise. Then
I asked God to protect Brian.”

Jeremy sat back, shocked. What else did Brian teach him?

“I think I prayed correctly,” Two said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

“I’m sure you did,” Jeremy said as he slipped an arm around the boy’s
narrow shoulders.

“But why couldn’t I feel him?”

It came out as a sob, and Jeremy hugged him and kissed the side of his
head.

“Because Brian is alive,” Jeremy whispered, hoping he was correct.

Two shook his head. “Brian can’t die yet.”

“We don’t know anything yet, Two.”

“No, you don’t understand. It’s cold and rainy outside. Brian wants to
die on a sunny day with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds. But not
until sunset. That’s his favorite time of day. Sunset is when he talks to God
about his day. He talks about how he screwed up and he apologizes and
promises to do better. He can’t die yet. It’s raining, and it’s cold, and it’s not
sunny. It’s not sunset. He can’t die yet.”

How could Jeremy argue with that? He knew there was nothing he
could say that would make sense to Two. It wasn’t the time or place to talk
to his youngest about weighty thoughts.

“I want to be with Brian. He shouldn’t be alone,” Two whispered as he
wiped away tears.

Jeremy gave Two a hug, kissed the side of his head, and said, “Let’s go
back to the waiting room. The doctor or your mom should be out soon, and
they’ll give us an update.”

Two sighed, nodded, and the three of them stood and left the chapel
together to be with the rest of the family. And wait.

Fan Mail, is Available for Preorder at https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail  

Use code PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount. You can also PREORDER the Kindle Version on Amazon at: amzn.to/3WBbRps

**If you are a blogger, librarian or reviewer, Fan Mail is available on NetGalley for free.**

Fan Mail: New Release! A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner!

A barrage of threatening letters, a car bomb, and a heart attack rip apart what was once a close-knit family of adopted brothers. Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad.

As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart.

Would he once again have to put himself in harm’s way to save them? And if faced with that choice, will he?

Thank you for stopping by. Let me know what you think by dropping a comment in the section below. Thanks for following along on my journey.

Meet Laura Lyndhurst – An Author!

Laura Lyndhurst is a fellow author at Black Rose Writing, and lives across the pond. She was born in North London almost sixty-seven years ago, and in her words, had a very full life to date. Laura states that she has been retired for a year in a couple of weeks, but no way does she feel like a retired person. She’s been a reader from an early age, and enjoyed school, but dropped out just before sixth-form studies for various reasons—most not of her own making—and at some point married an old school friend who’d taken up a mobile career. It took her until she was in her forties before she resumed study and went to university. She had my own career in teaching thereafter, and admits she wasn’t unhappy to give it all up and retire to the countryside.

Laura is a fascinating person and a talented author, and I hope you enjoy her interview.

What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?

I’ve never been one of those people with a dream, and even though I was an avid reader from a young age, it never occurred to me to write my own stories until I’d been to university. Writing essays was an art, one which I enjoyed, and I began doodling-around with snippets of ideas for stories. None of them developed into anything I could publish—most are still hidden in the depths of my laptop—but at some point I had the idea for a book, which is also hidden in my laptop and waiting for me to take it up again. The idea for what became my debut novel, Fairytales Don’t Come True, came to me when I was teaching at the university where I’d been a student, and met a student who was trying to pay for her studies, as is Mags in my story.

As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?

That’s difficult to answer, and I’m not sure that I can. Certainly we all have our own stories to tell, and our own way of telling them, and I know lots of other indie authors whose books I’ve read and enjoyed, albeit they’re very different from my own. I think I dislike being bound by the idea of fitting into a genre of any kind. My Criminal Conversation trilogy, and the fourth book I’ve just published, which continues the story, I suppose comes close to being literary fiction. I’ve also written a couple of books which loosely fit the psychological suspense category, but they’re done in very much my own way. You Know What You Did came close to being taken up by a publisher, but ultimately they didn’t. The reader sent me quite a full email though, telling me why it didn’t work for them, and I was pleased to receive that, rather than the ‘Sorry, not for us’ message, which is more usual. I’d done it my own sweet way, rather than fitting it into the requirements of the genre, although I did read up on what those are. I don’t enjoy writing for the market, preferring to write what I like, I suppose you could say sets me apart—but I’m sure I’m not the only one.

What genre do you write, and why?

As I’ve partly said in the previous question, I don’t stick to one genre. Literary fiction is my main love, I guess because it allows me to put into practice the traits of good storytelling, which I studied and then taught at university. I have branched out into psychological suspense though, mainly because I had an idea and followed through with it, and then wrote a sequel. I’ve written some poetry too, again because the idea of a poem came to me—I never liked it at school.

I do enjoy writing blogs and reviews for the books I’ve written. It’s a way to practice writing, and it’s possible to be very creative in reviewing. I’ve been told that I could make money from reviewing, but I don’t agree with paid reviews: when money comes into the equation, honesty goes out of the window.

I have to admit that it’s a pet hate with me when other authors give perfunctory reviews. If you can write a book, you can write a halfway-decent review, and there’s no excuse for not doing so. I’m grateful for any reviews I receive, in terms of them helping make up the numbers on Amazon, but it’s disappointing to get one from a so-called author that amounts to no more than a rehash of the blurb with a bit of added gush, and which anybody could have written without reading the book. But that’s just me—rant over.

Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?

I hope the stories I write are good, but that’s up to the readers to decide, of course. I don’t have any other creative talents; I wasn’t encouraged as a child, and I think that’s important. I always wanted to play the piano, but my mother said the ‘noise’ would upset the neighbors in our mid-terrace council house. What she really meant was that they couldn’t afford to buy me a piano, which wasn’t their fault. They did the absolute best they could. In the absence of that, I tried to play, at various times, the recorder, violin, ukulele and guitar—all badly. I love music, but I can’t make it myself for toffee. I did get the chance of piano lessons in my thirties, and wasn’t doing badly—but then I broke my left wrist and was in plaster for ten weeks. By the time I got my arm back, I was too disheartened to start from scratch with the piano, but never mind.

If you were to name one or two books that you deem unforgettable and that had a major impact on you, what would they be, and why?

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot is right up there. I read it at grammar school, aged fourteen, and it had a major impact on me. I had to write an essay about it and cried tears of grief and anger over the treatment of Maggie Tulliver. I realized the double-standard which still existed between women and men, even in the nineteen-sixties, and my eyes were opened to how women were still held back and judged differently for the same behavior that men got away unscathed for. It set me on my own path of individuality, and I never saw life in the same way again. I’ve read a lot of great books since, but nothing has come close in impact to that book.

What authors do you read regularly? Why?

I’ve read a great deal of Fay Weldon’s writing, having gained an interest in the TV dramatization of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil. She was at the forefront of feminism, and I’ve enjoyed most everything I’ve read of hers. As she passed away recently, I’ve made it my aim to read whatever else she’s written—of the feminist writings, I’m not too enamored of the later books—and am currently reading the first book she wrote, The Fat Woman’s Joke. Other than that, I like the works of Salman Rushdie, the allusions and messages he writes into his stories. The description of Saleem Sinai’s face, which is clearly a map of India—is masterly. My favorite though is Shalimar the Clown, which is about Kashmir. I love analyzing the deeper meaning in texts, and Rushdie’s give such scope for that.

If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?

The problem would be that, if I was having dinner with five really interesting people, I’d never eat anything! I used to have to attend formal dinners for my husband’s work, and he could always tell how interesting or otherwise the people sitting on either side of me were by the amount left on my plate at the end of each course. If I’d eaten everything, it meant I’d got boring people who made the required small talk and a little more. If my plate went back untouched, however, it meant I’d struck gold and got someone with whom I could have a good, interesting conversation, for a change—but it was usually the former case.

So I think I’d rather sit around on sofas with loads of wine and nibbles, like an Ancient Greek symposium, or—as one of my university lecturers used to say—one big philosophy seminar which I guess amounts to the same thing. I’d love to get together with some of the indie author friends I’ve made since I started writing, Amanda Sheridan of the Rapid Eye Movement trilogy, for one. I’m sure we’d have a good craic, and it could be even better if we fed in Paul McMurrough, writer of the Reliance, Power and Dr. Death novels. For the rest, I guess I’d have to get Fay Weldon back from the dead, as well as George Eliot, and Salman could come from across the pond, of course.

What is your writing routine? When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?

Total pantser, I’m afraid. I had a friend at one point who was the exact opposite, kept trying to get me to use brilliant new systems he’d discovered and which he used to plan and plot. He’d say things like ‘I’m going to kill a character in Chapter 7’, which is a concept totally alien to me. I never plan to kill anyone off. It just becomes clear at some point that their presence in the text is no longer required, or that their death would serve some other useful function. I begin with a general idea, which I allow to grow and develop in my head, with regular brain dumps onto the laptop. When I’ve got enough, I start to sort things out, and things usually grow as I go along.

As to a routine, it’s a very hit or miss thing. I see other people stressing-out if they don’t write something every day, or complaining that they’ve only written so many words, but it doesn’t work that way for me. I write when the inspiration hits, and if nothing comes for three months or even more—which happened last year—I’m not bothered. If I try to force it, I never write anything worthwhile. I don’t have a ‘sacred space’ for writing either—’Have laptop, will travel’ is my mantra, and I can be found equally happy tapping away on the sofa, at the kitchen island or on the bathroom floor at 3 a.m., so as not to disturb the man if I’d had one of those middle-of-the-night ideas. Since I got a smartphone, though, the bathroom floor has taken a back seat, as I can lie in bed and tap away on that.

When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?

I read all the time, from many genres. I believe very much in supporting other indie authors like myself, and those I know write all kinds of things, so you name it and I’ll probably read it. I have my favorites, of course, and I’m not keen on horror or vampires, but I’ll give most things a go.

Is there something you set out to do, but somehow, it didn’t work out for you? (In writing, or something else you felt was important to you at the time?)

My life has gone in a direction which I never visualized, but I never had a grand plan, so I’m okay with how it’s gone. My vision of being an author didn’t work out, certainly. When I wrote my debut novel, I knew it would get an agent/publisher easily, and it was going to be a bestseller, with myself a multi-millionaire. It was a steep learning curve, and it’s been entertaining—how little I knew!

What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?

I read a lot, mainly indies but some traditionally published books as well, and my biggest criticism is the lack of good editing, which doesn’t mean a professional editor has to be hired, at huge cost. The professionals have no excuse. I read a book by Fay Weldon, an early one which had obviously been taken on—with all her other works—by her latest publisher, and it was dire in editing terms. The publisher had clearly just uploaded the manuscript without checking for errors, and there were loads. Not Ms. Weldon’s grammar, but two words run together in many places, a common error which I’ve seen when the work hasn’t been checked for this, or for double-spaces, which aren’t always obvious in certain fonts.

As for indies, I tend to give good reviews for good stories, and forgive some errors in the light of that. Authors need to go through their work again and again though—to the point that they’re sick of doing so—in order to iron out as many errors as possible. Full stops at the end of sentences, speech marks missing at the end of a paragraph, apostrophes in the wrong place—the list goes on. If you’re not sure, google it—it’s so easy to look these things up, in these days of the internet. When you give your manuscript to beta readers, it ought to be as good as you feel it can be—these good people ought to be picking up the odd typo here and there, not altering half-a-dozen or more errors on each page. It’s your book, and the condition in which you put it out there says a lot about you to your readers.

How do you handle a negative critique?

Let’s say I handle it and get over it. I can cope with constructive criticism, but sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason. I had one great review recently, as good as many five-star reviews which I’ve received. The reader seemed to have really enjoyed the book—but only gave four stars, with no explanation why. If you don’t tell me why you removed a star, I can’t learn from your review. On the other hand, there are those critical reviews which seem to nitpick for not much reason. I had one that criticized the font size as being too small—but they were reading an eBook, so were able to make the print larger. They also criticized the layout saying nothing about the actual story go figure. I checked other reviews this person had given, and they appeared to do the same with every book they read. Clearly they have a thing about layout and font size—go figure.

I would never engage with somebody about their review, though. I had an author friend who took exception to the five-star review I’d given one of their books, because I’d criticized certain aspects. This person was clearly bothered, and I tried to explain the rationale behind my comments, but they weren’t having it, and that was the end of that association.

Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?

I’d never undertake to write a story with a massive cast of characters, and I shy away from reading such books. Having said which, I recently read such a book by way of support for the author, and nearly changed my mind when I saw the list of characters, places and maps at the beginning of the book. I persevered, though, and it became my best book of 2022. It was The Wolf in Winter, a retelling of the Tristan and Isolde story set in the British Isles of the Dark Ages, by Barbara Lennox, and I loved it. I followed it with The Swan in Summer, the second in what’s to be a trilogy, with the third, The Serpent in Spring, to be published in 2023. I’m full of respect for Barbara and others who write such epics, but I couldn’t do it.

How important are the elements of character, setting, and atmosphere to a story, and why?

It’s important that they all work together, I suppose, although I must admit that I’ve never thought about it that much. I just write what I write, and somehow it feels right, or it feels wrong and needs to be fixed. I think characters bring their own atmosphere, if that makes any sense. I’d have to give it more thought.

Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?

Absolutely. I’m not one character per se, but my books are peppered with lots of little incidents from my life as well as my own characteristics. There’s some wish-fulfillment going on in places, but I can’t be the only writer who does that. Some characters do for me the things that I’d like to do but can’t, others express beliefs and opinions for me. I can’t be sure, but I believe all writers put something of themselves into their characters.  

Is there an unforgettable or memorable character that will not leave your head, either of your own creation or from a book you’ve read?

Not really. Various characters come and go, but nobody’s there all the time.

Tell us about your most recent book.

It’s a fourth book, Innocent, Guilty, which continues the story from my Criminal Conversation trilogy. I thought I’d finished the series, hence calling it a trilogy, but in June 2022, while I was on holiday in Italy, it just came to me that there was something else I could do with those characters.

How did you come up with the concept?

It had to do with topical issues of the time which were on the margins of my mind, as well as a personal matter which had occurred in the previous month. I can’t say much about it. I don’t want to give any kind of spoiler, but it seemed right to do it and highlight those issues.

How did you come up with the title?

The title was a problem, and my ideas went bouncing backwards and forwards between me and Amanda Sheridan, who was a great help in that regard and in beta-reading the final manuscript. I have a thing about finding an original title, but that’s so hard to do. Everything I came up with was entered into the search on Amazon, and so many found multiple other books with that title. When Innocent, Guiltycame to me, I didn’t even check it on there—although I just have, and although there are many variations of the words, mine is the only one formatted in that way: yay! Amanda liked it, not the least because it echoes the format of the title Degenerate, Regenerate, from the second book of the trilogy.

From your book, who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character? Why?

As for characters, I can’t pick a favorite, or a least favorite. I love them all, even the one deeply unpleasant character who has reasons for being that way. And that’s the point I try to make with all my characters, I think—they’re complex human beings, neither all good nor all bad, but a mixture of both.

I hope you enjoyed the interview. Her social media contacts and links to her books are below. Thank you for following along, and let me know what you thought in the comment section below.

Author/media contact information:

https://www.facebook.com/lauralyndhurstauthor

= Facebook Author Page

https://www.facebook.com/laura.lyndhurst.5

= Facebook personal profile

#lyndhurstlaura = Instagram account

= Amazon Author page (all 10 books are there, it’s easier than giving you links to all of them)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20336562.Laura_Lyndhurst

= Goodreads Author page

https://allauthor.com/author/laura38/= Allauthor page

= Innocent, Guilty, which I’ve just released. It’s a fourth book to follow a trilogy.

Author Biography

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

Behind the Page

I stole this from a panel presentation I had the pleasure of taking part in last evening through our county library system. The program, Behind the Page, was taped, and you can find it here: http://facebook.com/crrlnews and while it is technically Facebook, YOU DO NOT need to have Facebook to check it out. Merely go to the link and settle in for an informative evening with two authors, one of whom is me.

In addition to a reading I did from my newest book, Fan Mail, I was asked questions from the moderator and from a couple of the viewers. Because time was limited and because I didn’t want to hog all of it, I thought I would expand on what I said last evening. They were great questions and worth talking about.

When did you start writing? What made you decide to pursue publishing?

I had mentioned this in previous posts, but in sixth grade, my teacher, Sr. Josephe’ Marie Flynn, had story starters. She would write three or four paragraphs on a 3 x 5 notecard, and if we wanted to, we could take one from her desk after we finished with a test or our seat work, and complete the story. No credit was given, but she would give us feedback on what we wrote.

I soaked them up! I couldn’t wait to take one. In 1986 or 87, I watched a movie, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me, which was adapted from a Stephen King novella, The Body. It was a coming-of-age movie about four kids on a journey to find a body of a kid who was hit by a train. But in reality, the movie and story is more than just a search for a body. It was a search of self, of friendship and support, of living through a struggle in dead end households and a dead end town. These are themes I use in my own writing, though wrapped in a thriller-crime-mystery genre.

I was so moved by that movie (I read King’s story at least a half-dozen times), that when I got home, I wrote the first draft to a story, Dusty and Me, that ended up getting published a short time later in 1987, I think. But it wasn’t until 2014 when my first book, Taking Lives, the Prequel to the Lives Trilogy, was published. Quite a journey with large gaps in between.

I think it is a natural, logical progression for any writer to pursue publication once something is written. Scary, because all eyes are on it and it might not be “loved” by others the way the writer loves it, but it is also satisfying and accomplishment to be celebrated.

I noticed many of your characters are teen boys. Why did you choose the thriller genre to feature teens and children?

I write thriller-crime-mystery because that is what I enjoy reading. My go-to authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, John Sandford, C.J. Box, and an Indie author, Mark Dawson. I try to read a little each night. As King likes to say, “If you don’t read, you won’t have the tools to write.”

As for the teens and kids being my characters, two reasons come to mind. First, for 47 years and counting, I’ve been in education. I’ve worked with kids as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator. When I semi-retired in 2020, I went back into the classroom on a part-time basis, which I’m doing as I write this, working with kids.

Kids are almost masters at hiding feelings, disguising urges and needs, and shy about wanting to be accepted and loved. My background is in counseling and psychology, and my “study” of them is a natural by-product in my writing.

Mostly, as a counselor, some of the stories I heard in my office behind the closed door were tragic and heartfelt. It is these stories you read in the pages of my writing. Some of that stuff I didn’t and can’t make up. During my counseling, I volunteered as an adjunct educator for the Wetterling Foundation for Stranger Abducted and Sexually exploited kids. My job was to educate parents on keeping their kids safe, educate kids on keeping themselves safe, and speaking to staff and teachers to look for signs and signals that kids might be in danger.

I wanted to “tell the story” of missing and exploited kids, so I did that in the Lives Trilogy and Prequel: Taking Lives, Stolen Lives, Shattered Lives, and Splintered Lives. When those were published, it seemed natural to me to continue the story of those kids, the characters from those stories: what happened to them after they were freed from captivity and exploitation? How are they adapting to life in the world now? So like some of my favorite writers, I take the same characters and move them forward in each of the books I write. Some of the same characters, different adventures.

In your acknowledgements in Blaze In, Blaze Out, you thank several subject experts. How did you find subject experts? Do you have a suggestion for writers on how to approach them?

I chase after them. For the investigation work, I use Police Chief Jamie Graff, who appears in my books as Detective Jamie Graff, along with a Sheriff Deputy, Earl Coffey, who is also a part-time character in my books, and used to be SWAT team member. I’ve worked with both and developed a friendship with them. For anything dealing with forensics, a former student, James Dahlke, known as Skip Dahlke in my books, answers my many “what if” questions, because he has a degree in Forensic Science and works in that area fulltime. For anything medical, I’ve worked with some phenomenal school nurses: Sharon King (now an ER nurse) and Filippa Unger, now retired, and I also have a sister, Mary, who practiced as a nurse and taught nursing to students. There is also a wonderful Facebook group, Cops and Writers, I belong to who take the time to answer my questions.

Specifically for Blaze In, Blaze Out, I know absolutely nothing about hunting or fishing. Truly, nothing. Fortunately, one of my friends, Nick Roman, is an avid hunter, and taught me everything I needed to know and then some for that book. My brother-in-law, Brian Jorgenson, filled in some gaps for both Betrayed and Blaze. Another friend, Roger Spencer, gave me information on fishing, even down to the types of lures and bait used for fish and bodies of water. For anything dealing with Navajo culture and language, I reached out to Robert Johnson at the Navajo Museum in Arizona, along with Brenda Hat, a native Navajo and Eric Painter, who lived and taught on the Navajo reservation. I had to hunt for them, but they were gracious to answer my many questions. If you read my work, you know two of the adopted boys, George Tokay and Michael Two Feathers, are Navajo.

My advice is to seek out politely, and most anyone is willing to help and answer questions. When in doubt, Google it, but it is always nice to have firsthand, accurate information.

Why did you choose True Crime as a genre to write in?

I didn’t, and I don’t. True Crime deals with actual people, places, and events that have occurred. Sometimes, writers will write about a cold case that occurred, and perhaps try to solve it. I don’t do any of that, other than make a reference to something that has happened either in the past or perhaps something taken from the headlines that’s currently happening in our world.

The genre I write in is thriller-crime-fiction. Accent on the “fiction.” I make it up, except for what might be taking place in the world today. For instance, for Caught in a Web, I used the current events of fentanyl use and heroin overdoses that are taking place across the country and affecting teens on the streets and in our schools, along with the rise of MS-13 in the area I live in. Most everything else I wrote about is “made up” and fiction.

What are you working on now?

This brought a smile to my face and I almost jumped out of my chair. I am currently over 34,000 words, about 109 pages into a book, At Any Cost, which is a follow-up, a sequel, to Caught in a Web. For those of you who read Caught in a Web, and as I mentioned above, it deals with MS-13 wanting to find out who was cutting in on their drug trade in and around the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin (where almost all of my stories take place either in part or in whole), and exact revenge and teach a lesson. A shooting took place in a home at the end of that book, and five individuals were killed. A “secret” was formulated to protect four individuals in that home at the time of the shooting. If MS-13 were to find out the truth, those four individuals wouldn’t be safe. A secret is only good until someone shares it with the wrong individual. Needless to say, MS-13 has heard what might actually happened in that house, and now, the four individuals that secret was meant to protect are in danger because MS-13 is back in Waukesha seeking the truth of that evening.

Most, if not all, of my books contain a twin, sometimes triple, storyline, one of which is a coming-of-age theme. At Any Cost has little, if any, coming-of-age theme. It is thriller-crime-mystery through and through, and I’m just a little excited about it. Okay, I lied. I’m super excited about it, and I think readers will love it.

Can you read a little from your most recent book?

My most recent book is Fan Mail, which is available for preorder currently (the link and description is below with my other books), and will be launching March 30th. Fan Mail is a coming-of-age story about the Evans family, told through the eyes of Brian, wrapped in a thriller-crime-mystery. It weighs more heavily on the coming-of-age theme than my other books, and so far, the reviews have been truly fantastic.

The chapter I’m presenting for you needs some setup. Brian has been shot and his life teeters in the balance. The family and medical staff don’t know if he is going to make it. His adopted brother, Michael, who everyone calls Two because his last name is Two Feathers (a Navajo boy) is particularly hit hard by Brian’s shooting. Unnoticed, he leaves the waiting room and goes to the hospital chapel. Jeremy, father to the boys, and Michael’s step-brother, George, go off in search of him, and find him there. This passage takes place in the chapel upon his discovery. (I apologize ahead of time for any formatting issues as I cut and paste).

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

            The little chapel, darkened except for dim lighting and votive candles, was empty except for Two, who sat in the second pew on the left. Head down, shoulders hunched, weeping quietly.

            Jeremy and George sat down on either side of him.

            “I thought I’d feel Brian here.”

            Neither Jeremy nor George responded.

            “I prayed just like Brian taught me. I came with thanks and praise. Then I asked God to protect Brian.”

            Jeremy sat back, shocked. What else did Brian teach him?

            “I think I prayed correctly,” Two said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

            “I’m sure you did,” Jeremy said as he slipped an arm around the boy’s narrow shoulders.

            “But why couldn’t I feel him?”

It came out as a sob, and Jeremy hugged him and kissed the side of his head.

“Because Brian is alive,” Jeremy whispered, hoping he was correct.

Two shook his head. “Brian can’t die yet.”

“We don’t know anything yet, Two.”

“No, you don’t understand. It’s cold and rainy outside. Brian wants to die on a sunny day with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds. But not until sunset. That’s his favorite time of day. Sunset is when he talks to God about his day. He talks about how he screwed up and he apologizes and promises to do better. He can’t die yet. It’s raining, and it’s cold, and it’s not sunny. It’s not sunset. He can’t die yet.”

How could Jeremy argue with that? He knew there was nothing he could say that would make sense to Two. It wasn’t the time or place to talk to his youngest about weighty thoughts.

“I want to be with Brian. He shouldn’t be alone,” Two whispered as he wiped away tears.

Jeremy gave Two a hug, kissed the side of his head, and said, “Let’s go back to the waiting room. The doctor or your mom should be out soon, and they’ll give us an update.”

Two sighed, nodded, and the three of them stood and left the chapel together to be with the rest of the family. And wait.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please go below and throw in a comment. Below are the links and descriptions to my books:

My newest, Fan Mail, just won a Literary Titan Silver Book Award, and is Available for Preorder at https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail  

Use code PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount. If you head over to my author website at www.jrlewisauthor.blog/ you will find the cover to Fan Mail, along with the book trailer, and the first two chapters to preview. You can also PREORDER the Kindle Version on Amazon at: amzn.to/3WBbRps

Fan Mail: New Release! A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner!

A barrage of threatening letters, a car bomb, and a heart attack rip apart what was once a close-knit family of adopted brothers. Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad.

As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart.

Would he once again have to put himself in harm’s way to save them? And if faced with that choice, will he?

Blaze In, Blaze Out:  Best Action Crime Thriller of 2022 by Best Thrillers! A Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner! A Readers’ Favorite Award Winner! A Reader’s Ready Recommended Read! A BestThriller’s Editor’s Pick!

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko, the head of a Ukrainian crime family, meant the end. It was only the beginning. They forgot that revenge knows no boundaries, vindictiveness knows no restraints, and ruthlessness never worries about collateral damage. Andruko hired contract killers to go after and kill O’Connor and Eiselmann. The killers can be anyone and be anywhere. They can strike at any time. They care nothing of collateral damage. Andruko believes a target is a target, and in the end, the target must die. https://amzn.to/34lNllP

Betrayed : Two Top Shelf Awards: 1st Place Fiction-Mystery; and Runner-Up Fiction-Crime; A PenCraft 1st Place Winner for Thriller-Fiction! A Maxy Award Runner-Up for Mystery/Suspense! A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner! A Reader’s Ready Recommended Read Award Winner! A Reader’s Favorite Honorable Mention Award Winner for Fiction-Crime-Mystery!

Betrayed  is Now Available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback!  https://amzn.to/3AfUUpS

A late-night phone call, a missing kid, a murdered family, but no one is talking. A promise is made and kept, but it could mean the death of a fifteen-year-old boy. Greed can be all-consuming, and seeing is not believing. No one can be trusted, and the hunters become the hunted. https://amzn.to/2EKHudx

Spiral Into Darkness: Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards!
He blends in. He is successful, intelligent, and methodical. So far, he has murdered eight people. There is no discernible pattern. There are no clues. There are no leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go on is the method of death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send a message. But it’s difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and damaged mind. Two adopted boys, struggling in their own world, do not know they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm

Caught in a Web : A PenCraft Literary Award Winner! Named “One of the Best Thrillers of 2018!” by BestThrillers.com 

Caught in a Web  is also available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback!  http://bit.ly/2WO3kka

They found the bodies of high school and middle school kids dead from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl. A violent gang, MS-13, controls the drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors. They send Ricardo Fuentes to find out who is cutting in on their business, shut it down and teach them a lesson. But he has an ulterior motive: find and kill a fifteen-year-old boy, George Tokay. Detectives Jamie Graff, Pat O’Connor and Paul Eiselmann race to find the source of the drugs, shut down the ring, and find Fuentes before he kills anyone else. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696  
 
The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they live in separate parts of the country, the lives of Kelliher, 11-year-old Brett McGovern, and 11-year-old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their futures grow dark as each search for a way out. https://amzn.to/34nXBH5
 
Book One, Stolen Lives: Editor’s Pick by BestThrillers! Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner! A Crime Thriller finalist in the 2021 Best Thriller Book Awards!
Two thirteen-year-old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they will end up like the other kids they found- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. To make the investigation that much tougher, Kelliher suspects that one of his team members might be involved. https://amzn.to/3oMo4qZ  
 
Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
The boys are home, but now they have to fit back in with their families and friends. Their parents and the FBI thought the boys were safe. They were until people began dying. Now the hunt is on for six dangerous and desperate men who vow revenge. With no leads and nothing to go on, the FBI can only sit back and wait. A dangerous game that threatens not only the boys, but their families. https://amzn.to/2RAYIk2 
 
Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
Three dangerous men with nothing to lose offer a handsome reward to anyone willing to kill fourteen-year-old Brett McGovern. He does not know that he, his younger brother, and a friend are targets. More than anyone, these three men vow to kill George, whom they blame for forcing them to run and hide. A fun vacation turns into a nightmare and ends where it started, back on the Navajo Nation Reservation, high on a mesa held sacred by George and his grandfather. Outnumbered and outgunned, George will make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his adoptive father and his adoptive brothers- but can he? Without knowing who these men are? Or where they are? Without knowing whom to trust? Is he prepared for betrayal that leads to his heartbreak and death? http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives  

Meet David Rabin – An Author!

Like me and others who I have interviewed, David Rabin is a member of the Black Rose Writing publisher. He is also a crime-thriller writer. David grew up in Chicago, where his book is based. He moved to Atlanta and worked as a trial lawyer for thirty-three years, and is now retired. When he isn’t writing, he spends his time competing in rifle sports, running a competitive shooting program at his club, and writing crime fiction. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

What genre do you write and why?

I write crime thrillers that include aspects of military thrillers. Those are the genres I most enjoy reading, so I gravitate to them as an author. Also, it’s easier to create stakes when there’s violence. A famous revolver shooter, Ed McGivern, once said, “The human target element always stimulates interest.”

What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?

Thirty years ago, an idea for a story popped into my head. I wasn’t even thinking about writing a book. It was just something to think about during idle moments to keep myself entertained. Eventually, the thought occurred to me: I wonder if I could turn this story into a novel. I thought about it every day for the next twenty years and, after I retired, forced myself to sit down and start typing it. My goal wasn’t to become an author; I just wanted to get the story out of my head and onto paper so I wouldn’t be disappointed in myself for never having done so.

Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?

I’m not sure I’m talented at anything, but there are two other activities I enjoy and can do better than anything else I do. One is public speaking; I majored in Speech Communication in college and spent a good part of my career doing public speaking in situations where someone stood to gain or lose something, depending on how I performed. The other activity is competitive rifle shooting, in which I’ve shot at paper targets at distances ranging from fifty yards to 1,000 yards.

If you were to name one or two books that you deem unforgettable and that had a major impact on you, what would they be, and why?

Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter. The way he creates and manages multiple plot lines and integrates different points of view is just masterful. He’s also a superlative wordsmith. I’d recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn how a thriller should be structured and paced.

Is there something you set out to do, but somehow, it didn’t work out for you? (In writing, or something else you felt was important to you at the time?)

I wanted to be a blues-rock guitarist, not at a professional level, but good enough to play decently. I took lessons for a while but quickly plateaued, and my plateau wasn’t very high.

What tips would you give to new writers?

1. The biggest mistake I made in my author journey was not studying the craft of novel writing before I wrote my first draft. Don’t be me! There’s a lot to writing a novel that’s not apparent from reading them. Take some classes or read some books about the craft. Had I done so before I started, it would have saved me a lot of re-writing.

2. Join a writers’ club, go to conferences and workshops, and develop relationships with other authors.

3. Believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid of failing. You can’t succeed if you hold yourself back. If you’re like the vast majority of authors, you’ll get a lot of rejections and criticism. Remind yourself it’s par for the course.

How do you handle a negative critique?

If it’s because of poor execution on my part, I learn from it and resolve not to repeat it. If it’s due purely to the reader’s personal preference, I ask myself whether I truly think the book would have been better if I’d done what the reader wanted. If my conclusion is no, I don’t fret over it. Every reader has personal preferences, and there’s nothing the author can do about that. We won’t be able to please all the readers all the time.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent—and thus far only—book is a revenge story called In Danger of Judgment. It begins in 1972 in Vietnam, when the head of a covert operation turns his men over to the enemy and gets them killed. One man swears revenge.

Fast forward fifteen years to 1987 Chicago. Police Detective Marcelle DeSantis and her partner, Bernie Bernardelli, are working a series of heroin-related murders when their job gets more complicated. The man who sabotaged the Vietnam operation, Robert Thornton, is now the chief enforcer for a Southeast Asian heroin cartel, and after fifteen years overseas, he’s arrived in Chicago to eliminate the reigning cartel and seize control of the city’s heroin trade.

Racing to stop a drug war, Marcelle and Bernie don’t realize they’re about to be caught in a deadly crossfire: another man is circling in the wings, one of Thornton’s soldiers from Vietnam, who’s preparing to exact his long-sought revenge against his former mentor. He’s the last person anyone would ever suspect, and when he finally makes his move, the paths of these four people will explosively converge.

How did you come up with the title?

One of the book’s themes is the morality of killing. The title is taken from Matthew 5:21: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.”

From your book, who is your favorite character?

I birthed and raised my characters, and like my real-life children, I love them all equally. But I will add this: if I had a daughter, I’d want her to be Detective Marcelle DeSantis. She’s smart, doesn’t hesitate to use her power and agency, and takes no grief from anyone.

What is the most interesting feedback you’ve received?

One of my characters is a certifiably crazy professional assassin named Ed. The book spends a fair amount of time in his point of view so the reader can see how warped and cold-blooded he is. But I didn’t want Ed to be a cardboard cutout, so I tried to humanize this otherwise inhumane person—he dotes on his lawn, is well-liked by his neighbors in his suburban community, and genuinely loves children. One of my readers—a perfectly normal person, by the way—named Ed as his favorite character. I figured that if I could get a normal person to be enchanted by a psychopathic murderer, I’d done my job as an author.

What do you consider to be your obligations to your readers?

I am obliged to respect the reader. I assume my reader is attentive, patient, and smarter than I am. If I write about a subject matter on which I have no expertise, I’ll research it and consult with experts to make sure I get it right. I’ll leave no plot holes and won’t take easy outs. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that every scene and the story as a whole are plausible.

For me, this was a fascinating interview. There are some commonalities between David and me. Love of music, being a public speaker, and his feelings about his characters. I also liked how he came up with the title of his book. That particular Bible verse has impacted one of my characters, Brian, from my books.

If you want to follow David, here are his social media links:

David Rabin’s Social Media:

Website: http://www.davidrabinauthor.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DavidRabinAuthor/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/davidrabin  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61122033-in-danger-of-judgment 
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/david-rabin

What Am I Working On, and What Am I Reading?

It “feels” like I’m working on two things at once, which is often the case when you finish a book and get ready for its launch. In this case, my book, Fan Mail, is done and in preorder status. It actually launches March 30th in paperback with the ebook launching shortly thereafter.

If you wanted to get Fan Mail now, there are two ways to do so. It is currently available on NetGalley, a site for bloggers, reviewers, and librarians. NetGalley is an innovative, easy-to-use website that provides digital galleys free of charge to professional readers. Publishers upload the title, plus any marketing and promotional information, and invite contacts to view the title on NetGalley. Readers can also find new titles through NetGalley’s catalog, and request to review those titles from the publisher. Galleys can be read online, downloaded to a computer, and read on a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or another device. Readers also have access to the Press Kit, where publishers offer their marketing materials, book trailers, tour schedules, author bios, and Q&As, cover art and photos, and more. The site is being used by reviewers, media professionals, booksellers, librarians, and educators; by international publishers and agents looking to purchase rights, and by our sales reps when promoting your title to retail accounts.

If you like to read, NetGalley is a good site to be familiar with. You can find it at:

https://www.netgalley.com/widget/457192/redeem/9a8cb9f4c5147a39f3afccdd098805d0b70a0ed710e7aacfb4df2be7ff00ea07

Once you are on the title page, you can press DOWNLOAD or SEND TO KINDLE. This early preview edition is protected so it can only be read by you, and will expire. Contact support@netgalley.com if you need help.

The second way to get a copy of Fan Mail is by preordering it through my publisher, Black Rose Writing. Purchase Fan Mail prior to the publication date of March 30, 2023, and use the promo code: PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount!

If you’d like to view the book trailer of Fan Mail, you can see it here: YouTube: https://youtu.be/MS5VjTzCvM4 Literary Titan: https://wp.me/p3cyvH-dj5

I have also lined up two Blog Tours for Fan Mail. One begins March 30, and the other begins in mid-May. These are conducted by professional bloggers who read and review the book, and then post it on Goodreads, Amazon, and B & N. I will also post their reviews on Facebook and Instagram for my followers.

Now, as to what I’m working on …

I am over 30,000 words, about 105 pages, on a first draft of a book tentatively titled, At Any Cost. It is a thriller-crime novel featuring my detective trio of Pat O’Connor, Jamie Graff, and Paul Eiselmann, along with a few of the adopted boys in the Evans family, George, Two, Brian, and Brett. It is actually a follow-up, a sequel of sorts to my book, Caught in a Web, about MS-13, gangs, and revenge. At Any Cost returns the reader to a pure thriller-crime genre, with much less of any other storyline.

The tagline I’m playing with is: The secret was to protect them from death and revenge, and the secret lasted almost two years. But someone told the secret, and two of the four are dead. Will George and Two be next?

I hope to have it completed by late spring, early summer, then off to the publisher or agent. So far, so good, and I’m pleased with what is happening with this story, and I think readers will be pleased, too.

What am I reading?

I discovered an Indie author, Mark Dawson, who hails from England. A terrific writer. His character, John Milton, is reminiscent of Jason Bourne or McCall of the Equalizer TV show, but more “human” and more flawed. I flew through the first four books of the series, and now I’m in book 5, The Sword of God.

It is a tremendous series that keeps you guessing. Many unforeseen twists and turns that keep the pages turning. If you like action-adventure-thriller, this might be one to check out.

I have never read two works of fiction at the same time, and this is the first time I’m reading both a work of fiction and a work on nonfiction. While I am reading Dawson’s book 5, I am also reading James Patterson by James Patterson. I enjoy his folksy way of storytelling. The chapters are short and to the point, much like his works of fiction (Alex Cross or Michael Bennett series), each chapter captures a moment in Patterson’s life.

I’ve learned much from him through his work of fiction, but with this autobiography, it is nice to get to know the man behind the fiction.

Balancing promotion of my book Fan Mail with writing my newest At Any Cost, while reading two books can be challenging. But I like the challenge. When I feel I need to promote Fan Mail, (or any of my other books) I will. I always write each day for at least an hour or more, but it is necessary to take the time to read. As Stephen King is fond of saying, (paraphrasing), “If you don’t read, you won’t have the tools to write.” That quote I take to heart, and I believe it has helped my storytelling.

Thanks for following along. I’d like to hear what you think. For your convenience, I’ve put the links to my social media below, along with links to my books I’ve mentioned above. So until next time …

Social Media Contact:

Author Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /

Blog at: https://www.simplethoughtsfromacomplicatedmindsortof.com  

Fan Mail

A barrage of threatening letters, a car bomb, and a heart attack rip apart what was once a close-knit family of adopted brothers. Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad.

As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart.

Would he once again have to put himself in harm’s way to save them? And if faced with that choice, will he?

Amazon Link: amzn.to/3eNgSdS Black Rose Writing Link: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail

Caught in a Web : A PenCraft Literary Award Winner! Named “One of the Best Thrillers of 2018!” by BestThrillers.com 

Caught in a Web is also available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback! http://bit.ly/2WO3kka

They found the bodies of high school and middle school kids dead from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl. A violent gang, MS-13, controls the drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors. They send Ricardo Fuentes to find out who is cutting in on their business, shut it down and teach them a lesson. But he has an ulterior motive: find and kill a fifteen-year-old boy, George Tokay. Detectives Jamie Graff, Pat O’Connor and Paul Eiselmann race to find the source of the drugs, shut down the ring, and find Fuentes before he kills anyone else. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696

Two Wasted Words, and A Great Review

My editing has improved over the nine books I’ve written, the countless papers my son and daughters wrote for school, and the nonfictional and inspirational blog I write at https://www.simplethoughtsfromacomplicatedmindsortof.com . Editing, like writing, takes practice, patience, reading a ton, and a willingness to listen to others. I know I’m not the last word on editing, or writing for that matter, but I think I developed a niche that my readers like.

In this post, I want to explore two words, though sometimes useful and needed in certain places, might be limited in your writing by using better, more solid words in their place.

Word #1: It

This is a recent discovery for me, I’m embarrassed to say. Like I said, the word ‘it’ can be used in certain spots, but there are other times when it (no pun intended) should be banished.

An example: It was a beautiful morning.

For me, a below average sentence that doesn’t say much. In fact, that sentence includes two of the wasted words in my post. Can we improve on it? I think so.

What makes it a beautiful morning? A robin’s egg blue sky with puffy cotton ball clouds? A dazzlingly bright sun, warm on the skin? A gentle breeze that tickles the small hair on the back of your hand? Laughter from a child or children playing with their trucks in the sandbox?

Without saying “It was a beautiful morning” I just described a morning to you, one you can picture and feel and listen to.

An example: He never wanted to do it.

Do what? Write a nasty letter to a rival? Say something mean and ugly to a spouse? Pick up a knife and stab someone breaking into your house? Run a red light? Kiss the selfish, egotistical girl or boy he or she doesn’t like? Follow the orders of a bully? Snort the line of cocaine?

Instead of using the word ‘it’, describe what the ‘it’ is. It will strengthen your writing and paint a better picture in your reader’s head. In almost all cases, the writer wants the reader to picture the paragraph, to feel the sentence, to taste the description. The word ‘it’ doesn’t do any of that.

Word #2: Was

If you reread this passage so far, I’ve used the word ‘was’ twice. Can you spot them?

Typically, the word ‘was’ is followed by another word. The combination of the two creates a passive verb.

For example: It was raining. I was hungry. The morning was hot.

Any of those sentences do much for you? Can we improve them?

The rain blew sideways stinging my face, making it difficult to walk to my car.

I hadn’t eaten meat in days, and my stomach growled as I devoured the hamburger in three bites, leaving ketchup, mustard, and pickle juice running down my fingers.

Sweat ran down my back and from under my arms, and my feet burned, confirming I made a poor decision to run this late in the day.

I think readers have a better picture using my sentences that didn’t use ‘was’ in them. There is action in my sentences, rather than passivity. Passivity leads to boredom and might cause the reader to quit reading your story.

I hope these two tips help you. Let me know what you think, and thank you for following along on my journey.

My newest book, Fan Mail received a terrific review from Bella Wright and BestThrillers, and I wanted to share with you. It reads:

The Bottom Line: An emotionally explosive and life-affirming coming of age story wrapped within a simmering crime thriller.

Fan Mail is a coming of age story centered around the lives of seven brothers – two biological, and five adopted – in the Evans family. Several of the boys are sophomores at Wisconsin’s Waukesha North High School, where a car bomb wreaks havoc in the school parking lot. 

Meanwhile, two of the Evans boys are in a contemporary country music band that is rapidly gaining momentum (Tim McGraw is putting three of their songs on his next album). But they get a taste of the dark side of fame as they are receiving menacing fan mail (fans of Lewis’ Blaze In, Blaze Out– while technically not a prequel to Fan Mail – may recall the storyline beginning there). 

The FBI believes the sender is someone they know. Most likely, a classmate. Could the sender also be capable of violence? 

Among the numerous compelling individual storylines is that of Brian, who believes he is the cause of their father’s heart attack. Before the incident, the boys’ father seemed to be upset that Brian – who is bisexual – and adopted brother Two were “hanging on each other.” In addition, Jeremy may have discovered Brian’s search history, which included research into how to become an emancipated minor. As a consequence of these and other influences, Brian fears that his father may even regret adopting him. 

Investigations into both the car bombing and threatening fan mail simmer throughout the first half of the book, gathering steam en route to an explosive climax toward the end. Meanwhile, author Joseph Lewis reminds us throughout the story that adolescent dreams, desires and traumas often loom larger in the minds of young men than external threats. As usual, Lewis explores all of the above thoroughly, while leaving himself just the right number of loose ends to tackle elsewhere. 

Given all the focus on the Evans family, Lewis also fleshes out their surrounding community of friends like never before, which is both narratively important as well as essential for some of the book’s hardest-hitting scenes. In one of our favorites, close family friend Jeff – whose car was completely destroyed in the school bombing – visits Jeremy’s hospital room and gives him some straight talk about his approach to parenting Brian.

Fan Mail works reasonably well as a stand alone book, and newcomers to the Evans family saga will find themselves immediately engrossed in Lewis’ complex, high-drama narrative. With that said, we recommend readers binge Lewis’ earlier books (especially Betrayed and Blaze In, Blaze Out) in order to get the most out of the references to earlier experiences and storylines. Bella Wright, BestThrillers.com

Purchase Fan Mail prior to March 30, 2023, use code: PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount!

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail

Blaze In, Blaze Out: A Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner! A Reader’s Favorite Award Winner! A Reader’s Ready Recommended Read! A BestThriller’s Editor’s Pick! Best Action Thriller of 2022 by BestThrillers!

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko, the head of a Ukrainian crime family, meant the end. It was only the beginning. They forgot that revenge knows no boundaries, vindictiveness knows no restraints, and ruthlessness never worries about collateral damage. Andruko hired contract killers to go after and kill O’Connor and Eiselmann. The killers can be anyone and be anywhere. They can strike at any time. They care nothing of collateral damage. Andruko believes a target is a target, and in the end, the target must die. https://amzn.to/34lNllP

Betrayed : Two Top Shelf Awards: 1st Place Fiction-Mystery; and Runner-Up Fiction-Crime; A PenCraft 1st Place Winner for Thriller-Fiction! A Maxy Award Runner-Up for Mystery/Suspense! A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner! A Reader’s Ready Recommended Read Award Winner! A Reader’s Favorite Honorable Mention Award Winner for Fiction-Crime-Mystery!

Betrayed is Now Available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback! https://amzn.to/3AfUUpS

A late-night phone call, a missing kid, a murdered family, but no one is talking. A promise is made and kept, but it could mean the death of a fifteen-year-old boy. Greed can be all-consuming, and seeing is not believing. No one can be trusted, and the hunters become the hunted. https://amzn.to/2EKHudx

Meet Chrissy Hartmann- An Author!

I discovered Chrissy Hartmann through another author. She is unique when it comes to authors and writing. If you look at her social media descriptions, it says she is a patriot, a buckeye, award-winning author, romantic, Eagle Scout mom, coffee lover, champagne enthusiast, whiskey sipper, wine taster, dog lover, cat snuggler, goose dresser, protector/defender, vinyl spinner, and T1D warrior- which are all true. What she rarely tells people is that she always wanted to be a cowboy, that she is blind, and that she is afraid of the dark.

As an author, I depend upon my eyes. Until this interview, I didn’t understand or appreciate just how much I depend on “seeing” my characters and my settings. Somehow, Chrissy mastered it.

I don’t want to say much further, because I want Chrissy to tell you in her own words who she is, how she writes, and how extremely successful she is. She also has wonderful tips for those who are just starting out on their writing journey, as well as those of us who are well on that road.

What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?

Well, to be honest, in a roundabout way, I needed a new career. I had always wanted to be a librarian at the Library of Congress. I love history and books. So I had always dreamed of working at the Library of Congress working in research. I had finished my degree at Kent State University with a B.A. in history when I lost my eyesight. At the time that this happened, the opportunity to do online learning to get my masters in library of science had not been available. The opportunities I had to work there became slimmer and slimmer as the light faded from my eyes. Ironically though, the Library of Congress in a round-about way propelled me into becoming an author. They have a program for the blind and dyslexic (BARD) where they send you special tapes of audio books. I signed up for it. Each month, I would receive a book on tape. I never really paid much attention to the details in fiction writing until I would get my tapes. Listening to the words come alive sparked my idea to write my own stories. I had just gotten a computer that had software that could read the screen for me. And one thing I knew I could do easily would be to write out the stories that ran loose in my head. Also, I had the push from family to write my stories, probably because I would discuss the books I had listened to with them and explain how the author could have done it better this way or that way. I think they tired of me talking about it and therefore challenged me to write one.

As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?

Blindness sets me apart from others. I have a totally different outlook (no pun intended) on the whole writing process. My style differs from most where I concentrate more on show than tell. Sometimes, editors have to tell me to add more “tell” to my stories. I’ve had a few editors tell me, “They feel as if they are watching my story unfold while they read it.”

What genre do you write, and why?

I love romance. I can read any heat level of romance, but I prefer the sweet romances to write. Romance has many subgenres that you can pair it up with, so if I wanted to write a historical romance or Sci-Fi romance I could. But at the moment, I’m writing contemporary sweet western romances because I love cowboys, horses, rodeos, and all things western. I probably get that from my Dad who always loved watching John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies. I write them in contemporary times because even though I’m a history major, I would hate to screw something up from that time period. I have more personal knowledge with current day western ideas and situations. Plus, making the western romances contemporary means I have to spend less time fact checking. And the last thing I want to do is screw up history facts. I’m positive the disclaimer at the front of my books wouldn’t get me out of trouble. Plus as a newbie, the budget for a fact checker is way too costly so I’ll stick to modern times.

 If you were to name one or two books that you deem unforgettable and that had a   major impact on you, what would they be, and why?

The first book that I ever really loved would have to be Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy. Throughout my life, I’ve always had some struggle. I have very intelligent and talented siblings. I never thought I could ever measure up to them when it came to being creative. Each time I tried, it would be agonizing because even if I won a contest with my ceramics or ink printing, I just never thought I equaled their talent. But looking back and even with the accomplishments I’ve made with writing and being blind, it is pure ecstasy to know I’m published or I’ve won a contest with my short stories. I absolutely love it when a story that has run loose in my head for days, months, if not years, finally comes together. In a roundabout way, I understand Michelangelo’s agony and ecstasy when creating art. To me, I learned you don’t give up. The hard work is worth the beauty created, even if it kills you in the long run.

What authors do you read regularly? Why?

The authors that I read are Susan Mallery, Jill Shalvis, Sabrina Jeffries, Eloisa James, and just recently Jill Lynn. All the authors mentioned here write about romance in a fun way. The structure of their sentences makes you believe you are right there with the characters. Their plots never seem cliché or boring. They always come across fresh. I’ve learned a lot from them with their writing styles. The sentences are fun, punchy, edgy, and make you want to laugh or cry, sometimes both. In a very simplistic way, they use their words to draw you into the story. Their characters just seem so real to me.

If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?

First and second, I’d want to dine with George and Martha Washington. I’d want to know if today’s America was anything they ever expected to see. Plus, I’d want to know from Martha how she kept George in check and what she drew on to keep her sanity while he forged a new nation. I wish she hadn’t destroyed the correspondence between them after George died. Third, I’d love to dine with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Love the man’s music. Not sure if I would have much to say to him because I’d want him to play his music instead. Fourth would be Michaelangelo. I would want to have him explain to me the passion he had for creating his art and how it came to him. Finally, I’d want to sit down with John Wayne. I love cowboys and why not have the best one over for dinner? I’d want him to tell me all about his career in the movies.

What is your writing routine? When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?

I have no real writing routine. I’ve found if I make myself write, then I write nothing but crap. Unfortunately, I have to be in the mood to write. Then if I am, don’t bother me. I’m horrible to be around if I’m interrupted once I start. There are some days I can go all day and into the wee hours of the night working on writing projects, and then there are some days I do nothing but think about writing. I’m pathetic. I wish I could make myself write more. I’d probably have a hundred books published by now if I would dedicate certain hours of the day to just writing. I do like to outline, but do I stick to the outlines completely? Not usually. They are a good starting point for me and they have saved me from not having anything to write when I do. But the pesky Muses that run wild in my head will and have hijacked my plots several times and have steered us way off course from the original outline. It drives me nuts! But, in reality, mostly, they know what they are doing and it turns out pretty darn good in the long run.

When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?

When I’m writing, I usually don’t read much. If I do, I try to pick up a new author out of a totally different genre. I only do this usually when the Muses have nothing to say. But mostly, when writing, I read more craft books than anything.

Is there something you set out to do, but somehow, it didn’t work out for you? (In writing, or something else you felt was important to you at the time?)

The first book I began writing still sits at the back of my thoughts. I actually lost interest in it. I wanted to write a romance with a mystery to it, but just can’t get the entire plot line to fall into place, which is funny because the second book to the series I had no problem writing. That second book is waiting for me to rewrite the first book so I can get it published. There are two books I need to get out, I hope within the next year, and then I’ll look at my original novel and see if I can pull it together. I hate that my second book of this series is just sitting there.

My family thinks I should write about my blindness. Someday, I might. But for now, even though it’s been 25 years, I just don’t want to relive it. Living through it once is bad enough. Plus, I’ll admit, I’ve probably blocked some of it from resurfacing because there are gaps of time that remain foggy. Sometimes, I’ll write about an incident from that time period, but I can’t say exactly why I do it. It doesn’t seem to help me. I’m not one to dwell on tragedy. I know there is a lesson to be learned from what I went through. But until certain people in my life aren’t around anymore to read what I have to say about it, I’d rather not discuss it. I just don’t want them to feel bad. Besides, I’m not one to profit off of tragedy. Writing about it won’t restore my eyesight and it brings me no pleasure to hurt someone, so it’s not worth putting on paper.

What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?

Get rid of the word “was” in your work. Just by doing this enhances your sentence. It might be hard at first, but your books sound better.

How do you handle a negative critique?

First, I count to ten. Then I tell myself, writing is subjective. You will have lovers and haters of your work. Try to learn something positive from what they say and keep writing.

Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?

Fantasy. Just don’t have the imagination for it. Plus, I’d be one of those writers who would spend more time on the world building details than the actual story. I, however, do love to brainstorm with fantasy writers and do it often with my one writer friend who writes urban fantasy.

How important are the elements of character, setting, and atmosphere to a story, and why?

I think they are very important. If you don’t have them, the story becomes flat. If I don’t like the character, atmosphere, or setting right off the bat, I won’t read any further. In those first few pages, there has to be something that draws me into the story to hold my interest and most of the time, it might be one little thing about the character that keeps me reading. As for setting, if you don’t get that right, then how is one to fall into the story? I love getting caught up in it. When the character or setting can take me away from my world, then the author has done their job and I’ll be more apt to purchase another book they write.

Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?

I might put one thing in the character that resembles me, but more often than not, I piece together characters using a whole variety of people I know. My intention is to entertain the audience with my characters, not tear anyone down. I would hate to offend someone, that’s why there are little subtleties that I insert into a character. When they spark some kind of emotion with the audience, then I know I did good creating them.

Is there an unforgettable or memorable character that will not leave your head, either of your own creation or from a book you’ve read?

No one I’ve created, but I’ll never forget … Agent 355. She served as a female spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. She belonged to the Culper Ring. No one knew her real identity. Not even George Washington. She played a vital role in the war. Some say she helped Washington win it. Unfortunately, no one knows what happened to her. An outstanding book to read is called George Washington’s Secret Six–The spy ring that saved the American Revolution. Someday, I hope to write a historical romance about her and the head of the Culper Ring, who from my research, sounds like they were an item. Even though no one really knows what happened to her, I’d make the ending more satisfying, one that befits a hero, even if it’s fiction.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent book is a novella, Cherishing Whiskey’s Salvation. It’s basically a second chance love story featuring a middle-aged couple. The characters, Charlie and Susan Stockton, carry over from my debut novel, Rescuing Whiskey’s Salvation. There’s two things in Charlie’s life he cherishes more than anything. Most might think he cherishes coffee and being in the military, but when he retires, he realizes it’s not coffee or the military he loves the most. No, it’s his wife and daughter he’s somewhat neglected for the past 30 years. Now, with retirement, he’s put to the test. He’s got to prevent war from breaking out between the two and saving his family.

How did you come up with the concept?

Actually, most of it had been written for my debut novel, but the book would have been too long. I removed the Charlie chapters, then pieced them together to run alongside the debut novel. I loved writing Charlie’s character and didn’t want to lose him, so discussing it with a friend, I finished the story so you could get a peek at what a parent might do in this sort of situation of protecting their child while trying to hold on to their marriage.

How did you come up with the title?

I wanted the title to go along with the debut novel and the third book to this series. So discussing it with my writing buddy, we tossed out a bunch of words that we’d replace “rescuing” with that would represent how a middle-aged man might feel about his wife at this point in his life. After all, it’s more than just love he has for the woman who’s put up with so much with him being in the Army for 30 years. On top of that, she not only ran her own company, but kept his family’s cattle ranch going.

From your book, who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character? Why?

My favorite character is Charlie Stockton. He reminds me of my Dad, although my dad served as a Marine Presidential guard and did not fly Army choppers. But like my dad, Charlie loves his kid, is a hard worker, likes to have fun, is loyal to all around him, and quite ornery. My least favorite is Susan Mae Stockton, probably because she’s too professional, too much of a control freak, and stubborn to the core. But she does turn around… sort of.

What do you have in store for the future?

I will be publishing an anthology of my short stories — Tales From the Prickle Forrest soon and I hope to have the third and final book of the Whiskey Salvation Series out by the end of the year. I’m also going to attend a number of author book signings at book fairs and book festivals starting in March. Anyone can contact me through my website if they’d like an autographed copy. I can even autograph a digital book cover for those who prefer digital books. I love to hear from readers so reach out to me at my website https://chrissyhartmann.com/contact

I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did, and I hope you give one or more of her books a read, especially if you like romance.

Author/media contact information:

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/USAWriter355

Twitter: @USAWriter355

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