Joseph Lewis's Blog, page 8
September 17, 2023
Memories and Regrets
Memories and Regrets
Before I dive into the topic of Memories and Regrets, I want to give you some good news. My newest book, Fan Mail, is available FOR FREE on Book Funnel and you can get your copy here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/endofsummerbookblowout/enp4tnldmk
I feel it is my strongest story to date, but you, the dispassionate, objective reader, would know if that is true or not. I hope you get your copy soon. Please don’t wait too long, since I don’t know how long this promotion will last. And, please write a review and rate it on Amazon. The review doesn’t have to be long. It can be only a sentence or two, but a review and a rating help so much with promotion and sales. I thank you in advance for this.
Now, Memories and Regrets …
I think all of us have them, don’t we? The memories- the good ones- bring a smile to our faces, maybe a laugh, while the regrets bring a shake of the head or, if deep enough, maybe a tear. As I suggested, I think all of us have them, though I hope the memories- the good ones- occur more, much more than the regrets.
I think this happens more as we get older. We remember the good along with the not so good. The things we wanted to change, perhaps needed to change, but somehow, never could.
I wrote this short story almost a year to the day ago. I dusted it off, tweaked and edited it some, and I thought I would submit it for publication. You might recognize the characters, which is why this story hits me so hard. It might hit you, too. I hope it does, since any writing, if it is worthwhile, hits your heart and soul.
(I apologize ahead of time for any formatting issues.)
Memories and Regrets
by Joseph Lewis
9-17-23
Richard made sure Jean was comfortable on the couch in her favorite seat. A glass of iced water sat on the coaster at the end table within her reach. Her wrinkled hands were on her lap, and she looked tired. Wheel of Fortune with Pat and Vanna was tuned in on the TV in the small living room with the volume on low, and it looked to Richard that Jean might doze off. He had to hurry.
Jean hadn’t eaten much, even though it was one of her favorite meals. Beef, small red potatoes, carrots and onions in a slow cooker, seasoned just right. Perhaps a bit more spicey than she liked it, but Richard ate it too, and he liked spicey anything.
He scraped what was left on her plate into the garbage, then rinsed off both plates, cups, and silverware, and put them into the dishwasher with the rest of the day’s dirty dishes. He put in the soap pod and ran it so everything would be clean by morning. Then he took out the garbage to the barrel in the back by the garage.
As was his habit each night, he ran the Swiffer around the floor and wiped down the counters and small kitchen table. Richard wanted everything neat and clean because he didn’t want anyone to have to clean up after them.
He stood in the clean kitchen, made sure nothing was out of place, and began his walk to the living.
Before he entered, he stood in the doorway with one hand on his chest and one hand on the wall to catch his breath, and waited until the pain abated. It didn’t last long. It used to be a now and then kind of thing, but in the last month, certainly in the last week, it happened more frequently.
Before going to the living room, he stopped in their bedroom. He dug around in the closet until he found the large photo album Jean had put together in the last year with his help. They had tried to keep the pictures in chronological order as best they could.
Before opening it, he ran his hand along the front of it. Warm and friendly to his touch, the leather cracked and creased, but not worn out. A tear escaped his eye, then another. Richard took out his hanky and wiped his eyes. He couldn’t afford for that to happen in front of Jean because it would set her off.
Rich, as Jean would call him, took a deep breath, picked up the album, and made it to the hallway before he had to catch his breath. He shut his eyes, willing the pain to subside, marshaling his lungs to function. He and Jean would be asleep soon enough. But first, he wanted to go through the album.
He smiled, nodded, and walked into the living room.
As Richard expected, Jean had dozed off, leaning her head against the corner of the couch, her chin tucked. She had managed to pull a blanket off the back of the couch to wrap herself in. The air conditioner was on and it was quite comfortable. But as she got older, her tolerance to cold and to heat had diminished.
He set the album on the end table, and walked back into their bedroom, and got her slippers from the closet. After waking her up, Richard knew she would ask for them.
Back in the living room, he stopped in the doorway to gaze at Jean.
Still beautiful, though a bit wrinkly like he was. Not nearly as toned as she used to be. An avid runner and exercise buff, she had been forced to give that up in her sixties. Hadn’t done that in years. Now, they walk together. Shorter now, her hair gray and cut as short as she wore it in her younger years. Still beautiful to him. Always would be. The warmest smile. The kindest gray-green eyes.
She always knew what she wanted and wasn’t shy about letting Richard know. When angry, her mouth would clamp shut and her chin stuck out a little. When that happened, look out! As forthright in older age as she was in her younger years.
The first time they met, Jean had demanded a boy, Garrett, be removed from her PE class. Rich was a counselor back then, and asked, “Why?”
“Because he’s a criminal and a liability. That’s why.”
As patiently as he could, he had explained that he couldn’t just move a kid out of her class. He had to build a case.
Her response was, “If something happens, it will be on your head, not mine.” After that declaration, Jean stormed out of his office.
Not two weeks later, Jean had stormed back into the guidance area with Garrett in tow, and marched into Richard’s office without knocking.
“I warned you,” was all she said.
“What happened?” Richard asked.
She turned to Garrett and asked, “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”
Head down, Garrett shrugged.
Jean shook her head and said, “He aimed a loaded bow and arrow at another teacher.”
Richard removed Garrett from the class, and the assistant principal suspended him for ten days.
Jean didn’t speak to Richard for a month. They would cross paths and hardly any word was spoken. Richard would say hello and smile, but Jean only nodded and maybe, on a good day, mutter a hello.
As time went on, Richard was intrigued by her, and thought about her often.
A group of teachers decided to go to a comedy club on an early fall Friday night. On a whim, Richard asked Jean if she wanted to go along, and she smiled and said, “Sure. That would be fun.”
Fortunately, the incident with Garrett wasn’t mentioned.
Their first official date was a baseball game the following Sunday. Neither of them liked baseball, but didn’t tell the other. They wanted to spend time together, but left after a couple of innings and went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, and shared stories and laughter, and the getting-to-know-you kinds of things.
Movies, bicycle rides, and trips for ice cream followed. They spoke about getting married, but there was nothing official until one day, while leaning over the high counter of the counseling office, when Richard said, “I suppose this is something we want to do.”
It came out of the blue. No preamble, no context. Just the statement, “I suppose this is something we want to do.”
Her answer? “I suppose so.”
Richard nodded and said, “I guess this is official, then.”
And Jean answered, “I suppose so.”
Not the most of romantic of conversations that ever took place in the history of dating. Especially when you consider it was in the guidance area in front of Richard’s secretary, and during a drug bust. But of and by itself, sweet, in that both of them knew what was being said or asked without it actually being said or asked. And that typified their friendship and their marriage of fifty-six years. They knew each other. Their likes, dislikes, interests. Their tastes.
Richard in his nineties, and Jean in her eighties. A ten-year difference that neither questioned. Both were adults who knew what they were looking for back then. The only regret they had was that they hadn’t begun dating earlier.
Jean dozed peacefully, comfortably. He hated to wake her, but it was important to him, especially on this night.
Richard slipped her stocking feet into her fluffy slippers, and she stirred only a little. Then he sat down next to her and gently shook her arm. Her eyes fluttered, then opened fully.
At first, it didn’t look as though she had recognized him. It happened more and more, and it hurt Richard, but he understood. Nothing neither of them could do about it, anyway. It happened with age.
Then she smiled, her eyes lighting up.
Richard loved her smile. It was that picture of her he took to bed each night, the picture he smiled at throughout the day.
“I have our album, and I thought we might look at it together,” Richard said.
He opened it so one half was on his lap, while the other half was on her lap.
“Is that my mom and dad?” Jean asked.
“No, sweetheart, that’s us on our wedding day.”
She frowned and bent to scrutinize the picture. “Oh, of course. How stupid of me.”
“It’s not stupid. Back then, you looked a lot like your mother.”
Their July wedding was hot, but fun. The rehearsal dinner was a cookout in a park. Laughter. Games. Complete and utter embarrassment as two friends in the bridal party roasted both Rich and Jean. But it was all in fun.
The birth of their daughter, Elizabeth. Liz, as they called her. A bright blond with blue eyes. Always smiling and laughing. Even to this day.
“Is that me as a baby or one of your sisters?”
Richard smiled sadly and said, “No, that’s Liz.”
“She always looked like you and your side of the family.”
Richard nodded. Liz was more like him than Jean, though as Liz got older, she became more like Jean and less like Richard.
The adoption of their son, John. Small and brown, wide smile and happy. Learning the English language from the radio and TV and from others conversing with him. Refusing to speak Spanish, his native tongue. Stubborn that way.
“Who is that little boy?” Jean asked with a frown.
“That’s Johnny. He had just come to us from Guatemala.”
“He was an artist and a soccer player.”
“Yes, and a really talented photographer.”
And their youngest, Ann. The tallest of their children. Smart. A quick wit, an avid reader like her older sister. As a baby, they couldn’t make her bottles fast enough to suit her. When she was hungry, she wanted to be fed right then and there. And always wanting to be held. Put her down, and she would wake up and raise a storm until she was held again.
Family trips to the cottage on a lake in the northern woods. Tubing and swimming. Hikes and four-wheelers. S’mores around the firepit at night. Stories and laughter. So much laughter. Academic honors and athletic achievements. And college.
John, of course, went to an art school to study photography. Liz went to a large school to become a teacher like her mom and dad. Ann to a small school to play soccer, and then to a much larger school for graduate studies to become a social worker. Each with lives of their own now. Married with families they fussed over, like Richard and Jean did with them.
Except for John, who died tragically. Richard didn’t want to think about it and didn’t want Jean to dwell on it. He purposely passed over that time in their lives. Not something he wanted to think about on this or any other night. Especially on this night.
Vacations to the beach, the mountains. Amusement parks. The Grand Canyon.
It saddened Richard. Jean had always wanted to go to Hawaii, and they never made it. He had wanted to take the whole family, but they couldn’t afford it. Now, they could never go. It was Jean’s dream and Richard couldn’t deliver.
Yet, as they went through the album together, they laughed and talked. Both wept, not so much in sadness, but in joy. Maybe some tears of regret. Surely some tears of regret. Not on Jean’s part, but on Richard’s part. He had always wanted to do more, to give more, and to please her and the kids. Now, unable to.
The two of them closed the photo album, and Richard set it on the coffee table. He wanted to keep it there in case the kids would want to look through it when or if they stopped by. That didn’t happen much anymore, and it was never enough for Richard. Still, there was always the hope that one of both would visit. Richard was happiest when his family was all together. He knew that in the next few days, both girls would reach for the album again and again.
Rich slipped his arm around Jean and held her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her on the side of her head, near her forehead.
“You know I love you, Jean, right?”
She smiled up at him and said, “Of course I do. I love you too.”
“Always.”
Jean nodded and said, “Always.”
“We had a pretty good life.”
“Yes, a good life.”
He kissed her again, and she reached over the held Richard’s hand.
They sat for a bit, chit-chatted about this or that, and finally, with a yawn, Jean said she was tired and wanted to go to bed. Richard glanced at his watch and was surprised it was already 9:00 p.m.
Like their life, his life, he wondered where the time went.
He helped her off the couch and, with his arm around her shoulders, helped her get ready for bed. All the personal things done, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. Richard sat on the side and held her hand.
“Aren’t you coming to bed, Rich?”
He kissed her forehead, smiled at her and said, “In a little while. There are some things I need to get done. If you’re sleeping, I might sleep in the other room because I don’t want to disturb you.”
She looked at him questioningly, and then reached up and caressed his cheek. “I love you, Rich. Always have.”
His heart climbed into his throat, and tears threatened to fall. He said, “I have loved no one as much as you, Jean.”
She smiled and said, “You loved our kids, Johnny, Liz, and Ann.”
He nodded and said, “They were the best gifts we gave each other. But I love you so much. Nothing will change that, Jean.”
“You’re a sweet man, Rich.” And with that, she rolled onto her side and fell asleep.
Richard remained there for a time, content to watch her. Her breathing was steady and deep. A small smile appeared on her face. He could sit there all night and not tire of it. And he wanted to, but he couldn’t.
He stood up slowly so as not to disturb her and shut the door to a crack on his way out.
In the hallway, he stopped to catch his breath and wipe away some tears with his hanky. He felt small. Jean had teased him he was shrinking, and the doctor confirmed it. But the smallness he felt had nothing to do with his height.
The pain in his chest hit him, and he winced.
He shook his head. “Not yet, Lord. Give me a little more time, please.”
Richard made his way to the desk in the kitchen, pulled out three envelopes, and placed them on the table. He had worked long and hard, starting and stopping, starting over. Crumpling up pages and beginning again. All the while keeping them from Jean. It was hard to do, because he kept nothing from her. Well, one or two things. One big thing. And only then because he didn’t want to worry her or the kids.
He picked up his cell and phoned Ann. She told him about her new job, a new position. Richard was proud of her. He was certain Ann would make a difference in the world, a difference in the lives she worked with. Head-strong and determined and stubborn, but funny. She had him laughing with stories about her work.
She and Jaquez were on their way to Liz and Rob’s house, and would be home in time for breakfast.
“Drive slowly, Annie. Please watch your speed. It’s late and you have pretty far to go.”
“It’s okay, Daddy. Jaq is driving, and he drives like an old man,” she said with a laugh.
Richard heard Jaq protesting playfully in the background.
“Just be careful.”
“I will, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Punkin.”
After hanging up, he wept. He would miss her sassy tongue and her wit. Her smile and the way she talked with her hands.
After gathering himself together, he made another phone call.
“Hi, Dad! What’s up?”
Liz was always so cheery, so bubbly. Richard loved her laugh, and longed for the road-trip days when the two of them, Liz and Ann, would sing along with the radio at the top of their lungs, complete with hand and arm motions, almost dancing in the backseat.
He smiled at the memory.
“Daddy, are you still there?”
“Yes, Peanut. I’m here.”
“Are you okay?”
He nodded, blinked back tears, and said, “I’m okay, Peanut.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mom and I were going through the photo album together, and it brought back so many memories.”
“As much as you two look through it, I’m surprised it’s not falling apart,” she laughed.
“It’s holding up just fine. I wish all the memories were good, though.”
“What do you mean?” Ann asked, sounding worried.
“I keep thinking that I could have been a better dad to you, and Annie and Johnny. I wasn’t the best dad to you guys.”
“I don’t know why you think that.”
“Moving you all around from job to job. You guys having to start over. Never getting the credit for all the time and effort you put into soccer or swimming, into your grades. I’m sorry, Peanut.”
“Daddy, we’re fine.”
“I remember one time I took you and Annie shopping for school supplies. I can’t remember what grade, but you two were so unhappy and disappointed. I ruined it for both of you. I’m sorry about that.”
“Daddy, that was a long time ago. It’s okay. Honest.”
As if he hadn’t heard her, he said, “I regret not being a better father to Johnny. I was too hard on him. I regret not being there when he died. He died alone, and no one should ever die alone.”
“Daddy, it couldn’t have been helped. If you were there, you could have died too.”
“I never felt he liked me very much. And I loved him, Peanut. I loved all you guys.”
“Daddy, Johnny loved you. We all did.”
Richard could hear her weeping, her voice catching.
“I just want you to know … I mean, I just need you to believe that I tried to do the best I could. I loved you guys. I tried to be a better father to you and Annie, because I knew I had screwed up with Johnny.”
“Daddy, don’t say that. You didn’t screw up with Johnny. He loved you. You butted heads because he was so much like you. And Ann and I know you love us. We’re not angry with you. We love you.”
The lump in Richard’s throat grew, almost choking him. He squawked, “Just please know I love you. I always loved you, and I’d do anything to fix things and make them better. If I could take back some of my words and take back some of my actions, I would, Peanut. Please make sure you and Annie believe that. Please?”
“Daddy, there is nothing to take back. You were a great dad.”
She was crying now. “Daddy, are you okay? Is everything all right?”
“Yes, Peanut. Things will be okay. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry. It’s just that with some of the wonderful memories, there are some pretty shitty ones, too.”
“No, Daddy. Only good ones.”
Richard groaned as the pain in his chest hit him and took his breath away. He regained some control and knew he had to hurry.
“One last thing before I go to bed, Peanut. I know you and Annie love your mom. Her memory is fading. Some days are good and she’s as sharp as she ever was. Other days, she forgets. She gets tired easily. Naps often.”
“I know. After dinner, she falls asleep on the couch in her favorite spot.”
“Just remind her every so often that we love her. Make sure you visit and call. She likes that.”
“I know, Dad. We do.”
“I know you do. I just don’t want you to forget.”
“We would never do that, Daddy.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“Daddy, are you sure you’re okay? Is everything all right?”
“Yes, Peanut. Everything is as it should be.”
There was silence, not as comfortable as Richard wanted it to be.
Liz said, “I think when Ann and Jaq get here, we’ll drive up tonight. That way, we can surprise mom in the morning. We’ll even take you guys out for breakfast.”
“It will be late by the time Annie and Jaq get there, and you’re still an hour or so away.”
“We’re night owls,” Liz laughed. “We’ll try not to wake you and mom when we get there.”
Richard nodded, and he said, “Okay, but please be careful.”
“We will.”
“I love you, Peanut. Always and forever.”
“Always and forever.”
They ended the call, and Richard put both hands over his eyes and sobbed. He only wanted more time. More time with Jean. More time with Liz and Rob. More time with Annie and Jaq.
More time to laugh, to talk. To just be together. More time.
The letters would explain what he couldn’t say out loud. The letters would explain what he needed to say. He only hoped Liz and Annie would understand.
Taking his time, stopping every few steps to catch his breath and fight off the pain, Richard walked to the nearest spare room by leaning against the wall.
He turned on the light, sat down on the bed, and kicked off his shoes, only to bend down and straighten them. He loosened his belt and slipped off his jeans. He unbuttoned his shirt and folded both and put them with his shoes under the chair in the corner.
On the chair, laid out neatly, was a pressed white shirt, a blue-striped tie, and his dark gray suit. His dress shoes and dark socks were under the suit.
He shut the door to a crack, turned off the light, and slipped in between the sheets.
Richard sighed. He wanted more time.
There was so much more to say. He wanted to hold Jean one last time, maybe forever. He wanted to sit with Liz and Annie, listen to them tell their stories, hear them laugh. He knew Jaq would take good care of Annie, and he knew Rob would take good care of Liz. He couldn’t ask for better men for his daughters.
Still, he wanted time to repair some of the hurt he caused. Try to take back some words he used. He wanted to say things he should have said, do things he should have done. Give them more. He wanted, needed, to make sure they knew he loved them.
All he needed was a little more time.
—
Don’t we all?
I think the moral of the story, if there is one, and I think there is, is to make time in your life for those you love. Let them know you love them, in various ways. Do it often. I think it’s needed, especially in the world we now find ourselves in.
Honestly and sincerely, we never know when someone will leave this world, leave our lives, and you don’t want the regret of not mentioning you love them, how much you love them, and not remembering when you did so last. Don’t let this happen to you. Please. Something to think about …
Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
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As I mentioned at the beginning, Fan Mail is now available FOR FREE and it can be found at Book Funnel and at this link: https://books.bookfunnel.com/endofsummerbookblowout/enp4tnldmk
Fan Mail : A Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award Winner! A Maxy Award Finalist, an Eric Hoffer Award Nominee, and 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?
Fan Mail is a coming-of-age story embedded in a tight thriller-mystery. It is told through Brian’s eyes, who holds his brothers and his family, first and foremost, in his heart. This time, it might cost him his life.
You can leave a rating and review at this link after you read it: https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS
My other books in order of most recent to oldest:
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!
Blaze In, Blaze Out is Now Available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback! https://www.audible.com/acx-promo\
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!
Would you recognize a serial killer if one spoke to you? Vincent and Shirley didn’t, and now they’re dead!
He blends in, is successful, intelligent, and methodical. So far, he has murdered eight people. There is no discernible pattern, no clues, and 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, and neither does their family or 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
Photos courtesy of Joseph Lewis
September 7, 2023
The Insecure Writer
Yesterday, I ran across a blog by a writer I follow regularly, and she wrote about a group she belongs to called, The Insecure Writers Support Group. I joined right then and there.
Now, you would think that an author with nine books published by a terrific publishing company would have nothing to be insecure about, right? Or how an author that, on a whim, wrote a short story and had it published on the second or third submission could be insecure, right?
Yes to both questions!
I’ve had my share of success. Perhaps not as many sales as others in my genre or perhaps not as many 5 or 4 star reviews as others who write thriller-crime-mystery, but I have had my share of success. I’ve garnered almost 20 awards on my collection, including one Amazon Best Seller, and I have some very loyal fans.
Still …
Once I complete a project, and I’m over 61K in my current work in progress titled, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) (a Navajo belief), I have to tell you I get nervous, especially when I send it off to the publisher or various reviewers. Still to this day, I worry about whether or not my book will be accepted, liked, and loved, or if it will be rejected and hated. Yeah, even after nine books, and a short story.
I think any writer whose name is not Stephen King, James Patterson, David Baldacci, C.J. Box, John Sandford and on and on, gets a wee bit nervous. Afterall, we sunk nine months or a year, along with our sweat, our heart and our soul into the project. What’s to be nervous about?
Well, to be liked and loved and to be read enthusiastically enough for one or two or a dozen who read our work to write a 5 or 4 star review. It’s the feeling of being worth it enough for someone to not only read books one or two, but to pick up all nine and wait anxiously for number ten to come out.
I have to continually remind myself that it isn’t for the money, the fame, and the 5 star review as the reasons I write. I have to remind myself that I write because it is my passion. I have to remind myself that I write because I love what I do, as much as the next writer. Yes, even King or Patterson or those named above- I write because I love the act of storytelling, of creating fictional worlds and families (though mine are based more or less on reality). I love putting my fingers on the keyboard and pecking away.
As much as Aaron Rodgers loves throwing the football, or as much as Giannis loves playing basketball, I love to write. It is my joy, and I’m willing to keep at it until I can no longer put my fingers to the laptop and create my stories.
Yeah, I’ll keep at it because I love it, pure and simple. I’ll still get nervous when I think it’s done enough to send off. I’ll still get anxious waiting for the word from my publisher that my project is a go. But my wish for you, whether seasoned pro or a fledgling beginner, is to write your story. Don’t fear the blank page. Don’t drown in the murky middle. Don’t race to the finish line until you are ready to finish. Just sit down and write!
I would welcome any comments or suggestions from you, so please use the space below. Check out the Insecure Writers Support Group- a great group of people, all writers from all levels who encourage and support. My kind of group. As always, thanks for following along on my writing journey. Until next time …
Fan Mail – New Release! A Reader’s Favorite Silver Book Award! Maxy Award Finalist! Eric Hoffer Award Nominee! Literary Titan Silver Book Award!
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?
Fan Mail is a Coming-of-Age story embedded in a Thriller-Crime-Mystery.
Blaze In, Blaze Out – Best Action Fiction Book of 2022- Best Thrillers! Reader’s Favorite Runner Up! Literary Titan Gold Book Award!
Detectives Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of a Ukrainian gang lord meant the end, but it was only the beginning. They forgot that revenge knows no boundaries, vindictiveness knows no restraints, and ruthlessness never worries about collateral damage. A target is a target, and in the end, the target will die. Eiselmann and O’Connor become the hunted, but they don’t know by whom or when they will strike.
September 1, 2023
An Interview and A Book Review
With the launch of my Author Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com you can find each of my books, sign up for my newsletter, and read this Author Blog or my Inspirational Blog. If you are an author or writer- beginner or pro, you can sign up for two services I provide.
One is proofreading service that helps you prepare your work for publication or for securing an agent. It ensures you won’t send out copy that has obnoxious errors and spelling mistakes in it that will guarantee a rejection. The other service I provide is a book review like the one below. Not only will I review your work, I will promote it over several platforms, including Facebook (my two pages and multiple groups), Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. It helps get your name and your work before readers’ eyes.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Peter Okonkwo on his YouTube book chat. This was my second time on his show, and it was all about Fan Mail, and it included a snippet from my most recent work. It’s always a pleasure to be interviewed by someone who asks interesting and thoughtful questions. You can check it out at https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FSWaslTWwe84%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3cyt7Ppq9tt5IgZWSiBWNKIHfde08tA4AcJrM49Q92ns9TyuuEkUZHAnA&h=AT3DilvmcjErIvdOpIMoUqPY7AuCB2Pp49FO-UeGBY0lUincxO2Y3aY42XL8_xzIhA5fbtA-hNsbPoNh0i2ZJxs_cuQaYwLjlDmy9i-qxVv-ssmcLtWziWmRN8CDVCf8CG0
I had the pleasure of reading a sci-fi novel by Lonnie Busch titled All Hope of Becoming Human. Normally, I stick to thriller-crime-mystery and selected nonfiction titles, but this book and author intrigued me, and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint. My interview is below.
All Hope of Becoming Human by Lonnie Busch
Review by Joseph Lewis, Author and Book Reviewer
Earth has suffered a number of quakes throughout the world, exposing in each quake site hundreds of human skeletal remains and large unidentified metallic objects. Professor Braden, an archaeologist, and her assistant, Rebecca Duccati, are flown by helicopter to a large fissure near the Four Corners of Arizona. They are the only females on the makeshift base, and the military has cordoned off the area, known only as “the pit”, allowing no one, especially media, to venture past armed guards.
In Georgia and in other areas of the country, FBI Agent Zach Demzey and his partner, Connie Wegman, investigate a series of unexplained deaths, near mutilations that have occurred. Eventually, their investigations lead Demzey to team up with Duccati to uncover the truth.
The first several chapters show the reader, in horrifying detail, events taking place around the world, which serve to set up the storyline. The author took great effort in describing setting and place in the book, and vividly describes the events in those areas. It was a masterful job! Being a visual reader and writer, it didn’t take me long to nestle into the story, and these first chapters pushed and pulled me deeper into the world created by the author. The characters in All Hope of Becoming Human are fully developed and not cardboard cutouts. There is an educated, yet playful banter between the characters as they live and breathe on the page.
This book is hard to peg, in that it could easily fit into the science fiction genre, or the thriller-horror genre. I would simply call it a science fiction thriller. For those of you who enjoyed the television series The X Files, you will feel at home reading All Hope of Becoming Human. It has that same vibe. The work causes one to question and ponder the history of earth and mankind, as well as the future of both. I found myself in nonreading moments, thinking about each.
I am not normally a sci-fi guy. The title drew me in, and once I opened the book, the action kept me reading and entertained. I give this book a solid 5 Star Rating.
I’ve listed my books below along with their book blurb and link for purchase in case you are interested. As always, thank you for following along on my writing journey. And don’t forget to check out my Author Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com
The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives: https://amzn.to/34nXBH5
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 don’t know one another, the lives of FBI 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 that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out.
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives: Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner! Best Thriller’s Editor’s Pick! Best Thrillers Runner Up Award Winner! https://amzn.to/3oMo4qZ
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’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved.
Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives: https://amzn.to/2RAYIk2
Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them.
Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives: http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives
A 14-year-old boy knows the end is coming. What he doesn’t know is when, where, or by whom. Without that knowledge, the FBI cannot protect him or his family. And he cannot protect himself, his father, or his brothers.
Caught in a Web : A PenCraft Literary Award Winner! Named “One of the Best Thrillers of 2018!” by BestThrillers http://bit.ly/2WO3kka
Bodies of high school and middle school kids are found dead from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl. MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador, controls the drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors and the Milwaukee Metro area. They send Ricardo Fuentes from Chicago to Waukesha 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, who had killed his cousin the previous summer.
Spiral Into Darkness: Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards! https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
He blends in and is successful, intelligent, and methodical. He has a list and has murdered eight on it so far. There is no discernible pattern, no clues, and 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 law enforcement.
Betrayed: A Best Thriller’s 1st Place Award for Crime Fiction! Maxy Award Runner-Up! A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner! https://amzn.to/2EKHudx
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 willing to talk. A promise is made and kept, but it could mean the death of a fifteen-year-old boy. Seeing is not believing. No one can be trusted, and the hunters become the hunted.
Blaze In, Blaze Out – Best Action Fiction Book of 2022- Best Thrillers! Reader’s Favorite Runner Up! Literary Titan Gold Book Award! https://amzn.to/34lNllP
Detectives Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of a Ukrainian gang lord meant the end, but it was only the beginning. They forgot that revenge knows no boundaries, vindictiveness knows no restraints, and ruthlessness never worries about collateral damage. A target is a target, and in the end, the target will die. Eiselmann and O’Connor become the hunted, but they don’t know by whom or when they will strike.
Fan Mail – New Release! A Maxy Award Finalist! Eric Hoffer Award Nominee! Literary Titan Silver Book Award! https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS
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?
August 27, 2023
Meet David Buzan – An Author!
I first met David Buzan through social media and found out he is also a Black Rose Writing author. He and I write in the same genre, thriller, but the difference is in our approach to it. David has a fantastical aspect in his writing, while I have a coming-of-age theme in my nine books. I think that’s why I enjoy the thriller genre so much. It tends to be broad and can incorporate action and adventure, mystery, horror and suspense.
One thing I did not know about David is that he was trained in screenwriting. I was tempted to grill him on it, because I took a few courses in screenwriting myself. Certainly not as many as David, nor have I attempted to write a script. Both of us, however, use the visual aspect of screenwriting in our books.
Earlier this month, his first book, In The Lair Of Legends, came out earlier this month, and I hope this interview inspires you to pick up a copy. Here is my interview with David Buzan.
What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?
At 51, I’m a very late-to-the-party debut author. I didn’t even begin writing my first book until the end of 2020. Although I had sold short fiction and articles to various magazines throughout high school and college, I pursued screenwriting after graduating from the Vancouver Film School in the mid-90’s. Over the next fifteen years, I ended up with six completed screenplays, three agents, two options, and a plethora of heartache. I simply lost count of how many “sure thing” moments and close-calls that never came to fruition.
There came a point where I had become so disillusioned with the entire process that I walked away from it almost entirely. In fact, I turned my back on creative writing for over a decade.
However, 2020 was when everything changed for me. It was during the worst wildfire season in Oregon history. The sky had been choked with smoke for days; friends and family members evacuated from their homes. The world was just beginning to deal with the long stretch of Covid-19. Being a manager for an essential business, I was working straight through all of it. While at work one afternoon, I was overwhelmed with sudden emotion. I remember walking outside and staring up at the dark skies. I thought about my writing and was instantly filled with regret. I hadn’t achieved my goals and hadn’t reached my dreams.
Before I walked back inside that day, I had made the unwavering commitment to write again. And so I did.
As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?
My prose is very cinematic. I developed a unique voice as a screenwriter in terms of how I described action. I think that style has translated well into the pages of books. It keeps the readers engaged, and flipping those pages as quickly as possible.
How do ideas for your stories present themselves? How do you know what story lines to follow and which to ignore?
I believe the character’s voice will ultimately guide you through these moments. The subconscious constantly pulls various storylines through your mind while you’re writing. Some paths are right; however, most are creative dead-ends. You can feel the voice of your characters ebbing the further you stray from where the story needs to be. I use that as my guide.
What genre do you write, and why?
Thrillers would be the all-encompassing brush that paints all the genres I enjoy writing. I’m partial to straight-up action, though. I grew up reading the Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolen books. Phoenix Force and Able Team were also a fantastic series. Nonstop, hard-hitting, bone-crunching action. It’s certainly something of a lost art these days. There are only a few authors today who truly know how to pull it off.
Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?
I’m a film score aficionado. I could probably lead a college lecture on spotting music in motion pictures, and the emotional impact of themes and motifs on an audience. It’s the most fascinating art form to study. The very best composers are able to make decisions on where music should and shouldn’t be within a film. Often, the very absence of music is just as powerful as the inclusion of it. Just a huge passion of mine. When I’m writing, this is the music I listen to. It fosters creativity and free association.
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?
I was in seventh grade when I originally read First Blood. There’s really no other book that had quite that huge of an impact on me throughout my life. David Morrell crafted the ultimate thriller. Fifty years on and its power still hasn’t been equaled. It’s the prose that gets me. Almost like Raymond Chandler in terms of how vivid the imagery is while you read it. It’s my favorite novel of all time.
What authors do you read regularly? Why?
David Morrell, Stephen King, Michael Koryta, and Tana French and are my favorite authors. Not surprisingly, they all write thrillers. (I would argue that King is a thriller author first and foremost.) Each of these writers is gifted with such a unique voice in terms of how the pages unfold.
If you were to have dinner with 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be and why?
Jerry Goldsmith: the greatest film composer ever. I would absolutely would have loved to talk with him about so much of his work, but primarily his three incredible Rambo scores.
Richard Nixon: I’ve been fascinated with Nixon for most of my life. Oh, do I have questions! The man himself was brilliant in so many ways, but allowed self-loathing to blind many of his decisions. I find his life to be as inspiring as it is tragic.
Sylvester Stallone: I just couldn’t imagine my life without Rocky in it. I would love to talk with him about his complete writing process, especially regarding that legendary series.
Bruce Springsteen: His songs defined so much of my life. They still do. So many of his songs are akin to novellas. His characters are vibrant; unforgettable. I would definitely enjoy speaking with him over dinner about how he approaches these stories, and the how’s and why’s behind his songs.
When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?
I’m definitely a writer who enjoys an outline. But for me, everything first begins with research. My projects are typically a labyrinth of historical events, which requires a great deal of research before I can even begin to put pen to paper. Often, the outline can change based upon the research that I’m doing. Ideas can shift so quickly once I begin. Outlines should be flexible.
When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?
I like to read for at least an hour six days a week. Interestingly enough, I read different genres all the time. I enjoy new voices and fresh ideas.
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?)
Screenwriting will always be an opportunity I never reached in terms of my goals. I was really fortunate to have gotten representation and options, but nothing (yet) has been produced. I feel like an Olympic athlete who trained his whole life for something, but missed the mark by mere seconds or inches. It’s disheartening to work so hard at something for so long and come so close, but not achieving the success you had envisioned for yourself.
What tips would you give to new writers?
There’s a great line from Throw Mama from the Train when Billy Crystal tells his creative writing class, “A writer writes.” I think that’s the best advice for anyone embarking on this endeavor. The blank page is so daunting, but you have to have the courage to begin. Often, it’s not the beginning that’s the most difficult, but it’s sustaining that initial burst of creativity that can be the hardest part of the process.
How did you “teach” yourself to write or did it just come naturally?
I honestly don’t believe that the creativity behind writing can be taught. The mechanics of it certainly can. It’s like how anyone can get a driver’s license, but only the rare few have the talent to compete in the Indy 500. I’m certainly not equating myself to a world-class athlete (or a world-class writer, for that matter!), but I believe talents are a gift. And it’s our own responsibility to recognize the unique gifts that we have, and to spend a lifetime honing them. When it comes to being a writer, the challenge is to be better than you were yesterday.
How do you handle a negative critique?
They’re certainly crushing experiences. Back in my screenwriting days, I had a big-name producer read one of my screenplays and tell my agent: “Thanks for the toilet paper.” But in that same month, a very successful director, after reading that same script, praised it to the moon. It’s always about perspective.
You have to understand the spirit of the critique. Is it just to be mean spirited? Are there nuggets of truth to be gleaned from the opinion? When my novel was being sent out to beta readers, 95% of the critical feedback centered on the title. I was so stubborn about changing it! But I ultimately relented, and the book is better because of it.
Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?
I would absolutely love to write a mystery, but I find the mechanics of the plotting to be quite beyond my reach. I truly admire those authors who can write them.
How important is character to a story, and why?
I believe character is the most important component of any story. The protagonist is your guide through the myriad of trails that lead throughout the book. No matter what the genre might be, the character is whom you are following.
Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?
I write in the action/adventure field. While I never could imagine myself in any of those high-stakes situations, I definitely try to find relatability in motivation.
In the case of In The Lair Of Legends and Jolon Winterhawk, he is constantly finding himself faced with moral dilemmas. And throughout those moments, it was thoughts of his family that kept him always doing the right thing. I can relate to that.
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?
I first read Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist back in 1986. I was in eighth grade. And I’ll tell you, the character of Muriel Pritchett has never left my memory. She’s an incredible literary creation.
Tell us about your most recent book. How did you come up with the concept?
In The Lair Of Legends stemmed from a 2020 newspaper article centered on the plight of the Nez Perce Tribe and their rightful reclamation of ancestral land in Oregon. A single line from that article mentioned that nearly a quarter-million Native Americans had served in the military during the Civil War. These heroes never received the recognition they deserved, so it was something I wanted to explore. Concurrently, I had also recently had a vivid nightmare where I was hiking and found myself chased by a frighteningly ravenous Sasquatch. Those two ideas melded together and ultimately became the foundation of my novel.
How did you come up with the title?
In The Lair Of Legends is a bit of dialogue spoken in the last part of the book. It is used to metaphorically describe the cavern that each of us walk through life. I thought it invoked a classic adventure feel, which is why I chose it.
From your book, who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character? Why?
Jolon Winterhawk is my favorite character in my novel. He’s brave and heroic, charismatic and honorable. I enjoy his sense of humor, too.
My least favorite character is Captain Isbell. He was a man who faced great personal loss and suffering, and chose to direct those feelings against those in society who are helpless and innocent.
I hope you enjoyed my interview with David as much as I did. You can connect with David on social media by going to his website at www.davidbuzan.com because it includes links to all of his social media accounts. I hope you check out his book In The Lair of Legends on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Lair-Legends-David-Buzan-ebook/dp/B0C8BMMRV3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3F84J8I1WOPI2&keywords=in+the+lair+of+legends+david+buzan&qid=1693157651&sprefix=In+the+lair+of%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1
or Barnes & Noble at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-lair-of-legends-david-buzan/1143607078?ean=9781685132507
August 8, 2023
Two Reviews: A Concert and A Book!
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Kim and I went to see Mary Chapin Carpenter, a country-folk artist, this past Sunday evening at The National in Richmond, Virginia. This was at least the second time we’ve seen her perform, if not the third. Neither of us could remember exactly. I know one performance was at the Universal Amphitheater in LA, on the Universal Pictures lot. A much larger venue than The National. I enjoyed both performances. The crowd at The National was mostly older, with a few youngish folks sprinkled in, and everyone sang right along with her.
Carpenter won two grammy’s, and her album Stones in the Road gave her a #1 Country Album on Billboard, and a #1 Hot Country Single for Shut Up and Kiss Me. This month, she will receive the ACM Poet’s Award at their annual ACM Honors. Personally, I don’t think she ever received enough credit for her writing, singing, or performing.
Carpenter’s lyrics and storytelling are nearly unmatched. I would put James Taylor and Carole King right there with her. Together with Carpenter, the three of them would form a mighty triumvirate, indeed! At age 62, Carpenter’s husky alto voice was excellent. She hit whatever note she needed to hit with ease. The musicians who performed and sang with her were outstanding, and it was evident they had been together for a long time.
She sang all our favorites and, listening to her, I was reminded of just how many great songs she had written. From He Thinks He’ll Keep Her (he was wrong!) to The Bug written by Mark Knopfler (I can’t possibly see him ever singing this and doing it justice) to Passionate Kisses to Down at the Twist and Shout to … well, so many more. It made the hour and forty-five minutes fly by.
She stopped here and there to tell a story or two, but mostly, just sang and played with and without her backing band. I enjoyed the smaller setting. It almost felt I sat in her living room. It was that intimate.
It’s a tragedy that modern radio doesn’t play artists like James Taylor or Carole King or Mary Chapin Carpenter anymore. And personally, I think any author would do well and learn quite a bit from these, and other, artists for their word choice and storytelling.
Her latest concert performance earned a solid and deserving 5 Stars!
Northern Comfort by Joan Livingston
Joan Livingston’s storytelling is unmatched, as is the way she paints a picture with her words. I am envious! Northern Comfort was a pleasure to read, as was her other works.
Northern Comfort is reminiscent of Grapes of Wrath, minus the migrant workers and drought. Both paint a picture of the harsh life of rural poverty in America. I found Northern Comfort a story of tragedy along with a bit of triumph. It showed the strength in people who we sometimes think don’t have it in them. And as I said, there is triumph as people make the best of their life, especially Willi and Miles- a relationship born out of tragedy. On the surface, there is little to hope for, but as you dig deeper into the book, you will see bits of hope bubbling to the surface.
Beautifully written, its setting and characters last long after the book is closed. If you shut your eyes, you feel the winter chill and freeze in your bones, and see the little town and all it offers, or doesn’t, as the case may be. Northern Comfort is the story of life in rural America, hidden behind billboards and skyscrapers, sometimes not seen because it is difficult to see and take in the reality that exists there.
For those of you who are interested, here is the link on Amazon for Northern Comfort by Joan Livingston:
Northern Comfort earns a 5 Star Must Read, and it’s one more winner from author Joan Livingston.
In Other News:
In the next few days, my brand new author website will become live at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com It is still being built, but I’m looking forward to it launching. I will keep you updated.
As always, thank you for following me on my writing journey. I’d like to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to add them to the section below. For your convenience, I listed my social media sites for you, along with descriptions and links to each of my books.
Connect with me on Social Media:
Author Website at: COMING SOON at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com
Author Blog at: https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Instagram at: https://www.Instagram.com/joseph.lewis.author
Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /
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
Fan Mail : New Release! A Maxy Award Finalist, an Eric Hoffer Award Nominee, and 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? https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS
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!
Blaze In, Blaze Out is Now Available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback! https://www.audible.com/acx-promo\
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
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
Spiral Into Darkness : Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards!
Would you recognize a serial killer if one spoke to you? Vincent and Shirley didn’t, and now they’re dead!
He blends in, is successful, intelligent, and methodical. So far, he has murdered eight people. There is no discernible pattern, no clues, and 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, and neither does their family or local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
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
August 4, 2023
An Exciting Announcement and an Interview!
I am happy to announce that my true Author Website is being built as I write this, and it will be active next week at some point. People heading to it will be able to read the synopsis/blurb on each of my books and purchase one or more using a clickable link to Amazon. I will also use that site to announce any new books I author, and I’m more than halfway through my #10 to add to my thriller-crime-mystery collection.
But even more exciting, I am offering author services, such as proofreading and a review of your work. This is for either the novice or old pro.
As a first-time author or a multiple-book and article author, you want to put forth your work in the best possible light so it shines. Nagging mistakes, spelling errors, formatting problems and inconsistencies- all detract from a reader’s enjoyment. At best, the reader might finish reading your book, but will never buy another. At worst, the reader will not only NOT finish reading your book, but will castigate you in a review.
A. I offer Proofreading for your book at $0.01 a word, and I will:
1. Follow any style guidelines you or your publishing company provides
2. Verify basic facts and general knowledge with light research on my part
3. Correct grammar and punctuation mistakes
4. Correct errors in spacing, font, and format
5. Correct typos and spelling errors
B. I offer an honest, thorough Review of your book at a flat rate of $35, and you decide if you want me to publish it to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. The Kindle purchase of your book is extra, but it makes it a verifiable review, and that is important for any author and their book.
These are the going rates for both services. If you are interested now rather than waiting for the website to be up and running, email me at: immrlewis@gmail.com and let me know what you are interested in.
I was also interviewed recently on the Neil Haley Radio Show. The link to the interview are:
I hope you give it a listen and I hope you enjoy it.
As always, thank you for following along on my writing journey. I would love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to use the comment section below. Until next time …
July 31, 2023
Meet Cheri Krueger – An Author!
I noticed this fellow Black Rose Writing author from her posts on Instagram. She and I share not only a love of writing and storytelling, but a love of animals, in particular, her dog. But more than that, we are like-minded when it comes to social and political issues. It was this that made me sit up and take notice. Cheri has a captivating way with words and word choice that makes her writing stand out and I’m sure you will notice in the interview. Cheri is a writer, having written seven novels since 2021. Knowing my own pace is one book every nine months to a year, I can’t imagine her output. Here she is telling us about her writing and a bit of her life.
What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?
I have been a writer for as long as I can remember. As a teen, I wrote song lyrics (because I was far too cool for poetry) and I wrote for the school newspaper from grammar school through high school. Over the years, I wrote bits and pieces of potential books, but it wasn’t until I retired that the words really flowed. I’ve completed seven novels since January 2021.
As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?
Every human has a unique perspective, and my goal is to create fictional characters with their own unique but relatable perspectives that are often very different from my own. I want my pretend people to make a reader curious and make a reader care.
How do ideas for your stories present themselves? How do you know what story lines to follow and which to ignore?
My first book I had been writing in my head for years, the novel where I give my mother a different life. The characters from Thanks, Universe were so real, I wrote a sequel (An Artist’s Heart). Dragonfly was inspired by an incident in my life, although the proposition a rich man offered me at a casino was not as altruistic as Ben’s proposition for Angie. One of my books was inspired by a haunted hotel near Sacramento.
Since I don’t outline, I often don’t know what story lines to ignore until I’ve written my way into a corner. I have notebooks and documents with ignored story lines I hope to recycle.
What genre do you write, and why?
My books would be classified as women’s fiction, although each one has strong elements of romance, some with suspense, one with paranormal elements. Each story is a woman’s journey from broken to better.
Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?
I paint in acrylics although I wouldn’t call myself especially talented, but my friends and family get hand painted greeting cards. My superpower is planning frugal vacations.
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?
I’ve read every Stephen King book as they were released, and Bag of Bones haunts me. A love story, a ghost story, a mystery, compelling characters and prose. Handmaid’s Tale is another story that keeps a reader thinking and hopefully horrified.
What authors do you read regularly? Why?
I read a lot of women’s fiction for the same reason I write it, to meet new and interesting people. My favorite authors (besides King): Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Toni Morrison, Jodi Picoult, Katherine Center, Sue Monk Kidd, Jojo Moyes, Sarah Addison Allen.
If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?
Any five of the abovementioned women would be a dream dinner party: They are all brilliant and articulate in ideas that matter and we would have some lively conversations…with the added benefit of contacts in the publishing world.
What is your writing routine? When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?
Morning usually starts around five AM with coffee and by six I’m at my computer. After lunch, my husband and I walk three miles and I write until five PM (happy hour). I am definitely a pantser and I’m lucky to have tons of free time to write all these words I don’t use. If I’m drafting, I aim for 2000 words a day, but if I’m in the zone, I can pump out 6000+. If I’m editing, I work until my eyes cross.
When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?
I find it difficult to immerse myself in a novel when my own characters demand my attention, but I always have a book in progress and try to read a few pages every day. Outside of women’s fiction, I read some suspense (Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty) and some rom-com (Mhairi MacFarlane, Sophie Kinsella). Before I started writing full time, I read a lot of dystopian fiction and I have a very cool beginning for my own to-be-written dystopian novel.
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?)
There are many things I wish I did better (paint, speak Spanish, cook) but I can’t say it ‘didn’t work out’ because I’m still trying.
What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?
The best writing advice is simply to write, because you cannot edit an empty page. Put your butt in the chair and write one word after another. Some say write every day, but if your schedule or health doesn’t allow that, write when you can. If what you are trying to create isn’t exciting you, write about something else and keep doing that until you hit on that idea that excites you. You will know when you have that idea because you will be desperate to write it down. You will be impatient to put your butt in the chair and write down those words. There is no feeling like being in The Zone.
My other advice is patience, patience, patience. Especially when you’re querying or editing. I was so excited when I finished my first book, I rushed it into the world long before it was ready.
How did you “teach” yourself to write or did it just come naturally? What lessons would you pass on to others?
Storytelling comes naturally; writing an entire novel that a stranger wants to read is a craft I am learning as I go. Structure, pacing, dialog, and tension are aspects of fiction that I needed to improve, and I still work to improve. There is so much good, free material online that I have not found a need (so far) to spend money on writing courses.
How do you handle a negative critique?
First, I cry and assume everyone I know secretly hates me. Then I take a second look and decide, does this critique resonate with me? Can I learn from this? Or is this person’s negativity coming from somewhere else? I can say I’ve learned far more from negative critique than positive.
Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?
I have an idea for a murder mystery, but I don’t like killing people. Which is probably why my dystopian novel is still on the back burner.
How important are the elements of character, setting, and atmosphere to a story, and why?
All those elements are critical, but once I have a plot idea, character is the first thing I work on. I generally write about four chapters of backstory for myself so I know my character and how she will react to the rocks I throw at her. Setting is fun because I like to use places I’ve been, and atmosphere arises from the setting. Thanks, Universe is set in Portugal and I like to think my writing puts readers on those cobblestone streets. The ghost story has a spooky vibe that I lean into with word choices and weather.
Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?
I think most authors see aspects of themselves in their characters and my opinions have been known to spout from my character’s mouths. I prefer my characters to be different from me, so I have a new personality to explore.
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?
Scarlett O’Hara is a terrible person: spoiled, selfish, ruthless. But readers still root for her to win because she has a clear, relatable goal, and she is fiercely determined. It’s a challenge to write a character like her and I think most of my female protagonists have a little bit of Scarlett in them.
Tell us about your most recent book.
The Abduction of Adrienne Berg is a romantic suspense novel, published by Black Rose Writing and currently available for preorder with a release date of October 5.
The idea that sparked this book is also the opening scene: A woman kneels in her garden with a trowel gripped in both hands high above her head and stabs the tool deep into the earth. I asked myself, why is this woman so unhappy and violent? That woman became Adrienne.
She grew up on the streets of Oakland and has done things to survive that she doesn’t like to talk about. Chameleon-like in her ability to roll with the changes, her marriage to an affluent man should have been a Cinderella story, but Adrienne feels like a fraud and her suburban mansion in Marin is stifling.
Adrienne meets Gabriel at a public event and feels an earthshaking attraction. When he shows up in her backyard, Adrienne thinks Gabriel is there to seduce her, but he is there to abduct her and steal millions her embezzling husband stashed in their house. Adrienne sees a chance for a new life and turns from hostage to accomplice, determined to satisfy this overwhelming desire for Gabriel. But Gabriel refuses all her attempts at seduction.
This story is about wanting what you can’t have and wanting it so badly you don’t care who you hurt to get it. It’s about longing and angst, with more dark humor and far less violence than you might expect based on the title (inspired by the trend of having the protagonist’s name in the title).
My favorite character is Adrienne. She is an intriguing person with layers that she will never reveal, and some layers she reveals will surprise you. Gabriel is the character I love to hate, a male Scarlett; arrogant, selfish and manipulative, but his goal is relatable, and he’s so damn good-looking his faults can be somewhat overlooked. My least favorite character is the woman who comes between them, but she is also a victim, so it’s hard for me not to sympathize.
I hope you enjoyed the interview with Cheri as much as I did. I hope you connect with her on social media and check out her books, especially, The Abduction of Adrienne Berg.
Social Media Links:
https://www.instagram.com/cheri_krueger_writer/
Links to Books:
https://www.blackrosewriting.com/romance/theabductionofadrienneberg
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-abduction-of-adrienne-berg-cheri-krueger/1143575663
July 27, 2023
The Right Buzz!
As an author, I’ve had to reach out to various groups and individuals who helped me promote my books. Some did a spectacular job, while others tried, but I didn’t get the results I had hoped for.
The Right Buzz is one group on Facebook, but they have presence on several platforms, including Twitter (I no longer use that platform for a variety of reasons) and Instagram. I found them on Facebook and I use them periodically, and I’m happy to say their promotion has been very beneficial. Here is a little more about The Right Buzz, so you know what they do for folks like me, and perhaps, like you!
The Right Buzz radio has been through some battles to get where they are today and without all of you amazing subscribers/listeners we would not be here today. We have had the ultimate gift that anyone would love and that is to interview talented celebs & Icons past and present.
We have The Manhattans who won a Grammy in 1980 for the big hit “Shining Star”. After seventeen years, Gerald left The Manhattans to pursue a solo career. His debut album with Motown Records was entitled Gerald Alston followed by Open Invitation in 1990. His third album in 1992 Always In The Mood was a blend of classic R&B songs with ’90s music and nuances. In 1993, Gerald signed with Scotti Brothers/Street Life Records and recorded his debut album entitled First Class Only which Alston believes is one of the best albums he has recorded. In the same year, Gerald reunited with Blue Lovett and The Manhattans for a 30th year reunion performance. For the past thirteen years, The Manhattans featuring Gerald Alston and Blue Lovett have been enjoying new found success, performing nationally and around the world. Just to name a few places, Japan, South Africa, Jamaica, and Bermuda.
Preston Glass played on Aretha Franklin’s 1980 album Aretha and Stacy Lattisaw’s 1981 LP Sixteen. He later produced Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw on their 1984 LP Perfect Combination and played on Teena Marie’s 1984 album Starchild. Glass also performed on Patti Austin’s 1984 self titled album, Aretha Franklin 1985 LP Who’s Zoomin’ Who? and Whitney Houston’s 1985 self titled album. He then produced Kenny G on his 1986 LP Duotones and George Benson on his 1986 album While the City Sleeps..
Lettrice Lawrence who is a Professional Recording Artist, BMA Winner, Enthrone Hall of Fame World Artist Award, Producer/Songwriter and Actress.
Lettrice has worked with Barbra Streisand on her Timeless Tour, Herman Andrus, Clifton Davis, Mopreme Shakur, The Boys, Ralph Johnson (Earth, Wind, & Fire), B.B. King Showcases, South East Symphony for 8 years (Anthony Parnther), San Bernardino Symphony, Nobresil Band, Cynthia Haring & New Nation, Gregg Hanley (Hanley Productions), Glasshouse Productions & Media, Speak Your Mind Radio (Brenda Williams), Keeping Real On The Rise Radio, KJLH Radio Show (10 shows), The Nikki Rich Show, The DonnyD Soul Sundays Show, The Sherard Show, The Memphis Matters Show, Motown Soul Radio(UK), Situation Radio 102.6 (Atlanta), Rush Danja Show/Defiant BBN (Chicago), On the Couch with Esther, Dr.Cindy Show, Enthrone Records LLC (Andre’ Pittmon) & many others. She continues to work with Ralph Johnson (Earth, Wind and Fire) on various projects with artist.
Check our website, download the Android app, and be involved in the change. The Right Buzz Radio breaks into the music industry.
Link to the blog The Right Buzz On The Path For Celeb Radio
I have the pleasure of being a guest on their radio show in September, and I will have details for you well-beforehand. I am looking forward to it.
You can find The Right Buzz at the following:
July 19, 2023
Questions and Thoughts on Book Sales and Signings
I took a brief break from posting on my blog because of a busy and happy summer. My daughter and her husband gave birth to their first child, and Kim’s and my first grandchild, Mason William. I can’t spend enough time with him, and Kim and I playfully fight to hold him. Couple that with a nice vacation in a cabin on a lake with extended family, I didn’t have the time.
This summer, I have also been busy with various book sales and signings in various venues. I have to say, aside from actually writing, I look forward to each event. Each venue differs from the next, and even the same venue from year to year is different.
I receive the same or variations of the same questions at each event. They are:
Are you the author?
I find this one interesting. I’m not opposed to selling someone else’s books, but my picture is on some posters, and my picture is on the bookmarks and business cards. I politely smile and say yes, I am the author.
How do you come up with your ideas?
I explain the process, as Stephen King stated in his book On Writing. Two or more unrelated ideas/thoughts/events come together and I end up with a question or idea. It really is that simple. My Lives Trilogy and Prequel came from my work as a counselor and my volunteer work with the Wetterling Foundation for Stranger Abducted and Sexually Exploited children. My job was to teach parents how to protect their kids; teach kids how to protect themselves; and teach parents and caring adults what signs and signals to look for. While the four books making up the trilogy and prequel are fiction, the stories within those books came right from my work with the foundation, my work as a counselor/coach/teacher, my research using the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI website and my conversations with various FBI agents and law enforcement.
The idea for Caught in a Web came right from a newspaper. On the front page was an article on the rise of fentanyl and heroin deaths among adolescents. The book was published in 2018, and the problem still exists today, perhaps even more so. A couple of pages further in from that first article was an article about MS-13 and how the gang is reaching further into Northern Virginia, where I live. The idea I came up with combined both articles into a thriller based on fact.
Spiral Into Darkness came from my background in psychology and counseling, and a conversation I had with one of my psychology teachers on nature vs nurture: are we who we are based on our genetic makeup or are we a product of our environment? The same day as that conversation, I went home and watched a Criminal Minds episode about a serial killer. The question came to my mind: is a serial killer born or is there a trigger that causes someone to become a serial killer?
My latest, Fan Mail, came from an article on the stalking of a famous actress, the stalking of a famous singer who had a stalker show up at his door, and a famous football player who found two stalkers in his hot tub when he arrived home one night. While it is common for those in the spotlight with some celebrity to have “fan mail,” I came up with the question, what happens when fan mail turns dark, ugly, and threatening, especially if the person is an inexperienced adolescent?
I think those of you who are authors come up with story ideas similarly as mine do. The other thing that happens is that the more I write, the more I get ideas to write about. The trick is to harness them and make them manageable. I keep track of mine using a note app on my phone. Some I use, while some I let percolate until I’m ready for them.
Which book is my favorite?
I will state what Keith Urban said when asked which song is his favorite. He said he looks upon each of his songs as one of his children, so it’s hard to pick just one to like better than the others. I will then describe each book using a short “pitch” or sometimes the “blurb” on the back of the book. I encourage the person to pick up a book and read it, and they usually choose by the cover. (Thank you, David King and design team, at Black Rose Writing).
I’ve found that more often than not, the person usually buys two or more books because he/she can’t decide on just one. A problem for them, but a significant benefit for me.
Where should I begin? Where in your books should I start?
I explain that the first four books are the Lives Trilogy and Prequel. I have been bundling the Prequel, Taking Lives, with the first book of the trilogy, Stolen Lives at a discount. I sell two books and they receive a bit of a price break.
I then explain that like Patterson does with his Alex Cross or Michael Bennett characters, or like Baldacci does with his John Puller character, I carry my characters from book to book. The five books that come after the trilogy are technically stand-alones, but to follow the characters and their development, it might be best to begin with the Prequel or jump to Caught in a Web, which is the first of the five stand-alones. I’ve written each stand-alone in a way that kind-of-sort-of keeps the reader current with previous action and developments in the previous books so they don’t become super lost by diving into the middle of my book catalog.
As I answered in the previous question, I take the time to explain each book using the pitch or blurb. And again, most times, the person will purchase two or more books.
You should write something on ______. A variation is: Have you thought about writing a. in a different genre? b. a collaboration with another author?
I don’t want to offend anyone, so I smile and tell them that because I read thriller-crime-mystery, I feel more comfortable writing in that genre. There are aspects of romance or comedy in my books, but only to lighten the mood, and help with setting and the situation. I explain I don’t think I have what it takes to write a romance or comedy novel. It isn’t my strength. All of my books have a coming-of-age thread running through them, which is different from most thriller-crime-mystery authors.
As for collaborating with another author, I/we would have to work out logistics and set some parameters. I explain that at this time, I’m more comfortable writing solo.
Comments and Tips
I always have something a person can take with them, even if they don’t buy one of my books. I give the person a bookmark and a business card. On one side of the bookmark, I feature a picture of one of my books, while the other side has all of the books listed along with the login for Amazon on one side. The business card contains my picture, along with my social media contact information on one side, with a cover of one of my books on the other.
I usually have a piece of candy in a big bowl for anyone who stops in to visit with me. However, when I know the weather is going to be hot and humid, I don’t have anything that will melt. You can imagine the mess, right?
To lure in the prospective buyer, I have several posters on a tripod visible. They involve the cover of the book and a short pitch/blurb and/or positive reviews of that book. If the book has won an award or two, I would include that on the poster. As a former principal, one of my graphic and digital art teachers helped design the posters, bookmarks, and business cards.
If you don’t have one, purchase a tent to enclose your set up. It helps keep the sun from burning you to a crisp and prevents rain from damaging your books and materials. Lately, I’ve used vinyl sides that clip right to the top of the tent to keep the wind from knocking over the posters and to prevent the bookmarks and business cards from blowing away.
I hope this helps you and gives you some ideas for your own events. Best of luck to you, and please let me know how it goes for you. For your convenience, I listed the books, short synopsis and the Amazon links to each of my books. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with your events, or your thoughts on this post. Use the comment section below. As always, thank you for following along on my writing journey.
Oh, and here is a picture of my new Grandson, Mason William! A bit proud, I will admit.
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
Fan Mail : New Release! A Maxy Award Finalist, an Eric Hoffer Award Nominee, and 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? https://amzn.to/3eNgSdS
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!
Blaze In, Blaze Out is Now Available in Audio Book, Kindle and Paperback! https://www.audible.com/acx-promo\
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
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
Spiral Into Darkness : Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards!
Would you recognize a serial killer if one spoke to you? Vincent and Shirley didn’t, and now they’re dead!
He blends in, is successful, intelligent, and methodical. So far, he has murdered eight people. There is no discernible pattern, no clues, and 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, and neither does their family or local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
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
Photos courtesy of Hannah Adley and Joseph Lewis
July 1, 2023
Head Popping
Head Popping
Before I get started, I want to let you know that my publisher, Black Rose Writing, and I are offering you a deal! My book, Betrayed, will be on sale from Sunday, July 2 through Wednesday, July 5 for $0.99 on Kindle through Amazon! Betrayed has won eight awards, and earned a notification as Best Seller on Amazon! Now is your chance to get it on Kindle through Amazon for only $0.99. https://amzn.to/3i2dxDz
Okay, Head Popping.
I am not referring to menacing and mayhem that takes place in most any thriller-crime-mystery book, although there is a fair amount that takes pace in between those pages. Pick up one of my books or a book by David Baldacci or John Sandford and you will certainly find that. The Head Popping I’m writing about is a point of view (POV) change from one character to another. My short chapters, like the chapters in any James Patterson book, lend to that effectively.
For example, in my book, Betrayed the opening chapter has Brian reflecting on death and the sacrifice he is about to make in order to save his brothers. The chapter begins with this:
It was still. No breeze. The air, dead, smelled of red dirt and decay. A hawk circled overhead, cawed once, and glared at him. At least Brian thought it did. He wondered vaguely if it was an omen, a message from the spirit world George often talked about. A warning, perhaps. Fitting if it was, Brian thought. If they survived, he would ask him.
He lay prone in the dirt and glanced behind him. Brett was not visible. That was good. He wanted his brother safely behind the big boulder. Hidden.
Brian wasn’t afraid to die. He just didn’t want to die. Not yet, anyway. Fifteen was too young. However, he made a promise to watch over George and Brett, and that he would do. If it came to it, he would protect his two brothers any way he could, including sacrificing his own life.
—
The reader is smack dab in Brian’s head. You feel his worry, but also his determination, his resolve. And as a reader, you wonder what the heck is going on? A fifteen-year-old protecting his two brothers? From who? Why? Of all my books, this might be my favorite opening. It hits the reader not only between the eyes, but squarely in the heart.
But the very next chapter’s POV shifts to a different character and scene altogether:
They stood in the driveway of an expansive ranch home made of brick and glass that was out of place on Navajoland. When one had money, one could build whatever one wanted and as big as one wanted it. It was big and beautiful, almost obscene in comparison to the abject poverty most of the Dine’ lived in. There were several of these monstrosities dotting the desert landscape, one competing with the next in size and expense. No matter. He had money and power and used both to his advantage. He liked what he had. His only disappointment was that he didn’t have more.
“Have you found that kid yet?”
Two men looked at the red dirt and shuffled their dusty boots.
“Why the fuck not?” he shouted. His anger grew in proportion to their non-answers.
“We’ve been watching the girl and her old man hoping they would lead us to him.”
“That isn’t good enough, goddammit! For chrissakes, we need to find that kid. We don’t have time to sit and watch.”
—
A different character and different scene. The reader is no longer on a mesa inside a fifteen-year-old’s head. The reader now is in the driveway of a fancy house owned by a wealthy and ruthless man. One antagonist- Betrayed has several, one worse than the next. At this point in the book, Brian does not know this conversation is taking place. Worse, he does not know who this guy is and why he is after “the kid”, whoever “the kid” is. And more importantly, the reader doesn’t know either.
This is an example of Head Popping. You will find that this takes place in each book I write, along with short chapters that move the story along quickly, leaving the reader no chance to put the book down without wondering what will happen next. This is a definition of a “page turner.”
Sometimes readers complain there are too many characters in my books, but the more you read them, the more you know who they are and are not bothered by it. The way I think of it, ask yourself the question: how many people do you interact with during any day? Your spouse, your boss, your kids, the friend you encounter at the gas station or grocery store. That’s four characters or more (depending on how many kids you have) already. As you progress along in your day, you encounter even more. Some play a bigger role than others, but they play a role.
My books reflect life and the world I create in life. As such, you can expect multiple characters.
Let’s look at one more example of Head Popping from my book, Blaze In, Blaze Out. The first three chapters involve Detective Pat O’Connor and his partner, Detective Paul Eiselmann, and three lawyers who make up the prosecution team. O’Connor went undercover and helped put the head of a crime family in prison. He and Eiselmann thought the guilty verdict was the end. Ahh, not so much.
But Chapter Four deals with one of the antagonists. Just like Betrayed, Blaze In, Blaze Out has multiple antagonists, one worse than the next. The reader will discover that fact in this chapter:
He had left New York and arrived in Chicago one day previous. Late in the afternoon on the same day O’Connor and Eiselmann had eaten their lunch at TGI Friday’s, he drove to the Richard Daley Branch of the Chicago Library system, where he picked up a thick legal-sized envelope from a woman sitting at a computer station behind one of the stacks. He had been told to look for a redhead in a blue windbreaker.
He had shuffled around the library twice at a leisurely pace, and then doubling back once to see if he had a tail. No one had paid any attention to him.
Why would they? Thick black-framed glasses, a prosthetic nose, a rubber fat pad around his middle. He looked like a dumpy man on the backside of life. He wasn’t. He was a muscled and well-maintained man in his thirties.
He sat down at a table in a corner and scanned the contents. He placed everything back into the envelope and shuffled back outside just the way he had strolled in- slowly and hunched over.
He stood at a bus stop, and then caught a bus traveling east for three blocks and got off. He headed into a small diner for a cup of hot tea. He sat at a window seat and looked for anyone watching him. After, he stood at the same bus stop and waited for a different bus that would take him north four blocks. He back-tracked two blocks to a four-story parking garage and rode the elevator to the third floor. He shuffled to his dented late-model green Ford Fusion, got in, and drove off.
North of Chicago in Skokie, he drove to a storage facility, punched in a keycode, and drove to his garage. He punched in his personal code, rolled up the steel door, and drove the Fusion inside. He shut the door, stripped off his prosthetics and changed his clothes to black leather pants with a matching black leather jacket. He pulled on a black helmet with a darkly-tinted visor, and backed his bright blue Yamaha YZF-R3 out of the garage.
He took I-94 north to highway 41 to Lake Forest, and then drove east towards Lake Michigan. At a fashionable condo, one of his residences, he pulled up in the driveway letting the beast idle under him. He pressed the garage remote and the door opened. He drove in quietly, his bike purring, and he shut the door behind him.
He swung himself off the bike, took off his helmet, and set it on the saddle ready for the next ride, which wouldn’t take place until the job was over.
The first thing he did was inspect the trips he had placed on or near his door to see if any had been disturbed. They hadn’t, so if anyone had entered his condo, it would have been either through the front door or slider in the living room.
He reached under the workbench at the front of the garage and slipped the SIG Sauer P365 Pistol from the Velcro straps holding it in place. Then he unlocked the door and entered the kitchen. He stood and listened, waiting and watching.
None of the trips he had in place in the kitchen had been disturbed.
He moved to the front door and none of those trips had been moved. Finally, he inspected the slider and found those trips in place. Last and not the least of importance, he walked through the condo and cleared each room. This was his usual pattern of behavior. It had kept him alive several times.
Satisfied, he relaxed.
He poured himself two fingers of scotch, unzipped his jacket, and took out the envelope that contained his newest assignment. He sat in a soft brown leather chair and read over it twice before setting it aside.
—
At this point, the reader does not know who this guy is, other than he is careful, takes great caution to protect his identity and make sure he is safe. The reader doesn’t know who this is. I only refer to him as “he” and “he” can be either a protagonist or an antagonist. The reader has an idea, but doesn’t know for sure.
This is another example of Head Popping. And as I said, you will find it in all of my books, and certainly in others. Something to look for, and if you write, something you might want to experiment with.
For your convenience, I included the links to both Betrayed and Blaze In, Blaze Out for you if you want to check them out. They are below. As always, thank you for following along with me on my writing journey. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to use the comment section below. Until next time …
Betrayed:
What begins as a hunting trip turns into the hunters becoming the hunted. A late-night phone call, a missing kid, a murdered family. No one willing to talk. Three 15 yr. old boys caught up in it and facing death. They don’t know why and can’t get help. https://amzn.to/3i2dxDz
Blaze In, Blaze Out:
“You do the things I’ve done, you have the things I’ve got. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, especially you.”
Detectives thought the guilty verdict was the end, but it was only the beginning. Their lives and everyone they love are now targets because revenge doesn’t worry about collateral damage.
