I read a passage
about two weeks ago that has stuck with me and has played on my heart. A pastor
wrote that growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, snow was sometimes
heavy. When he was little, his father would take him out and tell him to follow
in his footsteps so it would be easier for him.
But kids being
kids, he’d stray to one side or the other, find himself stuck, and call out for
help. His father would pick him up and set him on the path made by his
footsteps and ask him to again, follow so that it would be easier for him. This
was repeated several times.
I think of those
brave men and women, the first pioneers who trekked across our country without
a map, and with only hope. Hope for a new life. Hope for better times. Hope for
adventure.
It had to have
been tough going. There were no roads. There were no paths. Lewis (no relation
that I am aware of) and Clark blazed the trail westward. They had to make their
own way. There was sickness and injury. That can be said about many of the
wagon trains heading out that way. The Donner Party comes to mind.
I think what has
stayed with me is that sometimes it is easier to just follow along. It is more
comfortable and as I said, easier. But there are those who are a bit
adventurous, aren’t there? Most of the time, there isn’t any problem. There are
mountain climbers galore. Deep sea fishermen. Explorers in this desert or that
jungle.
Sometimes,
however, that sense of adventure gets the best of us. We get caught in
unexpected and unplanned events, situations, and circumstances.
Sometimes without
knowing it, without thinking, we stray from the footprints of someone who has
set the trail ahead of us. Sometimes we get stuck and call out for help and
someone rescues us and puts us back on that path, in those footsteps.
Sometimes, we need
that help, don’t we? It doesn’t make us weak to call for help. I think quite
the opposite. It is the confident, the strong who recognize that help and
guidance are needed.
Too often, we sit
and worry and continue to be lost. Sometimes, we remain stuck because we don’t
call out for help, even when help is readily available. Sometimes in our own
pride, we remain stuck because we’re embarrassed, or shy, or afraid of
appearing to be weak.
I see that in some
of the kids who walk the hallway who want to appear tough and strong and who
don’t think they need the help they truly need. I see that in teachers who
truly want to do better, but are afraid of being judged as less than.
And, I sometimes
see it in myself as I try to do the right and good and proper thing, but
sometimes get lost along the way. I don’t want to appear less than in the eyes
of my colleagues or my supervisors. None of us want to be judged or looked upon
as less than.
So sometimes, we
flounder, we get lost, we get stuck and rather than asking for help, we stay
floundering, we stay lost, we stay stuck. I repeat, it isn’t weakness to ask
for help, to ask for guidance, to help us get unstuck. That, my friends, is
strength. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
My new book, Spiral Into Darkness is available for Kindle, Nook and in Paperback
on Amazon and Barnes &
Noble.
The cover description reads as follows:
He blends in. He
is successful, intelligent and methodical. He also has a list and has murdered
eight on it so far. There is no pattern. There are no clues. There are no
leads. Two adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea they are
the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law
enforcement.
There have been
several reviews already:
“I had this book
for one day and already finished it. From the first pages, it draws you in.
Great story about a madman going around and killing people for no reason, or so
we think. Another great page turner.” Brent
F., Librarian
“Look for strong
writing and a great deal of suspense in this well-crafted thriller.” Joan Livingston, author of the Isabel Long
mystery series
“Powerful! The
best to date. Masterful use of imagery and the ability to manipulate the
reader's emotion! An outstanding read!” T
Storke
“Another excellent
read – this author doesn’t disappoint. Fast-paced, intrigue and unexpected
twists.” S. King
My book, Caught in a Web was named as a PenCraft Literary Award Winner for Thriller
Fiction! I was nominated by a reviewer and received notification in the
last week or so. It is also on the list for “one of the best crime thriller books of the year!” by Best Thrillers. I am both proud and
humbled.
Thanks to all who
have read Caught in a Web. You can
find it on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696
or on Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249
If you do read Caught in a Web, Spiral Into Darkness, or any of my other books, please leave a
rating and a review. I would appreciate it. Thanks for this consideration!
Caught in a Web:
The bodies of high
school and middle school kids are found dead from an overdose of heroin and
fentanyl. The drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors and the Milwaukee
Metro area is controlled by MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador.
Ricardo Fuentes is sent 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.
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, especially
George or members of his family. The three detectives discover the ring has its
roots in a high school among the students and staff. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
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. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
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. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
A 14 year old boy
knows the end is coming. What he doesn’t know is when, where or by whom.
Without that knowledge, neither he nor the FBI can protect him or his family.
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 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. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis
Connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Photo Courtesy of Hugues de Buyer-Mimeure and Unsplash
