There are some
days . . .
Perhaps it’s my
age. Perhaps I’m just tired. Whatever the reason, there seems to be a lot going
on. Sometimes I’m ahead of it. Sometimes I’m behind it. Sometimes I’m in the
middle of it.
Any term will
suffice, but I’ll choose overwhelmed. I know many of you feel it too, whether
it is now or in your recent past or perhaps facing it in the future. Seems like
we can’t get the sleep we need or the food we like or the people to see our
needs- some of which we hide, some of which we display up on a billboard.
It is a struggle.
For some of us, the struggle is each day, all day, every day. For some, the
struggle hits us when we least expect it.
Sometimes the
struggle begins when someone disrespects you. Perhaps when you feel taken
advantage of or taken for granted. Sometimes the struggle begins when there is
no acknowledgement of your effort, of trying. Sometimes the struggle begins
when it is somehow communicated to you that you aren’t good enough or when
someone compares you to another and doesn’t see you for who you are and what
you have to offer.
The struggle
hurts. Sometimes hurts so very much.
We don’t see the
bruising that takes place, because the struggle is in the heart and soul. This struggle
affects one’s health and mind. It can wreck you . . . me . . . us.
I wrote two posts
back in 2014: “The Anchor Can Drown” (1-17-14) and “We All Have Scars”
(3-11-14) that speak to this and can be found at https://jrlewis.blogspot.com One
speaks to the battles, the struggles we encounter in life and the fact that
we’re still standing, while the other speaks to the fact that some of the
strongest among us, those who we look to for support and strength sometimes
have the hardest of struggles because they have nowhere to turn and no one to
turn to. There is the feeling of aloneness, of loneliness.
When my daughters
are frustrated or worried or confused; when there are people who impose their
own “crap” on them (on us); when life isn’t neat or orderly or particularly
satisfying at the moment, my advice has always been the same: “You can’t
control them or that. You can only control yourself and your reaction to it.” I
remind them that they’ve encountered far worse and are still standing. I remind
them that when they’ve encountered a setback or two or ten, they’ve kept
walking and ended up, though a bit battered and somewhat bruised, stronger
because of that struggle.
While there might
be fury outside of us, there can be peace within us.
There are those
who have far, far worse lots in life. There are those who have been dealt far
from winning hands. We might be among them, and at times, I believe each of us
have been among that number. Perhaps, some of us still are.
But as night ends
the day, as the moon replaces the sun, and even when clouds darken the sky, a
new day will come, the sun will replace the moon, and eventually, the clouds
dissipate and we see blue sky once again. It happens. For you. For me. For all
of us.
Perhaps it’s a
good idea to remind ourselves that while there is fury all around us, there can
be peace within us. Perhaps, we can remind each other of this truth, and
perhaps, we can be a support- not a disturbance- for each other. Perhaps that
is what we are meant to do. Perhaps that is one of the purposes of our life.
Perhaps. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
Connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Good News!
Spiral Into Darkness has been nominated
for Top Shelf Book Awards! That is quite an honor! I’ll find out more in
late November or early December.
Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Review had some wonderful things to say about Spiral Into Darkness:
“Joseph Lewis
excels in building more than just a 'whodunnit' mystery. His is a novel of
psychological suspense that weaves a 'cat-and-mouse' game into the equation of
dealing with a killer who is much cleverer than anyone he's run up against in
his career as a detective. Tension builds in an excellent, methodical manner as
Lewis creates a scenario that rests firmly on not just the actions of all
involved, but their psychological foundations. The result is a powerfully
written work of psychological fiction that is highly recommended not just for
mystery and police procedural readers, but for those who appreciate literary
works well grounded in strong characters, plot development, and emotional
tension. Great buildup, great insights, great reading!”
Readers Favorites wrote:
“If you enjoy
thrillers, especially psychological ones, Spiral
Into Darkness by Joseph Lewis will grab you good and proper in the opening
two chapters. You will find yourself avidly turning pages as a serial killer
accosts his victims, confirms their identities and blasts away their faces with
a .38 pistol. If you are interested in both the good and bad sides of humanity
and why we each turn out as we do, Spiral
Into Darkness won’t disappoint.”
Best Thrillers wrote:
“The Bottom Line:
A thoroughly compulsive police procedural by one of America’s most promising new writers. Joseph Lewis, author of
our Best of 2018 pick Caught in a Web, is back with another crime thriller
featuring world-weary Milwaukee detective Jamie Graff . . . While Lewis
savagely explores romance, drama, and sexuality with his wider cast of
characters, Jamie’s interpersonal life is refreshingly free of drama for a cop,
enabling him to be the determined, resourceful rock capable of cracking the
case. The result is a thoroughly compulsive crime thriller.”
And, Spiral Into Darkness has made it into the Top 50 Indie Books by Reader’s Choice!
You can find Spiral Into Darkness on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm and on Barnes and Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spiral-into-darkness-joseph-lewis/1129937958;jsessionid=0C9F7881E2F56139FAD36435022CB35D.prodny_store01-atgap18?ean=9781684332090
Best Thrillers had
previously reviewed my book, Caught in a
Web. It was named as a PenCraft
Literary Award Winner for Thriller Fiction! Best Thrillers called it “one of the best crime thriller books of
the year!” I am both proud and humbled.
You can find Caught in a Web 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
Caught in a Web is
now available in Audio format. You
can find it at https://www.beaconaudiobooks.com/audiobookreleases/high-school-drug-rings-gangs-and-revenge-are-all-encompassing-in-caught-in-a-web-by-joseph-lewis
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!
Spiral Into Darkness:
He blends in. He
is successful, intelligent and methodical. He has a list and has murdered eight
on it so far. There is no discernible pattern. There are no clues. There are no
leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go on is the method of
death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send a message. But it’s
difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and damaged mind. Two
adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea they are the next
targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
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
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Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe