I began a new book
17 days ago. It consists of 365 pages. It has 52 chapters. Not sure about the
word count (big in the publishing world). I’m also not sure what genre it is
(also big in the publishing world, since without a specific genre, publishers
wouldn’t know how to market it). But I’m also not sure that this book is
marketable.
So far, some parts
have been happy, while others sad, and still others poignant. The book reflects
struggle- both internal and external. Some of these struggles, I think, will be
ongoing throughout the book, while others will come and go like the weather.
There have been
interesting characters in the pages so far. Some frustrating, others
entertaining, and still others I’m not quite sure about. A good book is like
that, I think. There is always a protagonist, and there will always be an
antagonist or two or six. It depends upon the action.
While it’s only
been 17 days, this new book has made me think. It challenges me, causes me to
question, to think. Good books do that if we take the time to dig in, right?
The New Book . . .
Each of us began a
new book almost 17 days ago. For each of us, it’s the same length, more or
less. It will likely be the same format of 365 pages with 52 chapters.
We started the
book separately, but together on January 1st, 2020. We will read . .
. and write this book for 365 days give or take. So far, we’ve written about
three chapters, or 17 days of joy, sorrow, heartbreak, challenge, pitfalls,
mistakes, triumphs. All of it.
Did you know that
you can change the ending as you go? You’re not stuck in a predictable, boring
ending if you choose. You can change it. With each page (day), each chapter
(week), you can write your own ending. It might take effort. It more than
likely will take thought. But the ending- each page (day), each chapter (week)
is up to you!
The protagonist is
us . . . you and me. The antagonist, well, I’ll leave that to you to decide.
This is your (and my) story for the next 365 (minus 17) days.
I ask the question
of you- please take this seriously- how does your new book read? Have you taken
an interest in it? Do you read each page and not remember the richness of the
words? Is it predictable? Unusual? Interesting? With each page, each chapter,
you can make it however you see fit. You are the author. Don’t give the pen to
anyone else. Seize it. Embrace it. Live it. And most of all, Love it. Something
to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make a Difference!
To My Readers:
I have some Great News to Share Shortly! Stay Tuned!
Connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Good News!
Spiral Into Darkness made the finals for Author Shout Reader Awards! I will know in January if it won an
award. It has also been nominated for Top
Shelf Book Awards! That is quite an honor! I’ll find out more yet this
month 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