An Exhale

I think Labor Day is the unofficial start of fall, don’t you think? Yes, I know. The Autumn Equinox is September 22, but I think most of us equate Labor Day as the beginning of fall, since that’s that last of the “vacation weekends” we get for a while. With school beginning for many, it just seems to fit.

Fall might be my favorite season, right there with summer. Football. Henleys, flannel, and sweatshirts. Jeans and sweatpants. Trees shedding their leaves of red, yellow, and rust. Falling gracefully to the ground. The crunch of them under feet. The chill in the morning and evening air. Fires with family and friends. Bowls of chili with cornbread. 

But there’s more to it than that. Or at least I hope there is. 

A writer I met on Substack, Chloe Hope wrote in a recent post, “Fall is an exhale.” A beautiful line and I wish I had written it. I think of fall this way. Perhaps, I always thought of fall this way, but it wasn’t until she capsulated it so nicely for me. 

From the hurried pace of summer with vacations and travel to the quietness of fall, we get to exhale and breathe again. We get to exhale and relax, and with that, we take stock of all that we had done, and where we are going- maybe not right away, but eventually. Soon, but not too soon. 

As the chorus says in the Carole King classic, “Winter, spring, summer or fall …” Fall is at the end, I think, for a reason. It is the ending, an ending, and like Chloe wrote, “Fall is an exhale.” 

But for every ending, there is a beginning, isn’t there? Life doesn’t abruptly end. I mean, yes, eventually we leave this earth and our soul leaves our bodies, but there is still life after we leave, after a loved one has left. The rest of us travel on in our earthly bodies and we live on after one has passed. 

But first, we exhale, we breathe, and we take stock. 

Take stock of where we were, and where we are now. We take stock of what we’ve done, and what we might do next. And if we exhale enough, if we breathe enough, and rest enough, we might find the answers to what we’ve asked ourselves. I mean, after all, this is what “thinking” people do. We think. And after thinking, we feel, and after we feel, we do. (A little Rudolf Dreikurs, for you.) 

Think. Feel. Do. In that order, each time, every time. 

Each of us faces fall, a new season. We take stock, and we exhale. We think, we feel, and then we do. What is it you will think about at the beginning of this new season? What feelings do these thoughts conjure up? And what will these feelings propel you to do? Something to think about … 

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference! 

For My Readers: 

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all nine books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site. 

Pleases Connect with Me on Social Media: 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

Author Blog https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog

TikTok @josephlewis5566  

Tribal @jrauthor85  

Substack https://tinyurl.com/2m5ckdvh 

Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) is available for preorder NOW and ONLY at https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blackyeii If you purchase Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) prior to the publication date of January 2, 2025, use the promo code: PREORDER2024 to receive a 15% discount. 

For those of you who are interested in receiving a signed copy, I will have author copies to sell and sign at the Fredericksburg Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds at 2400 Airport Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

I will also be at the Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Riverside Park, 701 Sophia St, Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

Or, simply message me and I will get a signed copy to you. 

As several reviewers wrote about Black Yé’ii (The Evil One):

“On one side, unconditional familial love supported by the camaraderie of law enforcement. On the other? Guns, drugs, and hatred. Black Yé’ii stages an epic battle between good and evil.” Cam Torrens, award-winning author of the Tyler Zahn thriller series.

“The Bottom Line: A must-read small town crime thriller that will please new and old fans.” Bella Wright, Reviewer/Editor BestThrillers.com.

Intro Photo Courtesy of Eric Muhr and Unsplash

Book Cover Designed by David King at Black Rose Writing

 

 

   

Dreams

 

When I was in elementary school, I wanted to play pro football and be on the Packers. Jim Taylor and Hank Gremminger were my two favorite Packers back then. Taylor was a hard running, bruising fullback and complemented Paul Hornung, the halfback who doubled as the punter. I liked Taylor’s style and when I played football, I tried to emulate him.

Gremminger was not the most popular defender the Packers ever had. Willie Wood, Herb Adderley and Ray Nitschke were far more popular. But there was something about Gremminger that stuck out to me. I even sent him a letter once, and he was kind enough to answer back. 

In middle school and through high school and early college, I wanted to be a singer-songwriter. I was the drummer and lead singer in a fairly popular local band, but because I did most of the lead vocals, I was moved up front and we got a different drummer for the band. 

I went to a boarding school for high school, sang solos in the school’s music group, and even did some local commercials. The bug hit me when I performed at a charity event and the main attraction, Joe Feeney, the soloist for the Lawrence Welk Show, called me backstage to his dressing room and told me to audition for the show.   

Oh man, I thought I was going big time- even if it was the Lawrence Welk Show. But, I was rejected because my song choice and style didn’t fit their show. Bummer! 

It didn’t stop me, though. I cut demo tapes and sent them to Ampex Recording Studio. I don’t even think they exist any longer. They asked for another demo tape, and then another, but they rejected me too, because I wasn’t writing my own material. Another bummer! 

In my first year of college, I decided I’d major in music to be a choir/chorus teacher. Sadly, I wasn’t interested in or gifted enough to learn six different instruments the major required, so I switched majors, thinking psychology was a good fit for me. That changed, too, since in order to use that major, I would need at the least a master’s degree or a doctorate. I wasn’t interested in pursuing that – yet – although I stayed in social studies and earned a teaching certificate. 

I liked history, especially western history and the civil war, but what I really liked was the possibility of coaching. To be honest, I probably wanted to coach more than teach, but to make a decent living, I had to teach to coach.

I coached and taught for a number of years and the pull of psychology led me to earn a master’s degree in counseling. Eventually, I set aside the teaching and coaching and became a counselor, and I loved it. Probably the best decision I ever made. 

And the worst? I left the counseling office and became an administrator. Discipline. Attendance. Meetings. Paperwork. All of it took me away from kids.

It seemed to be a logical progression, though, and with Kim and me having a young, growing family, the increase in income helped. 

It’s funny how we make life choices. From young and somewhat immature to older, wiser and seemingly more mature. Yet, are those choices satisfying? Do they make us happy? 

The answer for me is no. 

Instead of singing, I write. Nine books published with number ten dropping around the first of the year, but available for preorder well before that, and I’m currently working on number eleven. It fills a void created when I gave up the singing dream. And after twenty-four years as an assistant principal and principal, I semi-retired and went back to teaching part time. Now, I’m finally back to where I was the happiest- as a part-time counselor. 

I think bigger homes and fancier cars and making more money doesn’t always make us happier. It’s like eating frosting without the cake. I should have listened to my heart instead of my head way back when, especially knowing and feeling like I do now that I’m back in the counseling office. Dream big and chase them, but follow your heart. I think you’ll be happier if you do. Something to think about …

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

For My Readers: 

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all nine books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site.  

Pleases Connect with Me on Social Media: 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

Author Blog https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog

TikTok @josephlewis5566  

Tribal @jrauthor85  

Substack https://tinyurl.com/2m5ckdvh   

Here is the cover of my newest book, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One).

This must might be my favorite cover of my books, and I have to thank David King, the design guy for Black Rose Writing, my publisher. I’ve already received significant early reviews for the book, and that obviously makes me happy. Here are a couple:

“Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) is a psychological thriller based in a small town in Wisconsin, featuring a group of young men recovering from traumatic events a year ago. Unfortunately, the past is coming back to haunt them, and hunt them down. This thriller features complex characters and relationships that evolve throughout the story, leading to a stunning conclusion. Lewis delivers in this story of police trying to protect the innocents from the evil that is hunting them.”

-        Gary Gerlacher, MD, MBA, author of Last Patient of the Night, Faulty Bloodline and Sin City Treachery

“I believe this is my favorite so far! In his latest crime thriller, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One), author Joseph Lewis gets readers’ attention with a shocker of a start — a brutal double murder. He keeps that going as law enforcement works to identify the person who orchestrated this and other violence, especially since it is apparent innocent people, including an acclaimed author and a family of adopted brothers, are in danger. Here is the next, and hopefully, not the last, riveting adventure for the intriguing characters Lewis has created for his books.”

-        Joan Livingston, author of the Isabel Long Mystery Series

“On one side, unconditional familial love supported by the camaraderie of law enforcement. On the other? Guns, drugs, and hatred. Black Yé’ii stages an epic battle between good and evil.”

-        Cam Torrens, award-winning author of the Tyler Zahn thriller series

“Introducing characters both new and old, Black Yé’ii takes on the darkness as it threatens to overcome all that is good. Seamlessly winding culture, commitment, loyalty, and love, Lewis’ newest is an exciting and thrilling addition to his family of reads.

Weaving family and friendship with gangs and murder, Lewis has a flair for packing high-octane action into his world of high school boys, brothers, and small-town Wisconsin. With a personal vendetta and more lives on the line, the suspense jumps from the page as a fabricated truth takes center stage. 

Never one to shy away from action, death, and despair, this latest read brings with it new, yet familiar pulse pounding villains as author Joseph Lewis stuns once again, in this his tenth book.

Jill Rey, Reviewer: For The Love Of The Page Blog  

Here is the synopsis (book blurb) for Black Yéʼii (The Evil One):

The police fabricated a story about the night four members of MS-13 died in a tiny home on a quiet city street almost two years previous. George Tokay and his friends were not supposed to share the secret about what really happened that night. No one was to know the truth. But someone talked, and now MS-13, ruthless and wanting revenge, is back in town, and people are dying.

Can Detectives Graff, O’Connor, and Eiselmann find the killers and put a stop to the killing before anyone else dies?

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Fairly soon, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) will be available for preorder, and I’ll keep you posted.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Handley and Unsplash.