Moments Matter

I’ve written many posts over the years about the importance of appreciating time, of appreciating each and every moment presented to us.

Time is precious. In our society’s push to produce more, faster, and better, we lose sight of what is important and what is necessary.

That point was driven home to my family in July 2014 when our son, Wil, was taken from us suddenly, viciously, and needlessly as he walked home from eating lunch. Collateral damage caused by one gang’s pursuit of another. Used as a shield so the intended victim could escape. The importance of time, the importance of each moment was a hard lesson for our family, for me, to learn.

I see it now in the battle with Covid. Not just for those who pass away from it and in the families who struggle with death, but for those who care for the sick and the dying. I see it in teachers struggling the past two years to do their jobs in the worst conditions imaginable. Kids, teachers, staff, and administrators stressed and strained over what to do, how to do it, and the inability to reach insurmountable goals and expectations with passing rates and test scores.

Teachers, staff, and administrators tasked with more and more, and with little thought of their own care, their own health- physical and mental. Parents not knowing how to help or what to do.

It’s all of us.

If we can’t and don’t take time for ourselves, we cannot help others. If we don’t take care of our own health- physical and emotional- we aren’t equipped to take care of others.

And, if we don’t take time to appreciate each and every moment presented to us, what possible good comes from that?

For thirteen years, Greg has been a friend of mine, someone I respected. I respect his judgment, his kindness, and his deliberate leadership. For thirteen years, he was a colleague. He was principal of one high school, while I was principal of another. For the last two years, I have had the privilege of being on his staff as an hourly employee. In my semi-retirement, I am a teacher once again. Loving it, and realizing again how tough it is, how hard it is.

This past Friday, Greg sent a poem to his staff about the importance of time, the importance of each moment, the importance of taking care of ourselves as we care for kids. The poem was passed to him, and he gave me permission to steal it.

“Barely arrived on Monday and it’s already Friday.

. . . and the month is already over.

. . . and the year is almost over.

. . . and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed. 

. . . and we realize that we lost our parents, friends.

. . . and we realize it’s too late to go back.

So . . . Let’s try, despite everything, to enjoy the remaining time.

Let’s keep looking for activities that we like.

Let’s put some color in our gray.

Let’s smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.

And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left. 

Let’s try to eliminate the afters.

I’m doing it after.

I’ll say it after.

I’ll think about it after.

We leave everything for later, like ‘after’ is ours.

Because what we don’t understand is that:

Afterwards, the coffee gets cold.

Afterwards, priorities change.

Afterwards, the charm is broken.

Afterwards, health passes.

Afterwards, the kids grow up.

Afterwards, parents get old.

Afterwards, promises are forgotten.

Afterwards, the day becomes the night.

Afterwards, life ends.

And then it’s often too late.

So… Let’s leave nothing for later.

Because still waiting to see later, we can lose

The best moments,

the best experiences,

the best friends,

the best family.

The day is today.

The moment is now.

We are no longer at the age where we can afford to postpone what needs to be done right away.”

 

Greg’s words at the end of his weekly message were:

It Looks Like an Eternity, But It’s a Short Trip; Enjoy Life and Always Be Kind.

. . . Something to think about.

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:

Connect with me on Social Media: 
Author Website: www.jrlewisauthor.blog/
Twitter at @jrlewisauthor
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author  
Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /

Blaze In, Blaze Out, is now available for preorder. Use the promo code: PREORDER2021 and order it at the publisher’s website at: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blazeinblazeout

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko meant the end. 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.

Betrayed: A PenCraft 1^st 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. 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!
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, do not know they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does 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. MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador, 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, 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. 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!
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 possible death? http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives  

Photo courtesy of Bruno Aguirre and Unsplash.

Hungry and Alone

 

Kim and I watch NCIS on weekends and often during the week when there is a marathon going on. We like the show mostly because of the characters, their interplay with one another. The stories themselves are often secondary.

During the show, commercials air. Medicare. Vitamins. Lawyers wanting your business for possible injuries due to this or that product. More often than not, there are commercials about stray and abused animals, mostly dogs. Tough to watch. Lately, there are commercials about the abuse and illegal killing of elephants. Equally tough to watch.

The same thought runs through my mind when one of these commercials air: how can someone, anyone, hurt an animal. Why? To what end?

This past week, a story appeared in our local newspaper (yes, I still subscribe) about a woman sentenced to prison for abuse and neglect to her five-year-old son. Again, why? I realize there are adults out there who are ill-equipped to raise children. Mentally, emotionally, physically incapable. It frustrates, angers, and saddens me.

As a teacher, counselor, and administrator for 46 years (and counting), I would think I heard it all. You would think I would have toughened up, hardened up, and developed a shell by now. Yet, I hear a story like this and it still shocks me, saddens me, and angers me. Always does. I try to skip the story, but I can’t. And honestly, I won’t. Not sure why.

There is this young man in my class. His grade has plummeted. He does nothing. Literally, he sits for 85 minutes and stares at his fingers. Sometimes, he puts his head down and sleeps.

At first, I was annoyed. I mean, he’s a senior, and a high school diploma- as small as an achievement as that is, in reality- is still a doorway to another world out there for him. Didn’t he get that?

And then, like other kids I’ve encountered along the way, I find out his story.

He’s the oldest of several other siblings. No dad in the picture. Mom speaks little, if any, English. No money. Barely enough to eat. Might lose the apartment they are living in. Forced to work full time at night to help provide. Not enough sleep. No chance for homework.

And at this point, as much as I want to preach about the importance of a high school diploma, he and his brothers and his mother need to survive. Food and shelter take precedence. School? A distant point somewhere past the horizon.

And this is just one kid I know about. What about all the other kids I don’t know about? Kids who hide behind a smile, whose bellies are aching from a lack of food, who are drop-dead tired from a lack of sleep, or from sleeping on a floor or couch, or from having to help provide.

Some show it in indifference. Some show it in defiance. Some will comply as best they can, smiling through it all. All of them tough- far tougher than me. Perhaps tougher than you.

We’re coming up on Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are other religious holidays with meaning, too. And while we celebrate and eat and enjoy what we have and with whom we have it, there are those who don’t, who can’t. There are those who don’t have that luxury.

We might not care about dogs or elephants, but surely, can we care about kids, others who don’t have what we have? And not just care, but perhaps do something for those kids and others? Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:

Connect with me on Social Media: 
Author Website: www.jrlewisauthor.blog/
Twitter at @jrlewisauthor
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author  
Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /

My book, Caught in a Web is on sale for $0.99 for only two more days- Today and Tomorrow! 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. MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador, 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, 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. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696    

This past week, my book, Betrayed, won its fifth award! It was named a PenCraft 1^st Place Winner for Thriller-Fiction! It felt special as I wrote it, and I’m happy and humbled so many have enjoyed it.

Betrayed: A PenCraft 1^st 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. Seeing is not believing. No one can be trusted, and the hunters become the hunted. https://amzn.to/2EKHudx

Blaze In, Blaze Out, is now available for preorder. Use the promo code: PREORDER2021 and order it at the publisher’s website at: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blazeinblazeout

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko meant the end. 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.

 
Spiral Into Darkness: Named a Recommended Read in the Author Shout Reader Awards!
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, do not know they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm

The Lives Trilogy and Prequel are now available in both paperback, kindle and nook through both Amazon and Barnes & Noble! The links are below! I appreciate all the texts, requests, and messages I have been receiving. Thanks for your support and interest. I edited and revised each book. I am pleased with the results. I am thankful to BRW for their continued belief in me and in my writing. I hope you will rediscover or perhaps discover the Lives Trilogy and Prequel.  
 
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!
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 possible death? http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives  

Photo courtesy of Providence Doucet and Unsplash.

 

 

  

Voices

Two weekends ago, our girls came home. Hannah, who lives just down the road about an hour away, had some items to make for her upcoming wedding. Emily, who lives four or so hours away, wanted to come home. Being the maid of honor, Emily wanted to help with the wedding decorations. 

Right now, I’m sitting at the kitchen table banging away on the keyboard while Kim is upstairs. Our two dogs are keeping her company. It is quiet. I can feel the sun on my back as it creeps along the sky. Looking out the little windows at the front door, the sky is perfectly blue. There are shadows where the sun hasn’t shown yet. The sun will create other shadows in due time.

A car drives past the front of the house. Engine and tires, the only sound. At times, a car with an enthusiastic driver will blare his or her music through open windows. Not so on this morning. It is quiet. Peaceful.

As much as I enjoy the silence of mornings, the peace and the quiet, there is a part of me that will always, always want to be near people, especially my kids. Always. I miss them, and I think about them often, more times a day than I can count.

Two weekends ago there was laughter and stories. Hannah talked about her third graders, what they are learning- or not, as the case might be. She shared their childlike wonder, their innocent questions, along with their funny, nonsensical questions, making all of us laugh. She worries about a couple who struggle to read and write, wondering how she will get through to them, help them succeed. They are her kids, after all.

Emily shared stories of her internship, the growing responsibilities she has taken on at the request of her supervisor. She has offers of two different jobs, if she wants them, after her graduation in the spring. While she can’t share specifics of what she deals with, both Kim and I know it is a heavy load to carry. Drug addiction. Homelessness. Poverty. Abuse. Indifference. Sometimes I wonder if she will be able to shoulder it all, knowing she is a tough young lady. Her heart is soft, but she is tough.

Proud of both girls. What they overcame. What they accomplished. Where they are headed. They make me smile, and honestly, I shrink in comparison to what they have done and are doing with their lives. Immensely proud.

And then, they left for home.

Alone. Kim and I and our two dogs. The silence of the sun crawling across the sky, only to fade to dusk and dark as the moon and stars take up the mantle. Hannah’s and Emily’s stories still parading in our heads, in our hearts.

The unspoken worry Kim and I share about their future, their lives. The immense pride of what they are doing, will do. Wondering how we can help. Wondering if we did enough.

And missing them.

As much as I miss their stories and their laughter, their teasing each other and us, I miss their presence. I enjoy each second, each minute, they are here with us.

With all that is in front of them, all that they will yet do, behold, and become, I am in awe. Did I mention I was proud of them? Yes, I think so.

I think as parents, each of us looks with pride at our children. Each child is unique, yet the same. As parents- young, old, somewhere in between, we have the same feelings, the same joy, the same heartbreak when things don’t go as we/they would like. We want the same things for our children, just like our own parents wanted for us.

It is a cycle, a journey parents take blindly. After all, kids don’t come with an owner's manual. We do as it was done to us. Sometimes, we deliberately don’t do what was done to us. We lead our children as much as follow our children. Believing in our children as much as hoping for our children. All children. Yours. Mine. Ours. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:

Connect with me on Social Media: 

Author Website: www.jrlewisauthor.blog/
Twitter at @jrlewisauthor
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author  
Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /

I received several 5 Star Reviews for a couple of my books. Diane Donovan, a Senior Reviewer for the Midwest Book Review, and Editor of California Bookwatch, wrote one for Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy, and one for my newest book, Blaze In, Blaze Out. Stolen Lives also won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, and was an Editor’s Pick by BestThrillers.

Stolen Lives represents an exciting probe of abduction and unusual connections between fourteen-year-old victims, and is recommended reading for thriller and intrigue fans who enjoy stories that focus as much on rescuers and victims as it does on the perps. Joseph Lewis builds a compelling tale filled with satisfying twists and turns.

As the boys struggle to survive and the police attempt to find answers and hope in a seemingly impossible situation, readers are treated to a scenario firmly rooted in the author's research into child abduction and real-world events that translate well to thought-provoking fictional milieus.

Human trafficking and murder are difficult issues to tackle, yet Lewis does so with astute social, psychological, and investigative insights that keep his story realistic, involving, and unpredictable.

Even though Stolen Lives is part of a trilogy, it ends on a satisfyingly complete note, which makes it highly recommended as a stand-alone story for readers who typically eschew series titles.

Collections strong in social issues, mystery and intrigue, and novels of survival tactics will find Stolen Lives a fine addition.

For Blaze In, Blaze Out, Donovan wrote:

Blaze In, Blaze Out is a detective story that takes place in the aftermath of the conviction of a Ukrainian crime ring, where Detectives Pat O'Connor and Paul Eiselmann have finally brought the perps to court and justice has been served.

Neither detective expected head honcho Dmitry Andruko to organize a vendetta against them from jail—but this is what takes place, and the quiet repose each officer seeks after their challenging case takes an ominous turn as elusive contract killers enter their lives to threaten everything they love.

Joseph Lewis specializes in a fast-paced action story that takes the time to build compelling atmosphere around its events. He also presents the point of view of the contract killer challenged to do his job. This nicely rounds out the dilemma and viewpoint of the detectives as they face their pursuers and struggle to survive long enough to capture them.

There are also many surprises, as when the killer proves to have a heart, saving a potential victim even as he plots to complete his assignment.

It only goes to show that proving guilt is sometimes the beginning of the journey—not the end.

Blaze In, Blaze Out is highly recommended for detective story readers and libraries catering to them. Mystery readers seeking a compelling saga will find this story of detectives and four teen adopted brothers who face a clever killer to be fast-paced, involving, and filled with satisfyingly unpredictable moments, tempered by fine tension that builds up to a thought-provoking conclusion leaving the door ajar for more.

BestThrillers wrote:

The Bottom Line: A superb crime drama simmering with suspense and deep character studies en route to an explosive finale. Lewis employs chapters told from the killers’ points of view to great effect, building suspense as both groups stalk their prey. Featuring a taut, deliberate plot that builds to a crescendo, Blaze In, Blaze Out is a welcome break from end-to-end breathless action thrillers. Rather than relying on gimmicks, Lewis has created a village of sturdy characters that he moves in and out of his novels, and he centers their development around engrossing police procedurals. Since much of the boys’ individual coming-of-age stories begins in Betrayed, readers are strongly encouraged to read both books in tandem.” 

Blaze In, Blaze Out, is now available for preorder. Use the promo code: PREORDER2021 and order it at the publisher’s website at: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blazeinblazeout

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko meant the end. 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.

Betrayed: 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. 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!
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, do not know they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does 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 Now 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. MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador, 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, 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. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696    
 
The Lives Trilogy and Prequel are now available in both paperback, kindle and nook through both Amazon and Barnes & Noble! The links are below! I appreciate all the texts, requests, and messages I have been receiving. Thanks for your support and interest. I edited and revised each book. I am pleased with the results. I am thankful to BRW for their continued belief in me and in my writing. I hope you will rediscover or perhaps discover the Lives Trilogy and Prequel.  
 
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!
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 possible death? http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives  

Photo courtesy of my wife, Kim, or me. Not sure.

Behind the Eyes

I saw an advertisement recently about getting your eyes checked regularly. The ad said that many physical ailments, such as diabetes and glaucoma, can be detected. I knew about glaucoma, because that’s how the doc discovered it with me. We’ve held it steady so far with drops, so I’m not worried. Didn’t know about diabetes, though. Didn’t know that was possible.

As a coach, I learned to look into the eyes. Towards the end of my career, I could tell who was ready and who wasn’t. There was a certain look a player had. I know other coaches reading this will know what I mean. I was able to confirm it in pregame warmups. Again, there was “something” about the player that told me how the game might be played by that player. The game bore it out most of the time. Rarely was I surprised.

As a counselor, it was even more crucial to determine a student’s feeling and what that response might be. Disappointment. Fear. Giving up. Happiness. Determination. I could see all of that behind the eyes.

There was this young man, Gabino, a senior at one school where I was a counselor in California. I sent for him with a call slip. 99% of the time, the kids showed up. Gabino didn’t. You see, I had to have a conference with this senior to talk about graduation, or not, and what the next steps might be. Frustrated, I tried again, and once again, he failed to show.

Okay, we were going to play that game. 

I had Gabino escorted to my office by security. He sat down, legs stretched out in front of him, arms folded on his wife-beater t-shirt, and no eye contact with me. I did my normal counselor spiel. The importance of graduation. What the diploma will do for him. It wasn’t working. Nothing was getting through to him. I reminded him he was severely lacking credits towards graduation. Thankfully, they were elective credits, but still!

Angry, I pulled up my chair and thought I gave him no room to maneuver. I leaned forward, purposely crowding his personal space. My voice was raised, intent on getting through to him.

Twice, Gabino stood up, did a 360, and sat back down in virtually the same position, minus his legs being outstretched in front of him. When I finished, I asked him if he had questions. He shook his head. I said, “The next time I send for you with a call slip, I expect you to show up.”

He left my office without acknowledging what I had said. Throughout my session with him, he never uttered a word.

I was not about to give up on Gabino. No way!

I did some research and found a program where not only he could earn enough credits to graduate, he could get paid at the same time. So, I sent for Gabino the very next day. And he showed up.

I changed my approach. I was excited. I asked him to step over and look over my shoulder at my computer screen as I explained the program I had in mind. Gabino’s demeanor changed. There was a flicker of hope, for lack of a better word, in his eyes. He agreed to the program, and he even shook my hand. He smiled.

Throughout that year, I had many meetings with Gabino. Some meetings I sent for him just to talk. Others, he came on his own to talk to me. I learned about Gabino. He became the only male in his family to graduate from high school. He got himself jumped out of the gang he was in, and I saw him in that hospital banged up and beaten. Towards the end of his senior year, he introduced me to his girlfriend.

When he received his diploma that May, he stepped off the stage, walked up to me as I stood in line with the other counselors and embraced me, reluctant to let go. I have to admit, I wasn’t in much of a hurry, either. He wept as he thanked me. I have to say, I wept, too.

More importantly, Gabino taught me some lessons.  

All kids want to succeed, no matter how “hardened” they might appear. All kids want to connect with someone, no matter how independent they might appear. All kids are looking for a way to succeed because they want to succeed. That first meeting with Gabino way back when, I failed to read what was in his eyes. I was filled with frustration- my frustration, that a kid didn’t want to sit and listen to my words of enlightenment and wisdom. I was full of crap that day. Probably many other days, too. Just ask my wife. 

Gabino reminded me I needed to look behind the eyes. Gabino reminded me I needed to look behind the wife-beater t-shirt, the folded arms, and the outstretched legs. Gabino reminded me that all kids deserve an opportunity, a chance, a future. Thanks, Gabino, for making me a better counselor and person. I owe you. Something to think about . . . 

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:

Connect with me on Social Media: 
Author Website: https://jrlewisauthor.blog/

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author  

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /

I received several 5 Star Reviews for a couple of my books. Diane Donovan, a Senior Reviewer for the Midwest Book Review, and Editor of California Bookwatch, wrote one for Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy, and one for my newest book, Blaze In, Blaze Out. Stolen Lives also won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, and was an Editor’s Pick by BestThrillers.

Stolen Lives represents an exciting probe of abduction and unusual connections between fourteen-year-old victims, and is recommended reading for thriller and intrigue fans who enjoy stories that focus as much on rescuers and victims as it does on the perps. Joseph Lewis builds a compelling tale filled with satisfying twists and turns.

As the boys struggle to survive and the police attempt to find answers and hope in a seemingly impossible situation, readers are treated to a scenario firmly rooted in the author's research into child abduction and real-world events that translate well to thought-provoking fictional milieus.

Human trafficking and murder are difficult issues to tackle, yet Lewis does so with astute social, psychological, and investigative insights that keep his story realistic, involving, and unpredictable.

Even though Stolen Lives is part of a trilogy, it ends on a satisfyingly complete note, which makes it highly recommended as a stand-alone story for readers who typically eschew series titles.

Collections strong in social issues, mystery and intrigue, and novels of survival tactics will find Stolen Lives a fine addition.

For Blaze In, Blaze Out, Donovan wrote:

Blaze In, Blaze Out is a detective story that takes place in the aftermath of the conviction of a Ukrainian crime ring, where Detectives Pat O'Connor and Paul Eiselmann have finally brought the perps to court and justice has been served.

Neither detective expected head honcho Dmitry Andruko to organize a vendetta against them from jail—but this is what takes place, and the quiet repose each officer seeks after their challenging case takes an ominous turn as elusive contract killers enter their lives to threaten everything they love.

Joseph Lewis specializes in a fast-paced action story that takes the time to build compelling atmosphere around its events. He also presents the point of view of the contract killer challenged to do his job. This nicely rounds out the dilemma and viewpoint of the detectives as they face their pursuers and struggle to survive long enough to capture them.

There are also many surprises, as when the killer proves to have a heart, saving a potential victim even as he plots to complete his assignment.

It only goes to show that proving guilt is sometimes the beginning of the journey—not the end.

Blaze In, Blaze Out is highly recommended for detective story readers and libraries catering to them. Mystery readers seeking a compelling saga will find this story of detectives and four teen adopted brothers who face a clever killer to be fast-paced, involving, and filled with satisfyingly unpredictable moments, tempered by fine tension that builds up to a thought-provoking conclusion leaving the door ajar for more.

BestThrillers wrote:

The Bottom Line: A superb crime drama simmering with suspense and deep character studies en route to an explosive finale. Lewis employs chapters told from the killers’ points of view to great effect, building suspense as both groups stalk their prey. Featuring a taut, deliberate plot that builds to a crescendo, Blaze In, Blaze Out is a welcome break from end-to-end breathless action thrillers. Rather than relying on gimmicks, Lewis has created a village of sturdy characters that he moves in and out of his novels, and he centers their development around engrossing police procedurals. Since much of the boys’ individual coming-of-age stories begins in Betrayed, readers are strongly encouraged to read both books in tandem.” 

Betrayed won Honorable Mention for Fiction-Crime-Mystery in the Reader’s Favorite Book Award contest. That marks the fourth award Betrayed has won.

My new book, Blaze In, Blaze Out, is now available for preorder. Use the promo code: PREORDER2021 and order it at the publisher’s website at: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blazeinblazeout

Eiselmann and O’Connor thought the conviction of Dmitry Andruko meant the end. 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.

Betrayed: 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. 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!
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, do not know they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does 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 Now 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. MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador, 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, 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. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696    
 
The Lives Trilogy and Prequel are now available in both paperback, kindle and nook through both Amazon and Barnes & Noble! The links are below! I appreciate all the texts, requests, and messages I have been receiving. Thanks for your support and interest. I edited and revised each book. I am pleased with the results. I am thankful to BRW for their continued belief in me and in my writing. I hope you will rediscover or perhaps discover the Lives Trilogy and Prequel.  
 
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!
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 possible death? http://bit.ly/SplinteredLives  

Photo courtesy of Tim Marshall and Unsplash