Joseph Lewis is the latest author to be featured in this series. His fifth book, Caught in a Web, will be published April 26.
He’s a school administrator by day and a writer of thriller fiction at night — although there is that internal pre-writing when he is inspired wherever. An interesting
fact: unlike many author, he likes to write in a noisy setting.
I have read Joseph’s first four books. They may be of thriller fiction genre, but they also shed light on such horrible examples of human behavior as human trafficking.
Here are Joesph’s responses to my 6Ws — who, what, when, where, how, and why. (How does end with a W.)
Who is author Joseph Lewis?
I grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin, but for many reasons, I call Waukesha, Wisconsin my home. Waukesha also happens to be the setting for much of my writing. I have been in education for 41 years as a teacher, coach, counselor and now administrator. I am married to my wife, Kim, for 26 years (in July), and we have three children: Wil (deceased in July 2014), Hannah and Emily. We reside in Virginia.
What does he write?
I write thriller fiction, ranging from thriller/mystery, thriller/suspense, and psychological thriller. However, I have a budding idea for a young adult story that is knocking its way to the forefront, sort of pushing out some of the other story ideas wanting to come first.
When does he write?
Typically, I write after dinner for about two to three hours a night. I don’t like to write in solitude, so I write in the family room while Kim and the girls watch TV. Noise doesn’t bother me and I’m able to tune it out. There are times, however, when I will disappear into the downstairs family room, put on a TV show or movie and listen to it while I write. I like noise.
How does he write?
I use a laptop and write in Word. My routine is that I first edit the chapter I had worked on the night before. It serves two purposes: 1. I edit as I go along, and 2. Gets me in the mood and the atmosphere of the story so I can write the next chapter. Push play and repeat until the work is completed.
Why does he write?
It sounds cliché but honestly, I have to write. I do quite a bit of prewriting in my head throughout the day. Sometimes I will jot down an idea, a phrase, a character conversation to add to that evening’s work, but that happens rarely. I am constantly thinking about a character or two, some action, a setting and dialogue. Bottom line is that I have this need to write. I would compare it to a runner or weight lifter. They do it because they love it and feel sort of lost if they don’t. I approach writing the same way.
More: Give readers a brief description of your new book plus when it is available to buy and where, plus the publisher.
My fifth book, Caught in a Web, will be published April 26. It is currently available preorder from Black Rose Writing and can be ordered with a promo code for a discount. Use the promo code: PREORDER2018to receive a 10% discount at http://bit.ly/2GtdsXL
The book blurb is:
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.
Other works:
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 will end up like the other
kids they found- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And, Kelliher suspects that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
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. 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. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
A 14 year old boy and his father face three dangerous and desperate men willing to
make the ultimate sacrifice to save the rest of the family. http://tinyurl.com/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis
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 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 futures grow dark as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis
Joseph Lewis on social media:
Twitter: @jrlewisauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author/