It’s raining
again. A lot in the last few weeks. The river is high and rising. Flood
warnings. Several communities already hurting and potentially will hurt again.
Kim and Emily
traveled to Wisconsin for our nephew’s commencement. Shannon is excited as any
kid would be. A happy occasion. They were able to visit another nephew, Alex,
who just bought his first house. A cop, a good one. Actually one of the
characters in my new book, Caught in a Web. Hope he likes himself as
much as I did writing the character. Hannah went to a concert in Pitt and spent
the weekend there. Leaving me with our two dogs, Bailey and Stella.
Alone.
It is peaceful as
I sit on my couch in the quiet. The rain tapping, if not pounding, on the
windows. But I’m warm and dry and comfortable on the couch in the family room
that is empty but for me. Even Bailey and Stella choose to lay quietly in the
other room, together, but separate from each other and separate from me.
Lonesome, perhaps,
but not lonely.
I’m comfortable
and content, though I miss my family.
There was a time
way back when I was okay being alone. Before I was married and had kids. You
see, I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know what I didn’t have. How could I?
And now?
I like my life. I’ve
been able to see and do many things others have not been able to. I’ve lived in
five states, each different. I’ve had a dream of being a writer for a long time
and now I can say I have five books published with one more complete, one about
a third of the way complete and an idea that keeps rising to the surface. I
have to beat it back down until I’ve completed the one I’m working on.
But the best part
of my life is my family. My wife, Kim, and my kids, Wil, Hannah and Em. I like
being with them and don’t like being separate from them. And even though Wil
was taken from us, I enjoy my memories of him. No one can take those from me .
. . us.
And my extended
family of brothers and sisters, in-laws. I’ve stopped differentiating between the
tie of blood long ago. It’s just family to me, all family. And family is so
important. More important than health or wealth.
I like my peace
and I like my quiet. But I also like noise and activity.
I feel I’m a much
better writer when my family is nearby, when there is noise. I think better,
feel more. I think I’m a better person too.
There is a bible
passage about the Lord going to the desert, going off by Himself. Another when
He and the apostles wanted to escape and go off and rest. But in the end, there
were people to minister to. People who needed guidance and words of light and
love. To be fed more than just the fish and loaves that the little boy had with
him. His service, His time on earth was all about being there for others.
Serving others.
I think each of us
needs each other in one degree or another to function properly. I think we were
made to be with each other and not to be alone. To talk and to listen. To hear
both with ears and heart. There is comfort in being together. And while it is
okay for a time to be alone, to refresh, to bask in silence, we need each
other. We need others.
So on this wet,
quiet and peaceful Sunday morning, I bid you your own time, your own solitude
and your own peace. But eventually, please come back to us. Join us. It is
better that way. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
I have been really
blessed with some wonderful reviews on my new novel, Caught in a Web. Best
Thrillers wrote: “The Bottom Line: This important, nail-biting crime
thriller about MS-13 sets the bar very high. One of the year’s best thrillers.”
You can read the entire review (rather short, but impactful) at https://bestthrillers.com/caught-in-a-web-one-of-the-years-best-conspiracy-thrillers/
Another review,
from Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer at
The Midwest Book Review wrote: “As the investigators review relationships,
affairs, and threats, they find themselves unraveling an ever-increasing web of
deception as readers are carried into a thrilling underworld of gang violence
and teen involvements which gradually lead to a resolution where characters may
fudge on honesty, but tie up loose ends.
Characters are
many, but are well-drawn; the action offers just the right blend of tension and
intrigue; and detective story enthusiasts will especially relish the level of
emotional inquiry which makes the characters both human and believable.
The result is an
involving detective piece that probes the worlds of teens and gang members with
an equal attention to precise, staccato details that flow smoothly into a story
that creates a satisfying conclusion to all conundrums.” You can read the
entire review, again fairly short, at http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/may_18.htm#donovan
So far on Goodreads, Caught in a Web has received ratings from 77 individuals and has
garnered a 4.35 out of 5. Nice return for only a few weeks in release.
Caught in a Web is
available in both paperback and Kindle format on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Caught-Web-Joseph-Lewis/dp/1684330246/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524752314&sr=1-1&keywords=caught+in+a+web+joseph+lewis
and at Barnes & Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249
Connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
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