Featured Interview With Joseph Lewis
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Wisconsin, I come from a large family with nine other siblings. My wife, Kim, and I adopted a son from Guatemala, but tragically, he was killed as he was walking down a sidewalk in Chicago, caught between one gang after another gang. We also have two daughters, Hannah, and Emily, and one grandson, Mason. Oh, and we have two rescue dogs, Stella and Daisy. We live in Virginia now, but still consider Wisconsin to be home.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In sixth grade, my teacher had what she called ‘story starters’ which consisted of four or five paragraphs on a notecard. The idea was if we had extra time, we could pick up one of the cards and finish the story. Completely voluntary and no credit was given, but she did give tremendous feedback and that lit the fire. Fast forward to 1987 when I had my first short story, Dusty and Me, published, and then in 2014, my first book, Taking Lives, Prequel to the Lives Trilogy, was published. I am currently working on book #10, a sequel of sorts to Caught in a Web.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Typically, I read in the genre I write it- thriller-crime-mystery, so my favorite authors are James Patterson, John Sandford, David Baldacci, and C.J. Box. One reviewer wrote, “If you like James Patterson, you’ll love Joseph Lewis!” which is not only high praise, but humbling at the same time. I makes me want to improve with each book I write.
What sets me apart from the authors I mentioned is that because my background is education where I spent 48 years as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator, some of my main characters are adolescents. I have a strong coming-of-age thread in each of my books that my readers like.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Caught in a Web is not my latest, but because I’m currently working on a sequel of sorts, I will tell you about it. At the end of Web, a pact was made and a secret was developed to protect those involved. But you know a secret is only good if it is kept, and unfortunately, someone broke that trust and now lives are in danger. That is the basis for my newest (January 2025) book, Black Yé’ii (The Evil One).
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