Joseph Lewis interview
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
A little introduction:
After having been in education for forty-six years as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator, Joseph Lewis has semi-retired and now works part-time as an online learning facilitator. He uses his psychology and counseling background to craft thriller/crime/detective mysteries, and has taken creative writing and screen writing courses at UCLA and USC.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Lewis has been happily
married to his wife, Kim. Together they have three wonderful children: Wil
(deceased July 2014), Hannah, and Emily. He and his wife now reside in
Virginia.
When did your love of books begin?
I’ve always been an
avid reader, and I remember my father giving me a book shelf where I proudly
housed my books. Earliest age I remember was seven or eight. The first book
that captured me was Seminole. I can’t remember the author and I
don’t even know if the book is in print any longer, but I was fascinated by
that culture and the history, as well as the story. I poured through it.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
In sixth grade, my
teacher would create story starters on a note card consisting of 3 or 4
paragraphs. The idea was that if we were done with a test or with our seat
work, we could take a story starter from her desk and finish the story. No
credit was involved, but she read them and gave us feedback. Every chance I
could, I’d write a story. That was when the bug first bit me.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
It can be a struggle.
I have to balance the time for my part-time work, time with my wife, and time
for writing. Generally, I give myself two hours each day for writing. Sometimes
longer, sometimes shorter. But I write in the middle of chaos. I sit at the
kitchen table with the TV going, the dogs playing, and my wife speaking to me.
I cannot write in solitary confinement, unless I am working on a particularly
tricky passage or intense editing. Then I wander off to be by myself. I just
find this system works for me, but I realize it may not be for everyone.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
Keep at it! Do
yourself a favor and do an Internet search for authors who have been rejected.
You’d be amazed at the published authors and the celebrity of them who have
been rejected multiple times. Don’t quit. If you want it bad enough, write.
Lastly, read. Like Stephen King says, if you don’t read, you won’t have the
tools to write.
Tell us about your book/books:
My books have a
dual storyline traveling through them. One is a taut thriller-crime-mystery,
and the other is the drama surrounding a patchwork group of adopted boys, each
carrying heavy baggage that most might wilt under. If you like depth in a story
rather than just bullets and car chases, check out my books.
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
The support, the
camaraderie. Knowing that others are doing it too, and have the same success
(by and large) and the same struggles as I have.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
Authors, me included,
appreciate reviews and ratings. It’s our feedback on what we wrote and how it
set with you. Know that any book by any author took nine months to a year from
idea conception to publication, and it is the author’s heart on his/her sleeve.
While the book begins with the writer, it ends with the reader, because each
reader has his or her own expectations and experiences they bring to the book.
Where can people connect with you?
Author Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog
Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/jrlewisauthor
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI /
Blog at: https://www.simplethoughtsfromacomplicatedmindsortof.com
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Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed. I hope folks enjoy it.
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