Ask the Author: Joseph Lewis
Answered Questions (9)
Joseph Lewis
I would like to understand the thinking of a 30 year old man handing a gun to a 15 year old boy, telling him to, "Wet his shirt!" in reference to a gang rival. In what world is that ok? Ten shots fired at the gang rival. One shot striking a pedestrian walking home from lunch, who died on the street. The pedestrian was my son, Wil, age 28.
Joseph Lewis
One of my colleagues is an avid hunter. He inadvertently gave me the title of Blaze In, Blaze out which is a hunter's term. I won't give it away here. I added the element of psychological thriller/mystery, used some of my favorite characters, and I have a story in mind.
Joseph Lewis
I don't have a good answer for this. Each conversation, each individual I mean or watch provides me with ideas. I look at world events. I'm constantly asking the question, "What if?" and that gets me going.
Joseph Lewis
I have a new book, Betrayed, coming out in November 2020, so I am waiting on the edits and ARC for it. In the time I wait, I am currently working on a new book, Blaze In, Blaze Out featuring some of the same characters as my previous work.
Joseph Lewis
Keep writing. Don't stop. But it is also important to read. To me, reading is to writing as weight training is to the athlete. You cannot write well unless you read. Read in and out of your genre.
Joseph Lewis
The creative aspect. I get to develop characters that my readers describe as real, not cardboard cutouts. My main characters are broken, adopted adolescent boys. One reader wrote to me and stated that she cares about the "boys" because she "has adopted them." That is quite the compliment.
Joseph Lewis
I do quite a bit of prewriting in my head. When I am stuck on a passage, action, setting, or character presentation, I go back to my "prewriting" and think of various possibilities. That generally works to get me back in front of my laptop.
Joseph Lewis
My books are set in both Wisconsin (my home) and the Navajo Nation Reservation in Northeast Arizona. I would love to spend extended time in that area. Way back as a kid, I read a book where the setting was Salsburg, Austria. That city intrigues me and I would love to visit it.
Joseph Lewis
Rick Treon has a new book, Let The Guilty Pay, and he asked me to read an advanced copy for a review. I am also rereading Ghost Story by Peter Straub, as well as working on my next novel, Blaze In, Blaze Out.
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