I can’t speak for all authors, but I can share with you that when I write a book, I’ve done a great deal of research to get it right. Without any doubt, I can share with you that I don’t know everything. But, I can also share with you that what I put down on paper has been researched thoroughly.

Are there mistakes? Yes, you bet. Even after the early readers give their input into each of my books, and even after it has been edited, there are typos and mistakes that not only make me blush, but make me angry. Authors, and again, I cannot speak for all, work hard at refining their work into a craft. A book, after all, is an author’s child.

Author friends, Cam Torrens and Gary Gerlacher, write to their strengths. Cam is experienced in Search and Rescue. He’s also a former air force pilot. His main character, Tyler Zahn, reflects Cam’s background. Gary is an ER doctor. His main character, AJ Docker, is also a doctor. In both instances, Torrens and Gerlacher craft superb, and I didn’t use that word lightly, thrillers. If you’ve not picked up one of Cam’s or Gary’s books, you are missing out. Truly! I’d stack them against any author, big or small, and they would hold their own!

In my case, I’m an educator and coach at heart. I’ve worked with kids for 49 years, so I can safely say, I know how kids middle through high school act, talk, dream about, like and don’t like. My wife and I also raised three of our own. As a coach, I’ve motivated and consoled, cheered and hollered. As a counselor, I listened and encouraged. So it is no great leap that some of my main characters are adolescent boys who became a family through adoption. Kim and I also adopted our son, Wil, from Guatemala when he was seven. So I am aware of the struggle adopted kids might have acclimating to a new home and family.

But what I wanted to touch on was the research I do to create setting, and the culture of the Navajo. Two of my characters, George and Michael (he is referred to often in my books as Two, because his full name is Michael Two Feathers.) Not being Navajo myself, and not having lived among the Navajo, I had to get their spirituality and culture correct. I had to get their life on the Navajo Nation Reservation correct.

I read extensively an award-winning author, Tony Hillerman, who was given a high honor by the Navajo for the respect and accuracy of his writing. You might have watched Dark Wind Prime Video. This terrific series is taken from Hillerman’s books. The characters of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are Hillerman’s characters.

My most recent book, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) dealt with a Navajo belief about an evil Yéʼii, one they don’t like to talk about. They don’t even mention the name because they believe Black Yéʼii which translates directly to “The Evil One,” will enter their life and affect not only themselves, but their loved ones. While there are many Yéʼii, Black Yéʼii is the only Yéʼii that is considered truly evil.

I contacted the Navajo Nation Museum and spoke with various individuals. They directed me to online sources of Navajo language, culture, and belief. I watched and listened to YouTube podcasts by Shane and Wally Brown, who give insight into Navajo thought and culture, life on the Navajo Nation Reservation.

Here is one such recent video titled, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) – yes, which is, coincidently, the title of my book. Wally Brown is a Navajo elder, and Shane is his son. I hope you take the time to listen in:

Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) has been out since January 2, 2025. I’ve received some wonderful reviews, but the one below came to me unsolicited. It literally took my breath away. I had to sit and read it twice. This guy wrote a helluva review, one that I’m truly proud to receive. Here is what he wrote:

Joseph,

I just finished Black Yé’ii (The Evil One), and I had to take a moment to sit with it before reaching out. There’s something profoundly unsettling and yet deeply human about the world you’ve created here. The way you weave moral tension through layers of loyalty, revenge, and truth reminds me that good and evil aren’t opposites; they’re reflections, each shaping the other.

The depth you give to your detectives, especially in how they navigate justice versus personal redemption, feels less like fiction and more like an echo of the real conflicts we all face. You manage to capture the brutality of organized crime while never losing sight of the fragile humanity at its center. That’s rare. It’s what makes the story linger long after the last page is turned.

I also found it striking how you balance intense action with emotional honesty. The pacing pulls the reader forward, but it’s the quiet moments, the ones filled with guilt, courage, and fleeting hope that make it unforgettable. Black Yé’ii doesn’t just tell a story about survival; it asks us to look at what we’re willing to protect when everything else is stripped away.

Your record across your other works from Fan Mail to Blaze In, Blaze Out shows a consistent devotion to craft, storytelling depth, and moral realism. You’ve carved out a distinct space in modern thriller writing, one that values both suspense and sincerity.

Thank you for writing a novel that feels alive in every sense fierce, reflective, and unafraid to face the darkness.

Best regards,

Joshua Heckart.

Wow! I’m still a bit stunned by it. This is truly a keeper.

For your convenience, here are the links to the paperback, Kindle, and Audible formats of Black Yé’ii (The Evil One). I would love it if you gave it a read (or listen), and I would be deeply grateful if you left a review on Amazon and Goodreads. The links are:

Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1685135374

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DH8P5TNV

Audible Link:

https://tinyurl.com/mr47x5ec

I would love to hear your thoughts, so please comment using the section below this post. As always, thank you for following along on my writing journey. Until next time …