Have I got a book for you! It’s called
Back in the Game and is written by a
good friend of mine, Detective James E. Lewis. Lewis’ book is fiction, based on
his career as a detective. I read the book and found I couldn’t put it down. Talk about a page turner! The action moves fast, the dialogue is superb, and humor is ever present.
I’m proud to have Jim Lewis sitting with me
today. Tell us a little about yourself, Jim.
JIM: I was born in Louisville, Kentucky and joined
the Marines Corps right out of high school in 1965. I served until 1971 after
two tours in Vietnam. I continued my military career in the reserves, entered
college, and in 1975 married my wife, Marilyn. In 1977 I was hired on at the
Louisville Police Department and then became a dad that fall. It was a big year!
I retired from the military in 1991 and law enforcement in 2011. My son,
Dr. Robert Lewis is married and moved to North Carolina in 2012. When my first
granddaughter was born, we moved to Cary, NC.
How long have you been writing?
JIM: Well that depends on who you talk to, but I
started telling police and military stories years ago. Friends and family kept
encouraging me to write down my stories, but I just started thinking about
actually putting the stories into book form when I signed up for a writing
class at the Cary Senior Center. It’s been about six years now and I’m still
learning what I don’t know.
What type of writing do you do?
JIM: I enjoy telling stories about characters I’ve
met on the street, both good guys and bad guys. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the
difference. I’ve included everyone from a US attorney, local police, FBI, DEA
and a homeless wino with PTSD. Throw in a hooker or two and you can find a
book.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of your book?
JIM: Conway, still packing away things from his police career, is
attempting to fill his retirement day. Walking to get coffee in the middle of
the city, only a few blocks from his home, he makes a new friend in the form of
a wino, begging money at a bus stop. Learning he had been in the military,
Conway nicknames him the Colonel. Together they stop a robbery while trying to
have lunch, steal a breakfast from the Holiday Inn just to see if they can,
deal with the secret service, help the police clear a killing, do what they can
to make the DEA and FBI look foolish, help the marshals catch a drug dealer and
put a lawyer in jail. All they wanted was coffee; they weren’t looking for
trouble, trouble just seemed to come looking for them.
How long did it take to write it?
 |
| Det. James E. Lewis |
JIM: That’s a good question. If you count the 36
years in law enforcement, including time undercover as a street person as
research, the last five years of learning how to write a book, and the months
of thinking that no one will want to read my book, a long time.
Do you have a favorite line from the book?
JIM: It’s when the Colonel says, “Well, let me tell you
something smart ass. Drinking is a very demanding profession and at my age I
can’t hold down two jobs.”
Is it published and if
so, when and by whom?
JIM: It was published by
CreateSpace, on May 14, 2018
How can my readers get
a copy?
JIM: It’s available on
Amazon. Search “Back in the Game” and Lewis.
What do you do besides
write?
JIM: I enjoy playing golf and visiting with my granddaughters as much
as I can. Nothing comes ahead of time with my girls.
What is your advice to
would-be writers?
JIM: First get yourself a glass of wine, maybe two. Then sit down and
tell your computer a story like you’re talking to an old friend. Don’t worry
about grammar, just tell your story and enjoy a glass of wine with a friend.
What do you wish you knew when you started
writing?
JIM: I wish someone had advised me to start with a
glass of wine and think of my computer as a friend. All joking aside, I wish I
had known that everyone you meet has the potential to be a character in your
book.
What’s next for you?
JIM: I’m currently working on a sequel to Back
in the Game as well as a book on a cold case that continues to
challenge me to this day. I also occasionally write children’s stories for my two
special little girls to enjoy.
If you want a peek into what really goes on behind the
scene, buy this book. It will give you a look at the day-to-day workings and
musings of the people who keep us safe on the streets. Be aware that you may
find a change in tense or other grammatical mishap, but if you pay no attention and just enjoy the
story, you won’t be disappointed. Detective Lewis is a born story teller and
his characters like the Colonel, Seven-Eleven, and Charlie will live with you
long after you put the book down.
Quote of the Day: “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
