Death Upon a Midnight Clear

For all my readers, I have two treats for you. One I’ll tell you about now, and the other will be the subject of my next blog.

I have a writer friend who goes by the name of Det. James E. Lewis, Retired. Upon leaving the U.S. Marines, he joined the Louisville Police Force where he became detective and did  undercover work with street people. His novels relate his experiences in the police force. I interviewed Jim in October of 2018 when his first book came out, Back in the Game. You can find that blog post over here on the left side.

His second book, Death Upon a Midnight Clear, is equally as good, if not better. I’m shouting from the rooftops that everyone ought to indulge themselves and get lost in the world of Jim’s alter ego, Retired Detective Ray Conway. As a bonus, the dry-witted Colonel from his first book plays a large part in this story as well.

In Death, a homeless woman, who’s known only as Maggie a mean drunk, finds a newborn baby on a church doorstep during the Christmas season and claims it as her own. Where are the baby’s parents? Why does Maggie name the baby Mike? What is Maggie’s real name? Who is the dead girl in the woods? These are questions the police want answered and soon the investigation is under way.

Jim Lewis is a genius at hooking his readers and pulling them in. Here are the book’s opening lines:

          You know the day has potential to be lousy when you’re jolted awake at two in the morning by the cell phone shrieking, blue lights flooding the neighborhood and police banging on the front door.

          Not even bothering to roll over, Maureen indicates her displeasure from her side of the bed in that special tone of voice that only an experienced police wife owns; “I think your police buddies want you to come out and play. Now tell them to knock off the noise before they wake up the whole neighborhood! Again!”

And it just gets better and better from there. Jim gives you a realistic look at the ins and outs of police life and does it with a sense of humor that’ll keep you engrossed right up to the last page.

Jim says, “This book, like my others, are about people I met on the street while serving in law enforcement. What I would like readers to take from the story is that no one is born a drunk or homeless and sometimes what you don’t say is more important than what you do say. Everyone has a story and maybe if we take the time to look past the moment, we can give them a hand up. Good things happen when we care about one another.”

Do yourself a favor and go to Amazon.com and order this book for a great summer read. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Today's Quote: Most people never really sat down and got to know a homeless person, but every homeless person is just a real person that was created by God and it is the same kind of different as us; they just have a different story. Ron Hall

Get 'Em While They're Hot!

Today I'm unabashedly promoting two books, both of which I had a part in.

The first is a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Kindness Matters, in which I have a story on page 19 called, My Alpine Angel. My story relates back to living in El Cajon, CA and working in Alpine and the very unexpected act of kindness and decency I received from another driver one harrowing, rainy day. 

The book goes on sale March 22 at your local bookstore, or, I have some copies if you want one. The books from me, while the supply lasts, are $10 each and that includes the cost of shipping. I'll even autograph my story for you. Such a deal!

In our small read and critique group called NC Scribes, we have had a total of forty-eight stories published in CSS over the years. So much so, that the editor, Amy Newmark, calls us "The Chicken Coop."  I'm honored to be part of the chicken coop. This is my second story with CSS.

Okay, on to the second book. This one is called, Testing Michael, the seventh in my historical novels. I just finished it, self-published it, and it's for sale on Amazon under the name of Linda Loegel/Hemby (Type in Linda Hemby). My other books are under the name of Linda Loegel.

Michael Mueller is a thirteen-year-old boy who joins the Civil War as a messenger. He travels to places far outside his New Haven, CT home, makes friends, meets new people, and witnesses not only big city wonders but also the atrocities of war that give him nightmares. Will he get back to his family in one piece? Guess you'll have to order the book to find out.

I enjoyed writing this book more than any of the others and I trust my passion will shine through the pages. The battles, generals and events are true, so if you want to see the Civil War through a young boy's eyes, I urge you to read Testing Michael. You may learn history in a whole new, fascinating way.

Since all of my books are connected to each other in one way or another, this story has a double connection to Willard Manor. One connection is obvious, the other might take time to discern. 

I appreciate any and all reviews left on Amazon, but mainly, I just appreciate you being a friend or family member that I can share my stories with. Thank you for that.

Quote of the Day: A house divided against itself cannot stand. Abraham Lincoln