I consider myself to be a thriller-crime-mystery author who embeds a coming-of-age thread within the story. With ten books to my name, I think I’ve done that successfully. Others felt I did, too, judging by the twenty or so awards I’ve won. As one example, Blaze In, Blaze Out was named the Action Fiction Book of the Year by BestThrillers in 2022. It was also a PenCraft Runner-Up in the same year and won some other awards too. Two other examples are Fan Mail, which was a Maxy Award Finalist in 2023, and Black Yéʼii (The Evil One), which was a Maxy Award Finalist in 2025. Betrayed was a Best Seller in two different categories on Amazon, and earned a Maxy Award Runner-Up and a PenCraft Award 1st Place.
Please don’t think I mention this as a way of bragging or to give me a pat on the back. I mention this to illustrate a point: I successfully blend thriller-crime-mystery with a coming-of-age thread.
And I’m not alone in crossing genres with my writing. Michael Connelly blends mystery with courtroom and cop drama. Early in his life, Connelly was a crime reporter who won awards, and this eventually led him into writing novels. In his writing, his world consists of cops, lawyers, and the courtroom.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Michael Crichton, and Tess Gerritsen were in the medical profession before becoming authors. They successfully blended science into their writing, which could be labeled medical thrillers/mysteries.
I chose coming-of-age as a thread in my books because for 49 years, I worked with kids aged middle school through college. They, and sometimes their parents, visited my office to share what was on their hearts. In Caught in a Web, there is a gut-wrenching scene where a father and mother confront their son about his drug use. They found drugs in a drawer under a pile of clothes. This scene, and much of the conversation, came directly from a father who stopped in to see me while I was a principal. It was heart-wrenching for me to hear and then to write, and over the years, readers have told me that was one of the most moving scenes in the book. It felt real to them. No wonder, really, because it was real to me who heard and then wrote it. Obviously, I’ve changed the names, the city, and the school to protect the family.
In Fan Mail, there is a scene that takes place one night in the Evans family room. Just the boys are present, and each shared their past with each other, some for the first time. It was moving to write, and from what readers have told me, it moved many to tears.
In Black Yéʼii, I can safely and unfortunately say I’ve known a few kids like Landon Kerns. I’ve blended them into the evil that exudes from that character. Fictional name, fictional character, but real, if you know what I mean.
I’ve known many kids like my young characters: specifically Brian, Brett, and Bobby, and their brothers. I still keep in touch with many of these students and athletes, though their names, backgrounds, circumstances, and family situations are fictionalized. Most times, I’ve blended several kids from my past into one or more of my characters, and thrown some of my own thoughts and feelings into the mix.
One question I receive at book events and signings is, “So, which character are you most like?” A variation I often hear is, “Are you Jeremy in your books?” For those of you who don’t know, Jeremy is a counselor in my ten books, as was I in real life many moons ago. The answer is “It is, but not so much, really.” Or, as I respond to them, “You can find me in and amongst my characters in part, but not whole.” Some, like Brian and George, are more like me than the others. But again, certainly not totally. Just parts.
Advice I’ve read over the years is to write what you know. I think I do, though I make up a great deal too.
For your convenience, here are the book links to my books mentioned above:
Blaze In, Blaze Out = https://mybook.to/Hm9l
Fan Mail = https://mybook.to/Apg4pEn
Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) = https://mybook.to/cT0iyZ8
Betrayed = https://mybook.to/rzPIi
Caught in a Web = https://mybook.to/eUpyyK
Before I end, I want to share with you a terrific book by an outstanding author. I had the pleasure of reading Run: Outmatch, Outsmart, Outlive by Christy Cooper-Burnett. She, like me, is published by Black Rose Writing, and it was the first time I read one of her books. I can tell you with certainty, it will not be the last! Here is my 5 Star Review!
This book grabs you by the shirt collar and demands you to read it. Outstanding action-adventure, perhaps the best book I’ve read this year. Full on action, compelling characters, with a plot and storyline to die for. A boy stumbles upon a gang beating, then a murder, and is spotted. Mother and son Run, only to be pursued again and again. Christy Cooper-Burnett is an author I will happily read again. Terrific author and terrific book!
Joseph Lewis, Author of Fan Mail and Black Yéʼii.
Here is a link to Christy’s book, Run: Outmatch, Outsmart, Outlive = https://tinyurl.com/y7xadkmw
I would love to know your thoughts, and I welcome your comments. Please use the comment section below. As always, thank you for following along on my writing journey. Until next time …
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