Joseph H. Hilley (born June 29, 1956) is a New York Times Best Selling author. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up on the Gulf Coast in the town of

Grand Bay, Alabama Grand Bay is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. The population was 3,460 at the 2020 census. History According to local accou ...

. He is a graduate of Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Cumberland School of Law at

Samford University Samford University is a private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by Baptists. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United Sta ...

Biography

Hilley began writing at night while practicing law as a criminal defense attorney. After completing two unpublished manuscripts, he quit the practice of law to concentrate on writing full-time. His first book, ''Sober Justice'' (David C. Cook), a legal thriller, was published in 2004. Four more books followed. The novels, which feature a down-and-out attorney named Mike Connolly, became popular in the Southeast, especially along the Gulf Coast where the stories are set. In 2008, Hilley was tapped to write a leadership biography of former Alaska Governor

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

. That book, entitled ''Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader'' ( Zondervan), reached The New York Times Best Seller list during the final two weeks of the 2008 presidential election campaign. Hilley continued to expand his work with non-fiction and in 2011 co-authored ''The Walk''. Part memoir, part instruction, the book was co-written with former NFL running back Shaun Alexander. In 2012, he assisted

Edythe Scott Bagley Edythe Scott Bagley (December 13, 1924June 11, 2011) was an American author, activist, and educator. The older sister of Coretta Scott King, she worked behind the scenes to promote the Civil Rights Movement and was actively involved in many of ...

, sister of Coretta Scott King, in writing ''Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King'', a memoir of the sisters and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hilley spent a year of isolation delving into number theory. The result of that effort was summarized in ''Observations Regarding Non-Prime Odd Numbers'', released in 2021 by Dunlavy Gray. Nevertheless, the primary focus of his career has remained with fiction. Beginning in 2017, his original novels, the Mike Connolly mystery series, were reissued in print and as eBooks. During that same time, he released two works of general fiction (''What the Red Moon Knows'' and ''The Art Dealer's Wife'') and a collection of short stories (''The Legend of Dell Briggers'').

Published works

Mike Connolly Mysteries

#''Sober Justice'' (2004, reissued 2017) #''Double Take'' (2005, reissued 2019) #''Electric Beach'' (2006, reissued 2021) #''Night Rain'' (2007, reissued 2021) #''The Deposition'' (2007, reissued 2021) #''Sunset Motel'' (2022)

General Fiction

#''What The Red Moon Knows'' (2018) #''The Art Dealer's Wife'' (2020)

Short Stories

#''Edgar's List'', included in the 2006 anthology ''Heartwarming Christmas Stories'' #''The Legend of Dell Briggers - A Novella and Two Short Stories,'' (2020) #''Other People, Other Places - A Collection of Short Fiction,'' (2021)

Non-Fiction

#''Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader'' (2008) #''The Walk'', co-written with former NFL running-back Shaun Alexander, (2011) #''Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King'', written with

, sister of civil rights leader Coretta Scott King. (2012) #''Observations Regarding Non-Prime Odd Numbers'' (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hilley, Joe 21st-century American novelists American male novelists American male biographers Living people Christian novelists 1956 births Novelists from Alabama Writers from Birmingham, Alabama Asbury University alumni Asbury Theological Seminary alumni Cumberland School of Law alumni 21st-century American biographers People from Grand Bay, Alabama 21st-century American male writers