Joe Hilley

Joe Hilley
Born	Joseph H. Hilley (1956-06-29) June 29, 1956 (age 68) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Education	Asbury College Asbury Theological Seminary Cumberland School of Law
Website
www.joehilley.com

Joseph H. Hilley^[1] (born June 29, 1956)^[2] 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.^[3] He is a graduate of Asbury College,^[4] Asbury Theological Seminary, and Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.^[5]

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 After completing two unpublished manuscripts, he quit the practice of law to concentrate on writing full-time.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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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, 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.^[9]

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

1. Sober Justice (2004, reissued 2017)
2. Double Take (2005, reissued 2019)
3. Electric Beach (2006, reissued 2021)
4. Night Rain (2007, reissued 2021)
5. The Deposition (2007, reissued 2021)
6. Sunset Motel (2022)

General fiction

1. What The Red Moon Knows (2018)
2. The Art Dealer's Wife (2020)

Short stories

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

Non-fiction

1. Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader^[10] (2008)
2. The Walk, co-written with former NFL running-back Shaun Alexander,^[11] (2011)
3. Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King, written with Edythe Scott Bagley, sister of civil rights leader Coretta Scott King.^[12] (2012)
4. Observations Regarding Non-Prime Odd Numbers (2021)

References

1. "Joseph H. Hilley". WorldCat. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
2. Hubbell, Martindale (April 1995). The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, Volumes 1-9; Volume 11; Volume 13; Volumes 15-17. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561601127.
3. Addendum (Alabama Bar Association), August 2004, p.7
4. "Alumnus' biography of Sarah Palin hits NYT bestseller list". Asbury College. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
5. "Cumberland Lawyer (Cumberland School of Law), Winter 2009, p. 34" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
6. Amazon.com: Sober Justice
7. Pierce, Phil (2008-10-18). "Former Birmingham Attorney Pens Bio on Sarah Palin". Birmingham News.
8. "Best Selling Paperback Books". Publishers Weekly. March 23, 2009.
9. "Catalog Entry for Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King". University of Alabama Press. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
10. "New Book Explores Gov. Palin's Career, Faith, Fox News, October 7, 2008". October 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 10, 2008.
11. "Library Journal, Spiritual Living Reviews". Library Journal. October 1, 2010. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
12. "Catalog Entry for Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King". University of Alabama Press. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2012.

External links

• Official website