J. R. Lonsway

ABOUT

 I joined the Marines at the age of 17 after graduating high school. My MOS was signals intelligence, which the Marine Corps labeled "electronic warfare operator", a decorative term for intercepting Morse Code messages from our enemies.

I kicked around a few years after being discharged, going to college and engaging in various occupations to earn money. I worked in retail at a department store, a year as a jailer in the Doña Ana county jail, construction, and even bartended for six months. I rode my Harley to all those jobs.

In 1979 I joined the Las Cruces Police Department and served 22 years, rising through the ranks and retiring as deputy chief of police in 2001. During my career I served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, and a one-year stint as lieutenant in professional standards before being promoted to my final rank. 

Following that I did contract work as a police advisor with the U.S. Department of State in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Liberia, Haiti, Lebanon and South Sudan. I also did a brief stint in Nepal inspecting Nepalese police for deployment readiness for the U.N. mission in Liberia. 

 

After the better part of 12 years being overseas I decided to follow my passion for writing. The first book was TWENTY, a compilation of short stories told in police locker room style. I wanted the reader to feel and understand what it was like to be a cop, and the feedback I got from fellow law enforcement officers was positive. Many officers from different parts of the nation sent emails thanking me for writing a book that wasn't politically correct bullshit. Most civilians liked it, too, although some didn't get it. There are those who carry a saintly image in their heads about cops, and discovering that our men and women in law enforcement are actually human did not fit that stereotype.  

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Click on any book cover for a brief description of the contents and I hope you enjoy my writings.

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