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Joel Goldman

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Joel K. Goldman
File:Joel Goldman fedora.jpg
BornJoel K. Goldman
(1952-10-23) October 23, 1952 (age 72)
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Kansas
University of Kansas School of Law
GenreCrime fiction
Website
http://www.joelgoldman.com/

Joel K. Goldman (born October 23, 1952) is a former trial attorney turned bestselling author, best known for writing popular crime thrillers.

Joel Goldman graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Kansas. prior to attending University of Kansas School of Law. He graduated from law school in 1977. Goldman worked as a trial lawyer from 1977 to 2006. He began writing his first novel, Motion to Kill, in 1992 and it was published in 2002.

Early life and education

Joel Goldman was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, to Jules and Marsha Goldman. His father owned a wholesale heating and plumbing company. While growing up, Goldman told his friends that his father was the Toilet King of Kansas City, while he was the Prince of Porcelain. Goldman’s mother was a homemaker who was very active in community service during his youth. At age 55, she became a record-setting residential real estate agent for the following 20 years.

In 1963, Goldman moved across the state line to Mission Hills, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, MO. He had always planned on becoming a lawyer, largely due to the influence of his uncle, Herb Krigel and would have joined his uncle’s law practice had he not passed away during Goldman’s first year of law school. He debated in high school at Shawnee Mission East[1] and the University of Kansas[2] as well as Moot Court[3][4] during law school. These activities helped him learn to think critically and quickly. This coupled with his affinity for competition and being in the limelight gave him a solid foundation for success as a trial lawyer.

Marriage and family

Goldman married Hildy Bodker on February 9, 1980 and the couple has three children together: Aaron, Daniel[5] and Michele. Joel and Hildy Goldman live in Leawood, Kansas with their two dogs, sisters Roxy and Ruby, cockapoos born on Valentine’s Day.

Career

Before and during college

Goldman worked for his father while growing up. While in college, he spent summers working for Sears and other retail stores. Goldman also worked at the University of Kansas summer music and art camp. While in law school, he was a resident assistant at a freshman dormitory and later worked as a law clerk for the Johnson County, Kansas District Court.

Law and politics

Goldman practiced law, trying cases across the United States for 28 years. While he did not win every case, the jury agreed with him more often than not, making him a highly successful trial attorney.

He began writing while still trying cases, but quit his legal career to write full-time after doctors diagnosed him with a movement disorder called Tics.[6] Tics is generally a childhood disorder but a midlife onset without a prior history, as with Goldman, is extremely rare. The disorder causes Goldman to shake, spasm and stutter, sometimes causing wrenching pain and making speech and normal movement difficult. The exact cause of this condition remains a mystery to those in the medical profession, causing a cure to remain elusive. In the absence of effective medication alternatives, Goldman manages his condition holistically, managing his daily activities to minimize his symptoms and with meditation.

Goldman gave FBI Agent, Jack Davis, the protagonist in a three book series, the same rare movement disorder.

Writing career

In 1992, when one of Goldman’s law partners complained to him about another partner, he joked that they should write a murder mystery, kill the offensive partner off in the first chapter and spend the rest of the book figuring out who did it. This tongue-in-cheek advice became the catalyst that inspired Goldman to write his first novel, Motion to Kill.

A prolific writer, Goldman has written and published nine novels, a novella, and two short stories as of 2013. His books have been translated into Japanese, French and Portuguese.

Awards and honors

Deadlocked, part of the Lou Mason thriller series, won the 2005 Thorpe Menn Award for Literary Excellence for best book by a Kansas City writer,[7] given by the American Association of University Women – Kansas City Chapter. Thorpe Menn was a legendary writer and editor of the Kansas City Star.

Deadlocked was also nominated for the prestigious Shamus Award for Best Original P.I. Paperback in 2006. The award is given annually by the Private Eye Writers of America.

Bibliography

Novels

Lou Mason Thrillers

  • Motion to Kill (2002)[8]
  • The Last Witness (2003) [8]
  • Cold Truth (2004)[8]
  • Deadlocked (2005)[8]
  • Final Judgment (2012)[8]

Jack Davis Thrillers

  • Shake Down (2008)[8]
  • The Dead Man (2009)[8]
  • No Way Out (2010)[8]

Alex Stone Thrillers

Short Stories

  • Fire in the Sky (2011)[8]
  • Knife Fight (2009)

Other Books

  • Triple Threat (All three Jack Davis books)
  • First Blood (First book of each series – Lou Mason, Jack Davis, Alex Stone)
  • Dead Times Four (All four Lou Mason books)
  • Three to Get Deadly (3 novels by Joel Goldman, Lee Goldberg, Paul Levine)
  • The Dead Man, vol 4 (Freaks Must Die) – with Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin (2012) (print)
  • The Dead Man, vol 10 (Freaks Must Die) – with Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin (2012) (ebooks)

Anthologies

  • Top Suspense – 12 Master Storytellers
  • The Prosecution Rests
  • Die Lover Die (2011)[8]
  • Favorite Kills

Non Fiction

Writing Crime Fiction – Advice from authors of Top Suspense group (2012)

See also

Top Suspense[9] – Goldman is one of twelve award-winning crime thriller, mystery, and horror authors belonging to this group.

References

  1. ^ "Shawnee Mission East Debate". Retrieved 2013-4-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "KU Debate". University of Kansas. Retrieved 2013-4-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ "Moot Court Program". University of Kansas. Retrieved 2013-4-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "Law Student Wins Court Competition". Lawrence Daily Journal World. 1976-4-1. Retrieved 2013-4-1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Goldman-Friedland Engagement". Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. 9-25-2011. Retrieved 4-1-2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  6. ^ Kentner, DA (2010-12-3). "An Interview with Author Joel Goldman". Canton Repository. Retrieved 2013-4-1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Thorpe Menn Award Winners". Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved 2013-4-1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Order of Joel Goldman Books Retrieved on 4-4-2013.
  9. ^ "Top Suspense: Authors". Top Suspense: the Very Best in Suspense Fiction. Retrieved 2013-4-1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

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