About J. Alexander Greenwood

Hi, I’m J. Alexander Greenwood — but you can call me Alex.

I’m the author of the John Pilate Mystery Series, a longtime podcaster, and a communications pro who’s spent decades helping people tell better stories—through books, podcasts, and public relations. 

I write regularly on my Substack, All the Fits That’s News, where I explore media, culture, business, and whatever else keeps me up at night. 

The Radical Competency series, published on Substack and LinkedIn,  exploring why the people who actually keep organizations running are systematically overlooked, under-rewarded, and increasingly at risk of walking out the door — has built a practitioner readership that forwards individual essays to colleagues without prompting, and a senior administrator at a major regional university has adopted the framework as her office's operating philosophy. Read it here.

I also publish Professional Paragraphs, a LinkedIn newsletter on communications, leadership, and professional life, with more than 700 subscribers drawn from an overall LinkedIn following of more than 3,000. Subscribe here.

If you like smart, fast-paced mysteries with flawed heroes and a bit of snark, you’ll probably enjoy Pilate’s Cross, Pilate’s Key, Pilate’s Ghost, Pilate’s Blood, Pilate’s 7, Pilate’s Rose, and the novella Pilate’s Shadow. The latest installment, Pilate’s Faith, hit shelves in 2021—and according to Kirkus Reviews, I “pull many tricks from my writer’s satchel” to keep readers guessing.

My fiction leans noir but never forgets the humanity at the heart of a good story. Beyond mysteries, I’ve written horror (The Sign, A Debt of Flame), co-authored a historical action-adventure (Big Cabin and Dispatches from the West), and published nonfiction bestsellers like The Podcast Option and Kickstarter Success Secrets. 

My short story Obsidian has earned recognition from the Launch Pad Prose Competition, Horror2Comic, and the HorrOrigins Film Festival.

In 2023, Kansas City Magazine readers named me Best Local Author. That still feels a little surreal—but I’ll take it.

When I’m not writing books, I’m behind the mic. I host Mysterious Goings On, a podcast for curious readers and creative minds, and in 2025 we wrapped up a six-year run of PR After Hours, a show for communicators and business pros. I also co-host and assistant producer of Going to Killing City, a Kansas City true crime podcast fueled by killer cocktails and stories that bite back. I am also producer and host of a multi-award winning podcast for the University of Central Missouri (UCM).

In 2021, I was commissioned to co-write a film treatment  and screenplay (Saharan Ice) with veteran producer Michael Pellico, which scratched an old Hollywood itch. 

These days, I also speak to audiences internationally about indie publishing, podcasting, creative careers, and communications strategy. After 14 years running my own PR agency, I now serve in a leadership role at a public university—still telling stories, just on a bigger stage.

Originally from Oklahoma, I live in Kansas City with my family, an overworked coffee machine and plenty of half-finished ideas calling my name. I'm presently a graduate student in the History program at UCM.

BOOK ALEX TO SPEAK

Selected Awards & Recognition:

• Official Selection, LegendaryFest Film Festival — "Saharan Ice" (2025)
• Best Local Author — Kansas City Magazine Best Of KC 2023
• Launch Pad Prose Competition Top 100 — "Obsidian" (2023)
• Quarterfinalist, Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition Season 5
• Quarterfinalist, ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition 2023
• Quarterfinalist, Script2Comic - Horror2Comic 2024
• Horror2Comic Quarterfinalist — "Obsidian" (2024)
• Official Selection, HorrOrigins Film Festival — "A Debt of Flame" (2024)
• Global Ebook Award Nominee — Pilate’s Cross (2011)
• Quarterfinalist, Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards Season 8

Alex's books are available on Amazon (click the button below), this website, or your favorite independent bookstore via Bookshop.org.