It's been a few weeks, but we're excited to introduce you to
Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
Author of Oh, Say Can You See?
book four in the FREE MEN AND DREAMERS series
and Awakening Avery
1. What is your favorite food? I consider myself a passionate connoisseur of fried chicken, but I recently saw Popeye’s nutrition info on their fried chicken and I’ve been in mourning ever since.
2. Do you prefer Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream? Vanilla, so I can better appreciate the strawberry toppings I’ll dump on top!
3. What is one food you despise? Sushi . . . not a fan.
4. Where did you grow up? Maryland, primarily, though I spent a few years in Barstow, California.
5. What was your favorite childhood picture book? Sadly, I can’t remember books in my family’s home. I suppose that’s why I loved school and the library so very much.
6. Is there a book that changed your life? I fell in love with Walter Farley’s “Black Stallion” books. I read every one of them. They opened my heart to reading and dreaming of faraway adventures.
7. What is your favorite sport? Basketball is my favorite spectator sport. Swimming is my favorite sport for participation, but if you see my family play board games, the full-body-contact action there should qualify as an extreme sport. I would love to learn to ballroom dance!
8. What is your favorite kind of music? I love everything depending on my mood, although I confess that I am practically musically illiterate on anything current. My passion for opera is growing with the rise of Il Divo, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli, but I still like to boogie down with Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, or Three Dog Night. I love the Tabernacle Choir, and
the soundtrack from the Last of the Mohicans.
9. What is your favorite song? “Oh Thou Fount.” It brings me to tears every time.
10. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t yet? I’d adore a trip to Greece or the Holy Land. That’s more than one . . . sorry. . .
11. What is your favorite thing about yourself? I’m pretty good at getting a rousing belly laugh out of little children.
12. Do you like to sing? Adore it! I once planned to make that my vocation. Then my sons began playing sports, and I cheered until I went hoarse. Now I’m only good for a few hymns and lullabies.
13. Do you like to dance? I have little natural talent, but I still have some moves!
14. Do you play a musical instrument? A little guitar left from my “Blowin’ in the Wind” college days. . .
15. What are three adjectives best describe you? Eclectic, overscheduled, loving
16. When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do? The problem with being an author is that you never really have an hour of “free” time because you race to the computer and fill it with writing. So assuming someone has padlocked my computer, I’d spend my hour vegging with a movie or a good book, or hanging out with someone I love.
17. What is the strangest thing you ever did? Pleading the fifth. . . .
18. What is the strangest food you ever ate? Hmmm…….escargot, but what I put on
my pancakes can be considered pretty weird… peanut butter, American cheese and syrup.
19. Tell me about a favorite event of your childhood. I still smile when I remember the winter about twenty people became unexpectedly snowed in at our little farm house. We didn’t have enough winter clothes for all the children so we wore tons of socks wrapped up in bread bags so we could play outside together. The men walked to a little store dragging the groceries home on a sled. The women all worked together in the kitchen cooking and laughing. I’m
sure it was less fun for them than for us, but from my perspective it was a real pioneer party!
20. Are you a beach, country or city person? While I love spending time in each, I’m drawn to the sea.
21. What cartoon character best describes you? Mrs. Incredible. I relate to her hops and the inner-super-hero within all moms.
22. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Probably New England, near the sea and all that wonderful history.
23. If you knew could you try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I have rheumatoid arthritis, so I’d love to be able to dance fluidly and beautifully. Now that would be a great dream come true!
24. What super-power would you most like to have, and why? Teleportation! I would love to be able to blink and be anywhere of my choosing!
25. If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be? To have a home near each of my faraway children, or unlimited plane tickets to visit often, and to complete my genealogy.
26. If you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see? Green, so I could enjoy the landscape.
Third grade class photo. Laurie is on the second row, fourth from the left.
2. Do you prefer Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream? Vanilla, so I can better appreciate the strawberry toppings I’ll dump on top!
3. What is one food you despise? Sushi . . . not a fan.
4. Where did you grow up? Maryland, primarily, though I spent a few years in Barstow, California.
5. What was your favorite childhood picture book? Sadly, I can’t remember books in my family’s home. I suppose that’s why I loved school and the library so very much.
6. Is there a book that changed your life? I fell in love with Walter Farley’s “Black Stallion” books. I read every one of them. They opened my heart to reading and dreaming of faraway adventures.
7. What is your favorite sport? Basketball is my favorite spectator sport. Swimming is my favorite sport for participation, but if you see my family play board games, the full-body-contact action there should qualify as an extreme sport. I would love to learn to ballroom dance!
8. What is your favorite kind of music? I love everything depending on my mood, although I confess that I am practically musically illiterate on anything current. My passion for opera is growing with the rise of Il Divo, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli, but I still like to boogie down with Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, or Three Dog Night. I love the Tabernacle Choir, and
the soundtrack from the Last of the Mohicans.
9. What is your favorite song? “Oh Thou Fount.” It brings me to tears every time.
10. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t yet? I’d adore a trip to Greece or the Holy Land. That’s more than one . . . sorry. . .
11. What is your favorite thing about yourself? I’m pretty good at getting a rousing belly laugh out of little children.
12. Do you like to sing? Adore it! I once planned to make that my vocation. Then my sons began playing sports, and I cheered until I went hoarse. Now I’m only good for a few hymns and lullabies.
13. Do you like to dance? I have little natural talent, but I still have some moves!
14. Do you play a musical instrument? A little guitar left from my “Blowin’ in the Wind” college days. . .
15. What are three adjectives best describe you? Eclectic, overscheduled, loving
16. When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do? The problem with being an author is that you never really have an hour of “free” time because you race to the computer and fill it with writing. So assuming someone has padlocked my computer, I’d spend my hour vegging with a movie or a good book, or hanging out with someone I love.
17. What is the strangest thing you ever did? Pleading the fifth. . . .
18. What is the strangest food you ever ate? Hmmm…….escargot, but what I put on
my pancakes can be considered pretty weird… peanut butter, American cheese and syrup.
19. Tell me about a favorite event of your childhood. I still smile when I remember the winter about twenty people became unexpectedly snowed in at our little farm house. We didn’t have enough winter clothes for all the children so we wore tons of socks wrapped up in bread bags so we could play outside together. The men walked to a little store dragging the groceries home on a sled. The women all worked together in the kitchen cooking and laughing. I’m
sure it was less fun for them than for us, but from my perspective it was a real pioneer party!
20. Are you a beach, country or city person? While I love spending time in each, I’m drawn to the sea.
21. What cartoon character best describes you? Mrs. Incredible. I relate to her hops and the inner-super-hero within all moms.
22. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Probably New England, near the sea and all that wonderful history.
23. If you knew could you try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I have rheumatoid arthritis, so I’d love to be able to dance fluidly and beautifully. Now that would be a great dream come true!
24. What super-power would you most like to have, and why? Teleportation! I would love to be able to blink and be anywhere of my choosing!
25. If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be? To have a home near each of my faraway children, or unlimited plane tickets to visit often, and to complete my genealogy.
26. If you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see? Green, so I could enjoy the landscape.
Third grade class photo. Laurie is on the second row, fourth from the left.
Wedding day
Lewis family, 1984
Funny faces
Why I WriteI've always been a storyteller. In fact, when I was young, my imagination was so clear and detailed that I even believed some of my own stories, which occasionally got me into trouble.
I never finished college, and that weighed heavier upon me as the years passed. I intended to return, but time, opportunity, and money never aligned. Still, I wanted to set an example for my children about pursuing dreams and developing talents, and writing allowed me to pursue a career I love in a field that almost seemed like a dream come true.
Writing Free Men and Dreamers has almost become more of a calling than a career opportunity. I've felt drive to write this series and shine light upon some of our spectacular, though neglected, American history.
Great interview, Laurie. It's fun to get to know more about you. I loved Awakening Avery.
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