Tell us about your book and what inspired you to write it? My debut children’s picture book is called “The Runaway.” It features a young boy who is overwhelmed by anxiety and stress and longs for nothing more than to run away from it all… his fighting parents, his annoying sister, his homework, and his chores. So he does. Along his journey, he transforms into different animals to help him get away faster. But does he find the peace he is looking for? I guess you’ll have to read and find out!
My oldest daughter often struggles with anxiety (as do I) and one night, as I was lying in bed staring at a painting I had done, which is actually one of the illustrations that are in the book, I decided I would write book about it, and illustrate it in the technique of the painting – a sunset silhouette. From there, it all came together.
Where are you from? I was born and
raised in Northern Virginia. I still live there… but in between high school and
now, I have also lived all over the state of Virginia as well as South Carolina
and West Virginia. I currently live walking distance from the house I grew up in
where my parents still reside.
What do you do with yourself beside writing? As a mom of four
kids in elementary school, keeping the house clean is a full-time job, but when
I am not doing that, I am also a substitute teacher. I am a certified Art
Teacher; however, subbing makes it easier for me to pick and choose which days
I am gone. I also absolutely LOVE to read, and I am also a freelance artist.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? I knew I wanted to
be a writer before I could even write words. I would draw pictures and record
the words on my little yellow and red recorder. When I was in middle school, I
would fill up journals and notebooks with my short stories and poems. It has always
been my dream that I have finally been able to bring to life.
What is your favourite book? Oh gosh, what a
question! I would have to say that my favorite book would have to be “Maybe
Someday” by the author, Colleen Hoover. I was so intrigued by how she combined
music and words, and the author herself has been such an inspiration to me over
the years.
What is the first book that made you cry? Bright Side, by Kim Holden. Kim is another amazing underappreciated indie author that writes beautifully. By the end of this book, I could barely see the pages through tears! This book resonated with me so much, I tattooed a quote on my arm from it. “Do Epic.”
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? Making Faces, by the indie author, Amy Harmon. She is an amazing author that deserves so much more attention than she gets. Her words are powerful and even more so, beautiful!
If you could tell
your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Dear younger self,
don’t be scared… don’t wait, just do it!
Does your family
support your career as a writer? Absolutely! My
kiddos LOVE seeing a proof come in and being the first to be read to. They love
seeing the process and giving me their input.
What are common
traps for aspiring writers? It is sad, but a
very common trap would be themselves… their self-doubt. I have met many
aspiring authors that have written stories or want to write stories that don’t
think their work is good enough or people won’t like it… well, this is what I
tell you folk- JUST DO IT! Getting through yourself is your biggest hurdle!
How
do you select the names of your characters? When I do select
names for characters, I choose them based on their characteristics… name
meanings. I choose unique over traditional.
How long on average
does it take you to write a book? For my children’s
books, once I have a solid concept… the manuscript can come to life in as
little as a few hours. But it is the editing process that can take a while. I
use beta readers as well as hire a professional editor.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you? The writing portion
energizes me. I absolutely love to write… it is like releasing a bound story
that was locked in my head that needed to be freed. It is the editing, promoting,
and marketing that exhausts me.
Happy reading!!
Laurelle Lewis