Laurie L.C. Lewis's Blog: Bloggin' It Up Here, page 54

Free Men and Dreamers 6.mov

My trailer just uploaded to YOU TUBE! Click to view it, post a comment and enter to win a free book!Copyright 2009 Laurie LC Lewis, (To obtain permission to copy or reprint any portion of this post, please contact the author at lclewis2007@gmail.com)

ONCE-IN-LIFETIME-OPPORTUNITIES-ARE HERE!

For the next two years, anyone who loves American history, or who wants to bestow upon their children a remarkable understanding of the sacrifice it took to build and preserve this nation, should look east for vacations.

From the Great Lakes to New England, and especially along the Chesapeake Bay, marvelous events are being planned to salute and celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.

History books will say it was a worthless war, but such thin...

ONCE-IN-LIFETIME-OPPRTUNITIES-ARE HERE!

For the next two years, anyone who loves American history, or who wants to bestow upon their children a remarkable understanding of the sacrifice it took to build and preserve this nation, should look east for vacations.

From the Great Lakes to New England, and especially along the Chesapeake Bay, marvelous events are being planned to salute and celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.

History books will say it was a worthless war, but such thin...

4th and GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"OH SAY CAN YOU SEE?" has turned out to be the most difficult project of my Free Men and Dreamers series for me. I thought it would be the easiest because I've had all the major plot points in my head forever, but stuff happened. . . mostly great, happy stuff . . . but stuff that delayed me from typing, "THE END."

This season in my life became hectic: unexpected but exciting company arrived, new details about Francis Scott Key emerged that led to more research, and someone whose opinion I tru...

WHEN THE RESEARCH IS SUBLIME

Historical fiction requires diligent research. Get sloppy with a fact, and like a date who catches you in a lie, a reader's trust is gone and everything else you say is scrutinized.

In the past five years I've probably spent over 1000 hours conducting research on people, places, clothing, battles, guns, churches, ships. . . you name it. Today I spent an hour researching the history of the C-section for a scene. It was fascinating!

I've stumbled upon some informational gems in the public collect...

THE ADAM AND EVE PRINCIPLE

I recently led a workshop on dating and marriage for a Youth Conference, and early in my presentation one female attendee quipped loudly, "Is that all we're supposed to do? Get married and make babies? That's stupid!"

The acrid tone of her voice took me back at first, but sadly, she's not the only young person who no longer looks at marriage and family as the ultimate expression of joy. Even in the traditional, family-based LDS community, singles are marrying later, in smaller numbers, and the...

GUESS WHAT?

Online PhD Degrees
I received an email yesterday announcing that this blog was chosen as one of the "TOP 50 MORMON BLOGS of 2010!"

Thrilling, to say the least, and completely unexpected, to say what comes next to the least. But wow! I'm honored!

I never considered my blog specifically "Mormon or LDS." I am Mormon/LDS, a Christian conservative, and I write about my feelings and my perspectives on family, God, country, and good literature that supports those themes.I think my topics cut across mos...

LEARNING VALUES FROM THE PAST

Researching the giants of history has made me sensitive to the erosion of honor and integrity in our day. When most of us hear about violations of honesty and the public trust images of government leaders or captains of industry generally come to mind. The idea that a man's handshake or word bound him; or that, like Alexander Hamilton, a man would risk his very life to uphold his honor, are nearly incomprehensible concepts today.

As an author of historical fiction I've noticed this shift in th...

BOOK NOOK REVIEW

OF ONE HEART: Being Single in the LDS World By Valerie J. Steimle

Late this spring, I released "Awakening Avery," my LDS women's novel dealing with a recently-widowed middle-aged woman's struggle to redefine her life and her family after the passing of her husband. While promoting the book, I met just such a woman. Her name is Valerie J. Steimle, and she was a member of a women's writing group I belong to.

As soon as she heard the premise of my book, she said it sounded very much like her own l...

GRINNING EAR-TO-EAR!

K8 the Book Buff recently read and reviewed "DARK SKY AT DAWN" on her very popular, high-traffic book review site. It was a privilege to see my book reviewed and rated in a forum that features books by national authors like James Patterson. The review was incredibly flattering though tough. I'm grinning ear-to-ear.

Dark Sky at Dawn was an absolute joy to read. One of the most impressive aspects of the book was how much research was put in to create such an authentic feel. I read so many books ...