Laurie L.C. Lewis's Blog: Bloggin' It Up Here, page 64

THE INTERRUPTION CALLED "SNOW"

Maryland is under a full-out weather assault. This would have been my heaven fifteen years ago, when "snow-joy" eradicated any January-post-Christmas let-down, with hopes of days off from school, winter fun, and the pleasure of hot cocoa, freshly-baked cookies and popcorn-and-blanket-snuggling movie days spent with hyper kids. But alas, those kids are either far away now, or hunkered down in their own bunkers making plans to go Mano-a-Mano with Puxatawny Phil next year if he decides to lay...

CONTEST!!!

In Honor of

PRESIDENT'S DAY,

let's have a



Drawing- MARCH 1st

Three lucky winners will get an autographed book of their choice from my


"Free Men and

Dreamers" series,

and one entrant will win a beautiful "Liberty Necklace," custom-designed by Sterling Obsessions for this contest.

HOW DO YOU

ENTER?
Each of the former U.S. presidents pictured below is featured significantly in the volumes of "Free Men and Dreamers," but only one of them served as president during the period of time covered by my...

BLIZZARD

People in the snowy west laugh at easterners who shut schools down and empty grocery store shelves over an inch or two of the white stuff. But experience one of our water-sodden snows, with the corresponding ice and sleet that accompanies the wide temp swings, and you'll understand.

My first novel, "Unspoken" was about a sleet and ice storm that made this area appear as if it had been dipped in liquid glass. It's a treacherous kind of beauty that awes and inspires fearful respect. This one rea...

RANTING

I like to think I'm a fairly savvy woman . . . open to new ideas but possessing a good balance between frugality and whim. Every now and then, I blow it. This was one of those days.

Perhaps I had suffered one of those "Samurai-Leg-Shaving" disasters that day . . . I don't remember, but the ad for the Smooth-Away hair removal pads hit me at a vulnerable moment, and I placed a telephone order. (I know . . . I know. . . I'm smacking myself at this very moment.)

I wasn't even greeted by a super-fri...

FLYING THE FRIENDLY SKIES

I'm back home again after a great trip west. Leaving is always hard, especially when sweet little grandchildren beg you to stay. This time, my thirty-something son tried to lure me into an extra day so we could enjoy one more game of Settlers or Catan. But alas. . . it was not to be.

Air travel stresses me out. Not enough to ground me, but enough to make my blood pressure elevate until I'm at the gate. Today, I had the added pleasure of being sick. It settled in Monday evening after a gluttono...

THE BEST GIFT

I'm still out here in Utah, expecting to return home Wednesday. It's been an eventful trip with unexpected, positive professional turns, which I'll explain in a later post; but the prime events were some very great memory-making moments with the family.

Life in a young family is busy. That shouldn't surprise me, but life in an Empty-Nester home is generally routine and quieter, so the impact on arrival here is joyous and fun, but fatiguing, with early rises to play, and late turn-ins to enjoy ...

JENNIE HANSEN'S REVIEW OF "DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT"

I've been waiting on pins and needles for this review by Jennie Hansen. A prolific author herself, Ms. Hansen knows literature, and her reviews are insightful and honest. She's recently been buried by the task of reading and evaluating books for the coveted Whitney Book Awards, so I was especially thrilled and apprehensive when I received notice that her review of "Dawn's Early Light" posted. To my great pleasure, the review was lovely. Thank you, Jennie Hansen, for giving "Dawn's Early Light...

WHAT WOULD GEORGE WASHINGTON HAVE SAID?

Like many of you--most of you, I hope--I watched President Obama's "State of the Union" Address. Some comments ramped up my hope. He is a gifted orator. But some of his comments left me unsatisfied, like soda that had been negligently handled, losing its fizz. He was definitely attempting to reset an agenda that has lost touch with the average American's concerns. But the Republicans shouldn't gloat. Winning that one seat in Massachusetts was a sure sign of the nation's mood, but they should...

THE SOFT ANSWER VS. RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I've developed a theory over my child rearing years called "The RAHHH! Principle. It is that frequently, and predominantly in young males, all uncomfortable emotions come out as "RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Fear, loneliness, embarrassment, pain and anger all sound pretty much the same. I was reminded this week that I am not immune to similar reactions.

This week's signings went well. I met some lovely new readers and enjoyed meeting many who are already invested in the series. There was only one notab...

REPORTING FROM UTAH: Day 3

I'm out here in Utah for a few weeks, visiting my two Utah sons and their families, while getting a few signings and other business in. I arrived early on Tuesday and spent a day with my favorite newlyweds in their downtown Salt Lake apartment. Adam met me at the airport to help me negotiate the bags and the rental car since I'm still in this boot/cast. I'm so glad he was there. I consider myself a sane, reasonably well-adjusted adult, but throw me into new situations with a broken foot, and...