LEWIS LERMAN – AUTHOR LINKS
- Website: http://www.mlewislerman.com/
- Lewis Lerman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLewisLerman
- Lewis Lerman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLewisLerman
- Beware the Sheep on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beware-Sheep-M-Lewis-Lerman-ebook/dp/B00RE2WZKK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
- Beware the Sheep on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24241416-beware-the-sheep?from_search=true
LEWIS LERMAN – MORE MATERIALS
- Book cover images and author photo: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7341v36suxysas0/AADMUhDGa3VEPE1dV0Waw-p7a?dl=0
BEWARE THE SHEEP – SYNOPSIS
Enter the world of Eaux: it’s a land of flying Arks and Jarred Flummox, of underground societies and evil underlings. Individuality wins over conformity here, originality over sameness.
But when illness strikes and a maniacal underground ruler threatens to destroy all that is ‘different,’ 16 year old Livi Dixon must lead a group of unlikely allies — not because of her bravery or abilities — but out of necessity and fear.
With the hope of a cure, Livi makes a reckless gamble that just may save her best friend’s life — but at what cost?
With her new friends (a strange and sundry group of outsiders including a handsome escaped prisoner and a kind but secretive old man), Livi sets off on a race against time, looking deep within herself in order to defeat a faceless enemy and (just maybe) manage to save her best friend in the process.
Livi’s strength is tested, her character revealed, as an attempt to save one life turns into a quest to protect thousands. But is she enough to stop the shapeless evil sinking its teeth into the ones she loves? And in the end, will it even matter?
AUTHOR BIO
A farm girl born and raised, M. Lewis-Lerman loves books (the dusty ones), land (the wild kind), and anything on four legs.
Before she wrote, she read, learning onDick and Jane, going over the Big Hill with Betsy and Tacy, and growing up alongside Scarlet O’hara & the March sisters.
M. Lewis-Lerman attended Fordham University where she studied psychology. She lives in Upstate New York with her three dogs and her many teetering bookshelves.
Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m from upstate, NY originally — about a half-hour north from where I live now. I actually grew up on a wildlife sanctuary where my mom and dad (a veterinarian) rescued and rehabilitated injured wild animals.
Tell us about your book? How did it get started?
Beware the Sheep is about a girl’s search for belonging in a world where she feels out of place. The story has all sorts of fantastic distractions and magical elements, but at its core, it’s about friendship, compassion and defining your own path even when it’s easier to follow the crowd.
How do you create your characters?
I tend to write from what I know, making my friends, colleagues, and family members the archetypes from which I initially shape my characters. Then as my work takes on a life of its own, my characters become more unique and more whole, developing their own personalities and quirks. With a few exceptions, a character that starts out as the mirror image of my friend/brother/self eventually morphs into something completely unique — someone with baggage and neuroses and freckles all their own.
What inspires you and what got you started in writing?
This is a challenging question to answer with any specificity because I am inspired by everything I see and read and touch. I’m especially inspired by nature, animals, and the change in season, however, and if you look for it, you’ll see that in my writing. I also find a lot of inspiration in other authors’ work.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but the thing that got me started writing Beware the Sheep was a conversation I had with my sister over dinner back in 2010. I don’t remember the details perfectly, but when I got home that night I had this big idea that needed to come out.
Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)
I write at home, in silence. Typically I’m feeling most creative at odd hours: the middle of the night or right at dawn. Almost exclusively it’s during the first few hours after I wake. Whether that’s 3 in the morning or in the middle of the afternoon depends entirely on the day.
I don’t force my writing or my creativity, and I’m fortunate enough to have a schedule that allows for that.
How do you get your ideas for writing?
Much of my book is inspired by philosophy and sociology. The group conscience and the group mind, substance dualism and the mob mentality are just some of the themes and ideas that shaped my writing of Beware the Sheep and helped build the world Livi Dixon inhabits.
What do you like to read?
I read a ton of YA — especially fantasy. Like so many, I’ve gotten sucked into the recent dystopia trend. I’m also a huge fan of the classics — anything epic and romantic (think Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters). I do read contemporary works and non-fiction, but at a less frenetic rate. Especially in the non-fiction arena, the book really needs to be something special to catch my eye.
What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?
Read a ton; write even more. Develop a thick skin, and don’t give up!