Lorna Lewis

Lorna Lewis is gifted in turning characters’ dreams into drama and crafting stories rich with emotion while exploring the complexities of real-life situations such as marriage, infidelity, fertility struggles, betrayal, and the power of forgiveness. In addition to being an author, Lewis is also an educator. She believes in using her creativity to inspire and teach others both in the classroom and through her writing.

A native of Varnado, Louisiana, a small town much like the ones she loves bringing to life in her stories, Lewis’s southern roots influence the sense of community, culture, and warmth in her work. When she’s not writing her next novel, Lewis enjoys spending quality time with her husband and their two beautiful children, finding joy in family life, and drawing inspiration from her own experiences to enrich her writing.

Her new novel is A Sky Full of Love.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title, A Sky Full of Love, establishes the story's tone before the reader turns the first page. The title is soft, hopeful, and maybe a little wistful. Even though the topics of captivity and loss are heavy, most of the story focuses on the healing journey, so that’s what I wanted the title to portray. I was a little hesitant at first because it could also give a romantic feel, and even though there are romantic components to the story, it’s not a romance novel. The biggest reason I liked this title was because of the bond Nova has with her family. While in the room, Nova was desperate for some kind of connection with the people she loved. One night, as she stared into the sky, she realized that no matter where they were in the world, they were looking at the same moon and stars as she was. That was the connection. The sky, at that moment, represented love because it was as close to her family as she thought she’d get.

What's in a name?

Naming my characters is one of the most personal and time-consuming parts of the writing process for me. Nova’s name means “new,” and I chose it intentionally. After fifteen years in captivity, everything that used to be familiar to her is now new. Her daughter Skye’s name represents freedom. I feel like Nova would associate Skye with the best part of her life now, which is being free. Her sister, Leah’s, name is Hebrew, and it means “weary”. Leah, who has built her life around helping others, has her own inner battles that she works hard to ignore.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage reader self would be very surprised by my novel, and not for the reason some may think. My teenage self would be surprised that I’m a writer, period. Unlike most writers, I never had the desire to be an author. I’ve always loved reading, and I journaled a lot, but the thought of sitting and writing a novel wasn’t something I saw for myself. I think it felt too outlandish and out of reach for a girl from a small town in Louisiana to become an author.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I find it harder to write the beginning. In my opinion, that’s the most critical part of the book. If I don’t hook my readers from the very first page, the likelihood that they’ll continue reading is very slim. Besides, by the time I’ve been with these characters for 70,000 plus words, I have a good idea of how they’ll wrap up their story.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I see a lot of myself in all the female characters. I see myself in Nova because, like Nova, I’ve had to overcome pain that I never asked for. My mom passed when I was 13 years old, and my daughter passed when she was 18 months old. Then, a few years after my daughter, my dad passed. Like Nova, I had to learn how to exist in a world that was void of people I wasn’t ready to live without.

I see myself in Leah because, like Leah, it’s easier for me to focus on other people’s hurt, so I don’t have to focus on my own.

In Skye, I see myself as that little girl who will always wonder how life would’ve been if my mother had been there during my most vulnerable years.

Then there’s Martha, Nova, and Leah’s mom. I think all mothers can see themselves in Martha. All she wants is for her girls to be happy, healthy, and loved properly.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Real-life situations have significantly influenced my writing. The inspiration for this book actually came from my parents. Not directly, but indirectly. Like I mentioned, my mom died when I was 13 years old. After she died, I questioned if there was a possibility that she could still be alive. What if a doctor fell in love with her and kidnapped her? Kidnapping, unlike death, doesn’t have to be a definite end to our story together. I suppose even back then, my mind created stories that helped me cope with my reality.

Years later, my dad remarried, and that thought popped into my mind again. I knew how much my dad loved my mom. How much love he still held for her all those years later. I questioned the outcome if my 13-year-old theory was accurate and my mom had escaped her captor. What would my dad do? Would he leave his wife and return to my mom, or would he choose to stay with his current wife?

Then I also thought of my mom. I questioned how hard it would be for my mom to adjust to years of isolation. A lot had changed in the 10 years that she’d been gone. As time passed, those thoughts kept coming to me, and I decided I needed to do something with them. That’s how A Sky Full of Love was born.

Visit Lorna Lewis's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Sky Full of Love.

--Marshal Zeringue