Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Thyme Lewis
Book Title: A Week’s Worth
Released: 01/10/23
Genre: Literary Fiction with a touch of mystery
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “A Week’s Worth”?
Lewis: There are many short stories I'd written, but this story made the most sense to me to write and publish first, because it was so visceral. I'd recently taken a much needed road trip with my mom, because her dog had died. Something I'd wanted to do for a long time, but couldn't. It was because of my moms relationship with her dog and his needs, according to her.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Lewis: Great question. There are many names I could have chosen, but Mac had always resonated with me from early on in my search for the best name. And for many reasons. My mom's sister Flicka has a son who is my first cousin and we get along great. His name is McGurrin and he goes by his nickname, Mac. And Mac is short for MacGuffin, very similar to McGurrin, which happens to be my mom's last name. Are you still with me? It gets better. And the fact that MacGuffin by definition has a great meaning sealed the deal:
Mc·Guf·fin
/məˈɡəf(ə)n/
noun
noun: MacGuffin
an object or device in a movie or a book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot.
"the McGuffin in this intriguing comedy is an unpublished novel by a young writer killed in the war"
It made total sense to me. Now, something readers don't yet know and is revealed in book three is what his Navy Seal mates call him, Cappy. Reason being, he was their team captain while with the seals. Funny enough, I've another cousin named Cap that goes by Cappy.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Lewis: About me? Yes, I was Dr. Jonah on Days of Our Lives.
Yes, that's me guest starring on Bosch, Legacy as Lt. Jack Deray on episode 207. I think they bring me back next season for an arc.
Yes, I had retired from acting many years ago, but doing my audiobook made me reconsider. Doing the audiobook was a lot of fun.
And yes. I did work with FEMA and found the work very rewarding. I'm a humanitarian at heart and have been for a long time.
My process? Sure. I write everyday before the sun is up. Literally. I wake and am at my desk within five minutes pulling from whatever I've intentionally dreamt. And I enjoy the process. I truly get lost in it for hours.
If "A Week’s Worth" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Lewis: Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington thirty five years ago. Maybe Robert Downey, Jr twenty years ago. Maybe Daniel Kaluuya. Chadwick Boseman would have been exquisite.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Lewis: I pick up anything from my favorite authors and read a paragraph. Then I pull a single line, and repeat it over and over until some idea sprouts from the sentence.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Lewis: Start writing about anything that interests you and everything that doesnt too. And why it doesn’t interest you is interesting too... to stretch your imagination and hopefully your strong opinions, which manifest into characters.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Lewis: I'm not locked into any one thing, book or author. Example. I read a book years ago, Bridges of Madison County. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Same for a book when I was little, The Cay. Couldn't put it down. I wept. First time a book had done that to me. I was so consumed. Another great book, Pillars of the Earth. Also, any Lee Child book with Jack Reacher, I'm interested. Or Hemingway. Or recently, On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl. Her use of language. Her word choices. Outstanding. As was Shantaram, which was a gift from my mom years ago. Much appreciated.
What are you working on next?
Lewis: The second book to be published, which the working title is Blood and Bones OR Bones and Blood, maybe. I struggle with the title because it's already been used many times. It's complex and the title matches so many layered elements that I wonder what the title should or could be that's more original. It will come. Check my website for updates. This book is so personal to me as it was based on my second deployment with FEMA. The story is fast paced and has many twisting threads, which makes for a great thriller-mystery.
Learn More About the Author and “A Week’s Worth”:
https://www.facebook.com/thymelewisbooks/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
https://booktrib.com/2023/02/27/actor-thyme-lewiss-fema-experience-inspires-his-new-action-thriller/
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
review