My Favourite Things by Mary Lewis, Writer & Blogger

Food:

Being married to a man of Italian descent who can cook up a storm, food is really important to me. Unfortunately I am on a medical diet, so I can’t have everything I love at the moment, but usually my favourites are Salmon with grilled vegetables and my sweet treat is Milka chocolate. I eat it two squares together, which have to be sucked!


Drink:
Tea!! I know boring, but I love it. One sweetener, milk in my favourite mug. Alcoholic I like the odd glass of Prosecco or Southern Comfort – neat.


Book:
Blimey Annette, that’s a harsh question. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has always been my favourite book since I read it at school. From my childhood I still love and read The Folk of the Faraway Tree. Enid Blyton wrote The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree too, but the Folk book is my favourite. My Grandad used to read it to me and the descriptive writing would whisk me away to the lands at the top of the tree. Another favourite was The Little Grey Rabbit Series by Alison Uttley. The drawings by Margaret Tempest are exquisite and Fuzzypeg the hedgehog was the cutest. 
 


Author:
Another tough one. I buy every book Jill Mansell and Katie Fforde write and always have. I also enjoy Heidi Swain – not just because she’s one of my dearest friends, but I love her gentle, romantic writing and I want to live in Wynbridge. Lucy Holliday is also a favourite of mine with her An Night in with…….. series and Iona Grey blew me away with Letters to the Lost.


Character:
Book character has to be Moonface from The Faraway Tree books. He always seemed so friendly and wise plus he had a huge slide called the slippery slip! What’s not to love?


In film The Godfather played by Marlon Brando. Cool, calm and menacing. Brilliant.



Song:
My favourite song has always been ‘Boys of Summer’ by Don Henley. Nothing can be better than that song blaring out in the car, windows down, sun shining and me singing tunelessly along.


I also adore Vide Cor Meum by Patrick Cassidy, which was composed for the film Hannibal. It accompanies the opera scene in Florence. I married my husband in Florence and I walked down the aisle to this beautiful, haunting melody sung by Danielle de Niese and Bruno Lazzeretti.


Holiday destination:
Has to be Florence. As I mentioned we married there, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Sitting watching the sunset over the Ponte Vecchio with my husband and son on the steps of the Piazzale Michelangelo is the place I go to in my head when I am feeling stressed. We married in the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio and we always go back there when we visit.


Ireland is also another special place. My Grandad was originally from Cork, so I am part Irish and my fabulous Mum and Dad in-law now live there. Their house is in the middle of nowhere and is ideal for writing and reading.


Animal:
Has to be a cat. We had a cat for nearly 19 years named Darcy – after Jim Dale’s character in Carry on Don’t Lose Your Head, Lord Darcy Pew. Unfortunately he passed away last year and he has left an enormous gap in our family and our hearts are broken. He was a real character and very much a member of the family.

This quote sums up my feelings “Quite simply I miss you terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby”.


In general I love the cat’s aloofness to the world. They don’t care if you are there or not, as long as you feed them.


Person:
Obviously my husband Dylan and our son Glen are the most important people in my life and my reason for living.

I was raised by my Grandparents and my Grandad Gene was my complete hero. He died when I was 11, but in those short years the lessons in life he instilled in me remain with me today.

My other hero is Professor Omar Devaja. He was my Oncology surgeon and I owe my life to him. Being diagnosed with cancer was a big shock, but he steered us through the process and for all the years afterwards was a source of comfort. He rocks!

And of course Taylor Lautner for completely obvious reasons.



Place to write:
I like to write outdoors when I can, however I am usually found on our sofa in our little cottage. Not very glamorous, but practical.


Season:
Autumn. The light that appears on autumnal sunny days is staggering. The colours in nature are so vivid and it’s an assault on your senses. I love dark evenings with candles lit and snuggling up with a good book. Walks through leaves whilst wrapped up in a scarf and a fluffy hat are something I look forward to.


Tradition: We tend to watch ‘The Life of Brian’ by Monty Python every Christmas Eve. It always makes us chuckle.


Inspirational quote:
‘She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible.

She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings’.

This was sent to me after I had my third major operation for cancer and cheered me up.


Thing in the world:
That’s very hard, but the one item that has been with me all my life is Larry my pink lamb. My Nana bought him the day I was born and he still sits on my bed.

Thanks for joining us Mary on My Favourite Things.
Thanks Annette for some really thought provoking questions.

BIO:
I am Mary Anne Lewis an aspiring author and was accepted into the New Writers Scheme of the Romantic Novelists Association in 2016. I write romantic comedy mainly, but I dabble in short stories, thrillers and comedy too. I adore reading and I have a blog where I review and chat about books.

I beat cancer – YAY! I still have issues caused by radiotherapy damage, but I’m alive and kicking. I am now a Jo’s Trust Voice where I campaign for Cancer Awareness and screening. They are the only charity who support women and their partners through Cervical Cancer. I have a stoma/colostomy and campaign for invisible disabilities and the normalisation of colostomy wearers.

I am nearly 44 – I8 in my head – Mum to a nearly 23 year old and wife to a 40 year old!
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on my blog.

Blog: http://marylewiswritersblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marylewiswriter/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLewisWriter

Instagram: @MaryLewisWriter

Sincerely
Book Angel x