Mark Lewis

Mark Lewis was born and raised in the city of Daytona Beach, Florida. 

Raised by his mother and grandmother, his upbringing was shared by five sisters and his younger brother. 

His young adulthood was honed at Bethune-Cookman University, where he studied English. Upon getting the news that couldn’t afford to finish his undergraduate work due to financial difficulties, Lewis decided to enlist in the US Air Force. This led to a twelve-year career in communications/combat support. 

His second professional act saw him attempt a career in acting. Living in Los Angeles in the early nineties, exposure to the entertainment industry introduced him to his first forays into writing, production, and directing. It was at this time that Lewis penned his first screen and stage plays. His most successful was a two-man collaboration with Award-Winning actor Josef Cannon, titled “Neighborhoods.” Lewis and Cannon wrote, produced, and starred in this long-running Melrose Avenue-located show. Cannon encouraged more writing from Lewis and other small projects followed, including a movie treatment titled “Better Half.” This basis for this very book. 

In 1997, Lewis returned to his hometown to tackle a career in Public Relations. Daytona International Speedway allowed him to stretch his legs in marketing. This great fit was the result of his obsession with auto racing. A love that he inherited from his growing up in Daytona Beach. More writing would follow, due to the very nature of the job and Lewis would become a fixture at Daytona for a decade and a half. The artistic side of the man flows freely from not only his writing but also his work as a world-class motorsports artist. His work adorns the walls of racing’s corporate entities, the homes of art collectors and racing enthusiasts alike. 

Who knows what the future brings? With more stories in him, Lewis is hopeful he can continue to present good stories down the road.