Lois Battle is a New York Times best-selling author of seven novels including: Season of Change, War Brides, Southern Women, A Habit of Blood, The Past Is Another Country, Storyville Bed & Breakfast, The Florabama Ladies Auxiliary and Sewing Circle.
She died at age 74, on June 17, 2014, at her home in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Before she began writing, Battle pursued an acting career in New York City. She landed several small roles in theater and film, including a speaking part in the 1964 film adaptation of the musical My Fair Lady. She also appeared in Something Evil (1972) and Louis Armstrong – Chicago Style (1976).
Battle began writing novels in the 1980s. She discovered Beaufort while researching “Southern Women,” a novel set in Savannah, and moved to town in 1993. Her novel “Bed and Breakfast” is set in Beaufort.
Known to many in Beaufort as a fiery, passionate woman and champion of the arts, Lois Battle is also remembered for her loyalty, generosity and fragility, according to her obituary in the Beaufor
t Gazette. Battle’s sister, Colleen Battle of Cleveland, described her as a creative spirit who was her mentor in the arts, introducing her to ballet, opera and literature. She was also a woman known for her strong stances. Colleen Battle said her sister didn’t believe in credit cards, cellphones or the Internet.
“She thought they inhibited communication,” Coleen Battle said. “She felt like when people actually wrote a language, they communicated more fully.” As a result, Lois Battle corresponded with friends and family through painted postcards and handwritten letters.
