Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write.  As a child, I wrote stories whose main characters were wild, racing horses.  I created plays and nagged my neighborhood friends into acting, while I produced and directed, and presented them to our collective parents.  As a student at Blackburn College, I majored in English, and accepted my first job as an assistant editor at a small magazine publishing company. 

Somewhere along the way, though, life got in the way.  The salary that the magazine paid me to do the work I loved was minimal.  Insulting, even.  I needed to finance the basics of life – a home, a car, food.  So I left the magazine, and embarked on a very rewarding career with a large insurance company, where I got lots of opportunities -- I paid health insurance claims, I taught the computer to insurance agents, I supervised customer service representatives in the billing department.  I love my career and all the complex challenges I encounter there.  During the course of my duties, I wrote memos and evaluations, but nothing that satisfied that creative urge within me to express myself.   

When my life was at its busiest, juggling the responsibilities of marriage, homeownership, motherhood, and a full time career, I decided to resurrect my dream.  I began writing – only in dribs and drabs, because that’s all I had time for.  I looked forward to running up to my "office" (actually, my guest bedroom) every day, so I could spend my allotted one hour (the most I could convince my kids to leave me to myself) and write.  The result was my first published book:  Whispers of the Heart. 

I was absolutely thrilled when Publishamerica (AmErica House line), the first publisher I sent the manuscript to, loved it and wanted to publish it.  Since then, I've been hooked.  Since I began Whispers, I've consistently had a project underway.  I now have three books published, and three more completed manuscripts which I'm shopping around, hoping to find a publisher who believes in them as much as I do.

Life is still busy.  I'm currently a manager in the Information Technology field.  I manage a very talented group of systems analysts and they keep me hopping.  My husband and I are the proud parents of two boys.  My oldest, a teenager, is a freshman in high school.  Can anyone say, adolescent male hormones???   He enjoys a variety of activities --playing guitar and football are the latest passions of this diverse kid who has in the past played basketball and golf, and competed in cross country running.  He's our church's favorite choice when they need someone to rap, and he does a little bit of song-writing, too.  He's a Tae Kwon Do blue belt and quit the saxophone after four years, much to his mother's dismay. 

My eleven-year-old is in the sixth grade.  He's an all-around athlete, plays sports year-round, and places his favorites, in order, as football, baseball and basketball.  Since entering junior high, I've noticed him taking a real interest in his school work, and he's working on improving his organizational skills.  Ahhh, he's maturing, right before my very eyes!  He's a very social guy and makes friends easily, but he still will accept a hug and a kiss from his mom, just as long as his friends aren't around.

That's enough about me.  Enjoy your visit to my website.  Thanks for visiting.

Laurie

Email Laurie.
Copyright© 2000 Laurie Larsen.  All rights reserved.