HELLO.
I'm Laura.
I love to tell stories. I love what's wild and beautiful.
My debut novel, In the Great Quiet, is forthcoming winter 2026 from Lake Union. It's a sweeping, transporitve historical novel in the tradition of Cold Mountain and The Four Winds. You can preorder on Amazon, B&N, & Bookshop or sign up for my newsletter. In the Great Quiet hit the Amazon charts bestseller list during the first days of preorder: Thank you, to everyone who has celebrated and supported this story of mine.
I studied literature and history in undergrad and graduate school, focusing on Shakespeare, folk tales, and the History of Mentalities, which prepared me to know how to research and write about worldviews of the past. I also attended the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop writing program in Dublin, Ireland. After college, I dreamed of becoming many things before settling into teaching Freshman Composition courses and running a wedding photography business.
My novelette Blue Beyond the Sea, previously published as a chapbook with Bottlecap Press, is forthcoming as a gift for newsletter subscribers. My poetry & prose is published in various journals, including Fourteen Hills, Pleiades, The Cimarron Review, Enchanted Living Magazine, South Carolina Review, Chapter House, and Rust + Moth. My short story "Three Words for What We've Lost" placed honorable mention in the 91st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Contest, literary category, and my forthcoming debut In the Great Quiet placed on the short list for the 2022 Retreat West Opening Lines Competition and the long long list for the 2022 Cheshire Novel Prize.
I happily spend my days chasing my three children through forests and meadows, while covered in paints and baking supplies. My husband is the funniest, kindest person on the planet, and I'm dumbfounded to how lucky I am to have found someone I love more each day. Yes, I write love stories. We live in Oklahoma, and I often share moments of our life on Instagram.
IRL I'm a tall, over-eager person wearing pajama pants, loudly asking everyone personal questions. I just really want to know everyone's secrets and to catch glimpses of how others see the world.
I'm always seeking adventures and hope. I love the clouds and the trees, quiet moments and adventures. Also: coffee, naps, & books.