I admit it. I’ve always wanted to be flawless… you know what I’m talking about.  That girl that always has it together – her clothes are perfect, jewelry just right, life perfectly organized and operating according to “the plan” she scribbled in her diary at the wise old age of 13.  But the truth is I’m a mother of two with a killer sense of humor and a contagious, nearly-obnoxious laugh. More often than I care to admit, I’m in jeans and a t-shirt.  If I’m wearing jewelry, I can’t promise it’ll match or make any sense.  Honestly, if I had a dime for every time I’ve walked out of the house with one earring on….  As for “the plan,” I’ve realized life isn’t as predictable as we want it to be.  And I’ll tell you a little secret… life’s a lot more fun when you don’t plan it down to the very last detail. 

I grew up loving school, especially new school supplies (who doesn’t love the smell of new crayons?). I loved school so much, in fact, I tried to make a career out of it. After eleven years in college (hey, I was busy!) Dad announced I couldn’t be a professional student, so I finally declared a major and graduated with my teaching certificate, reluctantly leaping into the scary waters of adulthood. Since then, I’ve been teaching 5th grade English and loving every second of it.

Wouldn’t it be cool if I was one of those people who said they’d always wanted to write and this was all I’d ever done? It’s the total opposite of what actually happened. I’ve been an avid reader since I was in the third grade and discovered Judy Blume, but it wasn’t until I read Janet Evanovich’s “How I Write” that I actually considered writing. I joined an amazing group of writers (shout out to all my friends at West Houston RWA) and the rest, as they say, is history. After several years, I was offered representation by the one and only, 100% magnificent Holly Root with Waxman Literary Agency. To read the story on how I managed to secure such stellar representation, check out my interviewwith fellow author, Vicky Dreiling.

I live with my family in Central Texas, where I read and write daily. I’m rarely – if ever – found without my laptop and iPhone. I have a life-long love affair with animals, especially dachshunds, and always have an animal or two snuggled close when writing.

Lesser Known Facts:

• I have an obsession with dachshunds. No, really. It’s ridiculous.
• I was accepted to law school but withdrew before my first class when my mom became terminally ill.
• I used to hate that my name was spelled L-A-R-A. My entire first grade year, I spelled my name L-A-U-R-A.
• I would give ANYTHING to be psychic.
• I have broken my big toe twice: once crossing the Frio River and once from dropping a can of hairspray on it.
• I’ve seen the movie GREASE over a hundred times and I will stop everything to watch it when it’s on TV.  Same for URBAN COWBOY.
• When my son was three, he told me was going to take me back to the Mommy Store because I made him wear his seat belt.
• My daughter once hid our phone in the freezer; it took me two weeks to find it.
• If I thought I could convince my children to move with me, I’d live in Hawaii. Tomorrow.
• I once worked for a Private Investigator. People are really, really sneaky. Especially when they’re lying.
• I turned down a college scholarship in vocal performance. Big mistake. Huge. Kids… learn from Aunt Lara. GO TO SCHOOL!
• I’ve had the same best friends for nearly thirty years!