Laura's Books and Blogs

An Interview with Memoirist Elizabeth Reed Aden

Laura - Jun 26, 2026 0

Elizabeth Reed Aden is a biomedical anthropologist turned biotech strategist with a career spanning epidemiology, virology, and global pharma leadership. After earning her PhD studying hepatitis B in Vanuatu, she

Book Reviews Interviews

The Reliable Narrator by Grace Sammon Book Review and Author Interview + Giveaway

Laura - Jun 22, 2026 0

Friendship stories typically deal with younger women, either kids or young women. Friendships among older women are rarely chronicled, and when they are, they’re usually a footnote in a larger

Interviews

An Interview with Fantasy Author Debbie Bishop

Laura - Jun 19, 2026 0

Award-winning author Debbie Bishop is a multi-genre storyteller, creative director, entertainment executive, and CEO of Angelgate Entertainment. Her newest book, PILLYWIGGIN Awakening: The Complete Story Arc (Books 1–2), is an

Essays Writing and Reading

My History as a Book Reviewer

Laura - Jun 15, 2026 0

It’s a common complaint among readers that they hate when a good book ends because there’s no more escaping into that world. I think there’s a lot of truth to

Book Reviews Interviews

Taken to the Grave by Robert Hoffman Book Review and Author Interview

Laura - Jun 8, 2026 2

“There is no such thing as closure in the world, just more answers that lead to more questions.” This is a hard but very accurate truth about the human experience,

Interviews

An Interview with YA Author Morgan Rylie

Laura - Jun 5, 2026 0

Morgan Rylie is a YA author who writes emotionally driven stories about identity, love, and the messy process of growing up when nothing feels simple. Her books often explore characters

Lists Writing and Reading

50 Summer Writing Prompts

Laura - Jun 1, 2026 0

For me, the hardest part of writing fiction is getting that initial idea. What helps is getting a scenario, a message, or a setting that branches out into a fully

Guest Posts

The Story Behind the Story by Elene Catrakilis

Laura - May 29, 2026 0

My debut novel, Under an African Sky, is a story close to my heart because it’s set in South Africa, the country of my birth. In 1989, the country stood

Book Reviews Lists

10 Middle Grade Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Indie Book Recommendations

Laura - May 25, 2026 0

Escapism is a big reason why people read. Kids especially look to escapism to foster their imaginations or even to pull them away from harsh realities. But mostly, they’re just

Interviews

An Interview with Women’s Fiction Author Mel West

Laura - May 22, 2026 1

Mel West is an American author whose work and wide network of friends and family mean she, invariably, lives in between—between cities, between versions of herself, and between the lives

Book Reviews Interviews

Ada Holloway’s Had Enough by Randi Smith Book Review and Author Interview

Laura - May 18, 2026 1

When you grow up reading books, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would tell you what you can and cannot read. I always felt fortunate to be trusted to read

Book Reviews Lists Writing and Reading

11 Coming of Age Middle Grade Indie Book Recommendations

Laura - May 11, 2026 0

I got into reading as a kid because books provided answers to a lot of questions, particularly questions about childhood. Who better to teach you life lessons than someone your

Guest Posts

Why Fantasy and Science Fiction by J.D. Grant

Laura - May 8, 2026 2

Imagination begets inspiration I think all children love fantasy and magic when they are young. Stories about dragons, wizards, witches, adventurous quests, strange creatures, magical kingdoms, and more captivated each

Book Reviews Interviews

Grizzly Greg Goes to Tea by Jaclynn Bosley Book Review and Author Interview

Laura - May 4, 2026 0

Being the only boy and having three sisters must have been tough for my brother in certain ways. While we liked to play with his toys, he usually didn’t like

Writing and Reading

Writing Stories About Baseball

Laura - Apr 27, 2026 1

One of the unpublished books I’ve written is a baseball story. It follows my main character, a nine-year-old girl, as she spends the summer playing on an organized softball team.