Laurie Larsen's Blog, page 6
August 8, 2020
Three Steps to a Darn Good Day
Yesterday was a really good day.
A talented workman came to the house and finished a job I'd been wanting to do for a while. A beautiful ceramic tile backsplash on the wall behind my stove. I love how it turned out!
2. I went to the beach! Oh I love the beach. It's my favorite place in the world. But yesterday's trip to the beach reminded me of why I moved away from the cornfields of the midwest to come HERE. To this distinct place. The waves were fun to ride, but not strong enough to knock me off my feet. The temperatures were hot, but while sitting in my chair beside the water, a nice breeze cooled me off just right. I swam, I sat in my chair, read a book. Ahhhh. The perfect beach day.
3. And ... I had a #1 Bestseller on Amazon! My book, Finding Love for the Workaholic, released yesterday! And by the end of the day it had reached this awesome milestone! Thank you readers! Thank you God!
I wonder what today will bring!
July 9, 2020
31 Free Books! How can you beat that?
31 authors of clean romance got together to make sure you had enough to read this summer! Would you like to fill your Kindle with lots of free books, and learn more about their authors while you're at it?
June 6, 2020
Reading Lifts You Up ... Even When You're Grounded
I'm going to bet that you've been doing a lot of reading during this crazy quarantine that we've been under. I know I have. At last count I think I've read 20 books since I've been sheltered in place.
I'm also going to guess that you enjoy contemporary Christian romance. I mean, you're here at my blog, so that tells me you like my books. And that's what I write! :)
So I'm going to let you in on a fantastic place to download a ton of books, either from authors you know, or haven't discovered yet. They're all digital boxsets -- or bundles, they're sometimes called. The first three books in a series, in one easy download.
Over a dozen authors
Eighteen digital bundles
3 books each
At massive savings!!
Let some reading lift you up today!
Don't delay! The savings are only available through Tuesday night!
May 20, 2020
Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church is now on preorder!
In 2020 I'll be releasing FIVE new books -- one a month for five months -- on the 7th of every month. Starting on my birthday, June 7! All the books are on Amazon preorder RIGHT NOW so make sure and download your copies!
Moms go the distance!
New from Laurie Larsen, Award-winning author of Inspirational Romance: Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church. A team of mothers determined to covertly jumpstart the stalled love lives of their adult children. A light-hearted, faith-filled, fun series that will make you smile and warm your heart.
Dahlia, Lily and Rose attend a Bible Study at Oceanview Church. As an introductory exercise, the leader encourages them to dig deep and discover one thing they have in common. After sharing, they discover one interesting fact: they all have adult children who, for various reasons, are striking out in the love department. So, the ladies form a covert team of matchmakers and take matters into their own hands. Of course, their efforts have to be secretive because their kids would never go for it if they knew.
Will the moms be successful finding matches for Winston the Loner, Isabelle the Workaholic and Micah the Playboy, while remaining in the shadows?
Book 2: Finding Love for the Loner
The Matchmaking Moms are in for a tough job finding a romantic match for Lily's son Winston. Gun-shy from love due to past rejections, he's built a life around his job, his dog and his online videogame prowess. He's perfectly happy, thank you very much. Except Lily knows his life will be better when the moms find a perfect match for him.
Rose is the matchmaker for the job, finding Tina, a fellow dog lover. Will the two of them connect, and if they do, will they be able to get past Winston's solitary ways, and Tina's need for control?
Book 3: Finding Love for the Workaholic
A successful match under their belt, the Matchmaking Moms now set their sights on Rose's daughter, Isabelle. An accomplished Public Relations executive, Isabelle decides to combine her passion for entertaining with her corporate know-how and create her own business. A talented chef, she sets up a company offering pop-up dinners, lifestyle advice and traveling chef services. The last thing she has time for at this busy juncture is finding a man.
Knowing she'll need help setting up the business, Matchmaker Dahlia sends over a parade of trained professionals, hoping one will be that special someone. But the question is, will Isabelle realize she's been looking for the wrong type of man all along, and finally recognize the attributes of Zach the photographer?
Book 4: Finding Love for the Playboy
The Matchmaking Moms face their biggest challenge yet. Dahlia's son Micah is a high-powered agent in the entertainment industry. Red carpet appearances are a common part of his job and he always has a beautiful woman on his arm. However, he's never seen anyone as a forever partner. How will the Matchmaking Moms handle that one?
Maria struggles to form a new life centered around her baby daughter after losing her husband to a tragic accident. The last thing she expects is the strong attraction she feels towards her employer's son, visiting his mom for vacation. The worst possible thing for her right now would be to fall in love. Does that make her the perfect woman to become Micah's one and only?
Book 5: Finding Love for the Matchmaker
Dahlia, Lily and Rose celebrate the successful matchmaking of their three adult children. Through a lot of hard work, many extraordinary measures and blessings from God, all three of them are happily in love. The Matchmaking Moms decide to throw a Christmas party to reveal their secret efforts to all six.
But is it possible that while the Matchmaking Moms were covertly arranging love for their children, they weren't quite as covert as they thought? Did the matches turn the tables and actually find love for one of the matchmakers?
April 8, 2020
Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church is now on preorder!
Moms go the distance!New from Laurie Larsen, Award-winning author of Inspirational Romance: Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church. A team of mothers determined to covertly jumpstart the stalled love lives of their adult children. A light-hearted, faith-filled, fun series that will make you smile and warm your heart. Book 1: Meet the MomsReleases June 7, 2020Dahlia, Lily and Rose attend a Bible Study at Oceanview Church. As an introductory exercise, the leader encourages them to dig deep and discover one thing they have in common. After sharing, they discover one interesting fact: they all have adult children who, for various reasons, are striking out in the love department. So, the ladies form a covert team of matchmakers and take matters into their own hands. Of course, their efforts have to be secretive because their kids would never go for it if they knew. Will the moms be successful finding matches for Winston the Loner, Isabelle the Workaholic and Micah the Playboy, while remaining in the shadows?
Book 2: Finding Love for the LonerReleases July 7, 2020The Matchmaking Moms are in for a tough job finding a romantic match for Lily's son Winston. Gun-shy from love due to past rejections, he's built a life around his job, his dog and his online videogame prowess. He's perfectly happy, thank you very much. Except Lily knows his life will be better when the moms find a perfect match for him.Rose is the matchmaker for the job, finding Tina, a fellow dog lover. Will the two of them connect, and if they do, will they be able to get past Winston's solitary ways, and Tina's need for control?
Book 3: Finding Love for the WorkaholicReleases August 7, 2020A successful match under their belt, the Matchmaking Moms now set their sights on Rose's daughter, Isabelle. An accomplished Public Relations executive, Isabelle decides to combine her passion for entertaining with her corporate know-how and create her own business. A talented chef, she sets up a company offering pop-up dinners, lifestyle advice and traveling chef services. The last thing she has time for at this busy juncture is finding a man.Knowing she'll need help setting up the business, Matchmaker Dahlia sends over a parade of trained professionals, hoping one will be that special someone. But the question is, will Isabelle realize she's been looking for the wrong type of man all along, and finally recognize the attributes of Zach the photographer?
Book 4: Finding Love for the PlayboyReleases September 7, 2020The Matchmaking Moms face their biggest challenge yet. Dahlia's son Micah is a high-powered agent in the entertainment industry. Red carpet appearances are a common part of his job and he always has a beautiful woman on his arm. However, he's never seen anyone as a forever partner. How will the Matchmaking Moms handle that one?Micah learns the basics of an equal relationship from single mom Maria. Is he finally ready to give up the playboy life and commit his heart to one woman?
Book 5: Finding Love for the MatchmakerReleases October 7, 2020Dahlia, Lily and Rose celebrate the successful matchmaking of their three adult children. Through a lot of hard work, many extraordinary measures and blessings from God, all three of them are happily in love. The Matchmaking Moms decide to throw a Christmas party to reveal their secret efforts to all six. But is it possible that while the Matchmaking Moms were covertly arranging love for their children, they weren't quite as covert as they thought? Did the matches turn the tables and actually find love for one of the matchmakers?
January 7, 2020
Laurie's goals for an intentionally fabulous year
It's a fresh new year, and coincidentally, a fresh new decade! To me, there's a sense of new excitement and new opportunity in the air. My 2019 happened to be fantastic, with my permanent move to the beach, my son getting married and my book Crescendo winning two quality awards! But I know 2019 wasn't as kind to everyone.Regardless of what 2019 did to you, 2020 is here, ready for a fresh start. God has wiped the slate clean and given us a new chance. That's why I love this graphic that an author friend of mine posted and I swiped! It perfectly describes my excitement about the new year ahead of us.I often set New Year's Resolutions, but this year, I'm taking a more holistic approach to how I want to live my life in 2020. I'm setting some goals so I can intentionally make the very most out of my time. Would you like to see them? Would you like to set your own?1. Writing goals: Commit myself to my new experimental process of Rapid Release. Stick with it, even
when it gets rough, so that I have a novella prologue, three full-length novels and a novella epilogue (a complete series) to publish in 2020. (This blog post details the process.)As I sit down to plot, to write, to edit, pray. Invite God into my stories and let his wisdom guide the way.Don't settle for mediocrity. Strive for better and better novels, learning from each previous one.2. Career goals:
Build my relationships with other Christian writers so we can help each other, support each other, pray together and improve the quality of our work.Dive into the opportunity that's been presented to me, forming a new LowCountry chapter of the national organization, American Christian Fiction Writers. Use my leadership skills as President to get it off its feet and serving the needs of its members.3. Health goals:Don't get so into the work that I forget to MOVE! Be active every day, whether it's
walking, riding a bike, weight training, etc.Eat healthy food. Make it fun by searching for healthy new recipes to cook from scratch, striving to try two new recipes every week!4. Spiritual goals:
Spend more time in the Bible, whether with a sponsored Bible Study, personal study with a guide, or simply reading every day.Pray pray pray. When I tell someone "I'll pray for you," DO IT. Invite God into my life in all things.5. Social goals:In the midst of all these important goals, take time to HAVE FUN! Go out with friends. Make new friends. Try new restaurants. Take a vacation and travel somewhere fun and beautiful. Make sure I see my kids every few months (since we are spread out over the country now. Be happy.
What will your 2020 look like?
September 16, 2019
Video Trailer for Pawleys Island Paradise
August 23, 2019
2019 Laurie and Laurie Broadway Bash
Isn't it great when you find someone who shares your interests, your obsessions, your favorite things? My cousin-in-law, Laurie, and I share a love for Broadway. Every year or two we go to New York for four days and see five OR SIX Broadway shows. Yes, I'm serious. It takes a lot of Broadway stamina to carry out this type of schedule! But we have it down to a science now after about seven trips now? We've seen a lot of great shows, ate a lot of great food, walked a lot of steps through the city. For the first time on this blog, I share with you ... our 2019 Broadway Bash:Thursday August 14: Wow, what a stellar premiere night of our 2019 Broadway Extravaganza! My NYC traveling partner, Laura planned a French theme night with dinner at a French bistro called Le Rivage. Delicious. We each chose a soup to start -- La Bisque for me and Vichyssoise for her, followed by main entrees of Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon!On to Moulin Rouge! Incredible. High energy. Spectacular! I went into it never having seen the movie. I was expecting a period piece with all original music. But part of its immense charm was that it included at least a hundred modern pop songs interwoven seamlessly into the plot, songs by Beyonce, Elton John, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga ... you name it. It was funny, but highly emotional. The performances were riveting. We truly loved every moment!
Friday August 15: Day 2 in NYC: we ventured down to Greenwich Village and visited Tea & Sympathy, a quaint little hole in the wall British restaurant. We enjoyed traditional afternoon tea on the tri-tier serving plate followed by champagne. It was delicious and a fun experience.This evening we saw To Kill a Mockingbird. This Broadway run is the first time the classic novel was adapted for stage. Jeff Daniels makes a great Atticus Finch. The play was powerful, the cast was impressive. What a compelling evening!
Saturday August 16: NYC Day 3: awesome day full of great theater and great food! After a delicious brunch at Times Square Diner, we went to a drama called Sea Wall / A Life. It was a pairing of two one-act plays featuring a monologue by a single actor in each. The plays were unrelated, but the themes were consistent ... love, parenthood, loss, tragedy. It was amazing to me how each actor could simply stand on an empty stage and say his lines -- no set, no co-stars, simply a spotlight, and thoroughly capture the attention of everyone in the whole house.It's always fun to witness Hollywood star power on a Broadway stage and powerhouse Jake Gyllenhall did an awesome job, along with Tom Sturridge.Keeping with our international food theme, we had a delicious Italian meal at Bond 45 before attending the raucous fanfare Ain't Too Proud. Loaded with Temptations hit songs, the actors were fabulous singers as well as wonderful dancers pulling off the group's signature smooth moves. What an uplifting way to spend the evening!!
Sunday August 17: Final day of our 2019 Broadway bash! What a great trip it's been!Today we saw the matinee of Come From Away. All I can say is wow! If you get the chance to see this phenomenal production, DO IT! Sept 11, 2001 had such a huge impact on all Americans. We can all remember where we were, what we were doing, how we felt when the news hit. This is the story of our neighbors in Gander, Newfoundland and how they welcomed 7000 people whose airplanes were rerouted when US airspace closed that day. This play has ALL the feels. Laura and I were laughing one minute and crying the next. It was awesome and I can't stress enough how good it was!A thunderstorm hit us between shows. We walked to our final show 8 blocks in the rain! We saw Pretty Woman, the musical based on the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere movie. Little did we know we were watching the very last performance, the END of their Broadway run! The audience was extremely appreciative and boisterous. And the show was a lot of fun. It was Garry Marshall's brainchild, Bryan Adams wrote the new music and the transformation from movie to stage musical was really good.Another Broadway trip in the books! Already can't wait for our next one!
July 1, 2019
Seized is ready for you now!
Everything was fine until the Seashore Snatcher escaped from prison.Faithful and loyal Gloria Lockwood is facing an empty nest and loneliness for the first time in ages. After her sister's tragic death, she opened her heart and her home to her two nephews, guiding them and loving them as her sister would have wanted. But now, with the boys grown and out on their own, Gloria must start over and begin building a life of her own. When she encounters the handsome and rugged cop, Alejandro Rojas, she realizes just how much she's missed out over the past years.Alejandro lives his life on his own -- keeping his heart to himself. His job serving and protecting keeps him busy and focused on the safety and well-being of others. However, when he meets the loving and giving Gloria, he sees a new future for himself -- one he never saw before.But when a long-time prisoner with a vendetta against Alejandro escapes, both of their lives are on the line. Alejandro feels responsible for leading his suspect straight to Gloria. Now, Gloria's faith must be strong enough for them both. Can Gloria help Alejandro see that God is their only hope against the evil they're battling?
June 16, 2019
My Trip to Pat Conroy Country
Those who know me very well at all know that I'm a huge fan of American author, Pat Conroy. When I do online author interviews, that's a common question they ask me, "Who's your favorite author?" and I immediately answer, "Pat Conroy." I discovered this iconic southern author when his book, The Great Santini arrived in the mail as the featured book in the Doubleday Book of the Month Club. I wish I knew the year, but I don't. I believe it was in the late 1980s. The book still sells regularly now, although it's 
been around since its original publication date of 1976. It's been dressed up with many updated covers since then, but I "believe" my hardcover from Doubleday has the original cover. Anyway, I read it and was absorbed into this engrossing story about a Marine fighter pilot and his family, in particular his oldest son who carries on his shoulders the weight of that father's expectations and demands. I was hooked, and I bought the author's entire backlist, read everything he'd ever written, whether it was books, articles, Letters to the Editor, eulogies or commencement addresses. And I waited diligently for each new book to be released, although they didn't come nearly fast enough for me. Eventually Pat's people published an author website with links to lots of new material I'd never seen, including a blog where Pat would occasionally write about whatever was going on in his world, which I giddily devoured.Sadly, Pat passed away in 2016. The world lost a great literary icon who had much left to say. I regretted never getting the opportunity to meet him in person, but I did have one very special connection with him in the form of a short email that he sent me in 2010. At that time in my own writing career, I had written and had five books published by three different publishing companies. I had completed my sixth novel and an author who had heard about a contest I had won, contacted me and asked me if I would swap critiques with her. She would read and critique my manuscript and I'd do hers. I agreed, never knowing that it would be one of the most heart-wrenching experiences in my writing life. Her critique was brutal. Not only did she hate almost everything about the story, her editorial comments were mean-hearted and nasty. As I flipped through page after red ink-stained page, tears welling in my eyes, I wondered what the heck I thought I was doing writing books. If my work was this awful, how could I ever send this book out, and why would I ever consider writing another one?I was so distraught that I set my manuscript and all new writing aside while I figured out if I would ever write again. Instead, I pulled out all of Pat's books and read them, starting with his first one and continuing on through all the books he'd published up to that point. And his words soothed me. His books reminded me how powerful the written word could be and he helped heal my writer's soul. Four months later, I was ready to get back in the saddle again ... throw that author's critique away ... but go back through the manuscript myself and start fixing whatever was wrong. Somehow, through my ventures into the internet, I discovered what "could" be Pat's email address .... I believe it was through his publisher. I sent him an email, pouring out my heart to him in thanks for writing his books, and letting him know how they'd healed me through this terrible experience. To my utter shock and delight, three days later, a response appeared in my Inbox. From him! He'd gotten my email and sat down right away to write me back! He started by apologizing for his horrible typing skills: "the son of a fighter pilot was not allowed to take a typing class," which of course I knew already, which is why he wrote all his books longhand. Then he went on to say he was "so glad that you've weathered your tsunami." That every book he wrote broke his heart and tore him apart to some extent, but that is what is required to produce good material. He wished me the best with the book as well as any future writing I did.To say that I was happy would be an understatement. I jumped up and down yelling, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh" until my throat was raw. Fast forward to this past week. The good people of Beaufort, South Carolina, Pat's adopted "hometown," have opened a Literary Center focused on Pat and now that I'm a relocated SC resident, it's only three hours away from me. I'd been wanting to get down there for a long time, and this past week, I finally did. I set off in the morning and 
when I arrived it was time for lunch. I knew where I wanted to go. In Pat's cookbook that he published in 2004, he tells a story about a Beaufort restaurant called The Shrimp Shack and how he loved their shrimpburger. He'd asked the owner of the restaurant numerous times for the recipe, and she always refused. One day he was on an airplane reading the airline magazine and lo and behold, the owner of the Shrimp Shack was featured in an article and she'd shared the recipe to the magazine! When he landed, he drove straight there to give her a hard time, and she swore that she didn't actually reveal it -- they'd made it up.Of course I wanted to go to the Shrimp Shack for lunch and have a shrimpburger. I wasn't quite prepared for how very rustic the place was, or for the handwritten sign taped to the door, "We don't accept debit or credit cards." Frantically I checked my wallet -- I don't usually carry a lot of cash -- but thankfully I had enough for a delicious lunch. In keeping with a true southern meal, I chose red rice and coleslaw as sides, along with sweet tea.
On to the Pat Conroy Literary Center. I walked in and immediately a sense of awe and excitement overwhelmed me. It sort of reminded me of a presidential library -- 
they displayed tons of memorabilia and artifacts that I wanted to immerse myself in. A wonderful hostess named Susan approached me and walked me through the center, telling me about all the goodies ... high school yearbooks and pictures, handwritten letters by Pat to his parents, a hilarious handwritten "Fieldtrip Rules" that Pat produced when he was a teacher, on to posters from four of his books that Hollywood had made into movies; awards, honors, you name it. It was incredible. In one corner sat his desk that he wrote his books on, and his huge comfy chair, and his Citadel basketball team MVP trophy and many many other treasures. I was so thrilled to sit at his desk in his chair and be photographed! Read what he has to say about his desk right here.
Maybe because Susan could tell what a super-fan I was, she invited me to come that evening to the SOLD OUT book discussion event about The Great Santini. As I was preparing for my trip, I'd seen that event, and the fact that it was sold out, but very optimistically tossed my copy of the book in my back seat. Now I was going! I was so excited. Not only was it a chance to attend a discussion group about the book that had made me such a Conroy fan, but it was being led by Pat's brother, Tim Conroy! Susan introduced him to me and he was such a kind, welcoming person. 
At the event that evening, the room was filled with Conroy admirers, my kindred spirits, and among them were Pat's wife Cassandra, his daughter Jessica, two grandchildren, his sister Kathy, his homeroom teacher from high school and one of his Citadel classmates. Talking about the book and his life and his writing with so many people close to him was a thrill. Tim started out sharing his thoughts of the book, as well as his memories of when the movie was being filmed there in Beaufort, as well as his father's reaction to the book and the movie. He opened it up to the "wisdom in the room," as he called it, and folks shared what they liked the most, then moved to themes of the book. He played an audio interview with Pat that was done as the book was released,
and it was wonderful to hear his voice, and to watch his family members hearing his voice. Then Tim read us two things ... one, a poem/essay he'd written himself about their father, and then a letter his father had written to his children about his reactions to the book that had very nearly ripped their family apart with its brutal honesty about having this particular father at the head of their family.When I left, a woman who had been at the discussion drove me the few blocks to the "Tidalholm" house where not only the filming of The Great Santini movie took place, but also it was the house used in the filming of The Big Chill.
It was a magical day. Truly truly magical. It will not be my last visit to the Pat Conroy Literary Center. It is filled with wonderful, friendly and welcoming people who are every day, carrying on the Conroy legacy, ensuring that many more superfans just like me will be grown in the decades to come.
