I'm so excited to be a part of KC Fashion Week's fall show again this year. I'll be there Friday with KMBC Meteorologist Neville Miller, prior to the show, talking to designers about their collections and inspirations. Follow me on Instagram for live updates, photos and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks.  I'll see you Friday!
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 Find photos from KC Fashion Week Fall 2018 here. 
Learn more about KC Fashion Week 2019 at KCFashionWeek.com.

I wrote Butterfly Weeds 11 years ago! It was my debut novel. For months, I feverishly scratched Will and Julia's story  onto sticky notes and  envelopes. When I wasn't writing it, I was dreaming about writing it. It was definitely a labor of love. And it holds a special place in my heart still today! It's a story about living in a small town, about first loves and young love and second chances, and I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy, if you haven't already! You can find it on Amazon in e-book and paperback and on Lulu in hardcover.  Happy Reading! ♥ Laura

Back cover summary
Julia Lang expected a nice night away from the office—free of thoughts about the case, her failed engagement, her past. But she should have known better. Her past haunted her every chance it got these days, and tonight it came in the form of lyrics she never expected to hear again—not after a decade, not in the arms of another man and definitely not in the form of a confession.
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Now, Julia must discover for herself if the song—and more importantly, the man behind it—is enough to leave her new life for her small-town, Missouri roots and a second chance at love.

Have you read all eight of my novels?! They all take place in small towns and involve characters that will probably remind you of the people you know or used to know! If you haven't read any OR all of them, I've put together a cheat sheet below to help you choose where to begin! They're in order of how I wrote them, starting in 2012, but you can read them in ANY order. And the best part, they're suitable for all ages! But if you get to the end, and you're still not quite sure where to start, I recommend The Life We Almost Had! Find them all on Amazon! Happy reading! ♥ Laura

Butterfly Weeds

• My debut novel about a girl who hears a song on a downtown Charleston, South Carolina street, only to realize it's about her.
• Themes: High school sweethearts, music, forever love, songs, famous hero
• Why readers like it: Main character Will Stephens, the story follows the life of the characters, the ending ​

​Find them all on Amazon!

The Mizzou Tiger Tailgate & Auction is this Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Hy-Vee Arena starting at 5:30 p.m.! The event will include: Stroud’s chicken dinner, silent auction, live auction, wine toss, face painting and special guests, including my favorite,
​Neville Miller KMBC. It's kid friendly, and all proceeds go to funding scholarships for Kansas City-area students pursuing their dreams at Mizzou! Visit Mizzou Tiger Tailgate for tickets and more info! M-I-Z! ​

Surprise! The Dream has a new, special edition cover! It's only in paperback and hardback, and I'm so excited to share it with you guys! The photo is by Ian Dooley, and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it! If you haven't yet, I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy of The Dream and take the journey with Delilah and Everton. This story strays a little from my usual small-town romances, but honestly, it's one of my favorites! ... Shhh. Don't tell the others! Hope you enjoy and happy reading! ♥Laura

It's been 11 years since I wrote the first word to Will and Julia's story. I can't even believe it's been that long. I feel as if I can still remember every moment I spent scribbling down words onto Post-it notes. Smartphones, as we know them, didn't even exist, yet!

I wrote Butterfly Weeds, what would become my first novel, on my way to work, at work, on my way home from work, in the shower, in my sleep–pretty much anywhere and everywhere–but my favorite place to write was on a quiet, little piece of beach on Sullivan's Island. (Not bad, right?!) I had just moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and I hadn't found a newspaper job. I had been writing for newspapers since I was twelve. But at the time, the local paper had just laid off 20 people, and the business journal, where I would later work, was on a hiring freeze. In fact, ANY job was hard to find. It was 2008. I was fresh out of school, and I had found myself smack-dab in the face of an economic recession. It stunk. But that year also gave me Butterfly Weeds, and subsequently the rest of my stories. The thing is, I had started writing that first novel, in part, because I missed writing. So, just in case you need a reminder today: Keep moving. Keep doing what you love. Those dark days are preparing you for the light. ♥Laura

Be someone’s hero. I truly believe a kind word can change a life! And today, I’m taking a stand against bullying with @augustethelabel in its new HERO charity tee.

This year, Auguste has partnered with the Cybersmile Foundation (@cybersmilefoundation) and the National Centre Against Bullying (@alannahmadeline) to support victims and create more positive communities, both online and offline. By purchasing a tee, you’ll be donating 100% of the price tag of that tee to the above charity partners! AND by wearing it, you’ll be saying: Kindness is the best language!

Be a hero in someone’s life! Visit @augustethelabel to purchase your HERO tee TODAY and take a stand against bullying!

#augusteagainstbullying #kindness #hero #bullyingisntcool #augustethelabel #spreadingkindness #changetheworld #someoneshero #changealife #bethechange #bethechange #besomeoneshero #bullying #letsdothis #payitforward #love #cybersmilefoundation

Just wanted to share this trailer of Daisy and Everton's story with you! If you haven't gotten a chance to check out The Dream, you can find it and all my books on Amazon. Happy Reading! ♥ Laura