Who is Laura Bell?

Laura Bell... the little spritely blonde that travels the world and sails the seas graces the pages of my first book, The Adventurous Life of Laura Bell. 
But who is Laura Bell? 
The answer is... my grandmother. 
Yes, her name REALLY is Laura Bell. 
Yes, she was a young girl teased in school.
And yes, she has had MANY adventures. 
Let me tell you a little more about her and why I chose her as my FIRST inspiration.

Laura Bell, or Meemaw, as I like to call her, is one of my most favorite people in this world. I sometimes like to think we are kindred spirits. Independent women with a creative flair for most... well... everything. We are also both writers. Yep... writers. In fact, this amazing woman is one of the main encouragers of my writing. It was one Thanksgiving after I had created a giant book for my niece Taylor. Meemaw regally sat in her maroon recliner and flipped through the giant picture book about a little Princess who lost her slipper... a slipper that was stolen by a small, black puppy named Tulip. I sat with anxious anticipation... I'm pretty sure my palms even sweat as she read it. 

Each turn of the giant pages made me more and more nervous. Would she like it? When she finally closed the book, she glanced over at me and smiled. She chuckled softly and then leaned forward and said, "I think you've found your calling. I think you are onto something." 
Those words would then kick off a few months of self-questioning. Could I really write books? Would people actually like them? 
I decided I would never know until I tried. So I came up with an idea based on a story Meemaw had shared with me about her past. 
When she was a little girl, she had a speech problem and could not pronounce her R's or L's. Well, with a name like Laura Bell, you can imagine the hardship and the teasing that took place. So she decided to call herself a different name, Pat. To this day, most people know her as Pat. (In fact, it was not until I was at least 13 years old before I knew her real name was Laura. :) ) But to hear this amazing, strong woman speak of being teased in school, encouraged my awkward, teenage self immensely. Meemaw is cool. She is awesome. She's travelled the world! She was teased?! 
I recalled this story and thought... what a great message?! Block out the teasing and accomplish your dreams. Ignore the negative and create the positive. Yep... I had found the basis of my first book. I wanted to write of the many adventures of Laura Bell and share her story of overcoming that brief moment of teasing. 

It took me two days to write the story and another SIX MONTHS to draw the illustrations for The Adventurous Life of Laura Bell. 
I spent every free second I had working on it. I dove into the book world seeking out a publisher, I researched different companies, I can't tell you how many publishing packages I had sent to me! Then I found AuthorHouse Publishing. They were the fit for me. I had an incredible publishing consultant who walked me through each step. Richard took the journey with me as he learned of Laura Bell as well. It didn't take him long to realize she was based on a real person. I remember one conversation we had lasted over an hour and it was JUST about Meemaw and how awesome she is. Needless to say, this book became special to everyone who worked on it. 
When I completed the book in 2009, I anxiously awaited for my first copy. As soon as I received it, I packed up my things and headed to Mount Vernon to deliver it to the REAL Laura Bell. 
I'll never forget watching Meemaw read that first book. In fact, as I watched her, THAT was when I realized I had found my calling. I knew I was definitely on to something... :)

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Want to know more about Laura Bell? 
Just comment with a question or comment! OR shoot me an email. :) 

OR learn more about Laura Bell by checking out The Adventurous Life of Laura Bell!

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