I grew up in a family with six kids, which to me, didn't seem like that many, but to those who grew up in households of only one or two kids, my home was like a three-ring circus. Theater, dancing, and music were a big part of my growing up years. My parents were involved in community theater, as well as summer stock and dinner theaters, so consequently, I spent part of my childhood hanging out back stage and playing on the grounds of various theaters where my parents worked or volunteered. I got to meet many famous actors, most of whom, at the time, I had never heard of. It wasn't until I reached adulthood that I realized just how iconic some of those actors were. Occasionally, a current big-name actor or singer who I was familiar with came to play at one of the theaters my parents worked at (like Davey Jones of the Monkees!) and then I’d finally get some bragging points with my friends, rather than just with their parents who were more impressed with us meeting celebrities like James Whitmore, Betty Grable, Pat O'Brien, Stubby Kaye, William Shatner, and Pete Seeger--just some of the well-known people my parents worked with.
As a young teen, I babysat, cleaned houses, and worked odd jobs for extra money, but my first regular-paycheck job in high school was working as a stage hand in a dinner theater. As soon as school would end for the day, my mother and I would make the hour-long drive to the theater. I'd do my homework before clocking in, work until the evening show ended sometime after 11pm, be home around midnight, and then do it all again the next day. I put in way more hours during the school year than a 16-year-old was legally permitted to work, but it was a lot more fun than working at a place like McDonald's. I got that low-pay, long-hours job thanks to a glowing recommendation from the stage manager--who also happened to be my mom.
I don’t remember having any aspirations to be a writer when I was a kid, or even as a teenager. I always kept diaries and journals, and I often wrote long letters to friends and penpals, but short of that, I didn't write much. It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I began pursuing writing as a career. I started by submitting unsolicited articles to magazines and newspapers in hopes of getting published. I finally started feeling like a real writer after a number of published successes and a surprise job offer as a contributing editor for a newspaper that had published some of my work.
For years, I freelanced in my spare time while working other jobs. At one point in my life, I was juggling motherhood, a full-time computer analyst position, freelance writing nights and weekends, and running a small mail-order business selling vintage dolls and collectibles. With all the hours I was working days and nights, something had to give, and my day job was the thing I cared about the least. The timing was perfect because the company I worked for was starting to downsize and offering incentive packages to encourage employees to voluntarily leave. My destiny was calling. I signed on the dotted line, quit my day job, and took the leap to become self-employed. Decades later, I’m still self-employed, running my vintage collectibles company and writing books.
Additional Stuff
Author Interview and Living at Langster Motel Book Review on Laura’s Books and Blogs
Author Interview on PopTheButterfly Reads
Author Interview by Time to Feed My Read
Yard Sale Success Secrets at Bottom Line, Inc with advice and tips from "The Garage Sale How-To Guide"