We recently connected with Laura Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

My hope is that my stories outlive me—that each novel and each poem is a life that will live on. There’s a quote framed on my writing desk. I look at it every day to remind me: “Write what should not be forgotten.” It’s by Isabel Allende. And that’s what I hope my legacy, when it comes to my writing, will be—words that shouldn’t be forgotten, words that tell stories about small-town people, about growing up on a farm in Missouri in the 90s, about my mom, about my dad, about hope, about love, about loss, about life. That’s what I hope my legacy will be.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in print journalism. I worked as a government reporter for a time before attending law school. But writing soon called me back, and I returned to newspaper, covering business news, including Southwest, Boeing and the shipping industry. In 2008, while living in Charleston, S.C., I wrote my first novel. It was simply a story I wanted to tell. Four years later, and at the beginning of the independent-publishing era, I published that novel. For the first few months, no one noticed it. Then, after several bloggers stumbled upon it and read it, I sold 5,000 copies nearly overnight. It was a short time later that I started writing my second novel. After that novel, I began writing fiction full-time. Today, I have eight novels—all with small-town settings; four poetry books on love, life and loss; and one children’s book about paying it forward. I really enjoy writing stories that allow readers to escape to a lighter place and time. My novels are feel-good, heartwarming stories with easygoing, small-town characters. And I write what I know. I grew up on a farm in Missouri, so a lot of my inspiration comes from my own experiences in towns where the livestock outnumber the people. And it has always been important to me that my novels are for everyone and for all ages. There is a little something for everyone in each book.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, it’s readers. My readers make my soul happy. I can’t fully express how it feels to have someone connect with the stories and characters with which I, too, fell in love. And my readers are the kindest and most enthusiastic people I know. Some have even been with me since I published that first novel thirteen years ago. Truly, I am thankful for every kind word and every review. And yes, I’m even thankful for the critical ones. And I will be forever grateful for my readers’ constant and loyal support. My readers are my reward.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Throughout my fiction career, some books have come easier than others. And I’ve seen authors become widely successful. And I’ve seen others disappear from the writing world, altogether. And when I see that, I’m reminded of a saying I heard early in my career: Sometimes, it’s just about not giving up. And I know people stop professionally writing for all kinds of reasons—all very sound reasons. It’s hard to be creative when times are hard—through sickness, through loss, through economic downturns. And the thing is, I have also thought many times about doing something else. But I always come back to this fact: But I’d still be doing this. I’d still be writing. Writing would always call me back. I know it. I know it because I write for the same reason all writers write. I write because I can’t not write.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lauramillerbooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlauramiller
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraMiller
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-miller-b-j-703b0650/
• Twitter: https://x.com/LauraMiller01
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7fR2Ev3zboPu7ZoRW_cI8Q/videos