Books
About
I marvel at those who write their own memoirs. How daring they must be. What has always drawn me to fiction is the power of a story to capture and define. And it is one thing to use that power to illuminate a fictional character: here’s a bit and there’s a bit and for one shimmery second, here’s someone who might be whole. But it’s quite another to train that power on my own life. In We Are Called to Rise, Avis says she didn’t like to write things in a baby book. That she didn’t want to shape events after they happened. And she got that fear from me.
I once was a girl who worked in a store that sold guns and toys. That’s her in the photo above. Before that I was the youngest daughter and a middle child in a big and happy family. I grew up across the street from a river, in a magical house, in a poor and thrilling neighborhood. My life divides in two: before that family had a great grief, and after. Many years have gone by, and I barely recognize this girl. Now my joys are my children, my dear friends, my family, a marriage that has lasted thirty years, a teaching career that grounds me in real lives, and this glorious crazy journey of becoming a published writer when I thought such possibilities were past.
Would you know more about me if you knew where I lived, or the names of my pets, or what degrees I earned? Would you know me if I told you about the dreams I have at night, or the regrets that wake me up, or the memories that make me laugh aloud? Perhaps. But then I would have to choose just what to reveal, and this is a power best reserved for fictional characters – those who can be neither hurt nor embellished by my choices.
Events
For private functions, contact Laura.
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A reading with Erica Vital-Lazare
Erica and I will both read new work at CSN's Spring Faculty Reading.
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A conversation with Doug Unger
Pulitzer Prize finalist Doug Unger and I will discuss his new novel Dream City at the Las Vegas Book Festival.
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Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum
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In conversation with Amor Towles
Best-selling novelist Amor Towles and I will chat about his new book Table for Two and other delights. Sponsored by The Writer's Block.
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“A Writer’s World” (with Shaun Griffin)
Nevada's poet laureate spoke about We Are Called to Rise on his weekly radio show.
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“Women’s Bodies” (Women’s History Month)
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Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum
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Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Workshop
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Westside Newcomers Literary Event
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Las Vegas Literary Society (with Black Mountain Institute)
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Henderson Community Read
In the Midnight Room is the 2020 Henderson Community Read selection. Free to all - join me!
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The Las Vegas Literary Ladies
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Sun Youth Forum
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Campus Common Read: Owensboro Community & Technical College
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First Year Experience: Molloy College reads We Are Called to Rise
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Publication of Träume vor Mitternacht
It's publication day for 'Round Midnight in German.
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“A Celebration of Creativity” at CSN
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It’s PUB Day for In the Midnight Room!
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Green Valley High School
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“Marginal Voices”
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Literary Orange Festival
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Stanford’s Review of Books
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Las Vegas Writers Group
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The Regency at Summerlin
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Southern Nevada Writing Project
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Madison CT
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Madison NJ
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Montclair NJ
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Camarillo Reads: One City One Book, Camarillo CA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Austin TX
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Houston TX
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Dallas TX
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Salt Lake City UT
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Denver CO
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‘Round Midnight on tour: San Rafael CA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: San Francisco CA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Orinda CA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Berkeley CA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Seattle WA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Spokane WA
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Las Vegas NV
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Kansas City MO
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‘Round Midnight on tour: Wichita KS
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American Dreams: The Festival
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Truckee Meadows Writers Conference (Keynote)
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CSN Creative Writing Club
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Imagining Las Vegas: Opening of UNLV Libraries Exhibit
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ABA Winter Institute
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SJC One Book One Community
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Pekin One Book One Community
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Southern Nevada Retired Teachers Association
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Julie’s Book Groups
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UnBound Book Festival
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“Cherish the Children” – Dallas CASA
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All Campus Reads – Housatonic Community College
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One Book One Valley
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Henderson Writers’ Group
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Aliante Library-Nevada Reads
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Mesquite Library-Nevada Reads
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St. Helena Library Benefit
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Laughlin Library-Nevada Reads
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Walter Kirn and Laura
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Douglas County Library-Nevada Reads
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Carson City Library
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Northwest Reno Library-Nevada Reads
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Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Awards
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Paseo Verde Library-Nevada Reads
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Los Prados Women’s Club
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One Book One Valley
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Vegas Valley Book Festival
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Nevada Library Association Conference
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Richardson Reads One Book
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Central Methodist University
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CCSD Summer Graduation Address
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Books Are Better Shared
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Orinda Books
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Bookworm of Edwards
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Lighthouse Writers Workshop
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King’s English Bookshop
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The Bookhouse
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Main Street Books
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Watermark Books
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Books & Boutiques
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Arlington Central Library
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Sunday Readers
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Rainbow Library
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Tarrant County College
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A Tale for Three Counties
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Sun City Summerlin
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Rachel’s Kitchen at The Ogden
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The Las Vegas Writers Group
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Sun City MacDonald Ranch
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Vegas Valley Book Festival
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College of Southern Nevada
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Orca Books
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Queen Anne Book Company
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Auntie’s Bookstore
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Ladies, Lunch & Literacy
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Barnes & Noble
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Book Passage
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Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts
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American Library Association Convention
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A Chat with Eleanor Brown
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BookBar
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Blue Willow Bookshop
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Barnes & Noble
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Barnes & Noble
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Barnes & Noble, Rainbow
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Red Rock Review reading
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Blossom Hill Foundation
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NoCal Independent Booksellers Assoc
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Mountains & Plains IBA
News
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“This is the beginning . . . “
I am delighted to be working with literary agent Reiko Davis of DeFiore & Company. And yes, I think it will be a beautiful friendship.
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Thank you Simon & Schuster!
Simon & Schuster has chosen both We Are Called to Rise and In the Midnight Room for its 2023 Freshmen Reading Experience Catalog. I'm looking forward to meeting some adventuresome…
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One Book Programs Are a Live-End Road
It's been a privilege to speak about We Are Called to Rise at One-Book programs all over the country. At my very first one, I met a community college student whose…
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Had a good time talking stories with Ira’s Everything Bagel
Ira and I talk about fiction, art, the creative life, and, oh yeah, the "fake answer!" Take a listen.
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Two shout-outs in one month? Thanks Off the Shelf!
When I need a good book, I go to Off the Shelf. Which made it awfully fun to find both In the Midnight Room and We Are Called to Rise…
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Kudos for We Are Called to Rise
We Are Called to Rise is a #1 IndieNext pick, a Barnes&Noble Discover selection, a Simon Mayo BBC Radio2 Book Club choice, a Waterstones UK Book Club pick, and an American…
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Isabel Allende says “You will love it.”
Isabel Allende was recently asked what books she recommends and said, "I just read a beautiful book called We Are Called to Rise by Laura McBride. If you have a chance…
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We Are Called to Rise keeps selling
Simon & Schuster just completed a 14th printing of We Are Called to Rise, six years after its 2014 debut.
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In the Midnight Room is a One Book too
Henderson Libraries has chosen In the Midnight Room as its 2020 Community Read choice. The program culminates with an Author Showcase on March 28.
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Eleanor Brown and I on Henry James & Stephen King, for two
Eleanor Brown was the first author to reach out to me before I was published, and she has been a loyal - and fun! - friend ever since. Barnes &…
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Träume vor Mitternacht published in Germany
In June, Goldmann Verlag published 'Round Midnight (In the Midnight Room) in German.
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That Was Me on the BBC!
My very first media thrill was being interviewed by Simon Mayo on the BBC in 2014.
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Colleges in New York and Kentucky choose We Are Called to Rise for their 2019 students
Molloy College (NY) and Owensboro Community and Technical College (KY) will have their students read We Are Called to Rise for the 2019-2020 school year.
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Harper Audio Presents: “I’ll quit next week.”
In 2017, Laura talked about writing 'Round Midnight with Ana Maria Allessi at the ABA's Winter Institute in Minneapolis.
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A fun interview in Kansas City
Michelle Davidson interviewed me in 2015 on KCL's morning program
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On my hometown: Vegas
This 2014 State of Nevada radio interview on KNPR in Las Vegas is a favorite.
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Author Perk: talking with Australians
Here's a quick interview with Australia's Culture Street which I like because it manages to include both Wallace Stevens and Bruce Springsteen.
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From Counting Worms to Writing Novels
Laura talks about her childhood in Spokane, and writing 'Round Midnight, with her childhood newspaper.
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‘Round Midnight re-titled In the Midnight Room in paperback
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In the Midnight Room is an IndieNext pick
More than 700 booksellers chose 'Round Midnight (In the Midnight Room) as one of the 20 books they were most excited to share with customers in May 2017.
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Literary Mama: “That risk resonates for me.”
Marianne Lonsdale talked with Laura about her writing life. "I'm concerned with two risks for my novels. The first is that people will dislike the story and criticize my writing.…
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In the Midnight Room makes Best of 2017 lists
Books On the Table writer puts 'Round Midnight on his list of very favorite 2017 books, because “the writing is gorgeous and the story is perfectly paced and constructed.” Popular NPR…
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A national tour for In the Midnight Room
Touchstone Books sent Laura on an 18-city national tour for 'Round Midnight in May 2017.
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Off the Shelf: “A new kind of Great American Novel”
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BookPage: “Haunting and unpredictable . . . a jewel of a novel”
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We Are Called to Rise a popular One Book choice
There's nothing that honors a book like being chosen for a One Book program. And not much that challenges an author more either! Here's an interview about these wonderfully engaging programs. We Are Called…
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Washington Independent: “How much hope dare I feel?”
Laura tells Martha Anne Toll that being published at 50 “turns my world upside-down. Because I didn’t think it was possible. And if it is possible, then what else is…
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KNPR: “Exploring a history of racism in Las Vegas”
"I’m not trying in these books to reveal one character or one life. I’m trying to come up with an image for the whole thing. That we’re all on this…
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Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Explosive and beautiful possibilities”
John Przybys talks with Laura about the experience she hopes her readers have. In the video, she says, "I get to step into another human being's world."
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WGNA: “To see the world out of someone else’s eyes”
Steve Richards asks Laura about a novel that is “brilliantly conceived and passionately written.”
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WCBS: “I wonder who else has been in this nightclub”
Lisa Tschernkowitsch notes that “love for a child, and also the love that a child has for a mother, really pulls everyone together” in 'Round Midnight.
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John Valeri: “Maybe time isn’t linear”
John Valeri asks Laura about how 'Round Midnight developed in her mind.
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Choose to Be Curious: “A chance to empathize”
Laura tells friend and host Lynn Borton that “curiosity has this flipped quality . . . it is bigger than just wanting to know . . . it’s a chance…
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Access Utah: “We have to love each other”
Tom Williams and Laura continue a conversation about writing, and living in modern America. Laura claims, "There's another path, and I live in it."
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Salt Lake Tribune: “A richly textured story about race”
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Dallas Morning News: “A dangerous romance”
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Denver Post: “History shines through”
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Richmond Daily News: “Superb second novel”
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Daily Californian: “Equal parts intricate and graceful”
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St. Louis Post Dispatch: “A heartfelt nightcap”
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KVSF: “Beautifully written and a great story”
Santa Fe radio personality Richard Eeds and Laura remember an old Vegas, while talking about 'Round Midnight.
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Read Her: “Suffused with compassion and intelligence”
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Ethereal Pages: “Absolutely beautiful”
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Enchanted Prose: “This novel is so arresting”
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Booklist: “Powerfully addresses an important theme”
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Deseret News: “Beautifully crafted storytelling”
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Shelf Awareness: “A compelling, heartbreaking narrative”
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Vegas Seven: Finding inspiration in unlikely places
In this interview with Vegas Seven, Laura says, “For me, a novel is a form of entertainment. My books might not exactly be beach reads, but my intention always is for…
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Laura chats on Kansas City morning shows
On May 3, Laura joined the hosts of News41 and KCTV5 in Kansas City for lively discussions of her new book.
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Focus Daily News: “Page-turning, fun to read novel”
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Las Vegas Sun: “An eclectic and exciting and dynamic mix”
April Corbin explores how Las Vegas "helped shape this storyteller."
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Desert Companion: “Passages of sterling imagery and diction”
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Publishers Weekly: “The unexpected, unheralded ways that lives meet”
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Glommable: “Three words: Great American Novel”
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Las Vegas Weekly: “Midnight is a time and a place”
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A Bestseller on Nook in 2017
On January 23, 2017, We Are Called to Rise hit #2 in the Nook sales rankings.
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Popular with One Book programs and special events
There's nothing that honors a book like being chosen for a One Book program. And not much that challenges an author more either! Here's an interview about these wonderfully engaging programs. We Are Called…
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Rise Lands on Must-Read Lists
We Are Called to Rise made it to a lot of great reading lists. Notably: Huffington Post's 10 Cross Cultural Novels, Isabel Allende's Summer Reading, Eleanor Brown's 30 Authors Choice, Patry Francis' 30…
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Three Reviews of We Are Called to Rise
Library Journal gave We Are Called to Rise a starred review, remarking "Laura McBride has written an urgent morality tale for our times in the form of this poignant and gripping…
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Bloggers Befriend We Are Called to Rise
Thank you to these bloggers for their notable posts about reading We Are Called to Rise: Amy Bermudez at TheMilitarySpouseBookReview, Jennifer Lyn King in GreatNewBooks, Kris at AwesomeBookNuts, Kelly Jemal Massry…
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Indies Make Me Feel Like Prodigal Daughter
The American Booksellers Association asked me a few questions about writing my first novel, and I got a chance to tell them how much Indie bookstores mean to me.
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An early interview with Kirkus
Blog
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Women’s Bodies – and a sneak peek (at a book)
The Women’s Alliance at my college asked me to give a talk on “women’s bodies," and this is what I shared with students. "Here’s the thing. Every quality of our…
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VegasStrong: What I’m going to do
It turns out I have nothing to say. Yesterday, the horror just grew from morning to night. I’m a professional imaginer, and it was the imagining that did it. I…
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Live nude, my friend
I live in a place that might be considered exotic (or bizarre or fantastic, fanciful, implausible, preposterous, incredible: there’s a long list of adjectives, often conflicting, that might be applied)…
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May you know there is enough
At American Dreams: A Festival, I was asked to participate in “A Prayer for the American Dream.” It was a gorgeous night in Red Rock Canyon, and here’s what I said:…
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Give it up!
I belong to a GiVe group of women who donate a small amount of money each month. We don’t look very diverse (twelve white women in their 50’s) but we…
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Pals on the bus
I grew up in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Spokane, Washington. For my family, it was a compelling community that also had a river, and glorious sunsets over that river’s steep banks, and…
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Yada yada . . . Yaddo!
Last month, Touchstone's associate publisher, David Falk, sent me a photo he recently took in the Yaddo library. Yaddo is an artist residency program in upstate New York, and I…
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Who was that grad student?
About a million years ago, when I was in college, I did my senior thesis on Virginia Woolf. It was an odd choice of topic - for an American Studies…
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What will I write?
I have spent extended portions of my waking life in a dreamy state. When I am working on a new novel, the characters and their situations live in me. They…
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Peace, Latasha
I recently watched the winner of the Oscar for best documentary: OJ Simpson: Made in America. I’d been avoiding it, because all these years later, that case still thrums a…
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“On seeing a photo of the Antarctic – 2019”
"If it comes to this If one day, you are someone who cannot afford to see what everyone now sees If some day, everyone is someone who cannot see what…
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What one person can do
I've been meaning to post this short review I wrote of Bryan Stevenson's incredible memoir, Just Mercy. I was so very moved by this book. From Off the Shelf, May…
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I was thinking about courage
Writing is nearly always hard. Capturing inchoate ideas and feelings and experiences, forcing these into precise words arranged intentionally, demands fierce psychic energy: more with every passing year. It is…
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