About Victoria Laurie
So -- you're probably wondering how a kid who once wanted to be a spy grew up to become a professional psychic and author -- huh?
It sure wasn't a direct path! There are days when I put the phone back in its cradle after a day of readings, and think, "How the heck did I get here?" Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, it's just that there are moments when the surrealism of it catches up with me, and I chuckle that such a skeptical, down-to-earth cookie like me could be doing this.
As a kid, I really wanted to work for the CIA. I even tested at the top of the charts for it on one of those junior high career aptitude tests -- the job most suited for me was spy. And in many ways, I suppose that's exactly what I've become. My radar gives me that really cool ability to tap into secrets and those parts of life that people normally keep hidden, huh...maybe there is something to those tests after all.
So back to telling you how I got here - I grew up all over, my dad worked in international auto sales and we traveled and lived all around the U.S. and the world. By the time I was twelve I'd lived in two foreign countries and four states, before we settled down for good in Birmingham, Michigan.
After high school, I went to college locally, majoring in Political Science, and it was while working as a cocktail waitress and saving to go to law school that I was approached by one of the owners of a mortgage company. He liked my attitude -- poor guy -- did I have him snowed! Anyhoo, I ended up writing mortgage paper for a couple of years when the grind and cold of living in Michigan got to me, and I moved to Florida.
While living there I was introduced to a medium who flat out insisted I was psychic, and that my deceased grandparents were harping on me to try my hand at giving professional readings. Now, I'd always dabbled in the stuff, and yes, I knew I had some ability, but the fear of being looked at as anything other than "normal" really bothered me. I certainly didn't have a great view of psychics -- they all wore headscarves, bangles and talked with Slavic accents -- right?
So, after considering it for a while, I decided to experiment on a small scale -- completely convinced I'd fall flat on my face, and could go back to living my "normal" life. Ha! The Universe, it seems, had different ideas. To my great surprise, my clientele grew, word of mouth spread and my practice flourished.
I kicked around in Florida for a while, doing readings and getting better and more confident. Then, after two years of perpetual summer I missed home, so I made my way back to Michigan, settling on the edge of the city of Royal Oak and growing to love that town. I worked as a supervisor in a call center by day, and did readings at nights and on weekends for the next two years, when, one February day in '03, I had an idea for a novel and sat down to tap it out. And that's how Abby was born. And yes, she is totally based on me. In fact, all the central characters in the books are based on real people -- save one. Sadly, there is no Dutch in my life. Then again, I do LOVE being single, so maybe it's not so sad. :)
I've recently moved to Austin, Texas and I have to say, I've never been more in love with a city, its people or the culture. Not to mention the fact that the cowboys down here sure are purty! Hubba hubba! :)
Victoria's dogs
How Abby Cooper was born
The idea for the series began because, as a professional psychic, I was frustrated reading books and watching movies where the psychic is always some kook relieving the gullible of their money. So, I wanted to give a different - more accurate - perspective by creating the character of Abby Cooper, Psychic Intuitive.
My hope is that people who read the series will have a better understanding about psychics -- that we're really normal people - truly the person next door...we simply have a heightened sense of awareness. We don't go into trances, faint at the drop of a hat, or cast spells on people we don't like. We're simply able to glean little hints of things to come, and this is where we can truly come in handy!
Wanting to get this message out, I invented Abby Cooper and based her on me - write what you know, n'est pas? When I write I always think about how I would react to the situations I put Abby into. The way she responds to situations and the messes she gets herself into mirror some of my own. Yes, just like the Abster, I definitely have some growing up to do! :)
I also decided early on to have Abby in a relationship with a guy who is not always the hero. Dutch can be a great guy, and he can also be a jerk and that's a reflection of real life so that's what I want Abby to deal with. Many of you have written me and said things like, "Why can't Dutch just believe in her abilities?" Well, because like most of us, we're skeptical until we're shown otherwise - which is healthy! If he were won right over it wouldn't be believable. It's a process, folks. It takes time. There will be ups and downs ahead for this relationship, and it will not always be rosy - but hopefully - it will be interesting. :)
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Word of Mouth
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