They warned her about the book. Now it was too late. She had been a writer by habit for a long time; there was no stopping or turning back. Author Laurie Fagen delivers intrigue, chills, thrills, and more than a few breathtaking moments in her new career as a crime fiction writer. Yet, before Laurie's intrepid radio reporter Lisa Powers ever materialized on a written page, Laurie had some growing up to do and adventures to experience to become the celebrated creative she is today.
Laurie's story began on a sheep farm in Earlham, Iowa, a small town outside Des Moines. Growing up on the prairies of middle America, she loved the reading selections created by Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew, living vicariously in the world of problem-solving, observation, and clue-gathering to solve the crime. Laurie left Iowa to attend Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, to complete her Bachelor of Science in Radio & Television. During this time, Laurie worked for KTAR Newsradio in Phoenix, providing live traffic reports from a single-engine aircraft above the City. After graduation, Laurie worked as an assistant producer with local talk show host Preston Westmoreland, booking guests for his show and continuing Valley traffic reports.
Eventually, television beckoned Laurie, and she returned to Iowa after accepting a position as a reporter/photographer for KWWL-TV, an NBC affiliate in Waterloo. Initially, her assignment covered the action at the state capital; later, she was assigned to the crime beat, covering the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department, and Courts. Laurie states, “As if this didn’t keep me busy enough, I was an anchor and editor in addition to my reporting and videographer duties." It was only a short time before Laurie snatched an opportunity to return to the Valley of the Sun to work in the Public Information Office for the City of Phoenix. The move provided Laurie with the opportunity to expand her work in video production. She explains, "I found a video camera in another department, so I instigated the production of internal employee training videos and video programming, eventually founding The Phoenix Channel, the City's government access cable television station. Many of the programs I created still exist today."
"I enjoy taking stories from my time spent covering the crime beat as a journalist; I deal with various social issues, including domestic violence, child sexual assault, and more."
However, there is a life after the television news. Laurie started her first business, Word Painting, as a writer and producer for corporate video. The result was a 13-year career in marketing, sales, training, and informational video programming for businesses. Laurie states, "I also wrote magazine articles, a Fiesta Bowl parade script, murder mystery plays, two documentaries, and other projects for KAET-TV, KPNX-TV, the Phoenix Suns, Educational Management Group, Randy Murray Productions, and more." To share her experience, Laurie worked as an adjunct professor at Scottsdale Community College, teaching a corporate video class.
It's no mystery that author Laurie Fagen, the quintessential storyteller, moved into the realm of crime fiction thrillers. Building on a diverse foundation of experience, Laurie has a reputation as a solid crime fiction author. Laurie says, "I enjoy taking stories from my time spent covering the crime beat as a journalist; I deal with various social issues, including domestic violence, child sexual assault, and more." She adds, "My first crime fiction series, Behind the Mic Mysteries, includes a mystery within a mystery with a mystery." Enter young radio reporter Lisa Powers who appears as the protagonist in Laurie's stories. Ms. Powers covers the crime beat for her Chandler, Arizona, radio station and helps police solve cases because the department is short-staffed. Plus, because Ms. Powers is in the gritty crime world, she writes campy murder mystery podcasts at night. Much like her creator Laurie Fagen, visit her website for more information on how to listen in.
While we're all catching up, Laurie burns the midnight oil, creating her next crime fiction series, Behind the Lens Mysteries. Laurie Fagen works from her home studio in Chandler, Arizona. She speaks at various organizations and participates in various book festivals. Laurie is a member of Sisters in Crime: Grand Canyon Writers, Los Angeles & San Diego chapters; Arizona Mystery Writers, and Scottsdale Society of Women Writers in Scottsdale, Arizona. Recently Laurie Fagen’s short story, Mystery in MB, was selected for the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles chapter’s anthology Entertainment to Die For, which is in e-book and paperback at Amazon. Summer reads you won't want to miss!
Email: laurie@readlauriefagen.com
Website: www.readlauriefagen.com
