Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Alberswerth.
Hi Laurie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve written stories almost since I could hold a pen, so of course, when it came time to pick a college major, I chose Engineering.
Not the normal route, you say?
Well, you’re not wrong. But “starving artist” seemed less inviting. With an interest in science and decent math skills, I earned my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at what is now Missouri S&T. For over two decades, I enjoyed a successful and interesting career as a Structural Analyst for a St. Louis-area defense firm.
When a thousand factors made it time to switch tracks, the writing bug was ready for its close-up.
Career 2.0, here I come.
That was 8 years ago. I’d already been working on a stand-alone action-thriller, my first attempt at a book-length work. After I left the full-time grind, I finished that manuscript, cleaned it up, and began the most daunting of tasks: submitting to agents. I even pitched the plot in-person at a writers’ conference that first year. (Talk about a terrifying prospect for a writer/engineer, neither of which is known for extroversion.)
Considering the odds of being picked up by an agent (they can receive over 50 cold queries per DAY??), I received positive feedback with that initial novel. But ultimately, I decided to set it aside and change strategies.
After gobs of webinars and books on writing craft, a new idea began to take shape. That tiny kernel has now become the indie-published Jude and Audie West Mysteries. This cozy-adjacent series follows a pair of married family-tree freelancers who crisscross Missouri, solving their clients’ biggest genealogy roadblocks. It’s all going GREAT—until they find the first body OUTSIDE of a graveyard.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like St. Louis roads mid-winter, the path has had some potholes. But anything worth doing does.
I’ve been forced to allow myself a little grace—not easy! At this stage in my journey, everything falls on me: the writing, sure, but also the editing, proofing, formatting (please pass the aspirin), cover design, and marketing. At least I’m uber-fortunate to have a literal in-house artist for the images on my covers. My husband, Michael, another engineer/creative, brings the family-tree theme of these books to life with crazy skill.
Any work with my name on it needs to be top-notch, to entertain readers, and to bring public opinion of indie writers UP! That’s a lot of pressure some days. At times, I need to back off a step, gain perspective, and reframe my mindset. The work will be finished. The final product will be lovely, and readers will get my jokes (fingers crossed). Perseverance, determination, and big-picture thinking (even when deep in the weeds) will come through in the end. Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” That wisdom applies to more than I’d ever considered.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Since releasing the first book, Bones & Bloodlines, in May 2023, I’ve been thrilled by the reader response. Folks quickly grew interested in the Wests, both as individuals and amateur sleuths. They like the dual mysteries created by a genealogy puzzle and a modern whodunit. And they’re anxious to read more.
Talk about writer validation (and relief)!
Four books in this series are now out in the world, and I’m editing Number 5 even as we speak. Each is a complete plot on its own, though goodies about the main characters’ backstories dribble out from novel to novel. Every story is clean and includes a good dose of humor, but I call them cozy-adjacent, because I still haven’t figured out what’s “cute” about murder.
The series will continue! If Agatha Christie could write 33 novels, 2 plays, and 51 short stories starring Hercule Poirot, I think Jude and Audie West have plenty to do before they wear out their welcome. I have drafts completed through Book 7 and ideas for so many more.
Besides the books, I’m also a Senior Edu-tainer. I create and present travelogue programs to Senior Living Communities in the St. Louis area. They spotlight locations my husband and I have experienced first-hand, using my photographs and personal tales of (mis-)adventure. When a resident shares their own story of somewhere we’ve “traveled” together, I get all the butterflies, just like when they appreciate a particular program because they hadn’t had the opportunity to visit it themselves. No matter their age, they’re all-in to explore unique places, and I can only hope the same will be said for the rest of us!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
At present, the Jude and Audie West Mysteries can be found on Amazon, in both paperback and ebook formats. I’m working toward having my books in St. Louis-area indie bookstores, as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LaurieAlberswerth.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BearWriteMedia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearWriteMedia1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-alberswerth-0931a5
