This is the fourth incarnation of my blog, which has found its home in several different corners of the internet over the past five-or-so years. But I can assure you that lauraraeamos.com will be the final home of this blog and any of its future incarnations. After all, where else can a writer go but to her own self-titled egocentric domain?

To read more about this blog’s title, and ambitions, read this.

home = now, Virginia

Born and raised in southern Michigan, my husband and I now live with our adorable little tornado of a boy in Alexandria, Virginia.

family = Jim + Dylan (+Joy)

Jim is a brilliant and talented man whose actual job title escapes me. He programs things for the internet, and he does it very well, is all I know. Despite his dorky tendencies, he is surprisingly charming and romantic, and has a British accent. What more can a girl ask for? He and I met online (go ahead and roll your eyes – everybody does) and were married in January of 2003.

I met Jim on a charming little poetry website called moontowncafe.com. I was in Toledo, Ohio, and he was 3000 miles (and an ocean) away in Swindon, England. I knew he was my soul mate the first time we ever chatted on MSN messenger. We wrote poetry to each other, his much much better than mine, which again is pretty dorky, isn’t it?

Our little Dylan joined the party in 2006. He is an affectionate and fearless little boy who likes to climb and jump off of things. We imagine him being a skydiving instructor when he grows up, but who knows?

I have a sister named Joy who is tragically offended that she wasn’t listed in my family section. And in listing Joy, then I also have to list Stuart, Jewel, Tom, Taylor… step-mom, step-siblings, cousins? There are no pets. I don’t need animals – I have a toddler!

have been = waitress, bank teller, video store clerk, pizza shop chef, Subway Sandwich Artist

I am currently about 48% a novelist, 123% frazzled stay-at-home mom, and 26% sloppy housewife.

brilliance, in no particular order = John Irving, Lorrie Moore, Sherman Alexie, T.C. Boyle, Charles Baxter, John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen Chbosky, Jeffrey Eugenides, A.M. Homes, Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk // Mark Doty, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sylvia Plath // Incubus, Radiohead, Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Snow Patrol, Pilot Speed, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson