Born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Laurel den Hoed learned to love reading books even gefore she started school.  In high school Laurel excelled in creative writing.  She wrote a column for the sports section of the school news paper, and edited her senior yearbook.  Laurel graduated from Penn State University with a degree in English and Creative Writing.  

Laurel's first job was as an advertising copy writer for a prominant Los Angeles ad firm.  She pursued careers in retail store management, fashion buying, and consulting.  While working as a Realtor and mentor, Laurel continued writing.  Her articles about the residential real estae market were widely published in local newspapers and trade joirnals.  However, she could not escape the allure of storytelling .

Currently Laurel lives in Thousand Oaks, California, and enjoys free lance writing and copy editing.  Her passion is helping budding writers to grow in their craft and attain their goals.