Diana Laurence

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Biography

Diana Laurence

Diana Laurence is the pseudonym of Diane Lau, author of the "Soulful Sex" anthologies of erotic romance fiction.

Laurence is strongly influenced by psychoanalytical theorist Carl Jung and his principles regarding the psyche, archetypes, the anima/animus, the Unus Mondus, and synchronicity. These theories are subtly utilized in her romance fiction work, including Diana's Deck, which is a sort of Jungian Tarot.

Although graphic, Laurence's writing eschews coarse language and takes an idealized approach to the subject matter. Her stories typically are driven by a mystical/spiritual bond between the hero and heroine, based upon the compelling power of the animus over the female psyche. Terming her style "erotica with soul," Laurence writes tales in every romance genre, including Regency, paranormal, contemporary, historical, science fiction, and especially fantasy.

Soulful Sex, 2004

The author was born August 18, 1956, and grew up in the area of Milwaukee, Wis. and graduated in 1977 with a bachelors degree in English from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. She launched her writing career at age 13 with the publication of a short story in 'Teen magazine. She had a modest freelancing career which included the 1989 publication of The Crosses of Lent (as Diane Lau) by Concordia Publishing House, and numerous short fiction and nonfiction works. From 1997-2000 she edited a weekly ezine of National Hockey League-related humor "Hockey Snacks," which attained a cult following. In 1998 she published the self-help book Living Beyond Reality: A Jungian Primer for Enhancing Your Life and the novel The Resurrection of Captain Eternity both as Diane Lau (Living Beyond Reality Press).

Laurence's debut work of erotic romance was an anthology entitled Soulful Sex: Erotic Tales of Fantasy and Romance (New Age Dimensions, 2004), issued first as an ebook. It was a bestseller in the genre of romance ebooks and also a Finalist for Best Anthology in the 2005 Eppie Awards. Laurence subsequently penned the erotic romance novel Souls' Embrace (New Age Dimensions, 2004), released in trade paperback and ebook formats. The sequel to the first Soulful Sex collection, Soulful Sex Volume II, followed in 2005, along with a trade paperback version of Soulful Sex: Erotic Tales of Fantasy and Romance, Volumes I & II.

Bloodchained, 2007

In 2006 with the closing of New Age Dimensions, Laurence took the reins of her erotic romance career and reissued all her titles under her own publishing house, Living Beyond Reality Press. She also released Soulful Sex Volume III as well as a deck of "romance fortune telling cards" featuring her fictional characters, dubbed "Diana's Deck."

Also in 2006, as Diane Lau she wrote Do-It-YourSelf-Publishing, a record of the process and technological tools she used to operate her own publishing house.

During 2006 and 2007, Laurence released three ebook collections in the paranormal, science fiction, and fantasy romance genres, as well as a combined version in trade paperback, Soulful Sex: The Paranormal, Science Fiction & Fantasy Collections.

In 2007, Laurence conducted a unique project when she gathered a team of 63 readers and fans (The Soulful Sex Partners Project) to create her next work. The resulting novel was the vampire romance, Bloodchained.

In 2008, Laurence teamed up with illustrator CC Rogers to create possibly the first "graphic excerpt" from a romance book. The text from the two-page mini-comic was taken from her story "As Commonplace as Rain" from Soulful Sex Volume II. The graphic excerpt is available for viewing on Laurence's website.

In February 2009, Laurence and Rogers released Sign of the Bloodletters, a 12-page comic book based in the Bloodchained universe. In addition to the print version offered for sale, Living Beyond Reality Press published the comic book free online on the Bloodchained website.

Also in February 2009, Laurence released another collection of short, erotic romance fiction, entitled Soulful Sex: The Darker Side. This anthology explores the more sinister aspects of the libido, and the stories are not all in the traditional HEA ("happily ever after") format of romance fiction.

In April 2009, Laurence released her first novel outside the romance genre. Entitled Looking on Darkness, the book is a psychological thriller about psychic vampirism that takes place in 1991 Milwaukee. It explores numerous concepts from Jungian theory, including the animus and synchronicity.

In April 2009, Laurence was approached by Sellers Publishing to write a guidebook to dating vampires. This humor/self-help book is entitled How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful. It is Laurence's first title in worldwide release, and the first printing of the book was the largest in the publisher's history.

In October 2009 Laurence released the sequel to Bloodchained, entitled Bloodchained 2: The Secret of Secrets.

A number of Laurence's short stories and novellas are available free to readers via the LBR Press READ FREE Project, offered by Living Beyond Reality Press, online in html as well as in downloadable ebooks.

Laurence writes a monthly column for the website Novelspot entitled "Explorotica."

Works

How to Catch and Keep a Vampire, 2009

Awards

On The Web

Selected Articles/Interviews

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