As a child, LAWREN WOOD LARGUE explored the world outside her sleepy Mississippi Delta hometown through books. The daughter of an artistic first grade teacher and a draftsman turned amateur photographer, she grew up in a home that celebrated storytelling and creativity. She was also blessed with a mother, grandmother, godmother, and a host of aunts and great-aunts who taught her the importance of strong sweet tea and stronger will.

When Lawren received a little red typewriter as a Christmas gift in third grade, she began putting her own narratives on paper, and the vibrant ladies in her family often inspired her characters. Then she’d bind her homemade books in flimsy report covers, “publishing” them under the pen name Lauren Wood (because clearly Mama had misspelled her name).

She went on to earn a full scholarship to the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Communication and Information Sciences. While there, she also learned to appreciate pearls, SPANX, and the unique spelling of her name. And, thanks to one providential football game, she met her future husband, who introduced her to his hometown, which just so happens to be the birthplace of American Mardi Gras. 

For more than 15 years, Largue has shared the stranger-than-fiction stories of the Deep South’s real characters as an editor and writer at several upscale Southern lifestyle magazines, including Mobile Bay Magazine, Delta Magazine, Birmingham Home & Garden, and The Scroll. During her tenure as executive editor at Mobile Bay Magazine, she also spearheaded the launch of an annual bridal publication (Mobile Bay Bride) and two popular cookbooks (BAY APPETIT and BAY APPETIT: A SECOND HELPING).

While she also regularly chronicled the lives of the monarchs and royal court from one of the most exclusive secret Mardi Gras societies, she became privy to elusive traditions that most outsiders have never seen, much less experienced. This fascinating culture inspired her to write her debut novel, REDEMPTION OF THE MOONPIE QUEENS.

Now a freelance journalist and novelist, Lawren lives in Lower Alabama with her husband, three children, and a rowdy lab mix, Teddy Roosevelt. Some of her favorite authors include Kristy Woodson Harvey, Lisa Patton, Kathryn Stockett, Christina Lauren, Sally Thorne, and Jenny Han. She also enjoys reading cookbooks cover to cover, especially old church congregational ones. When she’s not reading, writing, or chauffeuring kids, she enjoys crafting, cooking, and baking. In fact, she makes an almost-famous banana pudding, but don’t ask her for the recipe—that’s her own secret.