Laurie grew up in the picturesque islands of the South Pacific, where her father pioneered air travel to many of the tiny, remote islands. She often accompanied him on his flights. After graduating from high school on Guam, she studied photography and dance at the University of Washington. In 1981, she Moved to Israel where she lived on a kibbutz in the Jezreel, studied Hebrew, and earned keep by working in the cotton fields. She returned to her childhood home of Hawai'i in 1984, had a career with the Honolulu Post Office, and raised three children. When she retired in 2006, she started writing the stories that had been swirling in her head for a lifetime, resulting in the Louise Golden Mystery Series. She is a vegan, promotes animal rights and rescue, swims daily, and practice yoga and meditation. She lives on Oahu with her husband, youngest child, an overweight Westie, and a bipolar cat.