Emily Ridgeway Profile

Emily Ridgeway (better known as Laurie) was born and raised in Iowa. Her first book was titled "How to Drive a Boat" and was written at the tender age of five. A model student when it came to conduct, the only time she was called to the principal's office was in junior high when teachers complained her handwritten spiral-bound novels were getting more attention than their lesson plans.

Emily is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) with a B.A. degree in art. Since that time she has been a staff writer with The Spirit Lake Beacon (IA), Okoboji Magazine (IA), and editor of The Lake Park News (IA), as well as feature and special sections editor for The Estes Park Trail-Gazette (CO). After leaving The Trail-Gazette to seek a job with more lucrative retirement benefits, Emily continued to submit weekly columns to The Estes Park News (CO) for almost eight years. Her combined newspaper experience spans nearly three decades.

During her newspaper career, Emily received awards for page and special section design, photography and writing from the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA), Colorado Newspaper Association (CNA), and the National Newspaper Association (NNA). She has also served as a judge for the Colorado Newspaper Association's yearly award contest and presented a special sections seminar for CNA membership. Emily received a "Shining Star Award" from the CNA as the state's best all-round journalist in The Trail-Gazette's circulation class in 1996.* Having said all that, she quickly learned writing fiction is a completely different animal.

Three years ago, Emily left her post-newspaper employment working for town government to take a less political position with a local financial institution. She looks forward to May 13, 2016 when she will officially retire from the workforce.

Emily lives with her husband at the base of Twin Sisters Mountain, adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, in Colorado. They share two grown sons and four grandchildren. Equally important members of the family are dogs Zookee and Keira (a rescue from the Virgin Islands), cats Gracie Ann and Ginger (also both rescues), miniature horses Lucy, Sweet Pea, Misty and Perry, and a beloved cockatiel, Yodi.

As a side note, Emily met her husband, Joel, while writing a feature story about his mountainside recording studio in 1991. After the article was published, Joel received a cease-and-desist order from the law firm representing the propertyowners association where he owned his home. It seems the group felt he would attract despicable individuals to their community. Feeling somewhat responsible, Emily jokes that when Joel opted to sell his house and build a mobile recording studio following her article - she had to marry him. They will celebrate their 20th anniversary in May.

*Emily thinks the year is correct ... She's trying to find the award which seems to be buried in her husband's office. If necessary, a correction will follow.