NaNo Day 6 - Protagonist Profile

Laura Weber is 35 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree in business. She is now seeing deputy Chad Kiefhauer and has decided to stay in Nolden. She recently bought a house where she lives with her lab Bailey. She prefers being outdoors and in the country versus city life. That is one of the reasons she moved to Nolden. Family is also important to her. She has always been close to her Aunt Jean. Her Uncle Martin (Jean’s husband) taught Laura how to hunt and fish. When he died, Laura came to Nolden to help her aunt with her antiques shop The Land Before Time.
Her best friend is Jed Thomas. Jed is an old man who owns the bait shop and marina in town. Their mutual love of fishing and other outdoor pursuits made them fast friends. Her weakness is popcorn and rocky road ice cream. She is very devoted and loyal, but not a person to be crossed. She does not hold a grudge, but at the same time she doesn’t forget those who have wronged her. She is slow to trust and keeps her circle of friends small. She has never been married, but she was serious about a couple guys in the past. One she dated for five years and lived with him for over a year before she found out he had another girlfriend on the side. From there she decided she might be better off alone, at least for the foreseeable future.
Chad came along and changed that. Last summer she found herself in the middle of yet another mystery when she found a submerged car while out fishing. She saw it using her electronics and dove into the water to check it out. She found a person in the car and later saw he was handcuffed to the steering wheel. She was in danger during the investigation – another instance of people of power thinking they were above the law – and Chad came to her rescue several times. He finally wore her down, is how he puts it to his buddies, and she agreed to go out with him. In reality, Laura was smitten with him from the beginning, but wasn’t going to tell him that.
She is learning the DIY life with the held of Chad and also her neighbor Melinda Applegate. Melinda is a creative person and a great interior decorator. She has helped Laura with her home and Chad has helped her with bigger projects. Laura is also getting into gardening, with some urging from Melinda. She has always appreciated beautiful gardens, but her thumb has been less than green in the past. She is learning from Melinda and is very happy with her progress.