Laura Swallow was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She always dreamed of writing, and even grew up annually submitting her stories to the Wichita Eagle for their holiday writing contest. Four years ago, her and her family moved to Nara, Japan, where they lived as missionaries and she taught at an international Christian school. Having never lived outside of Kansas, the experience was incredible, challenging, and beautiful all at once. It was an amazing experience and she's very thankful for it, but she's happy to be home again. This journey inspired her to write her first novel, "6,393 Miles." This book is about a teenaged girl from Kansas who is suddenly moved across the world to live in Japan. While it's technically fiction, many of Laura's own feelings and experiences are wrapped in this very personal tale of a Kansan girl discovering the world. Laura currently lives back in Wichita with her family of five. She teaches English Language Learners at a local school, then writes and reads in her spare time. She dreams of inspiring other Kansans to get outside of their comfort zones and also of one day seeing her book in local stores.