Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Autumn is a good time to settle into your comfy chair with your favorite beverage and a compelling read. Those who enjoy a good thriller will want to pick up a copy of the first two novels in the four-book ‘Personas’ series.

Local authors Laura Dotson and Laurie (Lollie) Dean have melded their love for the mystery thriller genre, deciding early on to combine their names as well. Readers can find the series of books under the pseudo-name Laura Lollie.

Dotson and Dean refer to themselves as two grandmothers living in New Tazewell who just began an adventure in midlife success. Desperate for decent health insurance, the two women decided to earn the premium money by joining forces to write and publish their series of books.

The authors say they have been through some unimaginable parallels in life.

“We have always agreed that God doesn’t bring you through things so at the end of the day you can just wipe your forehead and say ‘whew! That was tough!’ You either teach others to help them see the light at the end of their own darkness or you live in therapy forever.”

The women say they brought a lot of their personal experiences to the series. In so doing, they were able to create a path to healing while finding a way to educate the public on the dark inner workings of a pathological mind via a gripping storyline.

They say they are hesitant to share their own stories.

“To be honest, I’m not even sure that the last book in this series would make us go back there, because of our growth and the fact that the trauma doesn’t define us. Rather, it built us.”

The first book in the series centers on Ian Trahan, a man with a tortured past, a genius IQ and the ability to present himself like a chameleon – to be whomever he chooses to be at any one time.

Raised in New Orleans under the strict guidance of a Deacon with a dark side, Trahan follows the road of least resistance, becoming the perfect persona of the psychopathic serial killer. His immense knowledge of DNA and computer hacking only add to the ease with which he attains his grisly goals.

This darkness is counterpointed by Magda Volkov, a native Russian who works for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A clairvoyant, Volkov is highly trusted by her director, who uses her talents to the agency’s advantage, assigning her with the hunt for the “ghost killer.”

Book one of the series, available through Dark Legacy Publishing, can be purchased on Amazon. The 360 page novel is receiving high reviews on the site, currently coming in at 4.7 out of 5 stars.

The authors are aiming for a November release date of the second book in the series, entitled “Personas Unraveling.”

For more information, log onto:  www.lauralollie.com. You may also visit the Personas Facebook page.