Books - Donna Lawrence

“Good writing is remembering detail. Most people want to forget. Don’t forget things that were painful or embarrassing, or silly. Turn them into a story that tells the truth.” ~ Paula Danziger

Coming-of-Age/Women's Literary Fiction

Miss Virginia and the Sweet Sisters: A Novel

Growing up with different colored skin shouldn’t be difficult. So why is it Lindsey always feels ‘other than?’

Thirteen-year-old Lindsey Hollis has always felt like she doesn’t quite belong.

Growing up mixed-race in a small Kentucky town in 1967, Lindsey longs for acceptance in a neighborhood defined by quiet divisions. But when whispers of a long-buried murder begin to surface, those divisions give way to something far more dangerous.

As tensions rise and secrets unravel, Lindsey is drawn into a past her community has tried to forget. What begins as curiosity soon becomes something far more urgent—because the truth isn’t just hidden…it’s being protected by those who haven’t forgotten.

And someone is watching.

With time running out and danger closing in, Lindsey must confront not only the truth about the past, but the growing threat it carries—before it reaches her and those she loves.

In this suspenseful coming-of-age story, identity, resilience, and hidden truths collide in a small neighborhood town where the past refuses to stay buried.

For a mixed-race girl, acceptance amid life and death is hard-won.

Miss Virginia and the Sweet Sisters is a coming-of-age novel set in 1960s Kentucky, blending emotional depth with a strong undercurrent of suspense as hidden truths and long-buried secrets come to light. The backdrop of murder, and the seedy side of small-town life in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass country, heightens the suspense interwoven with the racial tension of the late 1960s civil rights era.

This novel will resonate with readers who enjoy emotionally rich stories of identity, resilience, female friendship, and the complexities of racial relationships within small-town communities.

It is perfect for readers of The Secret Life of Bees, Where the Crawdads Sing, and the spirit of The Help. This novel blends emotional depth with a slow-burning tension that lingers long after the final page.

Women's Fiction/Historical Fiction
Mixed Race Coming-of-Age
Mystery & Suspense
Suspenseful Opening Prologue
Colorism & Bullying
Family Secrets in a Small Town
Adult Situations & Female Friendships
Explicit Language & Violence

Poetry & Prose

Looking In from Outside: Poetry & Prose

Through what lens should we view life? The one that seldom looks back—except to find joy.

In this intimate collection of poetry and prose, Donna Lawrence explores the emotional landscapes of love, loss, resilience, identity, and self-discovery. It is a collection of poetry and prose on several themes, highlighting family, love, social pressures, work ethic, loss, trauma, political perspectives, and spiritual reflection.

Through reflective, deeply human observations, these writings trace one woman’s journey from youth to adulthood as she navigates grief, healing, social expectations, spiritual reflection, and the quiet strength that comes with perseverance.

Both personal and imaginative, Looking In from Outside offers moments of introspection, honesty, and hope for readers who have faced life’s challenges and searched for meaning beyond them.

Looking In from Outside: Poetry & Prose is written with emotional depth and authenticity, this collection invites readers to reflect, heal, and rediscover the promise found within life’s most difficult moments.

It is an empowering book written to inspire hope, prompt introspection, and the idea of a promising tomorrow.

To hear one of the poems read aloud, click here.

Women's Poetry
Woman's Life Journey
Common Themes Throughout
Social Commentary in Prose
Adult Situations
Explicit Llanguage
Implied Violence
Spiritual Reflections

A Compilation of Short Stories

Pen Pals: A Novella and Other Stories

The mysteries of life are endless. It is not up to us to solve them—but to live them.

The Novella:

On the fringes of serendipity, AI facilitates a slow-burn romance between two people seeking fulfillment in their lives—but will fate ultimately draw them together or pull them apart?

Other Short Stories:

A loyal companion offers a glimpse into his world. A devastating mistake teaches one girl a life-altering lesson, while mysterious interventions unsettle college students returning to school.

A dangerous predator longs for freedom from the confines of a cage that feels more like a prison. Elsewhere, acts of courage, terrifying encounters, and long-buried fears alter lives forever.

Mystery lingers within a grand hotel nestled in the Rocky Mountains. At the same time, an unexpected encounter awakens strength and courage in a lonely woman living quietly among her neighbors.

Darkness follows a retired fashion model seeking peace after returning from Europe. Corporate America offers little refuge for a marketing executive facing private fears. The same goes for a divorcee who finds terror in her loft apartment. Or a professor on sabbatical who discovers strange mysteries and unexpected wonder in a rural American town.

Blending suspense, emotional reflection, mystery, and human connection, Pen Pals: A Novella and Other Stories explores the unpredictable moments that shape our lives—and the unseen forces that often guide them.