Lori Hayes is a bestselling, award-winning author of heartfelt Southern fiction and contemporary romance.

Lori writes uplifting stories about family, friendship, love, and the deep connections we form with both people and animals. Her small-town settings feel vivid and real, almost like characters themselves.

Many of her novels explore the journeys women take to understand who they are and who they’re becoming.

Originally from St. Louis, Lori now lives near the beach in North Carolina, where the salt air, bright blue skies, and quiet companionship of her dog, cat, and once-wild horse continually spark her creativity.

Her writing path began with a gentle suggestion from her mother and the steady wisdom of her grandfather, who always said: “Stop talking about it and do something about it.”

Inspired, Lori began writing her first novel during her son’s afternoon naps. It wasn’t easy, but she was committed, studying craft books, learning, growing, and discovering that stories are built one page, one lesson at a time.

She still believes:
Tell the story only you can tell, follow your dreams, and allow amazing things to unfold.