Just released!

And just $14.95

Your Crocodile has Arrived

More true stories from a curious traveler

Whether your taste runs to crocodiles or chocolate, ancient relics or flying saucers, you’re sure to find entertainment and illumination in this collection of 21 true stories. Join in as the author…

  • Checks out the world’s largest earthworms — they’re twenty feet long.
  • Receives a full-body chocolate massage.
  • Participates in a shamanic ayahuasca ritual.
  • Learns the secrets of alien spaceship propulsion — from an Ivy-League astrophysicist.
  • Makes a pilgrimage to see a 2,500-year-old tooth.

it's terribly odd

Laurie is one of those intrepid female travel writers who … stumbles into dangerous, disturbing and terribly odd situations. Always worth the read.

Tim Cahill, Author, Jaguars Ripped My Flesh, Lost in My Own Backyard

and it's contagious

King’s curiosity is contagious …
Her tales glow with wit, warmth and a sense of wonder.

Jeff Greenwald, author of Shopping for Buddhas and The Size of the World

closely observed

… closely observed gastronomic and natural history vignettes laced with a sense of a disappearing world as civilization encroaches on the wilds …

Kirkus Reviews

engrossing

As humor, history, and adventure weave a series of uncommon experiences, armchair travelers receive a thoroughly engrossing read…

—Midwest Book Review

intelligent

I couldn’t stop reading …
elegantly and perceptively written, intelligent and entertaining

Wanda Hennig, Author, Cravings: A Zen-inspired memoir about sensual pleasures, freedom from dark places, and living and eating with abandon

heroic

King writes eloquently about loss—loss of species, loss of ways of life.
But what moved me most about Crocodile—besides her powerful prose—is the heroism from everyday people to reverse those losses and heal our planet.

Kelly Hayes-Raitt, Author, How to Become a Housesitter: Insider Tips from the HouseSit Diva and the forthcoming Living Large In Limbo: How I Found Myself Among the World’s Forgotten

evocative

I thought I’d give “Haggis Hunter” a wee peek and read the whole thing later,
but once I started, there was no turning back.
Wonderful evocative writing, irresistible narrative voice.

Philip O. Chomak, Author, Beside the Point: Close Encounters in the Global Classroom

entertaining

A super follow-up to Lost, Kidnapped, Eaten Alive
marvelously entertaining and often profoundly moving.

Linda Watanabe McFerrin, Author of Namako, the Hand of Buddha, and Dead Love

exuberant

Your Crocodile Has Arrived is that rare book that combines the exuberance and gutsy-ness of youthful travel with the tempered wisdom of maturity … To see and portray beauty and sorrow in the same lens is King’s gift.

            —Joanna Biggar, Author, That Paris Year

adventurous

King doesn’t seem to have a death wish, but she does enjoy exploring the exotic and pushing her limits ... takes us on adventures few have braved.

Susan Alcorn, Author, We’re in the Mountains Not Over the Hill: Tales and Tips from Seasoned Women Backpackers

graceful

Wry, informative, and often tender story …
King gracefully reminds us about one of the best reasons to travel: to become a better person. This book is definite kindling for wanderlust.

Jennica Peterson, former senior editor at Afar magazine and lifelong traveler

unusual

King’s adventurous spirit and taste for the unusual make her an ideal guide to some of the lesser-known wonders of the world.

Thomas Swick, Author, The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them

observant

“The Dumpling Men of Taipei” is, like the delicious pleated delights King describes,
“a perfect little gem” filled with sharp and observant writing.
(How do they get the soup inside? Now I know.)

Kimberley Lovato, Author, Unique Eats & Eateries: San Francisco

inquisitive

King is relentlessly inquisitive, and her curiosity propels her to the far corners of the globe seeking answers.

Michael Shapiro, Author, A Sense of Place: Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration

enchanting

Tres charmant ... Each story reads like a veritable treasure in the Cabinets of Curiosity King deftly describes … an antidote to the streak of snark in so much modern travel writing.

Phil Cousineau, Author, The Art of Pilgrimage, The Book of Roads, and The Painted Word

riveting

Original and funny … riveting yet slightly disturbing—
I really enjoyed the read!

Lisa Alpine, Author, Wild Life: Travel Adventures of a Worldly Woman and Exotic Life

wise

King drops little bombs of wisdom that go far beyond just travel. And you’ll find yourself cheering from the sidelines, “Just do it, Laurie! Do it now!”

Bradley Charbonneau, Author, Every Single Day

tasty

King brings insight, humor and thoughtfulness to her very tasty writing.

Gayle Keck, Travel and food writer, proprietor of FoodTourFinder.com

vivid

King teaches us how even adventurous menu selections can create vivid memories—as long as they are made by your traveling companions, thereby allowing you to pass on the witchetty grubs, emu filets, and crocodile tail and settle for something more mundane and vaguely familiar such as “Lamb in the Log.”

Dick Jordan, Publisher, Tales Told From The Road

gutsy

King is a gutsy traveler and a true Renaissance woman.
It’s one amazing book!

—Camille Cusumano, Author, Wilderness Begins at Home and Tango, an Argentine Love Story

humorous

King’s account of giant worms is delightfully humorous.

Ginny Prior, Radio show host and “The Happy Wanderer” columnist

marvelously descriptive

A marvelously descriptive writer who puts you smack in the middle of all her adventures.

Pamela Feinsilber, editor; culture critic; former Travel Editor, San Francisco magazine

a gem

Every chapter is a gem!
You’ll want to pack up and go in search of adventure.

Julie Freestone, journalist and co-author with Rudi Raab of Stumbling Stone

unexpected

Takes the reader on a journey of heart and mind to unexpected destinations, challenges and revelations

Eddy Ancinas, Author, Tales from Two Valleys: Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows

full of wonder

King’s stories illustrate the wonder and diversity of the world, and why travel is always alluring—even when events don’t turn out perfectly.

Jill K. Robinson, freelance journalist

quirky

Quirky humor, clear voice, lively style … Get ready for a can’t-put-it-down read.

            —Diane LeBow, Ph.D., Author of the forthcoming book, My Dinner with Terrorists, and other tales of a traveling woman.  

whimsical

Full of whimsy and good humor … you’ll be happy you were there with her.

Larry Habegger, executive editor, Travelers’ Tales

insightful

“The Ghosts on Angel Island” provides an insightful look into the lives of immigrants who passed through the Angel Island Immigration Station and an excellent view of what you can learn today when you visit.

Grant Din, Community Resources Director, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

brave and bold

Your Crocodile Has Arrived opens with the author hanging 630 feet above the streets of Auckland on the Sky Tower’s SkyWalk. Brave author. I too experienced the SkyWalk, but from the safety of the high-level restaurant, where I cowered in fear. The rest of Crocodile is just as brave, just as bold.

Jules Older, Author, Death by Tartar Sauce: A Travel Writer Encounters Gargantuan Gators, Irksome Offspring, Murderous Mayonnaise & True Love.

important

King’s powerful piece on saving wild elephants is a moment you should not miss—even if it hurts.

—Natalie Lefevre, Editor, Ethical Traveler

thoughtful

Ancient Cornwall still has the power to stimulate and provoke powerful and thoughtful writing, and King has clearly been touched by its potency. Her story captures the essence of our past and present.

Tony Farrell, poet, archaeologist, and Son of Cornwall for many generations

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From IndieBound

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From Book Passage

Why buy Your Crocodile has Arrived?

So you don't have to eat a crocodile yourself.

It really is the best of all possible worlds (with apologies to Voltaire). You get the experience of eating an exotic dish (Man, that’s chewy!) and the insight that results, without having to do anything yourself, aside from reading the story.

(It’s completely up to you whether to pretend you actually did some of these things next time you find yourself forced to make small talk.)

It's all kinds of fun!

From a full-body chocolate massage to attempting to dance flamenco, from tasting haggis to a safe-but-scary SkyWalk, these stories are about adventures you’ll actually enjoy. (To my mind, a little bit of that trekking-in-the-Himalayas kind of adventure goes a long way.)

Chapter 13: Haggis Hunter

“Eeeew—you aren’t going to eat that awful stuff they make with intestines, are you?” Kate asked.

“It’s offal, not awful,” I corrected her. And it’s Scotland’s national dish. How bad can it be…?

And it's fast.

I love short-form stories for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that you can read them on the run—which is actually quite important in some situations.

In these pages you can hang out with a pirate, ghost, mermaid, bear, or crocodile in under 15 minutes. You’ll enjoy them for weeks to follow. How great is that?

Chapter 4: Prayer Bear

Chaik, a one-thousand-pound brown bear, lumbers toward me, stops, and rises to his full height—about ten feet. He looks directly at the man standing next to me and roars. “Do you want to feed him?” the man asks…

Expand your world

You’ll laugh, you’ll think, you’ll relate, you’ll reconsider. You’ll definitely enter new worlds. You may be terrified, horrified, or amazed (I was).

Which means your world will be bigger, richer, and filled with new possibilities.

Chapter 18: The Cabinet of Curiosities

Suspended in clear liquid in a glass jar on the fourth floor of a musty museum in St. Petersburg floats the second strangest thing I have ever seen…

Travel without taking off your clothes.

Armchair travel is faster, cheaper, and far less vexing than the real thing.

You’ll feel like you’ve visited places as diverse as Sri Lanka, Australia, Trinidad and Taiwan—from the comfort of your favorite chair.

Chapter 16: Temple of the Tooth

High above the clouds in the forested mountains of Sri Lanka sits the city of Kandy, home to one incalculably precious treasure: the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Guatama Buddha. I’m not a Buddhist, but as soon as I heard about the Sacred Tooth Relic I knew I had to see it…

Find out how alien spaceships are propelled....

Being surrounded by people whose understanding of the universe is so different from my own was a life-changing experience. I found myself trying to really listen to ideas that were new to me, and that didn’t make a lot of intuitive sense. Until they did.

Chapter 21: They’ve Seen the Saucers

More than one hundred retired military men sit together in a conference room, looking like ordinary American husbands, fathers and grandfathers. They are rigorously trained, disciplined, and proud to have served their country. They have no difficulty differentiating fact from fiction. And they share a startling secret…

Join the launch-party fun on Saturday, August 19!

The big launch party for Your Crocodile has Arrived begins at 7 p.m. at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA. I’ll read an excerpt from “Chocotherapy” about my full-body chocolate massage in Seville, and there will be plenty of chocolate available to eat, as well. We’ll also discuss flying saucers, ancient relics, and the world’s longest earthworms.

Check out the Events page for other launch events.