Best-selling author Laurie Chandlar takes audiences on a fascinating journey through the remarkable true events that inspired her newest novel, The Lost Stories.

Through photographs, videos, and captivating anecdotes, Chandlar uncovers surprising connections between the holiday season and defining moments in history—from the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 1931 and the origins of the Christmas stocking tradition to a Holocaust survivor who became a Medal of Honor recipient, the end of the Civil War and the story behind a beloved Christmas hymn, and the groundbreaking Christmas Eve radio transmission of 1906. Inspiring, surprising, and filled with the spirit of the season, this presentation reveals how extraordinary moments from the past continue to shape the traditions and stories we cherish today.

About L.A.

L.A. Chandlar is the award-winning author of the Lane Sanders Mystery Series and The Hindenburg Spy. Her work has earned nominations for the Agatha, Lefty, Macavity, and Anthony Awards, as well as Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe Award.

Her newest novel, The Lost Stories: Based on True Holiday Events That Changed the Course of History, releases Thanksgiving 2026. A New York City resident for more than 24 years, Chandlar is an experienced speaker whose audiences have included a women’s group at the United Nations. A University of Michigan graduate, she has also worked in public relations for General Motors and toured the country managing a rock band.