Laurance, nicknamed "the Striking Viking", has been playing pool since she was 14 years old. She moved to the United States in 1981 after competing at the New York City World Championships.
She has authored three books, The Ewa Mataya Pool Guide, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards, and Quick Start Guide to Pocket Billiards. She has also written monthly columns for Pool & Billiard magazine. In 2004, she was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame.
