Laughlin was named an emerging writer by the Lambda Literary Foundation in 2008 and 2014 and was awarded a writing residency at Ragdale.

Laughlin has been published throughout her career by Bold Strokes Books, an independent press that specializes in works by LGBTQ authors.

From her first novel, Sometimes Quickly, she has centered her stories around the lives of queer characters caught up in some way with crime.

It Only Occurred to Me Later was a finalist in the short fiction contest at Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival She currently serves on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America and is a member of MWA's Queer Advisory Board.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Anne lives on the far north side of Chicago with her wife, Linda Braasch.