"What haven't I been doing is the question!" laughs Laine when asked what she's been up to since leaving GH. "Everything has just been going great ... at least I think so [laughs]. I'm keeping myself busy -- enjoying life and keeping positive."

That positive attitude is exactly what keeps Laine going (and thinking big) in a cutthroat industry. "I've been trying to do everything I can," shares the actress. "My main focus is film right now, so I'm just going for it. I mean, sure, there are [TV] pilots, but to me, film is more fun."

That said, Laine is well on her way to beginning a movie career. Immediately after leaving GH, she booked a TV movie of the week called MERMAIDS, which aired on PAX. "I got to fulfill the girlhood fantasy of being a mermaid," she laughs. Recently, the actress wrapped up filming the movie Rain Makers in Arizona, co-starring Jake Busey. The flick, which takes place post-Vietnam War in 1973, is about the fight between some do-gooder hippies and a dirty police department looking to rid the town of them. "I play one of the hippies, Allison, who is kind of a go-between," Laine explains. "She's a hippie now, but she was one of the mainstream townspeople. She decided that that wasn't the life she wanted to lead. She believed there was more love and heart within the hippie community." Adds the actress, "We're doing our thing -- peace, love and harmony -- but the sheriff won't give up on trying to get us out of town." The film is scheduled to be released in February.

In addition to movie acting, Laine hopes to try her luck at movie making. "Eventually, I want to get into producing and then directing, hopefully," she states. "Of course, I have to get the respect first as a producer before I can even think about directing. As you can see, I've been concentrating on setting my goals in the future [laughs]." As for the immediate? "I'm up for anything," she shrugs. Anything except soaps. "Honestly, I appreciated my time that I was there, the experience and everything I learned, but you're either made for [soaps] or you're not ... and I'm not," Laine notes. "You have to have a certain kind of acting style and mentality. It was good for the time that I was there. I experienced that, and now I'm ready to move on."

Not that she has forgotten her daytime pals. "I have kept in touch with Marisa Ramirez [ex-Gia]," the actress says. "We had already worked with each other, so we were friends before GENERAL HOSPITAL. And I went to a XOXO/Vogue party recently and saw Alicia [Leigh Willis, Courtney] and Tamara [Braun, Carly], so I got to hang out with them for the night and catch up."

Overall, Laine is thrilled to be in the position she is in -- one where she makes the calls. "I'm really taking the time to focus on me and what I want to do," she stresses. "I'm trying to make sure there are no obstacles or distractions in my way right now and so far, it's working out."