Lauri Robinson's Blog, page 16

Harlequin More Than Words

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Harlequin More Than Words Award is now open!
Harlequin is committed to honoring women for their good works, celebrating their accomplishments and supporting causes that are meaningful to them.  Therefore, they are soliciting inspiring stories of women who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities.  
Five finalists, selected by the Harlequin employee committee, will be up for a public vote on October 18th, 2012. The three recipients with the highest number of votes will be awarded the 2013 Harlequin More Than Words award, and the announcement will take place in January 2013. Harlequin will also make a donation of $15,000 to each of their causes. Their stories will be the inspiration for fictional short stories written by Harlequin authors and distributed for free as eBooks—all with the aim of inspiring readers to turn awareness into action by encouraging them to become engaged and make a difference.
Those within the Harlequin family, including authors, are not eligible to submit a nomination, however, I can share the news with you and encourage you to nominate someone! The nomination form is due before July 6th, 2012. You can find it and more information by visiting HarlequinMoreThanWords.com.

The Party's Over But Not The Fun!

The Wild Rose Press’s launch party for the Honky Tonk Hearts Series was fabulous! The hours flew by, and we had a wonderful time talking about the books, the cowboy heroes, the women who love them, and the inspirations behind their stories. 
Sing to Me, Cowboy will be released May 23rd. The hero is singing sensation Lance Dugan, and the heroine is Heather Childs, who has a secret she fears Lance will discover.   
The inspiration behind this story came from the Toby Keith song, How Do You Like Me Now? 
Every time I’d hear that song, I’d think of what a great story it would make. When the Wild Rose Press put out the call for stories in their new Honky Tonk Hearts Series, I knew the chance to create the story had came to be. Of course my story is one that I made up and isn't connected to that song in any way, shape or form. Lance is a man who left Texas as a boy with a dream. He did hit it big in Nashville, but his heart is still back home. Heather is the girl he always admired from afar. She ‘married into money’, but her marriage failed even before it began, and when Lance returns home for a family gathering, he learns why. Their journey is painful, but, in the end, they get the happy ever after ending they both deserve. I really loved writing this story and can’t wait to share it with all of you. 
Its fishing opener in Minnesota, so that means Lauri gets to write. And write. And write. No one to cook for or clean up after. Other than Pooh, of course, who is relatively undemanding and good company. I will be doing a tad bit of shopping at some point this weekend. Karlee needs new shoes for the wedding she’ll be in June 2nd, so I do plan on stealing her for a few hours. Maybe we’ll buy matching shoes this time. That is if she picks some out that don't have those blinking lights in the soles.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and a blessed Mother’s Day!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun'll come out tomorrow.

Bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow there’ll be COWBOYS!
Yes, tomorrow! That’s when the Wild Rose Press is hosting the big Honky Tonk Hearts Series Launch Party!!  
On Wednesday, May 9th between 6pm and 10pm EST join the authors of the Honky Tonk Hearts Series books on the main reader yahoo loop http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWildRosePress for Cowboys, Cowboys, and more Cowboys!
Along with the fun, there will be random draws during the evening festivities.  Giveaways include:$5.00 Wild Rose Press Gift CertificateThose Violet Eyes T-shirtGuitar pendant necklace2 Pink Wild Rose Press totes3 Honky Tonk Hearts envelopes (filled with fun stuff and promo items plus a discount coupon for the Wild Rose Press ebook store)And all those who comment will also have their name put in the Stetson for a chance to win a Honky Tonk Hearts Prize Pack including T-shirt, tote, $5.00 Wild Rose Press gift certificate...and lots of other fun stuff!
Plus a new giveaway was added to the random draws that will be done during the night's festivities!
My book in this series, Sing to Me Cowboy, will be released May 23rd! 
You can find additional details about the Honky Tonk Hearts ongoing blog tour here:http://thewildrosepress.blogspot.ca/2012/04/launch-party.html 
 Hope to see you there!

The Adventures of Potty-training

First I need to mention, A Wife for Big Johnis on sale at The Wild Rose Press! Set in the woods of northern Minnesota in the lumber boom days, this was a fun book to write, and I’ve heard from many that it’s a fun one to read. 
I’m recuperating today…no I haven’t been ill. I had two granddaughters spend the night on Friday. Let’s just say sleeping is next to impossible with that many in one bed. 
The younger of the two is working on potty-training.  I posted on facebook a while ago how I took her shopping for ‘big girl panties’ and she wanted the Spider Man ones. After explaining those were for boys, she said take the Superman ones. In the end she settled for Dora panties, and I had a hard time not buying her the ‘boys’ ones—I wasn’t sure how her mommy and daddy would react to that. As a grandma you do have to be cognizant of those things.  Well, eventually her parents bought her Captain America underwear, which she loves—mainly for the ‘pocket’ on the front. She’s been known to store a crayon or two in that nice little pouch. All in all, she’s doing a wonderful job, and loves exploring new bathrooms. We visited the one at K-Mart twice yesterday. Of course we were on the opposite side of the store each time the ‘urge’ overcame her. Let’s just say, if there was a NASCAR for shopping carts, I’d have taken home the trophy. 
We’ve had some rainy days lately, and true to course, it made my flowers pop! The Lilies of the Valleys are blooming and they smell so good! They are planted below our bedroom window which increases the pleasure of sleeping with the windows open. 
I got back the edits on my story set at Fort Sill in the Oklahoma Territory, and I’m anxious to get started working on them. My editor is so wonderful about finding the little things I sometimes overlook while getting the first draft down on paper, and she picked out some amazing things to amp-up in this story. 
That’s all for now. Take time to smell the flowers this week! You’ll be glad you did.

It's Here!

Release day for The Sheriff’s Last Gamble!
I believe this book is my favorite UNDONE so far. Stacy and Jake are great characters and their story practically wrote itself.  She’s a thoroughbred gambler through and through, and he’s the sheriff attempting to keep her from getting herself shot. 
Dakota Territory, 1886
Sheriff Jake McCrery gave up gambling years ago; keeping the peace in Founder's Creek Township is all the challenge he needs. Until Stacy Blackwell arrives in town and soon becomes a frequent visitor to the Sheriff's office. 
Her crime? Diverting the Sheriff's attention with her beauty, charm and the mischievous light in her eyes that ignites a fire in Jake that can't be extinguished. He wants her as he'd never wanted anything in his life—enough to make one final gamble to win her heart.
Thanks to all of you who pre-ordered the book! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Happy May Day! And don’t forget to visit The Wild Rose Press’s birthday celebration today! (See the post below.)

Birthday Presents!

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The Wild Rose Press is celebrating their 6thanniversary on May 1st with a huge birthday bash full of presents for those attending! On Tuesday be sure to stop over at their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wild-Rose-Press/204624936255945or their twitter page https://twitter.com/#!/wildrosepressor their website http://www.thewildrosepress.com/to learn more. I’ve heard prizes include gift certificates and a Kindle Fire!
My next release with them will happen on May 23rd. Sing to Me, Cowboy.
Heather Gibson's past catches up with her one dark Texas night. 
Locked in a custody battle with an ex-husband who's looking for any excuse to take her children, Heather doesn't need any more trouble. But when a broken-down car and a dead cell phone leave her stranded at the Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk, she comes face-to-face with the one man who could jeopardize everything—including her heart. 
Country-singing sensation Lance Dugan is back in Amarillo for his grandfather's birthday and to take care of a bit of unfinished business—apologize to Heather for leaving ten years ago. Lance has fought hard and won big the last few years, but seeing Heather again makes him wonder if he's been fighting for the right things.
Finding each other again may seem like fate, but one horrible secret, buried deep, could divide them forever.
I’ve loved writing for The Wild Rose Press and look forward to many more years!
Cheers!

Release date and fun blogs

I was just informed Sheriff McBride will be released on August 29th.  
Sheriff Adam McBride is interested in the new cook down at the boarding house, Mrs. Hannah Stewart. A gut feeling says she is running from the law, but can he arrest the woman who sets his heart on fire? Hannah Carlton, aka Hannah Stewart, knew the law would eventually catch up with her, that’s what happens to outlaws. But Adam McBride is not just the sheriff—he’s the love of her life.
Just a reminder, this story was originally part of the Lawmen and Outlaw’s Anthology. It’s also part of the McBride Series, which also includes Doctor McBride, Rancher McBride, (which are on sale for only 99 cents) and a free read from The Wild Rose Press titled Blue Spring’s Queen.
Tomorrow I’m blogging at both Sweethearts of the West and Cowboy Kisses. The Sweethearts of the West Blog is about gambling in the old west and at The Cowboy Kisses Blog I’m interviewing the editor and two authors from The Wild Rose Press about their stories in the Honky Tonk Hearts series. There are prizes to be won at the Cowboy Kisses blog so be sure and leave a comment over there!
We had a glorious weekend with our young guest. She loves, loves, loves, taking the little dog for a walk, and did so bright and early in the morning still in her pajamas. It was quite adorable.  I spent most of the rest of the weekend reading the author galley for Unclaimed Bride, which will be released in November, and working on the edits for my next Undone.   
That's all for now! Have fun this week, and say hi to a stranger. You might make their day.

Gorgeous Day

The weather was wonderful today. It’s amazing how people wear more smiles on days like today. That’s a good thing, don’t you think? I had lunch with a friend, and that, too, was wonderful. She’s a great woman and I love listening to her. She has the most wonderful English accent!
Our youngest granddaughter will be spending the night on Friday, and Papa and I are both looking forward to it. Life is so wonderful. 

On May 9th I’ll be participating in Honky Tonk Hearts Launch Party at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWildRosePress/ Stop over and join the group so you can participate. There will be lots of prizes! You can find all the information about it here:  http://behindthegardengate.blogspot.ca/2012/04/launch-party.html
My story, Sing to Me, Cowboy, will be released on May 23rd. 
Other writing includes edits that were sent to me on Monday, and more research on my inspirational story. Fun stuff!
Papa’s grilling steaks tonight, so I’m off now to make the sides to go with them. 
Rain or shine, smile, it does make a difference!

One Purple Thumb

That’s what I have. One thumb nail is purple. Isabelle and I went shopping last week and we stopped at Sally’s Beauty Supply for shampoo, where she found hair paint. Purple. Yes, I bought it. Why not? When they were over on Friday I painted both her and Hayley’s hair. In the process my hands got ‘painted’ and it all washed off except for the thumb nail. It wouldn’t be so bad except I’d just had a French manicure. The other nine nails still look wonderful. Oh, well, the girls loved their purple hair, and one thumb is a small price to pay for that much enjoyment. 
I volunteered at the library this morning for a ‘Princess Tea Party’. (Yes, with one purple thumb.) The granddaughters were all busy and couldn’t attend with me, but it was still a wonderful time, and all twenty-four princesses in attendance were so beautiful in their gowns and crowns. 
I received this wonderful cover for A Solider for Christmas. This story was originally in the An American Rose Christmas Anthology, but will be re-released by The Wild Rose Press as a standalone story later this year. 
I finished my online dating story (Nick and Sandy were a fun couple to write about) and sent it off to both my CP and beta reader. That’s always a good feeling, and I always look forward to the input I receive back from both of these wonderful women. Now I’m working on an historical inspirational story. It’s an exciting adventure for me. A fellow writer read the first three chapters and gave me invaluable insight about writing inspirational stories, and I’m having a great time with it.
That’s enough for today. The weather is gorgeous and the dog is begging for a walk. I must oblige. 
Be good, love, and have fun—even if it gives you one purple thumb.

Snippet of next release

We had a glorious Easter Sunday. The perfect day for the girls to search the yard for eggs, play on the new swing the Easter Bunny hung from the oak in the front yard while he was hiding eggs, and to rejoice in the blessings we receive daily. 
The weather man says the temperatures will dip below freezing the next couple of nights, which saddens me. The fruit trees are in bloom—they smell so wonderful!—and they are much too large for us to cover, so there isn't really anything we can do to protect them from the frost. Payment I guess for such a mild winter and early spring. 
On the writing scene, I'm closing in on the end of my WIP and it's going quickly. So much to happen yet, but so few words left to meet the word count. Might have to go back and do some chopping here and there. 
Next to be released is The Sheriff's Last Gamble on May 1st. Here's a short snippet: 
Jake McCrery swung one leg over the saddle horn and landed on the ground as smoothly as an eagle swoops into its nest. "Miss Blackwell." He greeted her with a slight nod.With her insides tingling, and without a doubt he'd follow, Stacy started walking along the road. "Tell me, how is dear Uncle Edward today?"         "Fine," Jake answered. "He'd like you to visit soon.""I'll bet," she said flatly. There was no sense getting riled over Edward Blackwell. She'd told him exactly what she thought of him three months ago, shortly after arriving. Her heart, not always in agreement with her mind, stung strongly enough to make her tighten her hold on her parasol. "Speaking of bets," Jake said, "how much did you win today?"Stacy pretended to glance over her shoulder at the palomino at their heels; in reality she wanted Jake to see the smile on her face. "Now, Sheriff McCrery, this morning you specifically forbade me from gambling.""That hasn't stopped you before.""Tsk, tsk." She shook her head so the hair she'd spent an hour curling this morning fluttered around her shoulders. She'd learned years ago to style its mousy brown color to catch attention, therefore keeping people from watching her face too closely during an intense point in a game. Lately, though, thoughts of the handsome sheriff filled her head while curling the tresses—actually, while she did most everything. "We both know I never gamble while you're in town.""How much was it?"At times Jake seemed immune to her charms, and that had her wondering if she'd missed a lesson or two of Pappy's teachings along the way—not that Pappy had taught her about men, but he'd taught her about life and the two went hand in hand. Shrugging, mainly to keep a sigh from slipping out, she answered. "A few hundred."
That's it for today, time to see if my WIP needs to hit the chopping block or not. Have a wonderful week!