Lauri Robinson's Blog, page 4

Oh, my, summer is almost over!

Oh, my, summer is almost over!
Do to company, parties, a couple trips up north, and writing a complete book in two weeks, August ended as fast as it started. But I’m so happy to share that In The Sheriff’s Protection, another Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove story, will be released in April of 2018! It’s obviously Sheriff Tom Baniff’s story from our little town of Oak Grove, Kansas, and was a pure joy to write!
And Winning the MailOrder Bride is now available!  This book also received a five star review from Long and Short Reviews  and a four star review from RT Reviews 
She was promised to another… 

When widow Fiona Goldberg and her two adorable sons arrive in Oak Grove, Kansas, proclaimed bachelor Brett Blackwell is instantly captivated. But when he learns she is promised to the mayor, he tries his best to keep his distance…

Out of desperation, Fiona had agreed to become a mail-order bride to the disagreeable, self-important mayor. But something about her neighbor Brett makes her feel safe. She knows she must fight her growing feelings for the forbidden blacksmith, even while longing for him to rescue her and take her as his bride himself!

Next up will be another Oak Grove story. A Bride and A Baby For Christmas is one of the stories in the Western Christmas Brides anthology and will be released in October 1st. (Print will be available by September 19th.)

Three heartwarming stories of Christmas in the Wild West. 

A Bride and Baby for Christmas by Lauri Robinson 

Pregnant Hannah Olsen has made a list of Oak Grove's eligible men. A list that Teddy White sees—and he's not on it! Time for him to act so that both their Christmas wishes can come true.

Miss Christina's Christmas Wish by Lynna Banning 

Dedicated new teacher Christina Marnell feels her heart race as she watches Ivan Panovsky chop wood for the school. She had ruled marriage out, but Christmas is a time when miracles can happen…

A Kiss from the Cowboy by Carol Arens 

Kitson James and Livy York both have secrets, but can their love overcome the lies they've told? A Christmas kiss might help…
I’m now once again working on the WW2 story, and am enjoying the research as much as I am writing the book.
I hope you all enjoy these last few weeks of summer and are looking forward to the fun and memorable events that fall when bring! Cheers!

Book of the Month and DIY Wine Rack

July started out with a bang! Mail Order Brides of Oak Grovewas given a BEST BOOK rating over at Long and Short Reviews.
“LASR Best Book – For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you’re not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise – and reserved for only a few.”
Then it was voted Book of the Month! Kathryn and I are both enjoying how much people like Mary and Maggie’s stories!

Our niece and her family from Kansas were here for a week. We enjoyed a fabulous 4th of July celebration with them that included lots of laughter, food, fun, and fireworks. The day after they left, another family member from Kansas arrived and stayed for a few days, and this week my brother from Nebraska will be coming for a visit.  We also had a birthday party for our granddog Bear. And there will be more birthday parties later on this month. 
I’m happy to say my latest WIP has been accepted by my editor. Married to Claim the Rancher’s Heir will be released in February. 
Now, I’m deep into researching my next story. A WWII story set in London.  The first chapter is always the hardest for me to write, it’s the foundation for the rest of the story. 
Having got through chapter one yesterday, I took a break from writing today and made myself this wine rack. Our youngest son makes wine and brought us over several bottles last evening. Needing a place to store them, I went searching for something I could use as a wine rack and remembered we had some old metal wheels back by the garden. I attached the wheels to the board with hose clamps, bolted the wheels together and then painted it all black. After it dried, I sanded it down to show some patina, and added the old Scrabble letters. Now the wine is close at hand when company arrives. 
I hope you are all having a fun-filled summer!

In Full Swing!

Summer is in full swing! Company from out of state, family reunions, parades, birthday parties, graduation parties…our weekends are booked through August. It’s so wonderful to have these fabulous gatherings and enjoy the sunny summer days.   Thanks so much to all of you who have posted reviews for Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove. Both Kathryn and I appreciate your support and are so glad that you enjoyed the first book in this series!
Next up will be Winning the Mail Order Bride in August/September. Brett’s story was another fun one to write!
She was promised to another… 
When widow Fiona Goldberg and her two adorable sons arrive in Oak Grove, Kansas, proclaimed bachelor Brett Blackwell is instantly captivated. But when he learns she is promised to the mayor, he tries his best to keep his distance…

Out of desperation, Fiona had agreed to become a mail-order bride to the disagreeable, self-important mayor. But something about her neighbor Brett makes her feel safe. She knows she must fight her growing feelings for the forbidden blacksmith, even while longing for him to rescue her and take her as his bride himself!



The following book will be A Bride and a Baby for Christmas. This is Teddy White’s story (Oak Grove’s newspaper owner) and Hannah Olson (who is introduced in Brett’s story). A Bride and a Baby For Christmas is one story in the Western Christmas Brides anthology that will be released in September/October. 
Three heartwarming stories of Christmas in the Wild West. 
A Bride and Baby for Christmas by Lauri Robinson
Pregnant Hannah Olsen has made a list of Oak Grove's eligible men. A list that Teddy White sees—and he's not on it! Time for him to act so that both their Christmas wishes can come true.

Miss Christina's Christmas Wish by Lynna Banning 
Dedicated new teacher Christina Marnell feels her heart race as she watches Ivan Panovsky chop wood for the school. She had ruled marriage out, but Christmas is a time when miracles can happen…

A Kiss from the Cowboy by Carol Arens 
Kitson James and Livy York both have secrets, but can their love overcome the lies they've told? A Christmas kiss might help…

More Oak Grove books will be released in 2018 so stay tuned and enjoy your summer!

Empty Nesters

Yes, we are empty nesters once again. The baby birds are all grown up and off on their own. I took this picture on Tuesday and when the grandkids came to see them on Wednesday, the nest was empty. The kids were sad to see them gone, but had enjoyed watching the process. We had a fun and busy week with a family reunion with my father’s side of the family. It’s always so much fun to see those we haven’t seen in years and catch up on how everyone is doing. It’s also fun to meet in person all new additions to the family. 
On the writing side, I’m happy to announce The Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove released today in print! This is the first book in the Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove series. Several additional books will be released in 2017 and 2018!

Enjoy the upcoming long weekend!

The Robins at the Robinson's House

All four eggs hatched. (The last one hatched the day after I took this picture, but I feel bad disturbing Mama so I haven’t clicked another picture.) Our grandson dug a bunch of worms and ‘relocated’ them to the flower bed in front of the sauna so the Mama Robin could have easy pickings. Then, being four, he stood under the pine tree that she’d flown into waiting for her to go get the worms.  And was disappointed when it didn’t happen before he had to go home.

On the writing side…The first book in the Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove is coming soon! Kathryn Albright and I have had so much fun with this series! 
Sweet, sassy and double the trouble when twins Mary and Maggie sign contracts to become mail-order brides with every intention of escaping before the actual wedding!
Be kind, be happy, be yourself!

Aw...SPRING!

 A robin built a nest on the window ledge outside of the sauna. There was one egg on Saturday, two on Sunday, and sure enough, three today. I promised all of the grandchildren that I’ll keep checking on it every day. Ironically, I bought them each one of those window bird houses for Christmas—but they haven’t had any ‘takers’ as of yet.
This nest reminded me of years ago when our youngest son was a teenager. I’d hung a ‘decorative’ birdhouse off one of the flower boxes on the back deck, never imagining it was big enough for a bird to actually use. One afternoon my son yelled from upstairs, “Mom, grab the gray tape and meet me on the back deck.” A bird had used the house, but because it was ‘decorative’ the bottom was falling out due to the weight and the mommy bird was in a tizzy. We taped up the bottom and once the birds ‘flew the coop’ I threw that birdhouse away.
I do love all the new life of spring. The trees are budding, the tulips and Showy Lady Slippers are poking through the ground, and I’ve put out the hummingbird feeder and the oriel feeder. I also bought several bars of Irish Spring soap. I read that will help keep the deer from eating the Hostas, so we’ll see.
On the writing side, early readers are saying they love Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove, and are looking forward to more books in that series. Kathryn and I really enjoyed creating these stories. She has a post about the book over at Petticoats and Pistols, so stop by if you have a chance. We both will have more books in this series released in 2017 and 2018.
Twin sisters say "I do" in the Wild West! 

SURPRISE BRIDE FOR THE COWBOY by Lauri Robinson

Mary McCary never wanted to be a mail-order bride, but falling off the Oak Grove train into Steve Putnam's lap changes everything… Could he be the cowboy to tempt her down the aisle?

TAMING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE by Kathryn Albright
 
Running from trouble, Maggie McCary signs up to be a mail-order bride. She doesn't intend to actually marry…until she shares one sensational kiss with Jackson Miller!


Stay happy! Life is good and the world is a better place because of you!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!
Wishing you many blessings and I hope that your day is shared with family and friends.
We hosted our annual egg hunt on Friday evening, and had a wonderful time. Never able to depend on the weather, we hold the event in my husband’s shop. I’ve lost count on how many hundreds of eggs I fill with candy, toys, and change, but it doesn’t take the kids long to find each and every one of them. So we add to the fun with a scavenger hunt. Special eggs have letters on them, and once found, they are placed on a sheet of tag board spelling out each child’s name. Once every one’s name is complete, and all the eggs are found, each child is given an envelope with a rhyming clue as to where their next envelope is. Everyone gets five clues, with the final one ‘suggesting’ where they will find their baskets. Old and young love the challenge of this, and I’m challenged each year coming up with new rhyming clues.
This year our three-year-old grandson’s basket was hidden inside the deer feeder, which he loves to fill with Papa every time they visit. After finding his basket with the help of his mommy and daddy, he came running up to me and said, “Grandma! Look! The deer left me this basket!”
While the children are collecting eggs, their parents have their own goodies to find. Hidden highabove all the eggs are bottles of adult beverages, and our three sons are as competitive as ever to find more than their brothers.

We always buy a couple fun games or things for the kids to keep at our house to play with, and this year that included one of those blow up costumes. This one is a dinosaur and the kids had a great time playing dinosaur tag, which they incorporated to include their squirt guns. It certainly was a fun time, and considering we had twenty-two people at our event this year, I’m glad I baked two hams!

On the writing side, THANK YOU for purchasing The Cowboy’s Orphan Bride . It’s been on best selling lists all because of you. I so appreciate your support and I do hope you enjoyed Garth and Bridgette’s story. 
Next up will be the first book in The Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove Series. I had so much fun collaborating on these stories with Kathryn Albright. Surprise Bride for the Cowboy and Taming the Runaway Bride will be released on June 1st.  Winning the Mail Order Bride will be released on September 1st and A Bride and A Baby for Christmas will be released in October in the Western Christmas Brides anthology. 
Stay happy and keep smiling. Life is good.

Release Day!

The Cowboy's Orphan Bride is now available in ebook and print.

It Snowed

The weather man was right this time around, it snowed. The last time they predicted we’d get several inches, it all went south of us. So, as I write this, I’m looking out the sliding glass door thinking I really should go shovel off the patio, but then again, it’s March. The sun is going to do its job of melting the snow, so I think I’ll just let it be. Especially since I haven’t posted a new blog post in weeks. I’ve been making progress on my next book, which is due to my editor in a few weeks, so every minute on the computer has been focused on researching and working on that story.

The release date for The Cowboy’s Orphan Bride is quickly approaching (March 21st and April 1st). It’s now available for pre-order. I not only love this cover, I love this story. I had an early reader say:  "I have one warning about this book--do NOT have anything in your mouth when you are reading it because most likely the person or object nearest you will be wearing it. Throughout the book I laughed so hard. I also worried and was anxious to find out what was going to happen next. I definitely recommend this book!"

Speaking of early readers, I always have a few copies of each book to give away prior to the release date. If you are interested in obtaining a copy and upon reading it, posting a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or even your facebook page, just contact me via email, leave a comment here, or message me through facebook.   https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurirobinson/

Next up will be the duet Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove which includes two stories: Surprise Bride for the Cowboy and Taming the Runaway Bride (releasing May 21st and June 1st).

This was such a fun book to write. Kathryn Albright and I collaborated on the two stories in this book and created the town of Oak Grove, Kansas. She wrote one twin sister’s story and I wrote the other twin’s story. Then, much to our delight, it was turned into a series! So there are more Oak Grove stories coming! Characters readers meet in the first book go on to have their own happy-ever-after stories. The next one will be Winning the Mail Order Bride (releasing in September), and then A Bride and a Baby for Christmas(releasing in November). And there will be more Oak Grove stories next year.

I think that's enough for now...Stay happy and keep smiling! It looks good on you! 

Thank you!

Thank you so much for making me a #1 Author on Amazon in several categories! I can't ever thank you enough. Your support means so much to me. With every story I write, I'm forever hoping that 'readers' will enjoy the characters and the journey I take them on--especially on those night when I'm typing away at three in the morning. Though the ranking on Amazon changes hourly, my appreciation never does. XXOO



This week I'm working on edits for a 2017 Christmas story, as well as reading through the final galley for another Mail Order Bride of Oak Grove story, and I'm happy to say my agent has gotten a nibble on my ghost story! I'm so hopeful to some day get that story out to all of you!

Stay happy!