Lauri Robinson's Blog, page 8

Under The Weather

A bout of Shingles has had me moving rather slowly. I haven’t gotten much of anything done, other than renewing my friendship with HGTV—which had me wishing I had more energy and time, which more often than not, led me into taking a nap. To those of you who have had Shingles, my heart goes out to you, and to those who haven’t, do consider getting the shot if you are able. 
Enough said about that. Things are on the upswing now, and I’m very grateful for that. The poor heroine in my WIP (work in progress) has been tied up inside a teepee in the middle of Wyoming for several days now. I really must spend some time getting her out of that particular situation, and am dedicating this afternoon to doing just that. 
Amazon is having a book sale that includes several of my titles.  And A Fortune for the Outlaw’s Daughter is available for pre-orders. 
It’s said time flies when you are having fun, so January must have been delightful considering its over! February will bring us a birthday party for our granddaughter who will turn six on the 24th. She called on Saturday to tell me when I change my calendar to the next month, her birthday will be on that page! She and Papa have been discussing what her present should be since the day after Christmas. I’m afraid to ask how long the list has become, but he has come up with a birthday surprise for her that has him rather giddy. I can’t say more than that. 
I’m off now to be reunited with my WIP. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Next Release

A Fortune for the Outlaw’s Daughter will be released May 1st. 
An unexpected treasure…More precious than gold…

Cole "Lucky" DuMont is off to forge his future in the Alaskan hills. Standing in his way? A dark-haired beauty in need of rescue.

Maddie Stockwell's life has always been ruled by men. And now, to ensure her freedom, she strikes a deal with her gorgeous savior: she'll help Lucky in his quest, and find her own fortune along the way! Except when Maddie has to pose as Lucky's wife, she feels a thrill she could never have anticipated. And suddenly there's something even more tempting than gold on her mind…

I really enjoyed writing this story set during the Alaskan Gold Rush.

We have had the most glorious January weather. An unexpected pleasure for sure! The granddaughters were over yesterday and rode the four-wheeler—something that normally can’t happen this time of year.
Speaking of our little visitors, the requested meal for the evening was chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, and as we were all settled in the living room eating and watching the Disney channel, Papa made a comment that when he and I were young we weren’t allowed to watch TV while eating. He went on to say we couldn’t answer the phone, etc. etc. Without missing a beat, one of them said, “That’s probably because you didn’t have electronics when you were little, Papa.”
Other fun things this week….I received release dates for my Daughters of the Roaring Twenties series! July 1st--The Runaway Daughter (ebook only) August 1st--The Bootlegger’s Daughter (print and ebook) September 1st--The Rebel Daughter (print and ebook) October 1st--The Forgotten Daughter (print and ebook)
Enjoy your weekend, and take time to count your blessings! You may be amazed!

Winter Hum-Drums

I attended my writer’s group meeting yesterday, which is always so fun. However, getting there started out to be a bit of a challenge. We are experiencing a bit of January thaw. Yes, a wonderful thing. However, early yesterday morning when I went out to start my car, I discovered rain had fallen over night. The patio was a skating rink and my car was covered in ice. Luckily the sun and warmth, along with MNDOT’s sanding trucks, quickly had the roads drivable and I was only half an hour late! An accomplishment considering our meeting place is fifty miles from my home.
Other things around here... I once again was honored to be a judge at the local high school for the poetry outloud contest. Those kids do an amazing job of reciting poems, and I’m always amazed at their accomplishments! While there I was asked to participate in Snow Daze in February. I’ll be offering a writing class. I’m also teaching a writing class for Community Education for six weeks later his month through March. That too is always fun. 
The revisions on my Salem Witch Trials were completed and sent back to my editor, and I’ve started a new project. It’s set during the 1860’s. The heroine is captured by a band of Cheyenne Indians. I’ve always wanted to write a story like this, and must admit to getting lost in the research once again.
I’ve also received eight books to judge for a romance novel contest. My TBR pile was already quite large, but considering I have to have these score sheets turned in by March, I’ll be as busy reading as I am writing.
A while ago, I saw a fun project somewhere—I think facebook, but not sure—that I wanted to try, so last week I bought a can of chalkboard paint and painted the front of my freezer door. One more activity to keep the grandchildren busy when they are visiting. Oh, and Granddog Bear recently learned a new trick. He will now carry my boots to me, one at a time—but only when he wants me to go outside with him.
Have a great week, all, and remember, be kind. It’s so easy.   

Happy New Year!

Once again blogger has been gobbling up my posts. I ran some updates on my computer that I’d been putting off, so my fingers are crossed this one will actually publish.  
We had a fabulous Christmas! Watching the grandchildren open their gifts was so fun, but so was gathering with friend and family and laughing until our faces hurt! That happened again last night when we gathered with a large group of friends. We feel so very blessed and look forward to 2015 with open hearts!
The holidays have been wonderful, and now I must put my focus on spending some quality time with the revisions on my Salem Witch Trial story. My editor sent them back to me right before Christmas, and she always has the best suggestions on how to make the story really click. I’m sincerely so appreciative of her!
I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season, and that 2015 will bring you much success, happiness, and joy!

Snow, Titles, and Thanksgiving

The foot of snow that arrived last week hit us a bit unprepared. The pony car is being shuttled from garage stall to garage stall until the roads clear up enough for me to drive her to storage for the winter. That’s about all that’s left to do, though, thankfully. In other words, we are now set for winter, whether we like it or not. I do have most of my Christmas shopping done, so for that I’m very thankful. Thanksgiving preparations are underway, too. 
I’m writing the final few chapters in my Salem Witch Trial story. It’s taken a lot of research, far more than perhaps I needed, but it’s been so intriguing I have found myself lost in it. I’ll then move on to a western and find myself looking forward to that. I’ve also plotted out my spring wedding story for a 2016 Harlequin anthology.
I have the titles of my 2015 releases! A Fortune For The Outlaw’s Daughter will be released in May. This story is set during the Alaskan gold rush. The series title for the 1920’s stories is: Daughters of The Roaring Twenties, and will include, The Runaway Daughter, The Bootlegger’s Daughter, The Rebel Daughter, and The Forgotten Daughter. The Runaway Daughteris a short (ebook only) story and the rest are full length books. They will be released in August, September, and October. I’m very anxious to see the cover arts for those. 
I have a laundry list of things to get done today, so must get to it, but want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the time with loved ones, it doesn’t get better than that!

Happy Friday!

We are experiencing some lovely fall weather here in Minnesota. I still have rose buds on my bush! Amazing for this time of year, and a blessing. 
I just have to show these lovely earrings I received for my birthday. They were just one of several wonderful gifts. You can visit my facebook page to see the hand-made ice-chest my youngest son had shipped in from North Carolina for me. The October birthdays in our family are not over yet. We will be attending yet another celebration this weekend—this one for my sister-in-law. 
The Wrong Cowboy hit the shelves this week in the print version, and the ebook version, which has already hit number one on Amazon in the Harlequin Historicals and Hot New Releases, (thank you all so much) will be released November 1st. 
Which is also the day I want to tell you about! 
On Saturday, November 1st starting at 10:00 AM authors and fans will begin posting selfies of themselves reading their favorite historical romance novel. (Or their latest, or one they’ve always wanted to read, or…) 
This is just a fun event to celebrate historical romance novels and YOU can join the fun, too! All you have to do is take a picture of yourself with a historical romance book (or have someone else snap the picture) and post it to your social media sites using the hashtag #Fallbackintime! 
The more the merrier! I hope you’ll take a moment to join us! Here’s a bit more about the event:   

Counting The Days...

The countdown in on! The print version of The Wrong Cowboywill be released October 21st, and the ebook version, November 1st! 
For those who know me, you know my birthday is coming up this weekend. I won’t be home, but to celebrate online, I’ll have a blog post over at Tote Bags and Blogs, where I’ll be giving away two print versions of this book. So stop on over and leave a comment for your chance to win!
It’s been as busy around the home place as ever.  Hubby and I went away last weekend to celebrate our anniversary and had a very nice time. We visited a casino. I left with more money than I entered with for the first time ever.  I’ve also been busy using and/or freezing all the apples the neighbor man brought over. They make excellent pies. I made him one and gave him a tub of vanilla-bean ice cream from Schwan’s to go with it. I also made Bear new covers for his dog beds. The covers are so much easier to wash than the entire bed. With duck hunting season upon us, his beds get a bit sandy. 
I can’t say much right now, but there’s going to be a fun event happening on line the first of November that you’ll all want to participate in! I’ll let you know more as soon as I can!
On the writing side….Still working on the Salem Witch story. It’s going well, but with all the traveling lately, things are moving slower than I’d like. I’ll make up for that as soon as deer hunting starts and I have the house to myself….OH! I almost forgot….That’s also when I’ll be going to the Garth Brooks concert! I went the last two times he came to Minnesota, so I had to go again! Right?
I’m also plotting out a couple more stories, one about a spring wedding, and another about a woman who goes to live with the Cheyenne.  
For now, I must sign off, it’s getting late and Bear keeps looking up at me with big brown eyes and sighing.  He’s ready to call it a night, but doesn’t believe he can go to bed while I’m still awake. (That’s why he has a bed by my chair in the living room, another one in my writing room, and in our bedroom, and in our son’s room—his true master, but I’m the one who feeds him, so his loyalties are mixed at times). 
Keep smiling, the world is definitely a better place because of you!

Good-bye Summer!

Yep, Summer 2014 is officially over. 
Hubby and I took a mini vacation last weekend. We drove along the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Southern Minnesota. The leaves on the trees were just starting to turn their brilliant colors, making the scenery even more beautiful. We visited several antique shops and found a couple of tiny treasures before heading north again. 
I spent last evening with a book club. They are a wonderful group of women who are current reading one of my books, and they were full of questions. We laughed until we had tears in our eyes at some things. I didn’t get home until midnight and then stayed up very late writing a blog post for The Sweethearts of the West that was due today. Stop over and say "HI" if you are so inclined!
On the writing side…My Salem Witch Trial story is taking shape! Love it! 
Here is the cover for Improper Christmas Nights of which my Christmas story, Snowbound With The Sheriff, is included in. This version is only available in the UK. And The Wrong Cowboy received a four star glowing review and the K.I.S.S. (Knight In Shining Silver) hero award from RT Reviews. 
Today I must dedicate a bit of time for housecleaning. I swear the neighbors must have brought over laundry while we were on our mini-vacation. 
Best wishes to all of you as we embrace the fall season!

Four Quick Things....

First: I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day, and took some time for yourself! I did. I went to my brother’s cabin and didn’t do much of anything except relax (and eat, my sis-in-law is a FABULOUS cook!). Second: The countdown to release day for The Wrong Cowboy is officially underway! 
Third: My wonderful Harlequin editor accepted my Salem Witch story proposal! Along with that book the contract calls for two westerns and a fourth book yet to be determined. A second contract calls for a western story for a Spring Wedding anthology. Yes, there will be lots of research and writing happening in my house this winter!
Fourth: The roaring twenties series is officially done—as far as the writing goes that is. I’m very anxious to see what the fabulous art department at Harlequin comes up with for covers (and titles)!
I hope September brings you glorious days full of wonderful adventures!

Summer is Dwindling...

The state fair is underway and next week my granddaughters start school, which means our summer is dwindling away. Though I do enjoy all four seasons, summer is my favorite. I always enjoyed the relaxing carefree days of not having to rush out the door first thing in the morning when our boys were younger, and still enjoy being able to spend all day with granddaughters on a whim. They were all here yesterday and we ended the night before they went home with Smores. 
We’ll have another get together tomorrow.  We not only have family visiting from Iowa, but hubby was challenged for the ALS ice bucket challenge, and everyone is coming over to watch it happen. 
Other duties put a damper on my writing time this past week, but I was able to put together a synopsis of a possible story set during the Salem Witch Trials. The research so far has been fascinating. Things were very different back then and I can understand how the hysteria spread so rapidly. I’m also glad that even back then we had wise men and women who were able to ‘think outside the box’ in order to put the debacle to an end. 
I have company and we have things to do, so I must keep this short. Enjoy these last days of Summer 2014, it has been full of memories, but there is always room for one more good one!