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!

Edits...

Yep, that’s what I’m doing. Putting the final tweaks on Josie and Scooter’s story. Writing in this era has been so fun and I know I’m going to miss these Nightingale girls when I finish my final read through (today!) and zip this story back to my editor. 

I’m also attempting to utilize a few discussed items in many of the wonderful workshops I attended at the RWA conference. I’d much rather sit in my writing cave than market my books, but did learn I need to put myself ‘out there’ a bit more. So…I created an author page on Facebook. If you’re inclined, please stop by and click the like button at https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurirobinson. Thanks a million to all who have already done so!

The Stolen Kiss, a short free read is still up on Harlequin’s website for your reading pleasure—

And The Wrong Cowboy is now available for preorders. 

On the home front, August has been full of birthday parties, with still more to come. This weekend it’s our grandson’s. He turned one the end of July! That year went by fast. As they tend to do. Company is coming into town for the party which means I need to go straighten up the spare bedroom which doubles as my writing cave late at night when I don’t want to keep others awake. Granddog Bear has a bed in there and often joins me, which means vacuuming is a must before anyone else goes in there. Love him to pieces, but a hundred pound dog does shed. And shed. And shed. He has a stock tank in our backyard to cool off in and the other morning, he and the neighbor dog were in it together. Two yellow labs having a pool party. It was a sight to see and made me smile all day.

The morning is ticking by and I’m needed in the 1920’s! Keep smiling and keep your head up. You are a wonderful person who is loved by many!

Home from RWA

San Antonio was fabulous! The weather was perfect, the River Walk was amazing, the Alamo was very interesting, and I met so many old and new friends at the conference. My editor took me to a restaurant for lunch one day that had the absolute most delicious guacamole I’ll ever taste. This picture doesn’t do

it justice. They made it right at the table with little more than avocados, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

The week flew by with all the events and gatherings. By Saturday I was ready for some down time—which I got. To my surprise, when my hubby called that morning, he asked if I’d found the envelope in my suitcase. Since I hadn’t, I started searching. In one of the top pouches I hadn’t put anything in, I found what he’d tucked away. An envelope containing a Hershey’s Kiss, a very sweet note, and some extra money to go shopping.  Yep, he’s pretty sweet, and yep, I went shopping that day. 

While in Texas, I received the cover art for The Wrong Cowboy! I love it. As usual. It will be released November 1^st.

One mail-order bride in need of rescue! 

All the rigorous training in the world could not have prepared nursemaid Marie Hall for trailing the wilds of Dakota with six orphans. Especially when her ingenious plan—to pose as the mail-order bride of the children's next of kin—leads Marie to the wrong cowboy! 

Proud and stubborn, Stafford Burleson is everything Marie's been taught to avoid. But with her fate and that of the children in his capable hands, Marie soon feels there's something incredibly right about this rugged rancher and his brooding charm…. 

"A delightful western…humor, realism and sweet emotion." —RT Book Reviews on Inheriting a Bride

As fun as it was to go to the conference, I’m glad to be home. Birthday celebrations fill our weekends in August, and each one promises to be fun. I’d received the edits for the last roaring twenties book right before I left, and must get them done and back to my editor. Dedicating some time to plotting out a new story is in the works somewhere too.

Remember to look for the little things—one may take your breath away.