Release Day!

For a Sister’s Love is now available, and it’s only .99 cents! This book about sisters, Loralei and Maggie Holmes, is two stories in one. I wrote the younger sister’s story, Loralei, and Paty Jager wrote Maggie’s story, the older sister. It was a fun experience to collaborate with Paty on creating the back stories, settings, characters and research.

Blurb:

Lorelei and Maggie Holmes make a desperate vow to reunite after an Indian raid on their wagon train leaves them orphans. Eight-year-old Lorelei is taken in by an impoverished family headed to a Colorado mining town and ten-year-old Maggie finds herself on the way to Portland, Oregon to live with a woman widowed during the Indian attack.

Ten years later, Lorelei’s adoptive father gambles away her birth mother’s locket and her only connection to her lost sister. Believing she needs the locket and to find Maggie, she sets out after the gambler and ends up in the company of a citified lawyer searching for the same man.

While cleaning a hotel room, Maggie discovers her mother’s locket in the possession of a gambler. Fear for her sister increases Maggie's determination. Never one to give up, she dogs the gambler until he agrees to help her find her sister.

Two sisters, two adventures, will they find one another or will the men helping them be their destinies?

An April to Remember is still on sale for .99 cents, too. I’m not sure how long it will stay at that price, but it’s been fun to offer a story at a discounted price.

Life on the home front has been busy as the summer winds down. Family will be arriving from Iowa next week and we’ll head up north to enjoy the woods and some fishing.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and stay safe!

On Sale at Amazon for .99 cents!

The Kindle edition of An April to Remember is on sale for .99 cents at Amazon.

When we went to Memphis for our anniversary a few years ago I heard the story of the Sultana, America's greatest maritime disaster, and was so intrigued I came home and after months of research, created this story.

Night Owl Reviews says: Truly this is one of those books that needs to be savored.

And the Long and Short of it Reviews said this about it: 
This was a wonderful read and I wish it could go on forever. It’s one of those books you HAVE to know more about their lives. I think it’s a keeper for any bookshelf!

New Reviews

We attended a game fair with our son and daughter-in-law this weekend. Granddog Bear was so very excited. It was like taking a kid to a carnival the way he wiggled in line waiting for his turn. We were very impressed by his performances, although we always are, and seeing his abilities compared to other dogs was eye opening even for us. Now we not only think he’s talented, we know it. Furthermore, his manners are excellent. (I felt bad for some of the other dogs behaviors, and their owners.) But then again, Bear did graduate Top Dog with Honors from obedience class recently.

I’ve received several reviews lately –all for the Quinter Bride series. I do miss those Quinter boys, might have to consider moving on to the next generation. Lots of other things to complete first, though.  Anyway…I so appreciate those who take the time to read and share their thoughts on my stories. It’s a perk that always brightens my day. Here there are:

Four hearts from The Romance Reviews for Wild Cat Bride.

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=3009

Five hearts from Sizzling Hot Reviews for Boot Hill Bride.

http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2011/08/boot-hill-bride-by-lauri-robinson.html

Five hearts from Sizzling Hot Reviews for Guardian Bride.

http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2011/08/guardian-bride-by-lauri-robinson.html

Five hearts from Sizzling Hot Reviews for Shotgun Bride.

http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2011/08/shotgun-bride-by-lauri-robinson.html

Four hearts from Sizzling Hot Reviews for Badland Bride.

http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2011/08/badland-bride-by-lauri-robinson.html

So very exciting!

Off to get in some writing time yet today. There’s a lot going on in the world. Be kind with your thoughts, actions, and words, it does make a difference.

Top Down Weather

Yep, we're loving this weather!

As I sit on the deck in the warm August sun, I’m working on a Christmas story. Watching the hummingbirds zip between the feeders is delightful, but not reminiscent of the blizzard blanketing the earth in the story, which is okay, considering the stories I worked on last winter were full of blazing heat. That’s how it is. Books take production time. This story will be released in December of 2012. Yes, 2012, with a deadline for completion by December of 2011. The length between completion and release varies at times, but six to twelve months is probably the average. Leastwise, that’s what I’ve discovered, and what I told a person who recently asked several writing questions. Each writer’s journey is different and a ride that is genuinely their own. Mine’s been awesome so far, and I’m so thankful to have been given the opportunities I’ve been blessed with.   

The birthday party for our youngest granddaughter this past weekend was a blast, and included several games of water volleyball that still have the muscles in the backs of my arms stinging. Yesterday I attended swimming lessons with my other two granddaughters. For two girls who do not like to get their faces/hair wet, I was amazed at how well they are doing. They spent the rest of the day with us, and after picking cucumbers, we made a wonderful cucumber dressing/veggie dip. If you like cucumbers, you may want to try this:

Mix ½ cup real mayonnaise with ½ cup sour cream. Dice up one small onion and about two tablespoons of onion greens/chives. Peel and seed one cucumber and finely dice. Mix well. Add fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste.

The girls sampled it with carrot sticks. Hayley was eating it by the spoonfuls, but that’s Hayley. Papa and I had it on salads for supper and it really is tasty.

Okay, back to my story. Have a wonderful week and don’t let August slip away from you. Make every day count!

Bubble Baths

I love bubble baths. Just to sit and soak, meditate a little, or once in a while, read a book with bubbles up to my neck and steam clouding the room (though I do refrain from using my Kindle there), is one of my favorite ways to relax. Romance novels are full of bathtub scenes, I’ve written plenty myself, but that is one place where reality, as it was, is somewhat exaggerated. The tub in this photo is barely three feet long and a foot high, not much room for soaking, let alone anything else. But, then again, even though historical authors spend a lot of time researching to make sure they are portraying history correctly (no zippers on clothing for instance), novels are works of fiction. A story woven for entertainment, one that takes the reader to once upon a time and happily ever after. A form of relaxation and stress release, not so different from a bubble bath.

I’m happy to say I’ve finished my mail order bride story, sent it off, and have moved on to my Christmas story for the Harlequin anthology. The heroine of this story is named Cora, and I simply love that name. Don’t even know how or why I chose it, but I do like it. And her. She’s a persistent gal. Which reminds me, I will update my WIP page.

Our youngest granddaughter turns one this week, with a big party planned for Saturday, and I’m hoping to make it up to Braham for Pie Days on Friday where my writer’s group will have a booth. Have a lot to get done between now and then, so I’ll close for now.

Remember to relax and recharge…perhaps take a bubble bath.  

How Grandkids see their Grandparents

Recently my aunt sent me one of those ‘forward’ emails. I usually don’t send those on, but this one I had to, and decided to share some of it here: 

How Grandkids see their Grandparents: 

·         She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful
eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before.  After
she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But
Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!"

·         My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday.  He
asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for
a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

·         After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into
old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair.  As she
heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew
thin.  Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their
room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings.  As she left the
room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice,
"Who was THAT?"

·         A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own
childhood was like.  "We used to skate outside on a pond.   I had a
swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard.  We rode
our pony.  We picked wild raspberries in the woods."  The little girl
was wide-eyed, taking this all in.  At last she said, "I sure wish I'd
gotten to know you sooner!"

·         My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you
know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said,
"No, how are we alike?''  "You're both old," he replied.

·         A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word
processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he
asked.  "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

·         I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I
decided to test her.  I would point out something and ask what color it
was.  She would tell me and was always correct.  It was fun for me, so I
continued.  At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think
you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!"

·         When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the
lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects.
Still, a few fireflies followed us in.  Noticing them before I did,
Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa.  Now the mosquitoes are coming
after us with flashlights."

As I said, I’d forwarded it on to others, and was laughing all over again when they responded with things their own grandchildren/children had said. So precious are the children.

Last week was busy with a surprise birthday party for my ten-year-old great nephew…he was more than surprised. Stunned speechless was more like it. The party was wonderful and on Saturday we attended the wedding of our neighbor ‘boy’. Still hard for me to admit all these kids are grown up. He used to check what we were having for supper, and then check what his mom was cooking before deciding where he wanted to eat. The wedding was fabulous, and his wife is adorable.

I’m off now to work on final revisions. I’m digging deeper into the hero and heroine’s emotions for this story, making them deeply ponder why they are falling in love, and I’m loving it.

Stay happy by thanking the Good Lord for all you have!

How-Do!

Here’s Bear, Granddog extraordinaire!  

The sweltering, humid days of the temperature reaching over 90 in Minnesota are here. Yes, it’s hot, but I refuse to complain. Summer’s too short for that. We had two high school graduation parties last weekend, my step-grandson James, and great nephew Tyler. So proud of both of them. Great boys with their futures ahead of them. One party had a dunk tank, the other a swimming pool, to help tackle the heat and we had a marvelous time. 

My sister-in-law from Kansas called to say the gals she works with are reading the Quinter Bride Series, and how she had to prove to them I was her sister-in-law.  Between hubby and I, the poor girl was on the phone for over an hour.  My mother read the first drafts of all my books, and said I could write a million books and Guardian Bride-The Quinter Brides Book 4 would always be her favorite. I now believe it was because the spirit of Jonas Quinter, the father of all those boys, appears in that book.  Mom was so ready to be reunited with Dad.

Speaking of The Quinter Brides, I just received this five-angel review on Badland Bride.

Oh, and I must mention, we are no longer dogless. We inherited my mother’s shih tzu, Pooh.  He’s settled in just fine, and follows hubby everywhere, but then he did that before since this was his second home. He’s a nice little dog, and we are enjoying him, however, the neighbor dog’s nose is a bit bent out of shape. 

I completed the edits on one story and sent it in, and am working on the other two, while also outlining another story. Our trip through Wyoming left me with so many wonderful bits of research I have to get them down while they are still somewhat fresh in my mind. 

Blessings to you all!