Lauri Robinson is a special author for all those who love Wild West. She turns back the clock towards the romantic and realistic times of the brave man with guns and guts. It’s a great pleasure to invite Lauri as our next guest at Land of Books. Our chat is about her latest and future projects. Enjoy!

– Lauri, what is your book The Wrong Cowboy about?
– The Wrong Cowboy is about being dedicated to your own goals, and eventually figuring out those goals can change to include others. The heroine, Marie, is dedicated to being the best nursemaid to the children in her charge, and Stafford is determined to become a successful rancher. Together they must learn they can both get what they want.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– This story came to me while writing, The Cowboy Who Caught Her Eye. Marie’s character was mentioned as a mail-order bride that was on a train with six kids in tow. At the time, it was just a mention, but as time went on, her story grew in the back of my mind until it was ready to be put on paper—or so I thought.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– When first outlining the story, I thought Marie would marry Mick, the man she claimed had ordered her as a bride. It wasn’t until I started writing the book that Stafford, Mick’s partner, actually became her love interest.
– Tell us something more about your main character?
– Marie is a hoot. Her focus on the children gives her blinders to just about everything going on around her, including Stafford.
– Is she close to someone from your real life?
– I can’t say any of my characters have been based on any one person, but each of them does have a few characteristics from people I know.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– I can’t say for sure, but it usually takes me three to four months to write a book. The average time from when I finish the book to its publication date is usually a year, and that timeline is completely up to my publisher.
– A Fortune for the Outlaw’s daughter and A Wife for Big John are your last two books. Would you share some insights about them?
– A Fortune for the Outlaw’s Daughter was a fun book to write. A modern day gold miner who I met on line while researching about mining gold for Inheriting a Bride, actually emailed me the plot idea of a young couple striking it rich in the Alaskan gold fields after he’d been up in Alaska mining gold. I told him I’d have to change it quite a bit to make it a romance novel, and he was all for that. So you could say it was a collaborative effort between the two of us.
A Wife for Big John was actually first published in 2008, and re-released by Amazon Encore this spring. That story has a special place in my heart because my dad was still alive while I was writing it and he told me many stories about the lumber camps he used to visit in northern Minnesota when he was a child.
– Who are you?
– Oh, that’s a trick question! And a tough one. We all change as we journey through life, and right now I define myself most as a grandma. We have four adorable grandchildren that my husband and I can’t spoil enough! I’m also a book worm, always have been, and I love history. I can’t drive past a museum or antique store without stopping!
– What are your writing habits?
– I have to write every day. Even if it’s just for an hour or so. My favorite place to write is in the reclining chair in the living while my husband is watching TV. Prior to opening my WIP (work in progress) I take ten minutes to meditate in order to bring the characters forward without any obstacles.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– I’m sure every author wishes they sold more of every book. I do enjoy the opportunities Harlequin provides of ebooks being available at numerous retailers on line while print books are distributed to brick and mortar stores.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– That is the million dollar question, isn’t it? Marketing is the black hole, and it’s hard to say what is the best practice. What may appear to work for one book, doesn’t appear to work for the next and readers are everywhere, so marketing has to happen on line and in person. Harlequin is very good at promoting books, and I’m so very thankful for all of the opportunities they provide all of their authors.
– When we will see your next novel and would you unveil something more about it?
– This summer/fall I have a series of four books being released, The Daughter s of the Roaring Twenties. This series is set in my home state of Minnesota during the height of prohibition, which has made Roger Nightingale a wealthy man. With his bootlegging business in full swing, and his swanky hotel the most popular joint in town, his greatest challenge is keeping his four willful daughters in check! The first book came out in ebook only on July 1st. It’s Ginger’s story. She’s the youngest of Roger’s daughters and sneaks away to Chicago with Brock Ness in The Runaway Daughter.
The other three books will be available in print and ebook starting August 1st with The Bootlegger’s Daughter. It’s the oldest daughter’s story, Norma Rose, and she goes head-to-head with Prohibition Agent Ty Bradshaw in order to protect her father’s business.
After that The Rebel Daughter will be released on September 1st, where fly-boy Forrest Reynolds tries to tame the mischievous Twyla before she gets herself in serious trouble.
And last, but not least, is Josie, and the secret she’s kept hidden from everyone including Scooter Wilson in The Forgotten Daughter. It will be released on October 1st. After those, my next release will be in February 2016. Saving Marina is set during the 1690’s Salem Witch Trials.
– How came your love for NASCAR racing?
– I was raised with six brothers, my husband in a mechanic, and we have three sons, therefore, I’ve always been around cars. I remember watching NASCAR long before it grew to the popularity it is today and the excitement of spending the weekend at the track is an adventure one must experience in order to understand.
– Why the Wild West theme in book publishing is not so popular in our days, compared to 80s and 90s?
– I believe there is an ebb and flow to everything. The popularity of westerns may not be as strong as it once was, but there have always been people who love them. That’s me. I grew up watching western on TV, and wanted to grow up and marry Little Joe Cartwright—along with a million other young girls!
– Speaking of Wild West, I was inspired when I was a kid by Karl May. What do you think about his books?
– My grandfather was an avid western reader, and had several of Karl’s books, along with Zane Grey and a collection of Louis L’Amour that I now own. There is just something about a cowboy that makes him the perfect hero!
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be?
– I’m often asked which one of my books is my favorite, and my answer is always the same: “The one I am currently writing.” Right now, I’m writing one with a Cheyenne Indian Chief as the hero. I enjoy the research each book takes as much as writing the story and this one is no different. I’ve always loved history, and am always amazed by how much I didn’t know!

To learn more about Lauri Robinson check out her Blog
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Таке a look at her books:
The Wrong Cowboy (Harlequin Historical)
A Wife for Big John
The Bootlegger’s Daughter
A Fortune for the Outlaw’s Daughter (Harlequin Historical)