October 2026 Newsletter
It’s been so long since I’ve sent out a newsletter that I wasn’t sure I remembered how! Yikes! But I do…I do.
Yes, I took the summer off from the newsletter—and it was the best thing I could do. It gave me plenty of time to celebrate SECOND COURSES and give plenty of attention to the marketing aspect of things. (This indie publishing is, well…let’s just say you are ALL of the things! But, thankfully, I love it all!)
Let me start by saying…THANK YOU! All of you have been incredibly supportive, and I couldn’t have done it without you!
It also gave me lots of time to spend with family and friends at the lake. It was a summer of local theater, several in-person book events/signings, Friday nights at Sunnyside Par 3, adventures into the Adirondacks, pontooning, reading and writing retreats, a new in-person critique group, strawberry picking (plus, jam making), and…WRITING!
The first draft of FAIRWAY TO LOVE is done!! It was done before I made the trek back to Texas…and I’ve been giving myself some distance from it so I can look at it with fresh eyes at the end of the month and implement the pages and pages of notes I made along the way. This book has a Spring 2027 release date (exact date TBD), and let me answer the most often asked question I get about this book: DO I HAVE TO ENJOY THE GAME OF GOLF TO ENJOY THIS BOOK? My answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
This book is set on a fictional golf course in Lake George, but our female main character is not a golfer. In fact, she inherits this course from her estranged father. I think you’ll love not only the romance, but also how Emily (our FMC) learns to deal with her inability to speak with her dad as she reconciles this inheritance.
And I have started Book #3—Chloe’s story—which so many of you asked for. It will be set in autumn on Lake George—and I hope to release it in late summer 2027. (This may be a stretch goal, but the writing is going well, and I feel I have a fantastic grasp on Chloe’s voice.)
What else can I tell you about the last gazillion months?
**I submitted two RFPs to teach fiction writing workshops at Waiwaka next summer
**I threw my hat into the ring to be the VP of Events for WFWA in the upcoming election (If you’re a WFWA member, I’d appreciate your support)
**I’m also a WFWA mentor for Fall 2027, serving on the Programs Committee, and participating in the new Marketing Pods
**I had an amazing trip to Scotland in June with Blaine (absolutely fantastic!)
**Book events were so much fun! I had a fantastic time talking to readers over the summer.
**I’m compiling an eBook of the writings from some amazing women I met at a Writing Retreat at Wiawaka this past summer
**I’ve been playing around with sprayed edges for my book—not sure if I’ll do any for sale, but it’s been fun to give it a try
**I did a book club event at Adirondack Winery with The Book Bitches (their name/not mine), and it was a blast!
**I’m now a member of The Early Edition with Stories & Keepsakes
**I’m also a brand ambassador for Sur La Table (But I’m a bad one at the moment, as I haven’t been cooking much)
Anyways…I’m sure I missed a million things (I can guarantee it), but I wanted to send a newsletter out before I pushed it off another month.
Please hit reply and tell me what you’ve been up to! I love getting emails from you!
Talk soon!
Robin
P.S. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Second Courses, you still can!
Signed paperback copies are available on my website (robinblackburnwriter.com/books).
Amazon has it—as do Barnes and Noble (online), Bookshop.org, and Walmart.com
If you’re local to the Upstate NY area, you can find signed copies Just One More Chapter in Glens Falls, The Lake George Book Cabin in…you guessed it, Lake George, and MochaLisa’s Caffe in Clifton Park.
What I’m reading right now…
Currently, I’m reading: BACK FOR SECONDS by Betty Corrello
At the Moment
What I’m watching:
Okay…just a quick rundown of what we’ve been watching on television:
Big Brother
Survivor
Best Medicine
A whole bunch of cooking competition shows
College football
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Ted Lasso
Got anything you’d recommend? Let me know!
What I’m cooking:
Caleb is home this fall as he has taken an assistant PGA professional job at Royal Oaks Country Club here in Houston and will be starting part-time at the University of Houston in January—which means our days of charcuterie for dinner are few and far between. But, seeing as I’ve only been in Houston for about 10 days, I haven’t made any new recipes, but if you’ve got some you love, send them my way. I love to try out new things!
New Feature on the Website:
I love my author friends…they’re the absolute best! So…as a way to give back to a community that’s been so gracious and giving to me, I started: Booked and Introduced. Each month, you’ll get to meet 1-2 authors who are in my circle. I hope you’ll check them out! Here’s who has been featured so far:
If your book club would like to read SECOND COURSES, please reach out to me. I’d love to extend a discount on paperbacks to your group (I will ship all copies to one member of the group for distribution—along with character art, bookmarks, and stickers), and I’m also available to Zoom/Google Meet with your group so you can ask questions about the book, the writing and publishing process, or anything else that you’d like!