Top 20 Books for Your Middle-Grader (ages 8-12, 3rd-7th grade)

I love book lists, especially when it comes to finding good books for my kids. I recently came up with this one for tweens or kids that are out of the picture book phase, but not quite ready for the young adult books.

For more information on these books including my personal comments and rating, check out my post on Delicious Reads!

Van Gogh Gone Book Launch

I know. I'm totally late in posting these, but they are finally here! Yay! I love this YA series so much and loved being hosted by The King's English Bookshop. They are by far one of my favorite places in Utah. Thanks to them for the location. A shout out to my friends Suzie and Bethany for the fabulous cookies. Thanks to the Durtschi's at Crio Bru for providing the amazing brewed cocoa bean drinks (yum!). Last of all, thanks to all my supporters for coming out and listening to me gush about this labor of love, Van Gogh Gone. You can still pick up a copy at your local Utah bookstore, Deseret Book, or Amazon. Don't forget to read Remembrandt first if you want to get the full story :)

It's go time!
I absolutely LOVE my cover to Van Gogh Gone (Remembrandt #2). It may be that I helped create it, but it's probably more because I got the gorgeous Marli to model for me and Summer Nicole Photo to take the cover photo.

My cheesy smile before the launch begins.

Thanks to my 7-year-old, these custom cookies were nearly gone before the launch even started.

Though some of these gorgeous cookies (made to mimic the symbol of the spy organization in the book) were damaged in transit, they tasted as good as they looked. Thanks, Suzie!

A launch wouldn't be complete without my biggest supporter, my daughter . . . and that child that I will not claim behind us :)

Crio Bru? Yes, please! You can't have a book launch on a chilly day without a warm brewed drink.

Bethany saved the day with these custom cookies she created just hours before the launch. It's a good thing we had them in addition to the others because every one of them disappeared minutes after the reading and Q&A.

There are so many people I love in this picture!

My cute friends from book club! Jen, Kara, and Julie - you guys are the best.

This mother-daughter duo are such good friends and great supporters. Love you, Krista and Shaustia!

Just waiting around with The King's English staff before I began.

Just giving a little back story on how Remembrandt and Van Gogh Gone came to be.

I know I was saying something super interesting here.

I'll be honest with you, I don't even remember what part of my book I read for the reading! Does anyone remember?

Either I said something really funny here or someone in the audience did ;)

My handsome hubby and youngest daughter totally enthralled by my words.

Some of my favorite people came!

Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings came! She is amazingly cute blogger, crafter, and reader. Her etsy shop (cute and hip baby and toddler clothes) is TO DIE FOR!

See? Totally enthralled . . . 

I'm so funny! (and I was so 16 weeks pregnant too and no one knew)

I told you I was funny. Love you, Amy!

Whitney and Alix came too.

They couldn't wait to get reading.

Angie is my soul sister and seriously should not stand next to me because she's so gorgeous.

Signing time! The King's English has this cute little nook upstairs where authors sign their books. I love it.

I like to personalize my books before I sign my name. 

Finally, I got a chance to sit back and relax.

and drink some Crio Bru.

This was not posed. If it was, I wouldn't have a double chin :)

Kelly from Delicious Reads and LitJoy Crate is one of my favorite people and has supported me from the beginning.

Some of my Delicious Reads friends. I love you guys!

I love that you'll do crazy jumps in the air with me.

 I vaguely remember someone making an inappropriate comment here about my the placement of my books. Thanks to all my supporters (no pun intended) .

Seriously, this was the best book launch I could have asked for!

XoXo,

P.S. The final book in the Remembrandt series will be coming out fall 2016! I'll be announcing the title at an event this coming Saturday,

Giveaway: Remembrandt Series & Ring!

Who's ready for a fast-paced read to get your heart pumping in more ways than one? My book, Remembrandt is a young adult romantic suspense with a Alias/Covert Affairs-like feel, perfect for fans of Ally Carter or just those who wish they could live as a spy.

Photo credit: Folded Pages Distillery

I've partnered with @deliciousreads and @foldedpagesdistillery on Instagram to giveaway the first two books in the series (Remembrandt and Van Gogh Gone), along with a custom ring, only worn by members of the spy organization in the book,The Company. Head on over to Instagram (@AuthorRobinKing) or Facebook (Author Robin King) to enter! 

Here's a synopsis of each book:

"I don't walk down memory lane. I live on it."

Summary: Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane, she lives on it. Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style. It's great when you want to ace a test, but not so great when you topple over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over . . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past. Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes.

When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret – one that will catapult her into a world of secret codes and covert missions. As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, she wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy.

One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory. And some things are better left forgotten.

Remembrandt #2

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Stewart finally has a life worth remembering - a Spanish tutor who gives perfecto a new name, a roommate that could double as her sister, and a special role in a secret spy organization that exists in the basement of Brown University.

But when her colleague, Daly, returns from a recent trip to Moscow accompanied by a man she never thought she'd see again, Alex is ripped away from her life in Providence and sent across the globe in search of a stolen piece of art.  In desperate need to find the Van Gogh painting, she will do anything to find it. Anything.

From Barcelona to Paris with only Daly at her side, the bonds of friendship are stretched as the duo uncover a truth neither one of them saw coming. Finding the painting could mean discovering a part of Alex she is ashamed could even exist, but without it, she could lose everything. The world around Alex threatens to corrupt the memories she holds most dear and the person she loves the most is at stake.

Make Your Own Rings

Hey Bookworms! Yes you. I just put together my latest post for Delicious Reads and I thought I would share it with you. Check out how I made "The Company" rings that I like to give out at book launches and signings. I really want to make more of these in different themes. I think they would make the perfect custom gift for a book lover.

Here's a link to the article: DIY Custom Book-Inspired Rings and Jewelry. Enjoy!

24 Clean Romance Novels

I meant to post this earlier, but life got ahead of me! I spent a lot of time researching and reading these books and finally got the list whittled down to 24 books. These are all PG-rated romance books that adults will love! Check out each book and my criteria for why they were chosen at DeliciousReads.com.

Also, if you missed it, I compiled this list of 40 Clean Reads for Teens. 

Signed Copies of Van Gogh Gone Giveaway

It's here! Finally. If you haven't read Van Gogh Gone yet (or you want a copy to share with a friend), today is your lucky day. Actually Janurary is your lucky month. I'm giving away 5 copies of Van Gogh Gone (Remembrandt #2) on GoodReads. Good Luck! I can't wait for you to read it.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Van Gogh Gone

by Robin King

Giveaway ends January 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Van Gogh Gone Cover Reveal

It's here, my friends! It took a little longer than I planned and we had a few last minutes changes, but I LOVE how it turned out.

Van Gogh Gone by Robin King (Remembrandt #2)

The model, Marli, looks amazing as Alexandra, Thanks to the amazing Summer Nicole Photo for taking the photo of the model. Also, a shout out to Classy Cosmetics for doing the model's makeup and to Bryn Allred for making the model's already beautiful hair perfect for the cover. 

Upcoming Event: Lehi Author Night

Lehi Library is hosting an author event on Wednesday, September 23 at 7pm at the library. They will "Shine the Light" on local authors, including me! Some of the other authors that will be presenting and selling books at the event are H.B. Moore (Finding Sheba & others) and Stacy Henrie (A Hope Remembered). It is going to be fun to hear how all the authors got their start and if you are interested in their books, they will have copies to buy that night.

40 Clean Reads for Teens

I've done it again. I know. It's another book list. The last list I did for Delicious Reads, Top 24 Books for Teen Boys, was so successful that I decided it was time to put together a list of books that any teen could read. I've been arranging a list for a while now that includes books I would feel comfortable having my daughter read when she is a teen (even though she is currently five years old). 

These books would get a PG rating (no swearing, sex, drugs, alcohol, or too much violence). Does that make these books boring? Heck no! It just means you can read them without being offended, embarrassed or guilty about the content. These would be perfect reading for school, teen book clubs, or anyone that likes to read good, clean young adult novels.

About four years ago, I started giving all the books I've read a "Robin-Approved for Teens" tag at the bottom of my reviews in GoodReads. I'm still adding to the list, but I pulled from it my favorite ones to make this list for Delicious Reads. I'd love help adding more to my list on GoodReads as well. You can add books to the group by joining it. It's called Clean Teen Reads (Robin-approved).

And the winners are . . .

Thanks for everyone that participated in the GoodReads Giveaway. We had over 1,242 entries! I'm so excited to have new readers and even more excited to have everyone read Van Gogh Gone (Remembrandt #2) when it comes out in November.