Our Story
Robeth Publishing, LLC
by Bobbi Holmes

        It has been said that a book can change your life. I have to agree. Yet, the book that altered mine was not authored by a well known individual. It was not a classic, and it wasn’t even published by an established publishing house.  It was a simple little paperback book, written by Pearl Comfort Fisher, and published by the San Bernardino County Museum Association.
         My husband and I had moved our three-year-old son, and infant daughter to Wrightwood California in November of 1982. I loved the charming little village, and wanted to learn as much as possible about my new home.  I began reading everything I could find, which included Ms. Fisher’s book, The Mountaineers, a historical account of the area. 
         It was from that book that I came up with the idea of Mountain/Hi-Desert Guide  (Guide). I had a degree in Communications, and had already learned that I was not meant for hard news.  Instead, I was more interested in a publication that would explore local history, and help residents and visitors get the most out of the area by making it easy to find local organizations and upcoming events and community activities.
         The Guide was born in the summer of 1985. My first advertiser was Willy Williams, of Williams Wrightwood Realty, and his ad remained on the back page of the publication during my time as its publisher.
         Several years before the Guide, I self-published Great-Grandma’s Recipe Book.  After my grandmothers passed away, I had in my possession their handwritten recipe cards, including some written by my Great-Grandma Clint. I wanted to share the recipes with family and friends, and so I began the arduous task of kitchen testing each one.  Most were informally written, often listing just the ingredients.
         After testing and re-writing the recipes, I published the book for family and friends.  It was then Robeth Publishing was created.  A bit corny and sentimental, it is a combination of the names of my son (Robert) and daughter (Elizabeth).
         When the Guide went to press, it did so under Robeth Publishing, and it served the communities of Wrightwood, Phelan and Pinon Hills, California.
         In 1988 and 1989, we published an annual full color magazine, Wrightwood Magazine.
      Mountain/Hi-Desert Guide was a wonderful experience and adventure. I published it from 1985 until 1991, when I sold it to June Woodmansee and Susan Johnson.  My father was terminally ill, and our family needed to leave our beloved Wrightwood, and move to Lake Havasu (where I was originally from), to assist my parents in operating their family business, Havasu Palms.
         During my time publishing the Guide, I met some wonderful people who helped bring our publication to life, and some who welcomed me into their homes, to conduct interviews, sharing stories of their pioneer families with our readers.
         After I returned to Havasu, I once again returned to what I loved, writing about local history. I wrote and published, Where the Road Ends, about the history of one of the oldest camps on Lake Havasu, which, at the time, was our family home.
       Then came the internet, and by 1999 I was publishing an online magazine called Havasu Magazine. Since that time we have published various books, which are available for sale online, and several websites.
       Robeth Publishing has been absorbed by Robeth Publishing, LLC, whose website is Robeth.com. Today Robeth Publishing, LLC is involved with a variety of publishing projects.