I’m terrible at manifesting (or scripting as it’s called on TikTok.). That is, the concept of thinking aspirational thoughts with the idea that the positive energy will help you turn your intentions into reality. It’s not that I don’t believe in having a positive attitude – I do – but I’m incredibly superstitious. I worry…
Barb’s Book Reviews, March 2023
Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams: Things Past Telling chronicles the life of Maryam Grace, a West African girl who is captured by slave traders in the late 18th century. Over the next 100 plus years she lives a life filled with heartache, love, and adventure. (Serious adventure – she’s kidnapped by pirates!) What…
Blog Thoughts: Celebrating Wins and Halifax Cocktails
I apologize for missing the last two Friday updates, but I was on vacation! My awesome husband treated me to a week in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Because everyone heads north in the winter, right? Actually, he gifted me a writing retreat with my bestie, Donna Alward who lives outside the city. She and I, along…
Barb’s Book Reviews – February 2023 edition
I’ve got three recommended reads this month. One is available now; two will be out later this month. All three were five-star reviews – it was a good reading month! THE DAUGHTERS OF VICTORY by Gabriella Saab: Fans of Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye are going to love this book. Svetlana is a…
Blog: Now Comes the Hard Part
After nearly two years, I typed The End on my manuscript. Pop a cork, throw some confetti and say a cheer! The book is my first mainstream novel and represents a major career shift. The story – about a 1965 Greenwhich Village clique – took a while to gel. It wasn’t until the fourth or…
Preview – My New Website
I’ve mentioned before that I’m in the process of redesigning and rebranding my website. Thought I’d give you a preview this morning. The new design was created by my friend Selena Blake at Ecila Media. With her help, I’m giving my website a midcentury vibe. (Blog thoughts is my attempt to copy…
Blog Thoughts: Twenty Years
For my mother-in-law’s 83rd birthday, we bought her a Life Alert® system. She lives alone, and we worry that she might take a tumble and break a hip. It’s a bummer of a gift, I’ll admit. A giant reminder that she’s elderly hung around her neck. When I said as much to my husband, he…
Barb’s Book Reviews – January 2023
The holidays kept me from doing as much reading as I wanted in December, but I managed to squeeze in a few titles between wrapping. Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini: Our December Step into the Story featured book, Christmas Bells tells a dual story, one historical and one modern. The historical story is a retelling…
Barb’s Blog: Of Mt. Everest and Other Hills
When asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, climber George Mallory famously said, “Because it’s there”. While that is a great quote, he actually had a great deal more to say on the subject. One must conquer, achieve, get to the top; one must know the end to be convinced that one can win…
Barb’s Book Reviews: My Favorite Books of 2022
Since everyone I know seems to be sharing their favorite reads of the year, I decided to share mine as well. I read nearly 50 books in 2022, so deciding on my absolute favorites wasn’t easy. In the end, I boiled it down to five fiction titles and three non-fiction titles. Here they are, in…