Last month, I mentioned to a group of authors that I wasn’t interested in independently publishing The in Crowd, and they looked at me like I had two heads. Why on earth, they ask, would I endure the headaches and constraints of traditional publishing when, by publishing independently, I could maintain control and make…
Barb’s Book Reviews – September 2022
Happy End of Summer! I know what you’re thinking. The solstice isn’t until September 22. Maybe so, but where I live, the schools are open, the coffee shop is selling pumpkin spice and candy corn is one display at the market. Fall is here. Perhaps it’ll cheer you up to know I’ve got three terrific…
Barb’s Blog – Retro Cocktail of the Month: The Blue Hawaiian
It’s the last full week of summer. Why not fire of the grill and break out some summer-inspired cocktails one more time? This month’s retro delight is The Blue Hawaiian. Not to be confused with The Blue Hawaii cocktail invented in 1957, the Blue Hawaiian is basically a piña colada with blue curaçao added for…
Barb’s Blog: Thinking About Success
As I prepare to send The In Crowd into the wild next month (Yay!), I’m finding myself thinking about success. Or rather, what I want success to look like. To be clear, I am talking strictly about writing success. Life success is a completely different matter. Life success is about leaving the world in a…
Words of Wisdom
I meant to post this last Friday, but I was visiting Lt. Tattoo in the wilds of Vermont. You can ride your bike to the Canadian border, but you can’t get reliable internet service. Anyway, over the last few weeks, this quote has floated through my brain a number of times. It manages to summarize…
Barb’s Book Reviews, August 2022
I can’t believe it’s August already. As I type this, the temperature here in New England is 95+ degrees. We’re in the middle of a drought as well. This means my lawn is a lovely shade of brown (or as my four-year-old neighbor likes to say ‘it’s crunchy’.) But fear not! Hot and humid didn’t…
Retro Cocktail of the Month (July edition)
Don’t forget – drink responsibly and never drink and drive.
Life
Last week, I turned 58 years old which means I’ve had some experience at this life business. As my birthday gift to you all, I’m going to share an important piece of wisdom that I’ve managed to learn over my almost-six decades on earth. Life is hard. Life is unpredictable. Life will kick you in…
Writing vs Storytelling
This is for R— “I’m not a writer. I’m a storyteller,” a friend of mine texted the other day. She made it sound as though being a storyteller was a bad thing. I disagree. Being a good storyteller – and trust me, this particular friend is very good – is a gift. The world is…
On Cats and Sharing Family History
When I was a little girl, I wanted a kitten. I mean I really, really wanted one. Alas, my older brother suffered from severe allergies which meant no furry animals in the house. I begged. I pleaded. I threatened to run away with my stuffed animals. (A threat thwarted by my mother making French toast…