I cut ties with a lot of things during 2020. RWA, my local writing chapter, my publisher and my agent are all in my rearview mirror. As a result, I find myself approaching 2021 like a bird with brand new wings*. Needless to say, I’m nervous as hell. It’s one thing to talk about cutting…
Resiliency
I started reading poetry recently as a way of improving my creative language skills. There is a rhythm and lyricism to poems that I would like to transfer to my writing. What I’m finding is that a) poetry is damn hard and b) when done right, it manages to find the perfect words to reflect…
Reading Round Up for November
I didn’t do as much reading in November as I have in past months. I’m not entirely sure why. Reading fatigue maybe? However, I did read a few titles that I thought I’d share. THE YELLOW WIFE by Sadeqa Johnson: After reading too many World War II historicals to count, I thought a Civil War…
October Reading Roundup
I didn’t do as much reading last month as I wanted, largely because Captain Pete and I were on a bit of a Star Trek movie binge, but I did squeeze in a few titles. Most of these books are advanced reads. I highly recommend you mark your calendars for their release dates, because I…
Barb’s Book Recommendations for September 2020
There are two big advantages to working part time in a bookstore. One is being able to purchase new releases as soon they are published (and at a discount!). The other is having access to a Netgalley Account. This means I get to check out some terrific reads prior to their release. Since I can’t…
The Wait is Over! Backyards Have Bodies Is Here!
Do you hear that noise? It’s the sound of me cheering (and maybe sighing in relief as well). Backyards Have Bodies, the long-awaited sequel to The Suburbs Have Secrets is live and for sale on all platforms. Backyards Have Bodies picks up a few months after the end of Suburbs. Having protected her secret, Sadie…
Having a Posse Will Help You Live Longer
As many of you know, I walk for an hour every morning before work. To make the time go by faster, I listen to podcasts. Frequently, I listen to true crime, because nothing gets the blood pumping like an unsolved murder, but I sample other shows as well. I have a list of favorites that…
Can You Help a Girl Out?
BookBub is a free reader service that provides readers with book recommendations, news about price discounts, and updates from favorite authors. It’s actually a pretty cool way to discover new authors. Think of it like Goodreads, but will far less bells and whistles. You simply get recommendations for well-liked books. I review there…
Summer Time Blues (Pandemic Version)
It’s July 7th. Normally, around this time I am shopping and gearing up for the RWA Annual Conference, a week-long party an industry business and networking event for romance writers. I love this week because it’s often my only chance to see a lot my best writing buddies face-to-face. The rest of the year we survive…
Update, Update, Who Has an Update?
Last week, I typed The End on my latest Harlequin Romance. It will be my 23rd title for Harlequin in eleven years, and my 26th book over all. Tentatively titled The Billionaire’s Second Chance, it will hit shelves in February, 2021. Now that the book is finished, the rest of 2020 will be spent on…