Judith A. Barrett's Blog
May 31, 2024
Hog Wild About Festivals
The local Piggly Wiggly Super Market was a sponsor of the Ellaville Spring Festival. The Big Boss showed up to see how things were going. My tip: Never pass up the opportunity for a photo op with a Big Celebrity. Can you tell I’m in Hog Heaven?
This spring has been a great season of Arts and Crafts Festivals for us! We’ll be taking the summer off because it’s too hot in Georgia to spend an entire day out in the heat and humidity with the summer gnats.
What I’ve learned this Spring
There are still a lot of paperback readers that love meeting an author and buying signed booksI talked to several people who enjoy audiobooks; I added the goal to have all my books in audiobooks by the end of the summer.People are nice (but I already knew that)Always buy lunch from a food truckVendors are a helpful bunch and are willing to share what they knowSize matters: I had changed the font size of many of my books to a slightly smaller font to avoid raising the price for my books (printing costs are skyrocketing!), but there are many people of all ages that need the little larger font, so I switched back to the original size and narrowed the margins instead.My feet hurt after standing all day on concrete. FarmerMan’s solution: the chef’s mat we have in the kitchen. He’s brilliant.BONUS: Our Fall Event Schedule is starting to fill up!
If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled? ~George Carlin
May 3, 2024
Georgia Strawberry Festival
When we arrived at the Strawberry Festival at 6:00 am, we had to have an extra splash of coffee when we realized our assigned site was in the middle of the road, and Strawberry Festival visitors would be walking past our booth on the “front” side and the “back”.
Challenge accepted, Strawberry Festival! Not all the vendors had the luxury of being able to take advantage of foot traffic from the front and back of their tents, but we revised our “usual” set up to be approachable from both sides.
We had our tables and books organized and were on our way to grab a bite of breakfast when the cafe on the corner opened at 7:00 am. Note how relaxed I appear in our early morning photo. “We got this.”
It Takes Two
Our usual, smooth routine is that I chat with readers and sign books while FarmerMan processes payments and puts the book(s) into one of our spiffy Barrett Book Shop sacks that are prefilled with a Barrett Book Shop postcard. It’s quite nicely orchestrated, and we’ve done it many times.
Our chaotic routine at the Strawberry Festival resulted in the two of us switching sides regularly, sometimes midstream. FarmerMan had the double duty of talking to readers and managing payments while I talked to readers and signed books. Both of us grabbed Barrett Book Shop sacks and popped in books, sometimes at the same time for the same book.
Our one saving grace was that for the first time ever, I had the brilliant idea to sign every single book, a total of over 175 books, while we waited for the Strawberry Festival to begin. After each sale, I only had to add the person’s name and a short note, which was usually my tagline: You keep reading; I’ll keep writing.
Two EventsIn addition to the Strawberry Festival, I was also participating with 41 other authors in a group online Thriller Sale. (The answer is 42. For more explanation, read my blog about the sale, For Thriller Readers.)
I had emailed Draft to Digital (D2D), my favorite distributor of my books to retailers, telling them about the thriller group. Somehow, my thriller, I Always Wanted to be a Spy, was inadvertently left off the list of books. By me: I was the guilty party.
A kind-hearted D2D promotion coordinator, Megan, sent me an email to say she didn’t see my book on the list. After a brief, private moment of embarrassment, I sent her the information. Crisis averted, thanks to Megan.
When a lovely young woman who was the same height as me, approached my table and smiled, I said, “You must be a reader.”
She said, “I better be; I’m promoting your book this weekend.”
again me.
What are the odds? Megan and Me.
Side note: any respectable Promotions Coordinator from Georgia would wear a hat crocheted like a strawberry and a Strawberry Shortcake shirt when she took her daughter to the Strawberry Festival, ammi right?
April 27, 2024
For Thriller Readers
Do you remember Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?
“The Answer is 42” is a super ancient reference to Douglas Adams’ 1979 novel, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Deep Thought, the supercomputer, was tasked to answer The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
After processing the question for over seven million years, Deep Thought revealed… The Answer is 42.
When a group of thriller authors banded together to create a promotion of FREE thriller books April 27-29, one of the (younger) authors innocently asked, HOW MANY BOOKS WILL BE FREE?
The organizer said, “The answer is 42.”
And the (ancient) authors lost it.
Care for one or forty-two free thriller books? Here’s the link! https://thrillerbooklovers.com
Grab your book(s) now! Offer is only good from April 27-29!
April 5, 2024
Inside or Outside?
Which is your preference?
When it comes to Arts and Crafts festivals, outside wins for me, hands down, EXCEPT when it’s raining. When we’ve been caught in a passing shower, the Hubs and I have said for years, “We’ve been wet before; we’ll be wet again.”
However, books don’t do well in overnight dew or a little shower, much less a downpour. We watched the weather closely for the Calico Arts and Crafts Festival, and as the chance of precipitation and thunderstorms rose, the more we worried about the books.
I had originally requested an outdoor spot, but ten days before the Calico Arts and Crafts, I sent a frantic email to the organizer asking to be moved indoors. If you’ve read the Grid Down Survival series, you know that Rosalie is the “Weather Girl.” I channeled my inner Rosalie.
The organizer relieved my worries when she graciously switched us to indoors. Almost all the vendors, indoors and outdoors, set up Friday afternoon to be ready for the Saturday morning event. A terrible thunderstorm with destructive wind blew through late Friday night, and quite a few tents were destroyed. It was tragic.
I was relieved we were inside at the Calico Arts and Crafts Festival, but we had to modify our usual setup. what do you think?
Calico Arts and Crafts in Moultrie GA, March 16-17 (Indoors)
We had a glorious time talking to so many great readers from Georgia and Florida who went home with dry books! The event coordinator had everything well-organized, including an organization of young men on Friday afternoon who unloaded our bins of books for us at our assigned vendor spot!
As usual, we picked up brilliant tips from the vendors around us. Calico is on our Definitely Return list for their next event in November.
Peanut Proud in Blakely GA, March 23 (Outdoors)
Our set up at the Peanut Proud Festival was our usual with our canopy tent and my banner on the front of the tent. It got a little windy in Blakely that day, but the organizers were remarkable hosts, and we had a wonderful time.
We were surprised how many readers from Georgia and Alabama braved the wind gusts and went home with a new book or two. Amazingly, our tent didn’t blow away. Peanut Proud is another event on our Definitely Return list for next year.
The Stars of the Shows: Books!
March 2, 2024
When You Run with the Big Dogs
And you are a Big Dog…
TJ is eleven years old. When he was two years old, we spotted each other at the county animal shelter. He was in a crate, which he and I instantly agreed was a cage, in the restricted area (don’t ask how I accidentally wandered into the restricted area) while he waited for his owners to pick him up from the pound for the third time. The label on TJ’s crate said ‘Runaway’.
A week later, FarmerMan saw a video of a dog that a man had posted in a local group on Social Media. Ten minutes later, we were in front of the house, talking to the man about a dog.
The dog was TJ, and the man said they’d had TJ about six months, but TJ’s boy was going into the Marines. The family couldn’t keep the dog because of Old Cat, who had a rule “No dogs in the house or zip code”. According to the owner, TJ had never been to the vet because he’d never been sick. TJ went home with us.
First Vet VisitTJ had his first visit with our talented vet. After a round of vaccinations and a check up, the vet told us that his wonky right back leg was from an untreated injury when he was a puppy, and most likely he’d been hit by a car. When we told her he’d been labeled a runaway, she said he was looking for us, and we wouldn’t have any issues. Our brilliant vet was right.
Old Dogs Still Got ItEven though TJ now suffers from osteoarthritis, especially in his right back leg, he still guards me while I write, stalks and chases field mice in our front field, reminds me to take our daily walk, so he can have his supper, is a fierce hunter of armadillos, and will dance and sing for his meals or treats.
Teaching the Young OnesTJ also taught our sweet Toby, who was a stray that came to the farm and stayed, the fine art of being a Faithful Kitchen Sentry. In the mornings, FarmerMan frequently whips up a batch of scrambled eggs with potatoes and sausage for us and a second breakfast of fried eggs for the sentries.
In the evening, I’m notorious for my wild chopping of vegetables that hit the floor, dropping the whisk while I make gravy, or the obligatory offering of half of a pecan to each sentry when I whip up a batch of cookies.
You might have noticed all my stories have at least one dog in them. No surprise at all, is it?
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing.
February 9, 2024
Not Quite Spring
I’m a sissy when it comes to cold. Have you ever noticed that the temperature drops around dawn and is really slow in its crawl back up?
It’s nine o’clock in the morning, and it’s 59°F. outside, but according to the weather, it feels like 54°. That might not sound all that cold to you, but it is to my Georgia blood that thrives on days with a light breeze and the perfect temperature of 76°, which is maybe two weeks in the spring and fall.
It might not be spring yet while I huddle next to the electric heater in the computer room and wear wool socks and layers that include a long-sleeved shirt topped by a flannel shirt, but I’m working on my plans for spring events.
My preference for events are the ones that are outside because inside events are too crowded and noisy. The main disadvantage of outdoor events is the weather, of course. My books don’t fare well if it’s too wet or windy, and I’m not crazy about too cold or too hot, but so far, we’ve coped.
When we went to the writers’ conference last November, one of the speakers was Ben Wolf, who writes amazing books for children and young adults. If you’re looking for great books for the younger set or would like to take a peek, here’s the link to his website: Ben Wolf
As far as I’m concerned, Ben is the guru of selling books in person. One of the things he said was he sells a lot of Big Books. It sounded interesting to me, so of course, I asked him how that worked, and he helped me pull together my first Big Book.
Here’s my debut Big Book that we’ll be lugging to the events. It’s 820 pages of the complete Donut Lady Cozy Mystery Series, unabridged, in ONE BIG BOOK!
I think I’ll make a large sticker for readers who buy the 3-pound book. You can order the Omnibus paperback, and I’ll sign it and send you a sticker too. Tap the button for your book and warn your mail carrier!
February 5, 2024
One Big Book, A Bundle, and Readers Rock
A paperback to read while you rock. Bookmark included.
Donut Lady’s side hustle is exposing killers.
Karen O’Brien is a former teacher and convicted felon. After prison, she looks forward to a new, quiet life in her hometown in Georgia despite the disruption of her lurking shadows and terrifying nightmares.
She becomes the Donut Lady after she buys a donut shop complete with a sweet German Shepherd, Colonel, and a sassy gray cat, Mia.
Donut Lady’s specialties are freshly made donuts, scones, hot coffee, and solving crimes. Good plan, except for the pesky killers that intend for her to die.
The COMPLETE set of ALL the Donut Lady Cozy Mystery books in ONE Hefty Paperback! (1)Sweet Deal Sealed, (2) Sweet Deal Concealed, (3) Sweet Deal Revealed, (4) Sweet Deal Appealed, (5) Sweet Secret Deal, and (6) Sweet and Sour Deal.
A Bundle 50% Off
Maybe you’d rather have the entire Cozy Mystery Series in eBooks with a little less weight to carry around.
Exclusive from Barrett Book ShopI gotcha!
Donut Lady’s side hustle is exposing killers.
Karen O’Brien is a former teacher and convicted felon. After prison, she looks forward to a new, quiet life in her hometown in Georgia despite the disruption of her lurking shadows and terrifying nightmares.
She becomes the Donut Lady after she buys a donut shop complete with a sweet German Shepherd, Colonel, and a sassy gray cat, Mia.
Donut Lady’s specialties are freshly made donuts, scones, hot coffee, and solving crimes. Good plan, except for the pesky killers that intend for her to die.
The COMPLETE Set of ALL the Donut Lady Cozy Mystery Series eBooks delivered to your Kindle or ereader! (1)Sweet Deal Sealed, (2) Sweet Deal Concealed, (3) Sweet Deal Revealed, (4) Sweet Deal Appealed, (5) Sweet Secret Deal, and (6) Sweet and Sour Deal.
Readers Rock!
I wanted a really cool sticker to include with signed paperbacks that are ordered from the Barrett Book Shop. Because…Readers Rock!
But while I created the sticker, I wondered about the history of rocking chairs…a natural progression, wouldn’t you think?
TriviaHistory of Rocking ChairsHere’s a rabbit hole for the fascinating story of rocking chairs History of Rocking Chairs. I’d forgotten about the therapeutic uses of the rocking chair. Add a book, and you’re relaxing your back and going on an adventure with your favorite characters!
History of DonutsDonuts have a much longer history than rocking chairs. Here’s what the Britannica has to say on the topic of donuts: https://www.britannica.com/topic/doughnut
My favorite was the tale of the sailor, Hanson Gregory, who was said to have pierced a hole in the pastry with the ship’s wheel during a storm, which reminded me of the pirate in another series… but that’s ANOTHER story!
January 5, 2024
A Tale of Two Videos
This is the link to the ancient video that was a trailer for Tagged by Death. I can’t get it to load.
https://judithabarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/tagged-by-death-trailer.wmvTAGGED BY DEATH January 2024
Dressed for Success
Dressed for Success? I didn’t realize how well my new Christmasy long-sleeved shirt matched my $5.00 Walmart tablecloth. At least no one had trouble finding my booth!
My last event for 2023 was the Mistletoe Market in Cairo, Georgia. It’s one of my favorites; I love seeing my previous readers who return for more books and meeting new readers!
A shout out to the Mom who marched up to my booth with a slip of paper in her hand and announced, “My daughter said I’m supposed to get the Stalking book for her.”
Nearby shoppers gave her the side-eye, but she was a Mom on a Mission and impervious to any judgy attitudes.
In 2022, I ordered five of my newest paperback, which was book 3 in a series, as soon as I published it. When my books arrived, I was thoroughly embarrassed when I realized I had the wrong title on the spine! The five books were perfectly fine except for the spine. I hid them in the back of our office closet.
I decided to embrace my mistake and offered the first three books of the series, with the third book being the mistake book, at the same price as the two books plus $5.00. I have three mistake books (rare first editions?) left. I’ll keep taking my mistake books to events until they’re gone.
My plan for 2024: Even more in-person events and increased focus on BARRETT BOOK SHOP where readers can buy paperbacks, ebooks, and audiobooks directly from me.
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
December 1, 2023
Dragon On Her Shoulder
If you have read the Maggie Sloan Thriller series, you might remember Kiki, the tiny imaginary dragon in Book 5 who rode on the shoulder of Maggie’s new friend, Tonya.
If you haven’t read any of the Maggie Sloan books, it’s okay. You can start with Book 1, I Always Wanted to Be a Spy. It’s available as an ebook, paperback, or audiobook. You have choices. Maggie Sloan Thriller Series
Not to give too much away, but Maggie has two friends who are imaginary men; one is Palace Guard.
Here’s a tiny excerpt from “See Beyond the Fog.”
Tonya, who has been hard of hearing since birth, said, “I didn’t have many friends when I was a kid; only an imaginary dragon, and she was my best friend; she still comes around once in a while, but she really is shy. My husband can see my Kiki; can Kevin see your imaginary Palace Guard?”“Yes, he can. Do you have any idea how strange this conversation is?”“Yes, and it’s also why I don’t have many friends. When someone talks to me in a rude way, Kiki pretends she is wounded by their words and reels then drops to the floor and plays dead; unfortunately, I laugh.”I giggled, and Palace Guard grinned. “I’m afraid I’d laugh too.”I went to a weeklong writers’ conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. So, given the fact that I believe in imaginary men and tiny dragons, can you imagine how excited I was to see an author with a dragon on her shoulder? I chased her down the hallway to get a photo with her dragon, Cobalt. I didn’t see anyone else waiting to get a snapshot with Cobalt, so I’m pretty sure he must be imaginary too.
N. A. Davenport, author, writes YA and middle grade books. Check her out on Amazon. N. A. Davenport, Author Tell her Palace Guard sent you.
