Barb Han's Blog, page 2

HAPPY NEW YEAR and HELLO 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

May I be among the first to wish you many blessings in 2017! Since I’m Scottish on my mother’s side (and have the red hair to prove it—LOL!), I’d like to offer the following toast:

May the hill rise behind you,

And may the mountain be always over the crest;

And may the God that you believe in

Hold you in the palm of his hand.

With a whole new year in front of us, I always take time to think about what I’d like to accomplish. As such, I enjoy making a few Resolutions.

For 2017, a few of mine are:

– See an off-Broadway play

– Take better care of my hair (it used to be so thick!)

– Find a really great hairstyle that works with my hair (it’s going to be the year of my hair—LOL)

– Notice something every day that brings me joy and take time to think about it every morning to set the tone for the day

I always think of a guiding word for the year. For the next twelve months, I’ll work toward enjoyment of all the wonderful things in my life (and there are many!). I love how the word joy is sandwiched in the middle of those letters. It reminds me that joy is everywhere if we look for it.

May your 2017 be joyful and blessed!

Now it’s your turn. Tell me if you make Resolutions and share one if you’d like. Have you ever used a word to guide your thoughts for the year? If so, I’d love to know yours.

ONE TOUGH TEXAN Now Available in U.S. Bookstores

ONE TOUGH TEXAN, book three in the Cattlemen Crime Club miniseries, is now available where all Harlequin print books are sold in the United States.

Small-town Texas with high-stakes risks

Alice Green lives with ghosts. A rogue cop whose mistake led to the loss of a young girl’s parents, Alice is haunted by the decisions that halted her sterling career. And now the same girl who lost her parents has been abducted. And Alice will stop at nothing to find her.

Joshua O’Brien doesn’t want to tell his brothers—fellow inheritors of his deceased parents’ ranch—that he has bigger plans. Applying to work for the FBI brings the possibility of an exciting and illustrious career. But when he meets Alice, whose beauty is only surpassed by her brain, it doesn’t take long for things to heat up. And while helping her crack a case might save a life…it could also cost him his own.

Cattlemen Crime Club

Cattlemen Crime Club Book 5 Has a Title

Book 5 in Barb’s popular Cattlemen Crime Club miniseries now has a title. TEXAS WITNESS is scheduled for release September, 2017. Stay tuned for more details as they become available!

Time Out Thursday – Looking Back at 2016

The end of 2016 is only weeks away. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on this year. I guess it’s that time—time to look back, enjoy memories and evaluate. Soon, we’ll ring in a New Year—2017—and try not to write 2016 as the date. LOL

I’ll make a list of Resolutions (do you make them, too?) and decide which ones I’ll tackle. I’ve found over the years a resolution that makes the list every year but I don’t make time for has to be examined closely. If it doesn’t end up being that important to me, it gets tossed off the list forever. If it is, I resolve even more to accomplish it. Having a book published made my list five consecutive years before I made the time to sit down and write my first. Learning to surf, on the other hand, has been crossed off the list forever. It’s just not that important to me and it’s time to let the ‘this might be fun’ idea go.

But before I do that, it’s time to check the rearview…

There were trips:

A quick visit to Austin to celebrate my oldest son’s birthday in March.

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The next trip was June when my daughter accompanied me on a work trip to New York (one of my favorite places in the world!) to spend a day with the Book Obsessed Chicks at their annual Beach Bash.

Followed by another trip to New York, this time with middle son for a weekend in the fall. He attended a Gaming event while I met with bloggers (pictured to the left with Jennifer Butler).

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We added to the family:

At the beginning of summer, we took on a rescue puppy. He’s nine-months-old now (pictured on the right) and comes in at around sixty-pounds. Best of all, he’s settling into his personality and (more importantly) we survived the puppy stage!

On the career front, this has been one of my best years yet. I wrote seven books and played around with two additional story ideas, which I’m cultivating now. I had four releases. the Mason Ridge series ended and the Cattlemen Crime Club series kicked off in summer. The third book in that series hits stores Christmas week. ONE TOUGH TEXAN is almost here!

I had the honor of spending very special time with readers at The Annual Buns & Roses Romance Tea for Literacy in October. We set a record, raising more than $20,000 for literacy in a single weekend!  

Not everything was as joyous. We lost two cherished friends in almost back-to-back car crashes early on. Both are still deeply missed and they are never far from our thoughts.

My oldest spent the summer in Europe, trying to secure a postdoc position (fingers crossed one of those leads pans out for him) and he’s been so busy that I’ve hardly seen him this year. I hope we have more time together in 2017. And if he ends up working overseas after May’s graduation, well, my Passport is up-to-date.

Buns & Roses — Best So Far!

Last month, I had the tremendous honor of participating in the 11th Annual Buns & Roses Romance Tea for Literacy in Richardson, Texas and am thrilled to report that we raised more than $20,000! All the funds go to the Richardson Adult Literacy Center to support adult literacy. To learn more, visit http://ralc.org/.

Thank you so much for coming out to support literacy in such a big way.

Thoughts on Tuesday, Giving Back and Paying It Forward

Recently, I had the honor of being part of an event that raises money for adult literacy. The tally is still being calculated from 2016 Buns & Roses Romance Tea for Literacy so I’m not sure how much money we raised yet but one thing is certain; I always gain so much more than I give. The benefits from the afternoon tea go directly to a local library’s adult literacy program (you already know how much I love librarians!). They contribute so much to the community without a lot of money to work with. The tea is their biggest fundraiser.

And people came…

We had an amazing lineup of romance authors from around the country who donated the best gift—their time—for a good cause. And have tea. Which isn’t to say the afternoon was all pretty hats (although there were lots) and sitting with our backs straight on the edges of our chairs listening to literacy statistics.

My table was conveniently located next to the bar.

The Cover For TEXAS-SIZED TROUBLE Is Here

The cover for TEXAS-SIZED TROUBLE, my February release from Harlequin Intrigue, and book four in the Cattlemen Crime Club miniseries is here.

A Texas reunion turns old rivals into soon-to-be parents

For as long as the O’Briens have run their ranch, their rivals have been the McCabes. So when Ryder O’Brien returns home to his brothers, only one thing can screw things up: getting involved with Faith McCabe. There’s no temptation greater in Texas, and Ryder is about to pay the price for their forbidden fling.

Because just as their passion ignites, Faith up and leaves…only to return five months later, seeking Ryder’s help finding her missing brother—and pregnant with Ryder’s baby. Ryder O’Brien may have held grudges longer than he ought to, but he always does right by his kin. Especially when the woman about to change his life is in danger.

Cattlemen Crime Club

Click on image to enlarge.

Thursday Thoughts

When I’m working on a project or a piece of mail come in that needs to be dealt with I set everything on my breakfast bar in between the kitchen and family room. I walk by this area more than any other place in the house, I’m a self-confessed neat freak, and the clutter will scream at me to clear out whatever’s there (stuff can really pile up in a busy house, right!). Sometimes, there’s a stack of mail that needs to be opened and dealt with. Other times, I put craft supplies there or a magazine that I want to read.

This purely accidental grouping made me laugh and got me thinking. Someone who has never met me could look at this and pretty much get a good read on who I am.

The FABRI-TAC is from a DIY project I’m currently working on. I’m brightening up my bedroom. The headboard got a new, lighter fabric.

 

 

I painted my nightstands a crisp white and added new handles to give the room a more modern look.

I’m still on the hunt for a new bedspread and possibly a rug, but I digress.

Girls’ Trip to New York City

Bags were packed. Schedule was set. Off my daughter and I went to spend six days in the Big Apple. A couple of those were devoted to work commitments but we managed to slip in fun in between an event and several meetings. We both love live theater, so we packed in as much variety as we could; The Rockettes Summer Spectacular, The Sleeping Beauty ballet, and the musical, Wicked.

There I am in front of Lincoln Center before the ballet and Tori’s pictured in our seats.

My daughter being a dancer, I heard a lot about turn-out and her new goals after watching the ballet. I love her focus and dedication as she attacks her craft. I like to think I do the same.

There I am at The Palm where we ate before walking across the street to Gershwin to experience Wicked.

Food is always a highlight of our trips to the city. Tori has been on a quest for the best Cheesecake in New York and found it at The Palm in midtown. It might be our new go-to restaurant. Il Forno in Hell’s Kitchen is another favorite and the food never disappoints. My editor took us to Rosa Mexicana in Tribeca for lunch and I’ll do my best to make it back there every trip. We loved the food and Tori is still trying to decide if cinnamon belongs on a scoop of chocolate ice cream (maybe vanilla? she asks). And then there’s Nizza in midtown. I can’t say enough good things about that place. I took a blogger there for lunch, she’s a foodie, and she gave two enthusiastic thumbs up. Mission accomplished.

No trip to the city would be complete without a visit to the New York Public Library. It was such a thrill to see so many of my Harlequin Intrigues on the shelf.

We visited a couple of parks, squeezed in a little shopping, and then two tired girls spent the almost four-hour flight home rehashing our treasure trove of favorite memories.

DELIVERING JUSTICE Now Available in Print

DELIVERING JUSTICE, book two in the Cattlemen Crime Club miniseries, is now available in bookstores.

A sexy cowboy comes to the rescue of a beautiful woman who has no idea who she is…

When Tyler O’Brien finds a woman lying helpless after an ATV accident on his ranch, nothing adds up. Especially his real, sudden attraction to “Red.” But aiding the amnesiac only compounds the rich Texas cowboy’s doubts. How can he unlock the truth?

Learning that Red is desperately searching for her twin sister who may have come to harm, Tyler—who doesn’t “do feelings”—promises help and protection. Soon he’s also burning with desire. As the two race against time to find Red’s sister, they’re drawn deeper into a complicated mystery. Tyler will have to draw on every ounce of strength to keep this stranger safe…and resist taking her to bed