Sara Dobie Bauer's Blog, page 27

An H and Five Ws with Wayward Girls Author Karen Brown

Through the priceless Atria Books Galley Alley, I received a book by an author as yet unknown to me. The book: The Longings of Wayward Girls. The author: Karen Brown. Wayward Girls is her first novel, although she is already a highly successful short story writer.

I was intrigued by the cover; read the book right away. Although I’ll do a full review of Wayward Girls on Thursday, here’s a tease: I loved the book enough to contact the author and tell her so. I even begged her to do an interview...

Now Available: “Life without Harry”

Cover by Katie Purcell.

About the Book:

Xanax-dependent author Samantha Elliot is on deadline with a literary festival three weeks away when a white owl flies into her windshield and then disappears. This wouldn’t be the strangest thing, if not for the magic wand that soon shows up and the Invisibility Cloak that just happens to make Sam invisible. Then, there’s Paul Rudolph: the office crush who finally asks her on a date. With the help of anti-depressants and her friend, Julie, Sam must navig...

Teaser: Excerpt from “Life without Harry”

The full eBook download of my first novel, Life without Harry, will be available Wednesday. Until then, something to whet your appetite …

Life without Harry

by Sara Dobie Bauer

Chapter 1

Samantha Elliot was talking on the phone in the car on a Tuesday when she hit a large, white owl in downtown Phoenix. At least she thought it was an owl. They never found the body.

Her agent, Elaine Umbert, was on the other end of the line. Screaming. “Changing Hands Bookstore called me about a promo event once yo...

Eau Flirt and the Ohio Seven Take on Nashville

Harvey Prince’s delicious Eau Flirt.

This past weekend, me and six of my best girlfriends from Ohio University took a reunion trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Along for the ride was Harvey Prince’s wicked perfume, Eau Flirt.

Perfume company Harvey Prince was founded by two brothers, in honor of their mom. Her love for things honest, pure, and beautiful inspired their first scent, Ageless, intended to make women feel younger. See, that’s the thing about Harvey Prince: their products don’t just smel...

A CTF Reunion in Nashville

There are these girls I know: six of them. I’ve known them for years. We have a nickname: CTF. We’ve never told anyone what our acronym stands for; not even our husbands. We met in college at Ohio University. Then, we were eighteen; now, we’re all over thirty. This weekend, we will converge upon Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville better be prepared.

Ohio University is one of the most infamous party schools in the country. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Princeton Review ranks party schools based...

Camping in the Rain

Camping is a yearly tradition among our group of friends. Every July, we head up to Bear Canyon Lake. We even use the same campsite, and we joke about murdering anyone who tries to take our spot. After all, we do have guns and shovels.

This year, we arrived safely. Our campsite was empty, so no murder necessary. Jake and I delayed in setting up our tent. Instead, we worked to set up the tarp shelters we like to prepare, just in case it rains. We string up huge pieces of blue tarp between trees...

Summer Psycho Disorder?

Last week, a friend of mine admitted she’s been begging for a fight. Anyone will do. She’s been trying to pick fights with her boyfriend, work colleagues, people in other cars on the I-10. She’s not well.

Yesterday, my psychiatrist was totally off his game. When I explained to him that I’d been depressed lately, he asked why, and I told him a bit about my situation. His response? “Wow. That sucks.” He’s usually more eloquent.

Change the facial expressions on these guys, and you’re in Phoenix.

T...

I Don’t Know Why but Today Seems like It’s Gonna Be a Great Day

Let’s be honest: the past few weeks haven’t been good for me. It’s getting harder and harder to keep it together. Like Tim Curry said in RHPS, “Even smiling makes my face ache.”

I’m a melancholic personality; I know this. But waking up depressed every morning? Ain’t gonna cut it. True, I’m dealing with issues. My grandparents are dying. My career is a confused mess of rejection letters and possible copyright issues. My depression makes it hard to do, well, anything, so my house is a mess (as...

Pinterest is a Problem

Pinterest: code word for “Why Sara is often and easily distracted.” How did I get sucked into this? One of my girlfriends made me do it. I blame her wholeheartedly.

Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. Remember the collages you used to make as a kid? Well, Pinterest is the same idea, only you can “pin” images from the web onto your “boards.”

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“For the Home.” I mean, how coo...

I Hugged Neil Gaiman

Author Neil Gaiman.

I greatly dislike crowds. But I love Neil Gaiman enough to deal with them. Last night, I popped a Klonopin, wore a tiny top-hat, and told myself, “You can do this. You can be in a room with 2000 people for several hours. You can do this. For love of Neil.”

Changing Hands Bookstore put together a highly organized event, albeit long. This ain’t their first rodeo, although I doubt many authors attract the obsessive fan adoration as British gent Neil Gaiman. Author of my favorit...