Barbara Valentin's Blog, page 5
February 13, 2016
Why I *heart* Valentine’s Day
What do you get when you crosstwo busyspouses with one guilt-inducing, romance-infused holiday? Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. I expect nothing less from the man who has gifted me with enormous heart-shaped boxes of my favorite confection ever since that fateful Valentine’s day oh-so-many years ago when he popped the question (yes, he gave […]
February 11, 2016
I Haven’t Got Time for the Pain
Hey, look at me! Mrs. I’m-so-on-top-of-things-I-go-for-a-run-on-my-lunch-break. Yeah. Go me. Not five minutesin, I felt an odd, achingsensation in the back of my upper right thigh that only got worse as I kept going. Hoping to not aggravate whatever was causing it, I hobbledhomewondering what the heck had just happened. I’ve been oh so careful, stretching […]
February 3, 2016
When All Else Fails, Chicken Fried Rice
As usual, my train home was crazy crowded and running late. Brain fatigued from spending my day converting passive voice to active, I stared out at the darkness, thinking about what a rotten day I was having and wondering what would be waiting for me at home. Did my kids have a good day? Would […]
January 19, 2016
A Valentine’s Day Contest Giveaway!
(Warning: This post is rife with blatant horn tooting on behalf of the author. Proceed with enthusiasm and a heart full of forgiveness.) On the heels of a blog entryaddressing my abhorrence of all things self-centered and narcissistic (read:self-promotion), here I go again. Ready? FreshFiction.comis hosting An Assignment: Romance KEY CHANGE Contest! Long story short […]
January 17, 2016
Self-Promotion and Other Deadly Sins
On my quest to become a published author, I naively thought all I had to do was write a book that would knock the socks off of a publisher. No one told me about the marketing… I am neither a back-patter nor a horn-tooter. Iblame thegood Sisters of Saint Agnes who, during my formative years, […]
January 14, 2016
The Chocolate Banana Bread Cure
Staring down anotherlong winter day? If you’re a plate spinner, you know of that whichI speak – when you wake up earlier than you should, work harder than you want to, and have to keep giving (patience, smiles, favors) even when there’s nothing left to give? And all while trying to dodgethe biting cold, snow, […]
January 5, 2016
New Year Blog Hop and Giveaway
Welcome to my stop on the New Year Blog Hop! Today, I’m featuring Key Change, the latest release in my Assignment: Romanceseries. It’s a romantic comedy about Sara, a hard-edged, shower-singing rock music critic who crosses paths with Andrew, a wickedly gorgeous music director from a nearby church. When Sara finds herself locked out of […]
December 30, 2015
Just When I Got Used to Writing “2015” on Checks…
The crazy thing about taking time off from the day job during the holidays is that you lose all track of time. I do anyway. Take this morning for instance – I slept in until 7:20. 7:20! That right there is crazy. I normally roll out of bed at 5:20 to get ready for work […]
December 22, 2015
A Plate Spinner’s Holiday Survival Guide
For most plate spinners, the time span between Thanksgiving and Christmasrepresentsall that we love (time off from our day jobs, being able to sleep in) and loathe (the mile-long to do lists, the packed parking lots, mobbed stores, the expectation of home-baked goods, etc.). According to my mother – my multi-tasking mentor, Christmas prep separates […]
December 10, 2015
Key Change – A Virtual Book Tour
To celebrate the release of my latest Assignment: Romance novel, Key Change is going on avirtual book tour! Follow along for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card – which could come in mighty handy with the holidays right around the corner, am I right? Just be sure to comment. Often.
