How to Delete an Item in Barrett Book Shop
Author: JAB
Author
I live on a farm with Farmer Man, two great dogs: TJ and Toby, and a dozen sassy chickens. I write thriller, mystery, and post-apocalyptic science fiction novels. All my books are series because even though each book solves a crime and stops a murdering criminal, there's always something more to life, isn't there? My exciting books with unusual main characters that are now readers' favorite people are for sale by your favorite bookseller for your reading pleasure!
Thou shalt not plagiarize. (See Commandment #8) But it's okay to share!
A New Series? I Digress…
2026 and a New Series
New Genre
My plan for 2026 includes a new series in a new-to-me genre, Romantic Suspense.
Not Your Typical Romantic Suspense
Except it will be my flavor of romantic suspense: a thriller with a sweet romance.
Each book will solve a crime that includes murder. After all, can you imagine one of my books without a serial killer waiting in the wings, planning his next move or sharpening her knife?
And every book will have a slow burn, not too spicy, romance that results in a happy ending, either happily ever after (HEA) or happy for now. (HFN)
Not Your Typical Series
What’s different is that each book in the series will be a standalone with new characters at a new location and will have a different holiday theme. Are you still with me? Think about it. It will grow on you.
Love, Lies and Alibis
Here’s Book One of the new series: Love, Lies and Alibis.
Old friends. New lies. Luck runs out, and a killer makes it deadly.
Deadly Luck launches the Love, Lies and Alibis series with a high-stakes crime, a slow-burn romance, and secrets that should have stayed buried.
When two old friends cross paths again after years apart, neither expects their reunion to put them at the center of a deadly investigation. As the bodies begin to pile up and long-forgotten lies resurface, they must work together to uncover the truth before a killer decides their luck has run out.
Deadly Luck is scheduled for EXCLUSIVE EARLY RELEASE on Barrett Book Shop on or before St. Patrick’s Day!
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
Our Newest Tool: The Cargo Trailer
The Keeper of All Things: Barrett Book Shop Cargo Trailer
~ Every new project deserves a new tool. ~
When we bought our cargo trailer at the end of 2024, I didn’t realize how much it would change the way we do book events.
It felt like a practical decision; one of those “this makes sense on paper” purchases. We were juggling books, tables, signage, tents, weights, totes, chairs, and all the little things you don’t think about until you’re loading and unloading for the fourth time in a weekend for an event. When the number of series and books blossomed to where we needed two more tables and had to buy a second tent, something had to give.
What we didn’t expect was how much easier and calmer preparing for events would become once everything had a place.
In 2025, we used the trailer for about half of our arts and crafts fairs, and by the end of the year, it was clear: this wasn’t just a trailer. It was a game-changer.
From Chaos to Control
Before the trailer, packing for a show meant mental gymnastics. What could fit? What had to stay behind? What would we need to repack in a different order just to unload efficiently? And of course, our most-often asked question: WHERE IS IT? That was frequently followed by a mad dash to Walmart or Lowe’s for something we forgot to pack, like concrete blocks on the windy day at an event when we forgot the tent weights.
With the trailer, everything we need for a show lives in the trailer; the only exception is books because humidity and paper don’t mix. Table racks don’t wander off, and fans don’t get left behind. Supplies live where they belong. The day before the event, we loaded our bins of books, and then when it was time to head out, we grabbed our lunch cooler, thermos of coffee, and cash box and left.
That kind of simplicity is hard to overstate when you’re setting up before dawn with the aid of a flashlight, which was in the trailer, or tearing down after a long glorious day of talking and signing books.
A Rolling Bookshop
One of my favorite things about the trailer is how it quietly represents what we’ve built.
With the Barrett Bookshop logo on the side, it’s a rolling extension of our brand, professional, recognizable, and a little bit fun. Pulling into an event no longer feels like we’re “just another booth.” We arrive like a small business that takes its work seriously… because we do.
Readers may not see the trailer once our booth is set up, but we feel the difference. And that confidence carries over into every conversation, every book recommendation, every signed paperback handed across the table.
Lessons We Didn’t Expect
Owning the trailer also taught us a few unexpected lessons:
- Preparation reduces stress. With logistics handled, creativity and connection have room to breathe.
- Investing in the business matters. Writing books is creative work, but selling them is a business, and treating it that way pays off.
- Growth doesn’t always look flashy. Sometimes it looks like better organization, fewer headaches, and more energy saved for the things that matter.
As we kick off 2026, our trailer feels like a symbol of where we’ve been, and where we’re headed next. More festivals. More face-to-face time with readers. Better systems behind the scenes so the focus stays where it belongs: the readers and the stories.
And fewer moments of standing in a field wondering where we packed the tent weights.
Want to Come Along for the Ride?
If you enjoy hearing about life behind the book table, upcoming festival stops, new releases, and the occasional behind-the-scenes moments that don’t make it to social media, my monthly newsletter is where I share all of that.
I’m being more intentional about it in 2026, and I’d love for you to be part of it.
Sign up for the newsletter
https://judithabarrett.com/newsletter to get updates on new books, in-person events, and what’s coming next.
Here’s to a new year, new stories, and more adventures ahead.
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
Can’t make it to an arts and crafts festival that’s near me, but not you? Visit me at the online Barrett Book Shop and find your next favorite book! https://barrettbookshop.com
Barrett Book Shop: our doors are always open!
When the Past Refuses to Stay Buried
Jenna Ross thought her past was behind her when she inherited a quiet Southern inn and started over. But some secrets don’t stay hidden, and some people will kill to keep the truth buried.
In Elusive Embezzler the first book in the Jenna Ross Thriller Series, a missing guest, a suspicious confrontation, and a loyal dog’s instincts lead Jenna to a discovery that changes everything. What begins as a quiet search on the property turns into a moment she can’t unsee and a danger she can’t escape.
To celebrate Elusive Embezzler being featured as a BookBub Free Read on all the retailers, I created the short reel below using an early scene from the book. If you enjoy psychological suspense, small town secrets, and thrillers where danger lurks just out of sight, this one’s for you.
Elusive Embezzler in FREE December 24-28 in all the retailers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Enjoy the reel, then enjoy Elusive Embezzler!
Explore the Secrets of Barrett Book Shop
Not your typical author. Not your typical stories. Take your time and wander around. You’re welcome to get lost here. 😉
#BarrettBookShop #IndieAuthorLife #MysteryReaders #ThrillerBooks #CozyWithAnEdge #BookReels #WomenWhoWrite #SouthernMystery https://barrettbookshop.com 📚❤️📖
Pirouettes, Pivots, and Paperbacks
When the Weekend Plans Go Feral and the Author Keeps Dancing
If you’ve ever watched a weather forecast like it was the season finale of a thriller, you’ll understand my week. One minute, I was calmly preparing for the upcoming Christmas festival on Saturday, and the next, the forecast promised three straight days of rain and thunderstorms, which makes tents sag, vendors, especially authors, sprint, and paperbacks cry.
Cue the pivot.
The organizers shifted the event to the next week on the Sunday because there’s already a Christmas festival happening on that Saturday in a nearby town. Same county. Same crowds. Same readers juggling hot cocoa, handmade crafts, along with the sudden desire to buy another book for themselves, and some additional books to give as presents to their family and for a work or book club secret Santa.
And just like that, my quiet weekend became a double-header challenge. We’ve never done two book events on consecutive days before, but if I can wrangle imaginary murderers, secretive suspects, mobsters, ghosts, cranky sheriffs, and rogue tech moguls on the page, surely Senior Staff and I can wrangle two festivals in one weekend.
Welcome to My Weekend Whirlwind
Here’s my schedule that is actually a plot twist in action!
- Friday: Load tent, tables, bins of books into the truck.
- Saturday: Roll out early, set up the booth, stack the books, and greet readers while hoping the wind minds its manners. Sell books, laugh with new friends, pack up, and leave everything in the truck like a traveling circus.
- Saturday night: Replenish the books that went home with readers. Hydrate. Stretch. Pretend I’m as young as the characters I write.
- Sunday dawn: Coffee. Coffee in the thermos. Drive to round two, set up again, smile like it’s Day One, and do my absolutely favorite thing, which is talk books with readers. What do you like to read?
- Sunday evening: Collapse with dignity, or without it; the dogs don’t judge. Unload the truck later or maybe on Monday. Probably Monday.
Celebrate another successful fall and holiday festival season!
Readers Make the Pivot Worthwhile
Last year at a festival, a young woman came to my booth looking slightly overwhelmed. She wanted to buy three books; two were gifts for her mom and her grandma, and the third was a treat for herself. We chatted about their hobbies, what kinds of stories they each gravitated toward, and which types of characters hooked them fastest. I paired each one with a Book 1 from a different series.
A few weeks after Christmas, she emailed me. “You nailed it! Even my picky grandma loved her book!”
Moments like this are why I love going to the festivals. The stories may be mine, but the joy of matching the right book with the reader is where the real magic happens!
The Dance of Flexibility
I may be spinning through a whirlwind weekend with two festivals, one truck, one patient man, and a mountain of books, but I’ll land exactly where I love being: in the middle of conversations that matter, in front of readers who love stories, and in the heart of a community that shows up.
Flexibility isn’t just a fancy dance move; it’s adjusting your footing mid-air and finishing the spin with flair, even if you wobble a little.
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
p.s. Can’t make it to either of the festivals?
Visit Barrett Book Shop! https://barrettbookshop.com
If Barrett Book Shop Were Real
Where is Barrett Book Shop?
When I meet readers at the arts and crafts festivals, I’m frequently asked where my shop is so they can drop by to chat, browse the shelves, and purchase more books.
More and more readers have discovered and enjoy the convenience of shopping at Barrett Book Shop, online and under a canopy tent at one and two-day arts and crafts events in the spring and fall, but a physical storefront that is staffed by the Barrett Book Shop team? There’s a story for that…
The Shop that Never Closes
I love the opportunity to explain that they can buy a paperback, ebook, or audiobook from the online Barrett Book Shop anytime. Ebook and audiobook links are instantly emailed, and I’ll sign the paperbacks before we ship them. As a bonus, readers can buy the entire series or trilogies in paperback, ebook, or audiobook format at a bargain price that other retailers can’t match.
Of course, the question about the brick-and-mortar bookshop sent my imagination into overdrive, so I had to have a photo of our Barrett Book Shop. If Barrett Book Shop were physically real with an address on Main Street in a small town in Georgia, this is how I imagine it would look. Wind chimes near the front door, which is always open, and lots of books.
Inside Barrett Book Shop
Hang onto your imagination and let’s go inside.
The air smells faintly of coffee, cinnamon, and old paper; a familiar scent that whispers, “Stay awhile.” Sunlight streams in across a row of worn wood tables stacked with paperbacks, each cover promising danger, mystery, a killer or two, and the twist you never see coming.
A small sign by the door reads “Not your typical author; not your typical stories.”
Behind the counter, a tall man, whose official title is Senior Staff, adds more paperback, ebook, and audio books to a shelf labeled “The Rest of the Stories,” which is where the next book in each series lives. The brown dog at his side is the supervisor. The shelf is dedicated to readers who have just finished the first book in a series and are wondering what happens next.
The shelves along the wall are dedicated to the Judith A. Barrett Books. Each series has its own shelf: Maggie Sloan Thriller Series, Jenna Ross Thriller Series, Wren and Rascal Mystery Series, Riley Malloy Mystery Series, Donut Lady Cozy Mystery Series, and Grid Down Survival Series.
In the back is a reading nook with mismatched chairs and a lazy old black and tan lab asleep nearby. There’s a sign overhead, “You keep reading; I’ll keep writing.”
You’ll find me sitting alongside the readers with my feet propped up and a computer on my lap as I alternate furiously writing the next scene in a story and staring into space. You’ll hear the quiet rustle of turning pages, chuckles from e-book readers and audiobook listeners, and then a burst of laughter when someone discovers a new favorite line, which must be shared. And we all laugh.
But for now, Barrett Book Shop exists in pixels and imagination in a cozy corner of the internet where you can still explore the shelves and find your next great read. You can visit anytime, from anywhere, and with your favorite beverage in hand.
Browse, Shop, Enjoy
So come on in. Browse, shop, enjoy!
See what’s waiting on The Rest of the Stories shelf because the adventure doesn’t end with Book One.
And if you could spend an afternoon at Barrett Book Shop, which shelf would you visit first?
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
Taking off the Chill
When the winter sun sets in Georgia, the blue sky blends with the orange strip of light on the horizon. As the temperature plummets and the wind howls from the northwest, it’s time for me to layer, grab a lap blanket, and stay close to the small fireplace. Drink of choice? Hot tea, hot apple cider, or hot chocolate are high on the list.
FarmerMan wanted a wood burning fireplace when we moved to Georgia five years ago. I wanted a house with two and a half bathrooms, so our visiting families wouldn’t have to knock on the guest bathroom door and ask repeatedly to use the toilet while someone took a long shower. Are you done yet? Hurry up!
FarmerMan and I compromised with a gas burning fireplace and three bathrooms. (You caught the irony there, didn’t you?) FarmerMan has adjusted to not having to cut and stack wood, keep the wood dry, bring in firewood, and clean out the fireplace after an enjoyable fire in the evening; not to mention his wintertime aching back, which I just did. I’ve adjusted to the warmth near my writing corner that takes off the chill as I write.
What about you? Are you susceptible to the cold too, or are you one of those hardy souls who is outdoors in shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt while I’m wrapped up in three layers and shivering?
2023 Goals
My plan for 2023 is to crush my goals!
My Writing Journey is a marathon, but I’m walking not running because I don’t want to miss any of the fun along the way.
My overall goal has always been to write books that people enjoy, so my motto is no surprise: You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
I’m a natural-born storyteller, but the skill of coaxing a story onto a page for a reader to enjoy was a craft that required extra work for me. I’m still learning, so I can write better books faster. For you wonderful readers that finish a book then tell me you’re ready for the next one: I’m working on it!
My next big hurdle after finding my writing style was how to get the stories in front of the right reader who will not only read the story, but love it, and want another and another. I’m still learning that elusive skill called marketing, which will put my books into the hands of the right readers. I’m stumbling along, but it’s fun to learn, and I’m encouraged when I hear how much you enjoy my books!
Summary of Previous Years
2018 (Year 1) Goals: Publish 1 book Results: Published 2 books!
2019 (Year 2) Goals: Publish 4 books; cut the year’s expenses in half Results: Published 4 books; expenses cut by more than half of Year 1 expenses!
2020 (Year 3) Goals: Publish 4 books; end the year with a positive net income Results: Published 6 books; first year to end the year with a positive net income!
2021 (Year 4) Goals: Publish 6 books; end the year with a positive net income Results: Published 6 books and wrote a short story for an anthology; second year in a row to end the year with a positive net income!
2022 (Year 5) Goals: Publish 6 books; end the year with a new high for positive net income Results: Published 8 books, a boxset, a novelette, and 2 short stories; ended the year with the highest net income since my first book was published!
2023 (Year 6) Goals
- Publish 6 books
- Publish 3 audiobooks
- Wild goal: Double net income from 2022
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
Want to help fund Judith’s writing? Tap on the cup of coffee.
The Magic of Mistletoe Market
The city of Cairo (pronounced Kay-row, like the syrup) blocks off Main Street on a Saturday in December for their annual Mistletoe Market; local vendors bring their wares for an all-day street party complete with food trucks, live music, and dance competitions.
The weather was ideal: no wind, rain, or too cold or too hot temperatures. I spent the day talking about books with a steady stream of readers. My most frequently asked question: “Are you really the author?” The second most-asked: “You wrote all these books?” My favorite question (from a ten-year-old): “Did you read all these books too?”
I was in awe of the number of readers who were willing to take a chance on a new-to-them local author. I sold paperbacks and handed out cards with the QR codes for the ebook readers. I listened to stories, talked to aspiring authors, told stories, and shared a shrimp po’boy with FarmerMan, who is my Chief Cashier and Number One Advisor.
I’d say I’m ready to go back again next year, but I left home with four full, large bins of books and returned with three half-full bins and one empty bin. I need to order more books.
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
Judith A. Barrett - Author 