Then and Now

December 8, 2024December 9, 2024

We’ve hauled my books to local Christmas arts and crafts festivals every year since 2019 and had fun all along the way!

A photo from a festival in 2019 popped up in a feed on social media, and the contrast between then and now made me smile.

Then: 2019

Elevate All Set Up — Elevate Artisans Market 2019

My main books were the two Donut Lady books. My T-shirt says Sprinkles are for Winners.

Set up Mistletoe Market 2019 — Mistletoe Market 2019

When life was simple: one table and one bin for books.

I love how tidy my tables were in 2019.

Elevate Artisans Market was my first arts and crafts event, and I instantly fell in love with being outside and talking to readers. We brought a second table from home after we set up the evening before the event because I was on a corner. That was my first of many learnings in the arts and crafts events world.

I didn’t use my tent a month later at the Mistletoe Market because my assigned spot was on the sidewalk, and we couldn’t anchor the tent. I added a Christmasy tablecloth and went for efficiency with one table. It was a little nippy, but my hands were cold. My pink gloves add a festive touch, don’t you think?

Now: 2024

Books at Elevate Artisans 2024 — Elevate Artisans Market 2024

I love Elevate Artisans. Our weather was perfect, and I chatted with oodles of readers. The younger crowd is discovering my books!

Our tent is on the street, not the sidewalk, but if the wind blows, we have weights for the tent to keep it from becoming airborne. We did put our back table on the sidewalk, though, because it was too low on the street for people to browse.

By 2024, I increased to 4 tables with books semi-neatly arranged everywhere on tables and my bookrack. I added a sidewalk sandwich board – Meet the Author, a Barrett Book Shop garden flag, and a second banner for my tent to accommodate any spots that had two paths of traffic for shoppers.

I’ve discovered there is no better research than meeting with readers in person. I can spot a reader because they slow down and search for a book that interests them. Their gaze becomes more intense when they spot a book they like, which is great cover feedback. I listen as they tell me who their favorite authors are, which helps me understand what they like to read. All great research!

It’s a thrill when a reader tells me they bought a book or an entire series from me last year and asks me what they should read next. That’s easy because I know exactly what they like!

Mistletoe Market 2024 took the award for being the absolutely coldest event we’ve ever attended. It was 21 °F when we set up that morning, and I wore long johns and an extra three layers for warmth. After Senior Staff Man took this photo, I immediately put on my heavy winter coat.

Maybe I should have put more thought into the color of my sweatshirt because with all the layers, I look kind of marshmallowy. But who cares? Layers are for Winners!

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

JAB Storyteller and Author — A new logo just for fun

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Rolling with the Punches

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024

We have an addition to our favorite festivals: St. Marys Seafood Festival in St. Marys, Georgia!

St Marys Seafood Festival smaller Nov 2024

Not only is it one of our favorites, but it is number one on my list of What to Do When Things Go Wrong.

After we reached the campground the night before the festival and were transferring everything from the fifth wheel to the truck so we’d be ready to go in the morning, we realized we’d forgotten the cash box.

Can you imagine being a vendor at an event without a cash box? The possibility of not having a place to store cash after people paid or worse, not having change ready when people paid with large bills was terrifying. We made a fast trip to Walmart, our go-to place when we need something for a festival, and found a small cashbox with a key and cobbled together small bills for change from our wallets. Good enough; crisis averted.

When we were setting up early the next morning, I realized I’d left my Writer ball cap at home. If you’ve seen any of my photos of festivals or seen me at any festival in the past several years, you know I ALWAYS wear my Writer ball cap. Depending on the weather, I can count on it to shade my eyes, keep my head dry when it rains, keep my hair from blowing in my face when I’m signing books, and identify me to readers at the festivals. Yes, I’m the Author.

Not even Walmart could help. I tried to keep a stiff up lip and soldier on; after all, the Meet the Author sandwich board sign helped identify me, but MY HAIR!

The vendor next to us gave me a hat after I asked him how much it cost. Now I have an emergency Writer hat that doesn’t actually have Writer on it, but I might have a patch made sometime.

We loved our spot. The festival was coordinated by the Kiwanis Club of St Marys and was organized, smoothly run, and well-staffed. Can you tell how generous our booth was? We had enough room between us and our closest neighbors to set up a side table on the right side of our tent for readers to browse at leisure.

We chatted with readers and sold books all morning. When we had enough of a break around two o’clock to eat lunch, we realized… you’ve already guessed, right? I’d forgotten to pack our sandwiches, an apple, cookies, and drinks for lunch.

Kraken Coffee & Kitchen St Marys, GA — Kraken Coffee & Kitchen Co.

Thank goodness Kraken Coffee & Kitchen Co. was right behind us and was open! We split a tasty chicken salad sandwich.

After we finished our lunch, a couple who were eating slices of a delicious looking pie bought three books from us. While I signed their books, I asked them about their dessert. It was bacon bourbon cheesecake and, no surprise, it came from our new favorite cafe, Kraken Coffee & Kitchen Co. We had bacon bourbon cheesecake for our afternoon snack. Cheers!

When the festival was over, our book bins were much lighter. It was a glorious day, and we’re definitely going back to St. Marys.

p.s. We now have a checklist for final packing and set up.

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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Fall and Fa-la-la Festivals

October 31, 2024November 2, 2024

Arts and Crafts Festivals swing into high gear during the Fall and Winter Holidays. We will be going to a festival almost every weekend from October through December. My excitement every Saturday when a festival opens for visitors rivals Christmas morning for a six-year-old. Talking to readers is my jam. After all, my motto is You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

GEORGIA PEANUT FESTIVAL

Event Photos - GA Peanut Festival Oct 2024 — GA Peanut Festival Oct 2024

The morning was windy and cold, but we had our river rocks to keep the book pages from blowing. It warmed up by afternoon, of course! We experimented with our corner booth and added a few books on the side table.

ELEVATE ARTISANS MARKET

The person who had reserved the space next to us was a no-show, so since we learned about the advantage of having a “corner” booth, we moved a large table into the space. We loaded down the side table with duplicates of the series we stacked on our front table and added the new books from this year that we didn’t have space for on the front table.

We sold almost as many books to readers who stood at the “side” table (see the table with the black tablecloth?) to browse the books as we did to readers who looked at the books on the front table.

Lesson learned: people are comfortable taking their time to look at books if they don’t feel crowded.

What we’ll do: Double booths, so we can have two “side” tables in addition to our front table. We have a second canopy tent, and I had already ordered a duplicate banner after the Georgia Peanut Festival that we planned to use when we had a corner booth.

Sometimes a plan comes together, even though it was never a plan to start with.

Our next event, Calico Holiday Festival in Moultrie GA, is November 9 and 10 and is inside, so we won’t need our tent(s). However, when I submitted our vendor form in June, I requested two booths next to each other as an experiment. We carefully planned our set up, and I have a sketch of it taped on the side of my bookcase that is next to my desk, but the sketch will be changing to two side tables and two front tables similar to our Elevate Artisans set up.

Another Experiment

I’ve added a Gift Shop to Barrett Book Shop with reader-related merchandise that was inspired by different Judith A. Barrett books. Check it out. Barrett Book Shop Gift Shop

Our event after Calico is the Seafood Festival in St. Marys GA. As another experiment, I asked the St. Marys festival organizers if we could sell our reader-related totes in addition to all our books, and they approved them!

Here’s a sample:

Our Weekend is Booked canvas Tote with a dragon — Our Weekend is Booked Canvas Tote

Maggie Sloan Thriller Series readers will recognize Tonya and Kiki, her fierce, tiny (imaginary?) dragon that sat on her shoulder.

Browse, shop, and enjoy the NEW Gift shop!

GIFT SHOP

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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The Evolution of a Series

September 23, 2024September 23, 2024

The New Series

I spent two weeks in July planning the next series I was going to write. The series was supposed to be a Romantic Mystery. After I carefully created an outline for six books in the series with titles and a brief description of each book, I was ready to write Book 1, ELUSIVE EMBEZZLER, but after the first draft, it was obvious the story wasn’t a romantic mystery at all. It was a thriller mystery.

Book 1, Elusive Embezzler

The original ELUSIVE EMBEZZLER cover was for a sweet, romantic mystery. Somebody else needs to write that book because the real ELUSIVE EMBEZZLER is a thriller mystery and needed a new cover and a new book description.

Accountant who is a young widow becomes a most unlikely fierce crime fighter

When she inherits the Peach Blossom Retreat, a bed-and-breakfast inn that is nestled in the peaceful countryside of Georgia, she sees a path to heal her grief by turning the old inn into a thriving business.

But after a decade-old embezzlement at a large bank sparks her curiosity as an accountant, and a guest at the inn with ties to the bank turns up dead on the inn’s property, Jenna is drawn to untangle the web of deceit surrounding the embezzlement.

The closer she gets to the truth, the more Jenna realizes she is the killer’s next target. The ongoing tension between Jenna and her landscaper, Ethan, becomes even more complicated because she knows the killer will take down anyone in the way.

Jenna is single minded: save the inn. The desperate killer is single minded: kill Jenna.

Book 2

The original title for Book 2 was THE BRIDE’S LETTER.

Somebody else needs to write that book because Jenna Ross found a manuscript in Book 1 that was a handwritten novel by Nettie Wyndham in the 1920s. Jenna picked up the manuscript only twice in ELUSIVE EMBEZZLER to read it, but the haunting memory of the unpublished manuscript lingered.

Thanks to Nettie Wyndham, the main character for Book 2 is not Jenna Ross because Jenna is reading the story along with the rest of us.

Jenna Ross discovers a manuscript handwritten by Nettie Wyndham in the 1920s, Speakeasy Secrets.

A young socialite with a speakeasy is an unexpected nemesis of corruption.

Ruthanne Bradley takes over the management of the Bradley estate that is in danger of foreclosure with a daring plan: open a speakeasy.

Her operation is in jeopardy not because it is illegal, but because Ruthanne discovers a ring of corruption that threatens to take over the state government, and she’s determined to stop it.

The criminal mastermind has her in the crosshairs.

SPEAKEASY SECRETS is scheduled for release in late December and is available for PREORDER only on BARRETT BOOK SHOP.

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New Series With a Serious Twist

September 15, 2024

A New Series

Chapter One

According to my schedule for 2024, it was time for a new series. The plan was for another series similar to Donut Lady: a older main character than we’d seen in the previous three series. I decided on a setting of a Bed and Breakfast.

Romantic Mystery Series Bed-and-Breakfast

By the middle of Chapter One, the real Jenna Ross, an accountant and introvert, peeked out from behind her ledger books. Turns out she was actually a twenty-four-year old widow. Who knew?

The rewrite didn’t take long, and the story for Elusive Embezzler was well underway.

Jenna Ross Mystery Book 1 Elusive Embezzler

Chapter Nine

Because it was a completely new series, I asked a few beta readers to read what I had so far. Their comments helped fill a few glaring potholes and gave me some ideas. So I kept on writing.

Chapter Sixteen

When I was halfway through Chapter Sixteen, I realized something was gnawing at me. I realized I needed a new Facebook group with a different perspective. And Barrett’s Banned Band of Book Bandits was born.

It’s a group unlike any of the typical Facebook Groups for readers. If you like it, fine; if not, that’s okay too. It’s low key bandits reading and minding their own business, and my business too actually, although they’d deny it. The group motto: Be Nice or Leave.

The bandits pointed out Jenna Ross was more like Maggie Sloan. I could see their point.

Chapter Sixteen

The bandits and I decided the first part of Chapter One was a little bland in comparison to the rest of the story. Even though the story was nearing the end, we did a major overhaul. While we were at it, we threw in a few tweaks to the story here and there to give it a little more edge.

Chapter Eighteen

When I reached the end, we were shocked at the turns the story took as we re-read for edits. Yes there was a mystery and a hint of romance, but there were too many twists and subplots for a romantic mystery. Even the online grammar and spell checker wanted to soften the story and lighten it up a bit and suggested maybe I should add a little kissing or something because the story had become something like this:

The (New) End

I didn’t think it was all that scary even if it did have a little heart-pounding excitement here and there. And an explosion. As a reviewer pointed out several years ago, I do love a good explosion.

Maybe I’ll use this for the cover series. Or not. The Peach Blossom Retreat does need some updating. What do you think?

Elusive Embezzler

Of course, we had to have a new cover for the Elusive Embezzler. A good friend jumped in and helped me out. He’s officially an honorary bandit.

Next up: a rewrite of the book description, and the book’s ready for its release on September 27 on the retailer sites and an earlier release date of September 20 on Barrett Book Shop. Yes, the bandits and I play favorites.

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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It’s (Almost) Fall, Y’all

August 24, 2024August 24, 2024

Fall is absolutely the best season of the year, with spring being a close second for arts and crafts festivals! My September goals are all about preparing for the Fall events.

One of the 8.5″x 11″ flyers I had on my table reminded readers I would sign their book(s).

Flyers - Meet the Author

Not bad, except no one noticed it, no matter where I put it on a table or on the book stand in front of my booth. My favorite critic said it was a great idea except it was too busy with too many font styles; it couldn’t be read from two feet away, and the clutter of books hid my face. No argument from me or FarmerMan who had noticed how surprised people were when they realized I was the author, not a random hawker of unputdownable books.

At the last event we attended in the spring, the vendor across the street from us had a chalkboard-style sandwich board sign in front of her tent. I was in awe. It was eye-catching, and FarmerMan and I watched while passersby slowed then stopped to pick up and smell the soap, then buy a bar or two. Boom!

FarmerMan said I needed a sandwich board sign. I spent the entire summer researching styles of frames for signs. I couldn’t use the typical sidewalk-sized sign like you see in front of cafes because I’m limited by the amount of space allotted for each vendor at events. I couldn’t find a sandwich board that wasn’t too big, wouldn’t fall over with the slightest breeze, and not be so clunky that it detracted from my booth and the books.

Sometimes my logic escapes even me. Since I couldn’t find a sandwich board I liked and found a great sale on printing 11″x17″ posters, I created and printed two posters.

Author Book Signing Judith A Barrett Books Meet the Author Judith A. Barrett Books

Talk about build it, and they will come! Two days before the posters arrived, I found a sandwich board that was 13″x 36″ with a 12″x 24″surface for the signs. I’ve ordered it, and we’ll have it next week.

Our first arts and crafts event for fall is September 28 in Fitzgerald, Georgia, the town that’s famous for its wild chickens. If wild chickens and a Fall Festival sound interesting to you, come see me. I’ll be the one with a sandwich board in front of a tent with some random author hawking her own books.

If you can’t make it to Fitzgerald and would like a signed book, visit Barrett Book Shop and pick out a book or two. I’ll sign it, add a few goodies, and mail your book(s) to you. https://barrettbookshop.com/collections/paperbacks.

Use this code, good for paperback orders only until September 30, for 15% off each paperback you order: SEP15.

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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August is National Dog Month

August 2, 2024

TJ and Toby Dogs Sofa August National Dog Month

Toby and TJ are celebrating National Dog Month of August in the time-honored canine way of relaxing on a sofa because August is also the Dog Days of Summer. Both of them are rescue dogs and both of them are excellent family guard dogs, but sometimes even canine heros need a break from the Georgia heat and humidity.

My version of hiding from the heat is along the same lines. Do you see how much space TJ is giving the sofa to his left? That’s my writing spot. I grab my laptop, put up my feet, and write the stories that are clamoring to get out of my head. Sometimes I stare out the window that is on the other side of Toby and ask, “What happens next?” And the story continues.

If you ever see a book I wrote and there is no dog in it, you’ll know I’ve been kidnapped and am sending out a call for help. Of course, I will also leave clues in the book so you can rescue me. Or just ask TJ and Toby; they’ll know where I am.

I’m writing Book 1 of a new mystery series, and the star dog is a golden retriever named Katy. The book is in preorder right now on Barrett Book Shop (BarrettBookShop.com) with a release date in September. I’d originally planned for Book 2 to be released in October, but November is more realistic.

What happens next with Katy and her person is nudging me, so it’s time to light my writing candle, put up my feet with my laptop in my writing spot, and write!

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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Big Stories Are Everywhere

June 28, 2024October 20, 2025

waving tube man brings smiles — Dancing Tube Guy

I see stories everywhere, but nothing throws me into a tizzy faster than a Big (heh heh) Story.

I may have hit the pinnacle of fangirling when I spotted a Dancing Tube Man on our way to the grocery store. That wacky, wavy, inflatable arm-flailing tube guy danced with reckless abandon and flopped around like he’d just heard the best news of his inflatable life.

Thank goodness we had stopped at a red traffic light when Dancing Tube Man waved at me. I immediately lowered my window and leaned out to take the best possible shot I could before the light changed.

I am absolutely fascinated by the infectious enthusiasm of the tube guys. They’re a reminder that joy can be found in the most unexpected places, and sometimes, it’s the silly things in life that are strikingly memorable.

Here’s to Dancing Tube Man*, Waldo*, and Piggly Wiggly’s Mr. Pig* for the smiles!

What unexpected joy have you encountered?

*see below for details

* The Recent Big Piggly Wiggly Post: A Couple of Hams

* Here’s the post from August 2022: Where’s Waldo?

*Tube Man made his first appearance in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics. Are you interested in who invented the Tube Man? Here’s a short video! Origin of the Tube Man

Thank you for reading my story! Interested in longer stories? Barrett Book Shop

Ideas, QuickJAB, The Latest Twist

Hog Wild About Festivals

May 31, 2024June 1, 2024

Mr Pig Ellaville May 2024 smaller

Two Hams

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 books
I 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 truck
Vendors are a helpful bunch and are willing to share what they know
Size 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

QuickJAB, The Latest Twist

Georgia Strawberry Festival

May 3, 2024October 20, 2025

Double the Fun

Sales on Two Sides

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 Events

In 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.”

<INSERT LOUD SCREAM> 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?