Quick JAB

The Latest Twist

Behind the Series: When Life Fuels Art

Peach Blossom Retreat Bed-and-Breakfast

I didn’t suddenly imagine the Peach Blossom Retreat; it grew out of years of memories, encounters, and places that stitched themselves into the vision of a bed-and-breakfast that would eventually become the heart of the Jenna Ross Thriller Series.

The Visionaries

Years ago when I worked in Washington, D.C., I knew a young married couple whose dream was to own a bed-and-breakfast in rural Maryland. They were determined planners who never took their eyes off their goal. They talked incessantly about their small successes and next steps. Nobody listened to their chatter except me, and I silently celebrated with them from the sidelines. It took them seven years, but they reached their goal. Their managers and coworkers were shocked by their seemingly abrupt departure when the couple pooled their resources, emptied their retirement funds, and walked away with a deed in their pocket and a vision in their hearts. 

Our Travels

Their courage inspired me, and because of them, my husband and I enjoyed bed-and-breakfasts in our travels when we weren’t camping. Each inn offered more than just a place to stay; it offered a glimpse into the personalities, the quirks, and the warmth of the people who ran them. Those stays left a lasting impression.

The Perfect Barn

When we were considering moving to Georgia, we inspected a house for sale with a massive barn on the property. The barn was in surprisingly good shape, complete with a loft studio apartment above it. As soon as we saw it, we imagined its potential for wedding venues, family celebrations, community events. If the house itself had been a closer fit for us, we would have jumped at the chance to make that vision real.

The House Past Its Prime

Remember the fixer-upper we found that would have been a perfect bed-and-breakfast if it hadn’t been condemned and razed to the ground?  (Check the June 27, 2025 blog titled When Life Hands You Peaches. Scroll back in the blogs to read!)

Abandoned house

Life Fuels Art

The Peach Blossom Retreat is the culmination of those random touchpoints. It’s the place where all those seeds of inspiration finally found fertile ground. In Jenna Ross’s world, the inn isn’t just a business; it’s a refuge, a gathering place, and a setting full of charm and danger in equal measure.

So while the Peach Blossom Retreat may exist only on the page, it’s built on the foundation of real-life dreams, discoveries, and “what ifs.” That’s what makes writing about it such a joy. It’s both familiar and new; imagined and remembered. 

Have you ever stayed at a bed-and-breakfast that left an impression on you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

Judith signature

What’s New with the Jenna Ross Thriller Series?

Hint: Conspiracy Widow

Jenna Ross Thriller Series, Books 1-5! 

 

The Latest Twist

Crossroads: When All Paths Are Good

woman standing at a crossroads with books and a dog

Have you ever pondered which direction to take when you’re at a crossroads, not because you’re lost, but because every direction looks promising?

We often associate crossroads with a crisis, confusion, or moments of urgent reckoning. But sometimes, the fork in the road is filled with nothing but possibility. Each path is well lit. Each one leads somewhere worthwhile. The challenge, then, is not choosing right from wrong, but choosing among the choices that are excellent, superb, or outstanding.

That’s where I am right now.

In writing and in life, sometimes we stand on solid ground with the luxury and burden of freedom. We’ve built something, grown something, worked through the tough stuff. And now we get to ask: What’s next?

It sounds like a simple question, but it isn’t, especially when every option is calling your name!

Maybe you’ve been there, too, while you considered several job offers, or homes to move into, or projects to start. Or you’ve stood in front of your own dreams: old ones, new ones, half-buried ones, and asked yourself which one deserves your time and heart next.

The truth is, there’s no map for this kind of decision. Sometimes, we’d love to have a flashing arrow, a divine sticky note, or at least a nudge from a talking animal (wouldn’t that be nice?). But more often, we’re asked to trust ourselves, listen closely, and weigh not just what makes sense, but what makes us come alive.

I’m standing at the crossroads of several creative paths. Continue a series that readers love? And which one of the four? Take a leap into a new genre I’ve secretly wanted to explore? Finish a collaboration that’s already in motion? All good. All worthwhile. All tugging at my sleeve, or actually, my heart.

I can easily juggle two projects, but when I expand to three or more, I’m not managing them as successfully as I imagined I would. I’m terrible at matching real time effort with the effort time I conjure up in my head.

So how to choose?

Some people follow logic, and others, their gut. Some make lists, flip coins, listen to their heart, or sleep on it. I’ve done all of them, sometimes even with success. “They say” choosing a direction doesn’t mean abandoning the others; it just means choosing which dream gets your focus first, and maybe that’s right. It just takes me awhile to get there.

I suppose that’s the beauty of a crossroads. It doesn’t mark an ending; it marks a beginning. The good news is I won’t just stand there. I’ll pick one and move on.

So here’s to the good choices. To the full plates and full hearts. To the scary freedom of having options, and the courage to walk forward with the one that is calling out the loudest, which is what I typically do after a bit of moaning over choices.

Have you found yourself at a crossroads lately? I’d love to hear how you navigated it, or what you’re still considering.

As always, thank you for walking a bit of the road with me.

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing! 

Judith signature

The Latest Twist

When Life Hands You Peaches

After we bought a bit of land in Georgia, we planted peach trees on the property to add a little variety to the acres of pine trees. Next, we decided we wanted to move closer to our property so we could enjoy it more often than once a month.

I found the absolutely perfect fixer-upper that would have been a wonderful bed-and-breakfast!  

Abandoned house

FarmerMan wasn’t as thrilled as I was, but since he’s such a kind-hearted soul, he’d drive past it occasionally while I explained what its potential was. I even envisioned what its name would be. 

My vision of Peach Blossom RetreatPEACH BLOSSOM RETREAT 

I was sorrowful the last time we drove past my dream bed-and-breakfast when the house was gone with not even one board left, much less the once beautiful, broken down wrought-iron fence. Condemned and razed to the ground. Alas!

Six years ago we did finally find the house we agreed was for us and moved to Georgia, and then three years ago, we planted peach trees. The following year, we fenced in our peach trees because the neighborhood deer were dining on the leaves.  

Fenced in Peach Trees 

This year, we have a bumper crop of peaches! When Life hands you peaches, it’s time to celebrate! 

Peaches from our trees

I never forgot my Peach Blossom Retreat, though. 

Jenna Ross Thriller Series 

Jenna Ross Thriller Series  

Jenna is a young widow, innkeeper, and a most unlikely crimefighter.

Jenna Ross Series Books 1-4

Jenna Ross Thriller Series Books 1-4

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing! 

Judith signature

And subscribe to my newsletter! judithabarrett.com/newsletter

The Latest Twist

What If…

Maggie dressed in black pretending to be a spy

I’m thinking about writing a follow up bonus story for the Maggie Sloan Thriller Series. What story would you like to read about Maggie?

One that I’ve been kicking around is What If Parker had not been ambushed…

Can you think of a story you’d like to read?

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

Judith A. Barrett Logo
Judith A. Barrett Storyteller and Author

The Latest Twist

Middle of the Road: A Twist

Strawberry Festival Reynolds GA

Georgia Strawberry Festival

Last Festival of Spring 2025

This was our second year to be at the Strawberry Festival in Reynolds, Georgia. We were excited when we saw we had been assigned a vendor spot that was very close to where we were placed last year: in the middle of the road!

You can see how close the 10’x10′ vendor spaces are. The 10’x10′ canopy tents are snuggled so close together that there is no wiggle room for a bit of expansion at all. My series of books have grown to where I can barely place all the series on the front tables that fill the 10 feet across.

You might notice there are no table signs, and there doesn’t appear to be any way out after we’re inside our canopy fort. Crawling out from under the tables is not an option. Having nice vendor neighbors is a tremendous bonus when the space is tight because they don’t mind if we slip out the sides for an occasional, quick portapotty visit. It sure beats trying to scoot a table a few inches and then putting all the books that we knocked down back into place when we return.

Does that mean I plan to slow down writing and publishing books or take fewer series and books to the festivals? Spoiler alert: No.

Middle of the Road

Middle of the road typically means dull or even conventional (gasp!), but here’s our twist: middle of the road at the Strawberry Festival is a prime spot because we can set up with a “front” on both sides!

We actually planned for middle of the road with our fingers crossed. We took two banners for our canopy, and enough tables and books to have both sides of our booth set up with all the books and series to catch the eye of a reader who is strolling along either side of the road.

Speaking of neighbors, I always visit surrounding vendors to chat. Vendors are amazing people who love to share what they know. When I visited the vendor behind us (in front of us?), he told me he had googled me earlier in the day because he kept staring at my banner, and I was all over the internet! He bought the book from me that he’d selected online.

Have you heard of king of the hill? We’re Middle of the Road!

p.s.

Did you notice my pink hat? I forgot my writer ball cap but found my pink hat in the camper trailer, so I pretended it was my middle of the road strawberry hat.

 

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing! 

Judith signature

The Latest Twist

Friends in High Places

Butterflies visit my tent 

Spring Fling Festival, Moultrie GA

When the colorful butterflies floated around my tent at the Spring Fling and entertained the small fry by posing for photos with them, I decided I qualified as a small fry. I was sad I didn’t have any wings to spread, but I did my best. 

It was the first time we’d gone to the Spring Fling, but they’re definitely on our Return in 2026 List. The vendor sites were generous, there were a lot of readers who stopped to talk (and buy!) books, and the weather was gorgeous. And there were butterflies!

A Hero In Action

Across the street from us was a 26-foot climbing wall sponsored by a local business. The climbing wall was free, and in between talking to readers and signing books, we were entertained by the children climbing the wall. All of them wore the appropriate-sized harnesses and safety gear and were safely tethered as they tackled the wall with the goal of getting to the top and hitting a button that sounded a buzzer. 

Late in the afternoon, we watched a young girl who was six or seven make her way almost to the top. She stopped and looked up, but the next hand-hold was out of her reach. She stretched and grab onto the peg, but then she was stuck. She couldn’t go up, and she couldn’t touch the foothold that was below her without letting go of the peg.  

Her mother and the two men who operated the climbing wall tried to coax her to hold on to the rope, so she could come down, but she was frozen in place and had a death grip on the plastic climbing pegs as her feet were perched precariously on a single peg. 

There were so many people, and so much noise, no one could hear her screams. She was so high up, people wandered past the wall and didn’t notice the terrified little girl clinging to the side of the wall. But we saw her.

After a half hour of watching the experts and her mom try to coax her down, I stopped a passing City of Moultrie firefighter and told him about the little girl. She was so high up that it took him a minute to see her, but when he did, he strode across the street, removed all his gear, and within a few minutes, he was tethered to the back side of the wall. 

He climbed the wall, but when he got close to her, he had to stop to calm her. He tried to talk her into grabbing onto him, but she was too overcome by the terror of falling to listen. Her arms were quivering from muscle fatigue, so he climbed higher and put his arm around her.

When she leaned against him and grabbed onto him with one hand, he held her tight, and she let go of the peg with her other hand. 

He climbed down, holding her securely, while she had a viselike grip on him as tight as she had clutched her peg. When they reached the ground, the experts quickly removed the girl’s harness, and her mom whisked her away.  

The firefighter, Cam, came to our tent to chat with us after his rescue, which is why we know how harrowing the ordeal was for the little girl. 

Farmer Man emailed the chief of the Moultrie City Fire Department, commending Cam for being a hero and received a nice reply from the chief. 

Friends in High Places, indeed.

I see stories everywhere I go.

You keep reading;

I’ll keep writing.

Judith signature

The Photos, Close Up

Butterflies visit my tent
A climbing wall at a festival with a person climbing on it, surrounded by a crowd of people and colorful tents under a blue sky.
The Latest Twist

Bundles of Crime

The Cozy Up to Crime Bundle

Cozy up to Crime Story Bundle

Here’s a twist for you! Curated cozy mystery ebooks bundled for your reading pleasure. Be a STARTER or go ALL IN.

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you’re feeling generous), you’ll get the STARTER bundle of four books in .epub format.

STARTER Bundle of Crime

Mystery, Crime and Mayhem: Cooking up Crime edited by Leah R Cutter
Murder Takes a Bow by Wendy Neugent
Witches and Waterways by Leah R Cutter
Bloodshed in the Badlands by Judith A. Barrett

Want to go ALL IN? If you pay at least the bonus price of just $20, you get all four of the regular books, plus seven more books, for a total of ELEVEN cozy ebooks!

ALL IN! More Crime for the Avid Cozy Reader’s Delight

STARTER Four PLUS Seven MORE!

Crafty Crimes by Leah R Cutter
Sushi Scandal by T. Thorn Coyle
The Wayward Ring by Sonia Orin Lyris
Interview With a Dead Editor by Shanna Swendson
Minivan Mayhem by R.E. Merrill
Cupcakes and Cyanide by Polly Holmes
Horticultural Homicide by Linda Jordan

This bundle is available only for a limited time!
http://www.storybundle.com 

Peanut Proud Festival Judith A. Barrett Booka
The Latest Twist

Peanut Proud Festival: A Memorable Experience

We returned to the Peanut Proud Festival in Blakely, Georgia, for the third year in a row and had even more fun. For starters, I caught up with the Peanut Guy! And yes, I did race down the street after him to ask for a photo.

It was a chilly morning; in fact, I wore two more layers under my warm jacket. Ignore those people in the background wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts. They were probably freezing but were too proud to admit it. See what I did there?

Peanut Proud Festival Judith A. Barrett Booka

We had the same spot we had the previous two years, which was perfect for watching the parade of go-carts zipping around in circles, ancient tractors, marching bands, politicians throwing candy, and fire trucks blaring their horns. The parade set the tone of excitement for the day.

As usual, the Peanut Proud organizers had goodie bags for the vendors, which no other festival does! We brought home dry roasted peanuts, peanut butter, a peanut butter knife, and homemade peanut brittle.

Peanut Proud Faithful Reader

Here’s a thought for you: what if you found books online that you really, really loved? And what if you went to the Peanut Proud Festival in Blakely, Georgia, with your grandfather and spotted a booth with your favorite books, written by your favorite author?

“I’ve read this book, and this book, and this book…”

And when you stared at the person behind the table, you recognized the author…would you be stunned?

It was absolutely magical for both of us! I was so thrilled for her that my hand shook when I signed her books. Since she had already read the entire Grid Down Survival Series, I gave her the bonus book, Grid Down: The Beginning.

The hero of our story, however, was the patient grandfather who stood by then beamed as he opened his wallet for his favorite granddaughter’s books.

Best day ever!

The Latest Twist

Planning for the Best

I’ve spent the past week preparing for the Spring Festival Season. The thirteen bins of books and two bins of tablecloths and table signs are packed and ready to load into the cargo trailer.

Books Ready for the first 2025 Spring Festival

For the Spring Festivals a year ago, the bins were much larger and held more books, but they became so heavy I couldn’t lift them to help load and unload books.

At the beginning of the 2024 Fall Festival season, we needed more bins because I’d written more books, but we had maxed out on the number of large bins that would fit into the backseat of the truck. If we had put any more books into the large bins, not even Senior Staff (aka Labor, according to him and his vendor buddy from a festival) could lift them.

We bought smaller bins, which we could fill completely. They took up less space and fit in the truck’s backseat. Because I could lift the bins, we also shortened the time it took for us to load and unload books. 

Before the end of the Fall Festival season, we bought a small cargo trailer. Finally, our festival equipment: the tent, tent weights, tables, chairs, bookrack, ceiling fan, wagons, hand truck, and tools, would be in one place, so we wouldn’t have to load and unload the truck for every festival. 

We added three more bins for the 2025 Spring Festival season. More new books = more bins.

 Each bin is marked so we know which series it contains and whether it is unloaded immediately at the festival, or if it stays in the cargo trailer for extras for back up. 

We’ll unload 204 books to place on our tables and bookrack at each festival, which leaves 107 books on standby in the cargo trailer, so Senior Staff can grab extra books when we get dangerously low.

You may have done the quick math and realized the bins you see hold 311 books. We have either sold out or had only one left of a popular book at almost every festival, which is magnificent but terrifying. While it might sound logical to have extras of that one book, it has been a different book every festival, so I’ve planned for the best-case scenario. 

When each festival is over, we’ll unload the books from the cargo trailer because they have to be stored inside. Humidity in Georgia is a book killer. I’ll replenish the books we sold from what we have on hand.

I think I won’t have to order any more books until this summer after the season is over, but we’ll see. We have seven festivals lined up between the middle of March and the second week of May, which means we have only two weekends without a festival. So far.

Spring Festivals

  • Calico Arts & Crafts, March 15-16, Moultrie GA
  • Peanut Proud, March 22, Berkley GA
  • Fire Ant Festival, March 29, Ashburn GA
  • National Grits Festival, April 12, Warwick GA
  • Spring Fling, April 19, Moultrie GA
  • GA Strawberry Festival, April 26, Reynolds GA
  • Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival, May 10, Abbeville GA

The Latest Twist

Watching Trees Grow

Planting Pine trees

In 2021, we decided we’d like to have trees in the field in front of our house. I love trees. We ordered a passel of pine trees. Before the trees arrived, we carefully marked each row and the planned position of each tree with a flag. We know passersby were curious because vehicles suddenly slowed down as they drove past our house. In their defense, it did look like some kind of construction was about to happen.

We planted our trees in the perfectly straight rows, and all the trees in all the rows were perfectly aligned, except for one afternoon when I was tired and misread the numbers on the tape measure. There still are two trees in one row that are 6 feet apart, not 8. The trees in the background are the older trees we planted in 2021.

The trees we planted in 2022 suffered from the extended drought of several months, and we lost almost all of them.

The trees we planted in 2023 underwent almost three weeks of a hard freeze. The older trees survived, but only a few of the newly planted trees did. 

In 2024, annoying Life Events slammed us shortly before the trees were delivered and interfered with our planting time. We diverted from our original plan to replace the trees in the rows we’d already planted before we continued with new rows. Instead, we adjusted our plan and just planted the new rows.  

This year, we started by filling in the older rows with new trees. See the piles of pine straw? You might have to squint. New trees are snuggled in the middle of each one. We think if we plant an hour or two every morning and again every afternoon, we’ll finish up in a week with trees planted eight feet apart in the rows we prepared for this year.  

Some people say watching grass grow is dull. Maybe they should watch trees grow instead.

I love trees. 

Judith signature