Tag: IndieAuthor

The Latest Twist

Pirouettes, Pivots, and Paperbacks

JAB

Pivoting Author with a Heart on her Christmas sweater
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! 

Judith signature

p.s. Can’t make it to either of the festivals? 

button visit barrett book shop

Visit Barrett Book Shop!  https://barrettbookshop.com

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! 

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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

My Author Year Seven: The Year I’ll be Predictable

You know when a joke is hilarious in your head? Thank you for laughing at mine.  

Boozy Book Club Nov 2024 

2024 An Exciting End to a Great Year

After a year full of exciting events, my last one was not my usual arts and crafts festival. I met the co-leaders of a local book club at an arts and crafts festival in November. They asked me if I would be interested in talking to their book club. I might have squealed a little. HECK, YEAH!

After we met at a local tavern, I talked a little and listened (and laughed) a lot. They were definitely a fun group!  One of the Bookies (is that an okay name for a Book Club member when the Book Club doesn’t have an “official” name?) said she reads the first few pages of a book, and if it doesn’t grab her, then she drops it.

Challenge Accepted. I read the first page of I Always Wanted to Be a Spy, and she stopped me before I could turn the page.

“I WANT TO READ THAT BOOK!”

I learned a new skill; I shut up.

FarmerMan was recently dubbed Labor by a vendor at an arts and crafts show. He said she wasn’t wrong, but I think Senior Staff would look better on a T-shirt. Ammi right?

Senior Staff sauntered out to his truck and returned with eight copies of I Always Wanted to Be a Spy. The eighth Bookie left early, but she had her book with her, in case you’re an editor or love numbers, and counted the Bookies in the photo. 

I track every event we attend and mark them as Do Not Return/No Fun or Must Go/Fun. Book Clubs are officially on my Must Go/Fun list.

An Exciting Beginning to 2025

Barrett Book Shop

Superhero fighting inflation

Inflation is hitting us all. It’s definitely on my Do Not Return/No Fun List, but I’m fighting it, one book at a time.

For starters, when the printing costs for paperbacks rose, the retailers and book distributors raised their prices, and thanks to that stuff-rolls-downhill effect, my costs for paperbacks went even higher. I’ve fought back. 

All the paperback books, signed by the author, are available on Barrett Book Shop with FREE SHIPPING. (US Continental) 

Another cost saving for readers (and listeners!) on Barrett Book Shop is Bundles of books. You’ll find Paperback (NEW!), Ebook, and Audiobook (NEW!) bundles. 

In fact, would you like a bargain bundle of four or more paperback, ebook, or audio books that you don’t see? Send me an email! That’s what two other readers did over the holidays, and there are two new bundles available for everyone on Barrett Book Shop! 

2025 Events

  • March 15-16 CALICO SPRING ARTS & CRAFTS, Moultrie GA
  • March 29 FIRE ANT FESTIVAL, Ashburn GA (New!)
  • April 26 GEORGIA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, Reynolds GA 

Paperback books are always bundled for you at all events, and custom bundles are a breeze! 

That’s it for this month, at least so far. I have plans…

The Latest Twist

Rolling with the Punches

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.

Writer ball cap
My much-loved Writer ball cap

 

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!

Signature cropped

The Latest Twist

New Series With a Serious Twist

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.

Barrett's Banned Band of Book Bandits  

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:

Jenna Ross Thriller Series 

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? 

Jenna Ross Thriller Series

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.

Elusive Embezzler Jenna Ross Thriller Book 1 

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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Ideas, QuickJAB, The Latest Twist

Hog Wild About Festivals

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

Starting Over

The fragrant, beautiful gardenias in the front of our house have bloomed every May since we bought the house in 2018, and we know they were there when the previous owners bought the house  in 2013, so they had survived the high and low temperatures that fluctuated from year to year for more than ten years.

When the hard freeze that lasted four days hit in February 2023, we were saddened by the loss of so many of our pine trees that we had planted over the past three years but were completely shocked that our three sturdy gardenia bushes didn’t survive.  So, we started over.

In November 2022, in a series of unfortunate events, our faithful camping trailer that we bought new in 2015 bit the dust in a most unlikely incident. Out of respect for her faithful service, we won’t go into the details, but no humans, dogs, or chickens (even though they weren’t there) were injured. We had a choice: give up camping or get a new camping trailer. I’m certain you aren’t surprised that we bought a new camping trailer. We’re starting over by taking short trips to get used to our new trailer.

As an author with a publishing business, I’ve been closely tracking the dwindling benefits of exclusivity with a single online book distributor. I started over in January 2023, and now all 30+ of my books are being sold by over a dozen book distributors.

In February, I investigated several options of selling my books directly to readers online. By the beginning of March, my online Barrett Book Shop was live and in business!

 

I’ve been excited to learn that other authors are doing the same!  Take a peek at a very delightful author, Maria E. Schneider, at Bear Mountain Books. 

I’ve found my toe-tapping, head-bobbing theme song for 2023 on You Tube:  Chris Stapleton

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

QuickJAB, The Latest Twist

Taking off the Chill

JAB

Fire Jan 2023 smaller

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?