Barb Han's Blog

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CHECK OUT THE BOOK PAGE HERE!

The final book in the Cattlemen Crime Club series, TEXAS SHOWDOWN, is now available everywhere books are sold. The e-Book releases October 1st.

Barb has signed on to write a new six-book series for Harlequin Intrigue. Rushing Creek Ranchers is scheduled for release in 2019.

 

 Barb is thrilled to announce that Texas Witness hit #23 on Publishers Weekly Bestseller List for mass market paperbacks.

This summer, we took on a big project—a move. We’d been tossing around the idea for a while but ideas for what our next house would look like fell flat. We attended Open Houses in search of inspiration but left deflated instead of inspired. Our current house with two stories and a room for just about everything we could imagine (a yoga room, a movie room, etc.) seemed…empty. After a little soul searching, we figured out why.

The kids were growing up and busy with their schedules (translation: never home). John and I felt like there was an enormous amount of space in between us—he in the movie room upstairs and me in my office on the opposite side of the house. The dogs happily trotted in between but their paw prints echoed in the empty space.

With kids spread out in age we’d gotten used to a full house almost all the time. Kids. Friends. Activities. There was rarely a dull moment and we loved it.

But things change.

Rattling around in the house served as a constant reminder that our kids were growing up and soon to leave. We already felt like empty nesters.

And then something clicked.

We should be celebrating not sad.

We decided to do just that—celebrate. And that meant making changes in order to live life more on our terms. We sat down and discussed what our ideal life would look like if it was (at least mostly) centered around us.

For me, a saltwater pool would be nice and much less time spent in the car. I also wanted a place with easy upkeep since we have two large dogs. Our last home had incredible wood floors but I cringed with every scrape. An easy-to-care-for but beautiful space for a small garden also topped my list.

For John, an easier commute to work was a priority. He thought it would be nice to try living in a one-story for a change. He, too, wanted a nice outdoor space but a pool was optional for him. Another requirement was a comfortable place to watch and enjoy his football games in the fall/winter months. 

Once we nailed our wish list and decided to go for it we put our house on the market. It sold in a matter of days (over asking price). Score! But we were also buying in the same city, same market. We found a house with everything on our wish list, fell in love and made a bid. That night, we found out there were multiple offers. We revised our bid and hoped for the best. When our realtor called to say we got the house we were filled with exhilaration and relief. Double score!

And then we had to switch gears into move-mode.

With the school year ending and the dance year ending—oh and did I mention that our middle son was graduating from high school at the same time?—plus a 10-day trip to New York on the schedule, to say life was hectic is an understatement. I had exactly seven days to pack, move and get settled in a new place.

We used a terrific moving company. The crew was amazing! And the whole family pulled together to make it happen. The oldest was in the process of moving into his first real apartment, so he was able to use furniture/decorations/dishes we had no room for in the new house.

Life clicked and everything fell into place for a smooth (albeit exhausting) transition.

After unpacking what felt like endless boxes, I had to dig deep in order to pack a suitcase for New York City almost immediately after the move. But New York is my city.

And after months (and months) of living in flux, I had a new place to call home.

Can you relate? How does change affect you? Did you make big changes when your kids grew up?

I’m thrilled to share the news that TEXAS WITNESS, book 5 in the Cattlemen Crime Club series releasing in mass market on August 22nd, now has a back cover blurb. Check it out:

Six foot two of raw masculinity is her best witness protection

Face-to-face with the woman who jilted him, Colin O’Brien tells himself he’s over her. What the charming rancher doesn’t know is that the man Melissa Roark Rancic married has forced her—and her infant daughter—to live a charade of love. And now, about to testify to his criminal deeds, she’s shaken by rekindled feelings for Colin and scared that he’ll discover her child is his.

Though angry, Colin vows to protect Melissa from her vengeful ex…while safeguarding his own heart. But once he steps up, he can’t step away. No danger can keep Colin from the woman he never stopped loving.

Cover coming soon!

While most people celebrate the day by drinking green beer and worrying about getting pinched for not wearing said color, St. Patrick’s Day holds a different meaning for me. It’s the day I became a mother.

Happy Birthday, Brandon!   

 

This picture is from his senior year of high school on a trip to Cancun (he’s on the left). Being his mother has always been an adventure! He’s spirited, intelligent and interesting to talk to. I worked it out with his doctor years ago that all his good qualities come from me and the others…well, those are from Dad. LOL.  

In a couple of months, he’ll graduate with a PhD in Physics. There’s a job lined up, too. I couldn’t be prouder of him.

So, while everyone else toasts with green ale today we’ll have a quieter celebration. One that marks our firstborn’s entry into the world. 

Wishing you all of the many wonderful things that an Irish blessing will bring. Happiness, joy, love, and laughter, may your day be content and may you smile happily ever after! –Anonymous

Now it’s your turn. What does St. Patrick’s Day mean to you?

How many of you (who want to be published) write every day? How many write at least five days a week? Okay, how many write on the weekends, so at least two days a week? One?

Now, by show of hands (;-)), how many only write when inspiration strikes?

Listening for, waiting for, and/or teasing the muse out from under the bed before writing might work for some writers. But what if a writer wants to be prolific?

For me, the muse is a ruse.

The daily habit of writing far outweighs trying to negotiate with something as fickle as a muse. And I’ve learned over my career (being published as a journalist first and then a fiction writer), the more often I write the more often inspiration strikes. Basically, the muse comes out to play more often when I’m already at the keyboard.

Writing every day for six to seven hours a day no matter how I feel pretty much ensures that not every word I write will be inspired. And I want to write the best possible story I can every time, which could create conflict and frustration.

But I’ve learned to push past that discomfort because…

It’s okay to write a less-than-stellar first draft.

For me, waiting for the perfect word or searching for that perfect description slows creativity to a crawl.  In the early stage with a story, I’m focused on getting as much of the storyline on the page as I can. Momentum is key. I’ll write a sentence and then add:  [better]. That’s me giving myself permission to move on from something that I know could be improved. Getting out that first draft and keeping a flow going is an important part of my early-in-the-story process.

The next stage—revisions—is for playing around with descriptions, finding that perfect comeback and/or adding more depth to the story. That’s the stage I let myself tinker with a description or a line for as long as it takes until it’s the best it can be.

How about you?

Tell me if you wait for the muse or just plow through knowing you’ll catch mistakes, plot problems, etc in revisions.

The Cattlemen Crime Club Book 6 has a new name. TEXAS SHOWDOWN releases in the fall of this year.