Category Archives: A Writer’s Life

The Wordsmith reminder

Posted on 19 February 2021 by Barbara Howe

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with the book launch for The Wordsmith, the fourth book in my high fantasy Reforging series, coming up this weekend. If you want the link to the zoom event, contact me and I … Continue reading →

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The Wordsmith Book Launch

Posted on 25 January 2021 by Barbara Howe

For The Wordsmith, the 4th book in my high fantasy Reforging series, I will be having a virtual book launch, via zoom. You don’t have to be here in Wellington, NZ to join in. The event will be on Sunday … Continue reading →

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2021 TBR

Posted on 3 January 2021 by Barbara Howe

Before the holidays I owned five of the books in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London/Constable Peter Grant series. I had added the next book to my wishlist, and my family gave me four books in the series (from three separate … Continue reading →

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2020 Recap

Posted on 18 December 2020 by Barbara Howe

The Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (literally, Christmas Book Flood) warms my heart, since it involves settling into a comfortable spot,eating chocolate, and reading books. The custom, as I understand it, of giving books (books are, apparently, the default Christmas gift) … Continue reading →

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Thanksgiving 2020

Posted on 21 November 2020 by Barbara Howe

The American Thanksgiving holiday is this coming Thursday. We have made some adaptations to our celebrations since we moved to New Zealand, but we continue to observe it, even though celebrating a harvest festival in spring does feel a bit … Continue reading →

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Banned Book Week 2020

Posted on 26 September 2020 by Barbara Howe

I was not thrilled when I realised that this year’s Banned Books Week (September 27 – October 3) was coming up. I have been making annual forays into the arena of banned or challenged books since I started this blog, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writer's Life, Children's Fiction | 2 Comments

Book Announcement: The Wordsmith

Posted on 29 August 2020 by Barbara Howe

Irene van Gelder’s drudge job is killing her, but how can she earn a living as an air witch when her own guild calls her a fraud? The Fire Warlock doesn’t ask for her credentials, but with tensions rising between … Continue reading →

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CoNZealand

Posted on 8 August 2020 by Barbara Howe

CoNZealand, the first online world science fiction convention, has come and gone. While there were some obvious teething pains, in general it turned out much better than I had feared. It wasn’t the same as meeting people in person, but … Continue reading →

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Taking Care of My Extended Family

Posted on 31 May 2020 by Barbara Howe

When I started this blog, I meant for it to be non-political. Advice I’ve read said don’t antagonise potential readers. That seems like good sense, and I’m not by nature confrontational. But now… Some things are just too important to … Continue reading →

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The End of a Long Journey is in Sight

Posted on 5 January 2020 by Barbara Howe

The end of my nearly ten-year trek through Frankland—the setting of the Reforging series—is finally in sight. I wrote the first scene in the first book, The Locksmith, in October 2010. The first scenes of the fifth and final book … Continue reading →

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