Reading · Barr Sinister: The Suspenseful World of D.M. Barr

This page did not load. You can still read it on the original site — the toolbar below keeps your place in the directory.

June Raffle: Win the Book of Your Choice!

I’m going to try something new this month. The winner of this month’s raffle will win the e-book/paperback/audiobook of their choice from Amazon (written by anyone, not just me!), priced at $25 or below. But there’s a catch! There’s a typo in this newsletter: find it! Then, by June 30th, send it to me via an email note to dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com to be entered. Also in that email, indicate which book you’d like, the form you’d like it in (e-book, paperback, or audiobook), and either the email address you’d like it sent to if you win, or your snail mail address if you’re looking for a paperback. I’ll draw randomly from among the correct entries by early July and let you know if you’ve won. I’m looking forward to seeing what interests you!

NOTE: The winner of May’s raffle was Michele Lawrence, who won a digital copy of the Agatha-winning, Anthony-nominated Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England by yours truly. Congratulations, Michele!

FREE BOOKS!

My gift to you: a link to free books offered by some other mystery, suspense, and romance/romantic suspense authors for you to download.

Here are this month’s link:

Mystery and Suspense with a Touch of Romance:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/msr-jun-jul/17m9uls7o7

In May, Lots of Panels…

I started the month on a panel for members of the New York Travel Writers Association and the Society of American Travel Writers. I was joined by a publisher, Doug Stallings from Fodor’s, and Rachel Vogel, Literary Agent and Partner at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Guess who all the author attendees came to see? That’s right, not me. Even so, I was able to relate some interesting facts about self-publishing and my views on the current state of the industry, as well as impart some marketing and editing tips.

Here are some pics from the event:

Next, I drove to Hoboken, NJ where I participated in an event at the Hoboken Library sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter. Pictured below are myself, moderator Tom Coffey, and authors Kellye Garrett and Jeff Cohen aka EJ Copperman.

Finally, I ventured into Manhattan to visit the Mind of a Serial Killer exhibit with my friend, fellow author Elizabeth Shore. We got to pose for mug shots as seen below. This was a extremely well-done, if gory, exhibit, and because we bought VIP tickets, we were treated to a virtual reality experience at the end. This was my first time wearing VR glasses, and it was a trip!

What am I Reading?

I’m finishing up the third in Don Winslow’s Danny Ryan trilogy, City in Ruins. It’s been a great ride, and I’ve really enjoyed Don’s plotting. I’m looking forward to starting my friend Karen Odden’s new historical novel, The Artful Dodge, later this week.

On the nonfiction front, I’m reading The New Comedy Bible by Judy Carter because crazy me, I’m thinking of writing a short stand-up routine.

Thanks for reading Barr Sinister: The Suspenseful World of D.M. Barr! This post is public so feel free to share it.

What have I been up to?

Exciting News:

Well, it’s June and this week is the end-of-year party for Sisters in Crime New York/Tri-State, which means that immediately afterward, I will be the co-president of the chapter. Nina Mansfield (my fellow co-president) and I have some exciting plans in store for the chapter, and I’m sure to have some fun photos to share as the year progresses.

Writing:

I’m working on Book 1 of a cozy mystery series, and it’s actually part of the Rock Canyon Realty Chronicles, following up on Dana Black, who was the protagonist of my first book, Expired Listings.

Studying:

I am going back to my comic routes with classes in Improv and books on comedy writing.

Editing:

If you’re a writer attending Killer Nashville, I’ll be meeting with authors to discuss the manuscript snippets they send me in advance. This looks to be an amazing conference, and I hope to see you there.

Personal Appearances:

Other than the MWA Spring Fling and the end-of-year Sisters in Crime party, I will be out of the mystery spotlight until late August, when I attend Killer Nashville. Some literary awards will be handed out between now and then, including the Ippys and the Daphnes, and I’ll keep you informed if I am honored with one.

Still to come:

\August 21-24: Killer Nashville, Franklin, TN

October 21-25: Bouchercon, Calgary, Alberta

November 10-14: Author Nation, Las Vegas, NV

I love interacting with readers! If you’d like me to speak at your organization or appear at your book club (in person if in the NY Tristate area, otherwise via Zoom) please contact me at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com.

***

Do you know someone who needs a good editor? Refer me, and if they use me, you’ll get a referral payment as a thank you! Contact me for more details. You can see information and pricing at http://suggesteddevelopment.com. I edit everything except science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and anything with discriminatory or hateful content. I am also a book coach, if you need accountability, hand-holding, and someone to walk you through the querying process.

***

My past post from Miss Demeanors (www.missdemeanors.com) ran on June 9th, and in honor of Pride Month, it was about how straight authors can do a better job of portraying LGBTQ characters. In July, I’ll be writing about how to get more involved in short-story writing. Be sure to check both out here. Miss Demeanors is a great blog that was voted #25 in the Top 400 Mystery/Suspense Blogs list for 2025, so be sure to subscribe!