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

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This Month: Win a Free Copy of Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller!

Here’s a way to make your fall even better. This month, I’m raffling away a free download code to the audiobook of my bestselling novel, Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller. Cathy Williams does a terrific job narrating this terrifying tale of a woman diagnosed with paranoia who knows no one will believe that her husband plans to kill her. Between now and October 31st, drop me an email at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com, with the subject line: “Saving Grace audiobook raffle.” That’s all there is to it! I’ll be picking a winner shortly after October 31st, and will announce that winner in next month’s newsletter. Good luck!

NOTE: The winner of last month’s raffle was Peggy Mangum, who won an audiobook copy of The Queen of Second Chances. Congratulations, Peggy!

FREE BOOKS!

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

Here are the links:

Twisty Psychological Thrillers

https://books.bookfunnel.com/jxvlhqlukk/x9j1y2nuhu

Romances Aplenty!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/freeromancebuilder/ejxyf37oo8

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?

I had a busy few weekends at the end of September and the beginning of October —exhibiting at the New Providence Book Festival and the Brooklyn Book Fair, and then reading at the 58th Street Branch of the NY Public Library. I also interviewed my good friend Elf Ahearn at Big Red Books, where she was discussing her new Regency romance, The Baron of Bad Behavior.

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I’ve also been doing a lot of editing for individual authors. If you need a book edited, my rates are very reasonable, and I edit the first 1,000 words free of charge. so you can see how I work, and I can determine if I can help you.

Recently, I received a lovely compliment from one of the short story authors I’ve edited, Gerald Elias. He’s a great author; I hope you’ll read some of his work.

You’ve been one of the most efficient and effective editors I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Your comments have been to the point, well-chosen, and accurate. You’re a consummate pro at what you do.

I edit everything except science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and anything with discriminatory or hateful content. Read more at http://www.dmbarr.com/suggested-development-editing.

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A good friend of mine, Michael Geraghty, who is known for writing great small-town romances, has opened his own publishing company, called Hold Fast Publishing. Check it out, you’ll find many of his books there and soon, some by other terrific writers!

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October also brought some sad news: Down & Out Books—the publisher of the first of the two-volume anthology, Better Off Dead: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and set to publish my next five anthologies—has closed its doors forever. As you can imagine, I’ve been scrambling to find a new publisher. I hope to have some news next month, so stay tuned. There are some great stories from well-known short story authors in these books, so they must find a home!

Upcoming releases:

Vacations Can Be Murder Volume 2: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States: release has been postponed until late January, 2026. Preorder here.

Vacations Can Be Murder Volume 3: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Capital Region: release slated for October, 2026.

Personal Appearances:

I have scheduled several holiday parties, but nothing else between now and the end of the year. That should leave me some much-needed time to write. Here is a picture from the Brooklyn Book Fair (pictured with fellow Sisters in Crime authors Lori Robbins, Cathi Stoler, and Roseanne Limoncello) and another from the 58th Street Branch of the New York Public Library reading.

My next post from Miss Demeanors (www.missdemeanors.com) will run in early November. Be sure to check it 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!