It was such fun to read from my new book “Seize the Donut” for the first time and to walk the audience through instructions on using chopsticks! Steven made me laugh with his short piece from the prompt of a funeral and jealousy. The cinnamon bun and stratta, as always, were very delicious.
Category Archives: Rachel Barnard
Upcoming WA event! Wine and Words June 29th at 6pm
Wildlife Wednesdays: Father’s Day Hike – Goose Rock in Deception Pass State Park
Maple Valley Days 4th Year Follow-up
Next year I resolve to take more pictures! I absolutely love Maple Valley Days. I spent 32 hours volunteering in the park for the festival and quite a few prior helping to organize. Even though I spent about 10 minutes total inside our booth (and was able to help sell a book while I was in the tent whoop whoop), as a volunteer I interact with almost every other vendor (over 100) and always talk up the local writer’s booth!
Here are all the pictures I took.
I was thrilled to see all the corgis (not pictured). At least 3 tri-colored corgis and one 16-week old puppy corgi that was such a cuddler!
All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Donut Pub in NYC
Donut Pub
New York, New York
203 W 14th St (At 7th Ave) New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-0126
What I tried:
Canoli cronut & french krueller & 3 glazed donut holes
~$
What to expect:
They are open 24/7 so usually they have donuts all day. They carried all their advertised flavors. It was a larger space with old dining style seating (plenty of it too). the french krueller was heavy and oily and after one bite I was done. The donut holes were standard and delicious.
My favorite:
Croissant donut! They use FUDGE on the cannoli croissant donut and it was the best donut I’ve ever had.
Upcoming Local Event: Maple Valley Days! This Weekend
You can find FVP and some great books by local authors at Maple Valley Days near the info booth! This is our fourth year at Maple Valley Days and we have some new books since last year.
http://www.maplevalleydays.com/
Check out our 2016 Maple Valley Days
Check out our 2015 Maple Valley Days
Check out our 2014 Maple Valley Days
LAKE WILDERNESS PARK
23601 224th Ave SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038
FESTIVAL HOURS
Friday: 3pm – 8pm – Carnival stays open until 10.
Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Book Review: Numbers Raging (Numbers Game Saga Book 3) by Rebecca Rode
Numbers Raging (Numbers Game Saga Book 3) by Rebecca Rode
A YA Dystopian Novel published by Diamond Patch Press (02/19/17)
Summary:
Treena wants to save everyone, including citizens of NORA and the integrants and settlers of the desert. She will have to use all her political prowess to convince her hometown and those abroad to help with her cause. The enemy looms, but nobody will believe that the young teenagers Treena and Vance are telling the truth. It’s much easier to sweep it all under the rug and look the other way.
Keywords:
Futuristic, Water Shortage, Protection, Family, Loyalty, Number System, Ratings, Scores, Technology, Politics, Survival, Strict Society, Dystopian, Friendship, Desert, Travel, War, Weapons, Death
My Review:
The first half of this book was not as exciting as book 2, as it was full of political subterfuge and Treena trying to gain political support from the other Nations. I really enjoyed the Star Wars feel this book had, with the council and the underhanded politics that Treena was subjected to during her stay at the peace council meeting.
As I was reading I couldn’t help but wonder how it would end. There only seemed like two possibilities, but I was pleasantly surprised by the turn the story took. This book expertly wrapped up the series and the final climax was awesome! So much happened!
What would you do to save everything and everyone that you loved?
This novel was published by Diamond Patch Press on 02/19/2017 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Donuts is live! Purchase Links and Happy National Donut Day
HAPPY NATIONAL DONUT DAY!!!
Win a copy of Vanessa’s Book of Awesome Things from Goodreads HERE
Purchase Seize the Donut from Amazon HERE
Friendships should never be taken for granted.
The ups and downs of high school forged an unbreakable bond between Vanessa and Nichole. Summer’s over and Vanessa is preparing for life at the local liberal arts college. Without her best friend by her side, Vanessa starts to chart her own path. Navigating new friendships and relationships proves easier said than done.
Nichole got kicked out of her mother’s house, lives with strangers in a sketchy neighborhood and commutes across town for her job in retail. She doesn’t always make the right choices and she has only herself to blame when things go wrong.
Something’s gotta give. Who will make the first move – or will fate intervene to remind each of them of the importance of their bond.
Purchase Donuts in an Empty Field from Amazon HERE
Purchase Donuts in an Empty Field from Barnes and Noble HERE
Add to your Goodreads shelf HERE
Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.
Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.
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Celebrate the awaited release of the second book in the For the Love of Donuts series – “Seize the Donut” by Rachel Barnard, by getting some donuts!
Where to get a FREE DONUT!!!
Dunkin’ Donuts (with beverage purchase)
Or join me at 6:30 p.m. at Mill Creek (WA) Frost to watch me and some other local donut enthusiasts in a donut-eating contest!
Book Review: Numbers Ignite (Numbers Game Saga Book 2) by Rebecca Rode
Numbers Ignite (Numbers Game Saga Book 2) by Rebecca Rode
A YA Dystopian Novel published by Diamond Patch Press (01/26/16)
Summary:
Treena is ready to leave NORA behind forever, but NORA is far from done with her. With the hope of a life ahead with Vance, she pushes onward through the uninhabitable dessert. After losing all her gear, it seems like she’ll never make it, but is saved by a hidden underground settlement. Vance doesn’t know that Treena is on her way to join him, but he is up to his elbows in his own problems. After agreeing to be put on trial for his previous actions, he’s become a prisoner of his own people.
Keywords:
Futuristic, Water Shortage, Protection, Family, Loyalty, Number System, Ratings, Scores, Technology, Politics, Survival, Strict Society, Dystopian, Friendship, Desert, Travel, War, Weapons, Death
My Review:
Vance and Treena are creating their own paths in this second book. They want to be together, but first must overcome obstacles in their own lives and find each other again afterwards. I enjoyed seeing Treena and Vance in their own stories as they struggled with different problems.
Now that Treena can no longer turn her back on NORA, it’s citizens, and all the problems right in front of her, she will have to fight even harder for what she believes is right. For Vance it was never a question of if he should or should not help others, but without having the power to lead or change situations, he will have quite a difficult time of it!
This story picks up right where the first one leaves off and ends with quite the chaotic climax.
This novel was published by Diamond Patch Press on 01/26/2016 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Book Review: Numbers Game (Numbers Game Saga Book 1) by Rebecca Rode
Numbers Game (Numbers Game Saga Book 1) by Rebecca Rode
A YA Dystopian Novel published by Diamond Patch Press (03/10/15)
Summary:
Treena has followed the rules her entire life and her rating should be high, as high as her boyfriend’s rating. She should be a green with a good job and a great life in NORA, the only thriving city in futuristic and devastated North America. They have technology and a water filtration system as well as a strict rating system to keep citizens in line. When Treena receives one of the lowest ratings of her entire class, there must be a mistake! Treena will do nearly anything to fix her low red number, even go undercover for the empress and find a military spy. What if her rating wasn’t an accident? What else is going on in the fringes of this perfect society?
Keywords:
Futuristic, Water Shortage, Protection, Family, Loyalty, Number System, Ratings, Scores, Technology, Politics, Survival, Strict Society, Dystopian, Friendship
My Review:
The Numbers Saga is a dystopian novel with an active female heroine. Treena has quite a bit thrown at her, but she doesn’t just react to her situations, she actively seeks out her story. She creates her own rules.
I wasn’t entirely convinced that a 16-year old who is referred to as ‘small’ would be able to defend and defeat a fully trained adult soldier after one week of training. There were other small plot conveniences – punishment mode was only triggered for important characters when it could be overcome. Important characters could escape when they needed and get to where they needed to be. I could see the plot twists coming.
That being said, I could not put this book down. The writing style, characters, and plot pulled me right in and I didn’t want to stop reading. This was a fun and engrossing book.
If you were a fan of Divergent and Hunger Games, you will enjoy this book.
This novel was published by Diamond Patch Press on 03/10/2015 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
Rachel Author Barnard 