We went to the beach! Second and third photos from Carrie Robinson’s collection
Florida is home to gators! Check ’em out. Photos from Carrie Robinson’s collection
We even went back to my Alma mater New College. Photos from Carrie Robinson’s collection
Thanks Dad, Debbie, and Tonio for the coolest present ever! I’m going to wear this as my next ‘costume’
Rachel was wearing a Princess dress?
Are you going to watch the video here?
Thanks to the following for making the Barnard Birthday Book Bash a Success!
I believe that I’m a Lunartic (am I using that correctly?) I absolutely love Marissa Meyer and have read everything she has read that’s available. She is my newly won favorite YA author and she is brilliant and I met her this past Tuesday…
It was the most fun I’ve ever had at a book-author event and it was a whopping big event! There were around 300 people who came and I made sure I was early (to charge my car and get parking and snag an early book signing ticket).
I was also in costume… as guess who! Of course the Queen.
I won the VIP swag bag and got three books signed and the new copy of Fairest. Thanks Marissa and Macmillan PR team! I love my swag!
I had my face airbrush painted and wore my spooky black colored contacts.
My birthday party and Marissa’s release party made for an epic January for me!
Stay tuned for the video of my stand up comedy!
Thanks for coming to my birthday book bash everyone! It was so cool to have 15 people come out to celebrate my 25th with me and to bring customers to a lovely local business (St. James Espresso). Thanks for my wonderful cards and gifts and I have some cool new books to read now! The following photos courtesy of Rosemarie of the Eastside Social Meet up: 
I had a really fun time raffling off those neat mugs and doing my short comedy routine (it was not that bad)! The following photos courtesy of Paul (the one in the suit)
The Aftermath! Emphasis on math…
For anyone in the Seattle area, you’re invited to my birthday book bash tomorrow at St. James Espresso. There’s going to be CAKE!!
At One’s Beast audiobook now available!!
Tomorrow 1/22/15
and
ebooks will be free from Amazon.
| The Challenge | 2014 | |
| 1 | A book with more than 500 pages | Shift (Silo #2) by Hugh Howey (608) |
| 2 | A classic romance | Wildest Dreams by Stefany Rattles |
| 3 | A book that became a movie | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green |
| 4 | A book published this year | Unseen by Stephanie Erickson |
| 5 | A book with a number in the title | 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher |
| 6 | A book written by someone under 30 | Deny the Moon by Melissa Graham |
| 7 | A book with nonhuman characters | Pickled Apocalypse of Pancake Island by Cameron Pierce |
| 8 | A funny book | This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper |
| 9 | A book by a female author | The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (The Enchanted Forest by Patricia Wrede |
| 10 | A mystery or thriller | Cache a Predator by M. Weidenbenner |
| 11 | A book with a one-word title | Room by Emma Donoghue |
| 12 | A book of short stories | Free-Flowing Stories by FVP authors |
| 13 | A book set in a different country | The 100-Foot Journey by Richard Morais |
| 14 | A nonfiction book | Rock Your Plot: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel by Cathy Yardley |
| 15 | A popular author’s first book | Looking for Alaska by John Green |
| 16 | A book from an author you love that you hadn’t read yet | Silo by Hugh Howy |
| 17 | A book a friend recommended | Heart of Africa by Loren Lockner |
| 18 | A Pulitzer Prize-winning book | X |
| 19 | A book based on a true story | Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean |
| 20 | A book at the bottom of your to-read list | I, Robot by Isaac Asimov |
| 21 | A book your mom loves | Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn |
| 22 | A book that scares you | Brave New World by Aldous Huxley |
| 23 | A book more than 100 years old | X |
| 24 | A book based entirely on its cover | The Pickled Apocalypse of Pancake Island by Cameron Pierce |
| 25 | A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t | NA |
| 26 | A memoir | X |
| 27 | A book you can finish in a day | If I stay by Gayle Foreman |
| 28 | A book with antonyms in the title | Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter |
| 29 | A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit | X |
| 30 | A book that came out the year you were born | X |
| 31 | A book with bad reviews | Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James |
| 32 | A trilogy | Maze Runner by James Dashner |
| 33 | A book from your childhood | The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (The Enchanted Forest by Patricia Wrede |
| 34 | A book with a love triangle | The Thousand Year Curse (Curse Books, #1) by Taylor Lavati |
| 35 | A book set in the future | The Maze Runner by James Dashner |
| 36 | A book set in high school | The Moment Before by Suzy Vitello |
| 37 | A book with a color in the title | Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James |
| 38 | A book that made you cry | Ghostwriter by Tyan Wyss |
| 39 | A book with magic | Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs |
| 40 | A graphic novel | X |
| 41 | A book by an author you’ve never read before | Unseen by Stephanie Erickson |
| 42 | A book you own but hadn’t read before | X |
| 43 | A book that takes place in your hometown | The Siren Suicides by Ksenia Anske |
| 44 | A book that was originally written in a different language | X |
| 45 | A book set during Christmas | The French for Christmas by Fiona Valpy |
| 46 | A book written by an author with your same initials | The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury |
| 47 | A play | X |
| 48 | A banned book | Brave New World by Aldous Huxley |
| 49 | A book based on or turned into a TV show | X |
| 50 | A book you started but never finished | A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess |
It’s a new year and a new me. I’ve been reading more and more Indie books. Why? Why would I risk my lovely reading time with books that might not be my cup of tea? Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. They ARE my cup of tea. I’ve found some fabulous writers through my Indie readings – just look at my Indie Stars page. I want to support my fellow Indie authors by reading and reviewing their works, to find the gems and support and promote them any way I can. The first step is to read them and then tell everyone about how much I liked their book and why it’s so fabulous(i.e. review). You can see my review policy here. I think Jo Michaels is a great and successful supporter of Indie authors and I want to be a part of her 2015 review team. If you’re interested, have a look at Jo Michaels’ review team page on her blog.
My commitment to the cause is a Hungry 21-40 books for 2015 but I really want to reach 50 (half my reading goal list of 100 books this year).
Check out Rachel Barnard’s new Food Challenge! Daily blog posts will be hosted on rachelbarnardfooddiary.blogspot.com and updates will be posted here on Fridays.
Rachel Author Barnard 