Anniversary Week: Bringing the 1906 Earthquake to Life

April 13, 2015By Karen Barnett 18 Comments

Do you remember a day in your life when everything changed? How about a day in our nation’s history?  What springs to mind–Pearl Harbor, JFK’s assassination, Septemeber 11? For many San Franciscans, that memorable date was April 18, 1906. The region was rocked by a massive earthquake, touching off an inferno that consumed much of … Read More

Win an Early Copy of Beyond the Ashes!

March 31, 2015By Karen Barnett 7 Comments

When I turned in the second book of the Golden Gate Chronicles, the release date seemed like an impossible wait–June 16, 2015. Now it’s only a few months away! Whee! I can’t WAIT for you to read this story. I’m head-over-heels for these characters, and their love story about broke my heart. That might sound … Read More

Christmas Chronicles: Abby Fischer

December 4, 2014By Karen Barnett 157 Comments

The Christmas Chronicles is a blog hop between 5 historical romance authors. Our desire is to bring you joy through these letters, grounded in the true spirit of the season, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. We’re so glad to have you join the event. Each day this week, a new … Read More

GIVEAWAY celebrating MISTAKEN’s Cascade Award!

August 9, 2014By Karen Barnett 35 Comments

I just returned from the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, and I’m thrilled to announce that my debut novel, MISTAKEN, took home a Cascade Award in the Published Historical Fiction Category. [In celebration of this win, I’m hosting a special GIVEAWAY. The winner can choose either a copy of Mistaken or my newest release, Out … Read More

Friday Book Pick: MY HOPE IS FOUND by Joanne Bischof

February 28, 2014By Karen Barnett 4 Comments

There are times when we consume novels like potato chips. We gobble them down and go looking for more. This is especially true of series fiction.  Then there are novels that within the first few paragraphs, you realize you’ve discovered something special, like a fine dark chocolate. You slow down and savor the words, the … Read More

A 1920s Valentine

February 14, 2014By Karen Barnett No Comments

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post a teaser from my 1920s romantic suspense novel, MISTAKEN. As expected with any romance novel, there are many sweet moments from which to choose. My favorites are often found in the early days of a relationship–those awkward moments when a man and woman are circling about … Read More

Book Club Travels: North Pole, AK

January 31, 2014By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

Thursday evening, I went to the North Pole. Okay, not really. I went to North Pole, Alaska. Well, that’s not exactly the truth, either.I visited a book club in North Pole, Alaska. Via the computer. Last Tuesday, I blogged how technology (laptop computers, mainly) allowed me to be a nomadic writer–writing wherever and whenever I chose without being tied … Read More

Friday Book Pick: ON DISTANT SHORES by Sarah Sundin

September 27, 2013By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Oregon, fall has definitely, um… fallen. And with our gloomy, rainy weather, nothing cheers me up like cracking open a good book. (Do books really crack?) This week, I’m recommending On Distant Shores by one of my all-time favorite authors, Sarah Sundin. I’ve devoured every … Read More

Friday Book Pick: BURNING SKY by Lori Benton

August 2, 2013By Karen Barnett 1 Comment

“What I have seen, what I have done, it has changed me. I am the place where two rivers meet, silted with upheaval and loss.” The opening prologue of Burning Sky sets the tone for this beautiful frontier novel by debut author, Lori Benton. I was instantly captured by the truth of these words. What we … Read More

The Great Gatsby, Mistaken, and Hope

June 26, 2013By Karen Barnett No Comments

“…It was an extraordinary gift for hope,  a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again.” The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gatsby–a man of hope? I walked out of the theater feeling anything but hopeful. A verse of scripture … Read More