🏰 Author Interview Featuring Barbara Jean Weber, Author of 'The Welcome Sign'

Barbara Jean Weber lives in Skagit County with her husband and two daughters, where she works as a speech and language therapist. Her novel, The Welcome Sign, was inspired when she was gifted a mermaid welcome sign. The more she studied the sign, the more her story evolved. She is currently an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit her website at https://www.barbarajeanweber.com/. 

I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

I am a full time speech-language pathologist (since 2001) and I work with preschool and elementary school aged kids. I am a mom to two teenagers and have been married for 28 years. I love rubber stamping, doing arts and crafts, reading, water aerobics and spending time with my husband and kids. I enjoy watching movies, writing letters to pen pals and playing with our cats. 

When did you start writing?

I've always enjoyed creative writing as a kid when I was in school. The initial concept of The Welcome Sign began about 18 years ago. There was some time of not writing on it, changing it, developing the story and characters, etc but I finally completed it. The Welcome Sign is written to be book 1 of 3. The second book is written but not edited or printed and book three is still in the outline form. 

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

That's a tough question. I started getting the idea for "The Welcome Sign" when I was pregnant with my 1st child. I had always loved creative writing as a kid so the interest and energy for writing was always present in my life. I had never written anything quite like this before. I had my master's thesis published when I was in graduate school but had never written a fiction book before. When the idea for the story came to me, inspired by a beautiful metal welcome sign with a mermaid on it that I received as a gift, the whole thing just evolved over time and became the book you see today.

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

The Oregon Coast. That's where I first started writing The Welcome Sign. We were on vacation in Lincoln City, Or when I started outlining the book. The Welcome Sign centers around the ocean and being at the coast gave me the perfect ocean/coastal environment to inspire events from the book. I find the coast to be very relaxing with the crashing waves, lovely ocean views. A very nice place to unwind and write.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

I would catch up on mail, I love pen palling and binge watch Stranger Things with my oldest daughter.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

This is something I have been thinking a lot about. I have another book that I was co-writing with my mom before she passed away that is still being worked on (not related to The Welcome Sign). I also have a third project in outline form (also not related to The Welcome Sign). I am still working on locations for both of those pieces. I did quite a lot of research to find the perfect location for The Welcome Sign and am still working on putting in that same the kind of effort for these other projects.

Why was writing "The Welcome Sign" so important to you?

Having an interest in creative writing from an early age allowed me an outlet for writing about things that really interested me.  I had written short stories for assignments but had never tackled anything quite like this. I've always had a fascination with mermaids and magical realms so when I received the metal mermaid welcome sign as a gift, I had an amazing dream about the origin of the sign. That dream was the inspiration and basis for the "The Welcome Sign." As it evolved, it became a fun adventure story that I was eager to share with my family and others as I felt they would also enjoy reading it.  A project that once seemed overwhelming and daunting was replaced with the joy of creating magical worlds, interesting characters, intrigue and battles between good and evil. It's fun to believe that my metal mermaid welcome sign might really have a magical origin story. You just never know.  

 

🏰 Author Interview Featuring Karen Charles, Author of 'Evan's Gift'

Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of two children’s books, “Freeman Earns a Bike” and “Evan’s Gifts,” and three thrillers based on true stories. “Fateful Connections” takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and “Blazing Upheaval” takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. “A Glimpse Too Far” offers all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story.

Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she currently resides with her husband. 

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com. 

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

🏰Can you tell us a little about yourself? Are you a full-time author?

I wear a few different hats. I’m a part-time author, but storytelling has always been part of who I am. My primary work is training teachers internationally to teach American English, which allows me to connect with people and cultures around the world. I also run an Airbnb year-round, which keeps me grounded in hospitality and human connection. Writing fits naturally alongside these roles because all of them, in one way or another, are about people, empathy, and communication.

🏰Can you tell us about Evan’s Gift?

Evan’s Gift is a story about a young boy who faces a simple yet powerful choice. Evan dreams of getting a new bike, but when he sees a greater need, he makes a decision that changes not only someone else’s life, but his own. The story gently shows children that kindness, compassion, and generosity often come at a cost, but the rewards are far greater than anything we can buy.

🏰Can you tell us a little about the characters?

Evan is a thoughtful, kind-hearted boy who represents the best of what children are capable of when they listen to their hearts. The supporting characters, his family, dorm parents, roommates, classmates, and friends, help shape his understanding of empathy and responsibility. Each character plays a role in showing that even small actions can create meaningful change.

🏰How can people benefit from reading Evan’s Gift?

Children learn that kindness matters and that their choices, even small ones, can make a difference. For parents and educators, the book opens the door to meaningful conversations about empathy, gratitude, and social responsibility. It’s especially useful in classrooms and homes as a gentle introduction to social-emotional learning.

🏰Is Evan’s Gift your only book?

No, I’ve written books for both children and adults. My adult novels are psychological thrillers based on true events, while Evan’s Gift reflects my lifelong work with children, education, and cross-cultural experiences. Although the genres differ, all my writing explores human behavior, compassion, and the choices we make. 

🏰Thank you so much for this interview, Karen. What’s next for you?

Thank you, it’s been a pleasure. I plan to continue training teachers internationally while sharing Evan’s Gift with schools, libraries, and families. I’m also always writing, sometimes children’s stories, sometimes novels for adults, because storytelling remains one of the most powerful ways we connect and learn from one another.

Where to purchase the book:

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/evans-gift

Where to find Karen:

https://www.weaveofsuspense.com

🏰 {BOOK TRAILER} FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER BY MARY LAWLOR

 

BOOK DETAILS

 

Title: Fighter Pilot's Daughter

Author: Mary Lawlor

Publication Date: August 22, 2013

Pages: 323

Genre: Memoir

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter: Growing Up in the Sixties and the Cold War tells the story of Mary Lawlor’s dramatic, roving life as a warrior’s child. A family biography and a young woman’s vision of the Cold War, Fighter Pilot’s Daughter narrates the more than many transfers the family made from Miami to California to Germany as the Cold War demanded. Each chapter describes the workings of this traveling household in a different place and time. The book’s climax takes us to Paris in May ’68, where Mary—until recently a dutiful military daughter—has joined the legendary student demonstrations against among other things, the Vietnam War. Meanwhile her father is flying missions out of Saigon for that very same war. Though they are on opposite sides of the political divide, a surprising reconciliation comes years later.

Read sample here.

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter is available at Amazon.

 

 

About Mary Lawlor

 

Mary Lawlor is author of Fighter Pilot’s Daughter (Rowman & Littlefield 2013, paper 2015), Public Native America (Rutgers Univ. Press 2006), and Recalling the Wild (Rutgers Univ. Press, 2000). Her short stories and essays have appeared in Big Bridge and Politics/Letters. She studied the American University in Paris and earned a Ph.D. from New York University. She divides her time between an old farmhouse in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a cabin in the mountains of southern Spain.

You can visit her website at https://www.marylawlor.net/ or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

 

 

🏰 {BOOK TRAILER} NIGHTBORN BY THERESA CHEUNG #PARANORMALTHRILLER

 

 

BOOK DETAILS

 

Title: NightBorn

Author: Theresa Cheung

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Pages: 220

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

What if the line between your waking life and your darkest dreams disappeared forever?

Alice Sinclair, a driven psychology professor, is about to find out. When thousands of people begin experiencing terrifying, vivid nightmares … all centered around her, Alice’s quiet academic life is shattered. Haunted by the question of why she’s become the subject of these shared dreams, Alice embarks on a desperate search for answers, uncovering a chilling secret: someone – or something – hungry for global power has discovered a way to manipulate consciousness itself. The world is fast becoming a playground for those in control of the dreaming mind.  In a heart-stopping race against time, Alice must navigate a treacherous web of deception, where nothing – and no one – can be trusted, not even herself.

Read a sample.

NightBorn is available at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

 

 

 

About Theresa Cheung

Theresa Cheung is an internationally bestselling author and public speaker. She has been writing about spirituality, dreams and the paranormal for the past 25 years, and was listed by Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in 2023. She has a degree in Theology and English from Kings College, Cambridge University, frequently collaborating with leading scientists and neuroscientists researching consciousness.

Theresa is regularly featured in national newspapers and magazines, and she is a frequent radio, podcast and television guest and ITV: This Morning’s regular dream decoding expert. She hosts her own popular spiritual podcast called White Shores and weekly live UK Health Radio Show: The Healing Power of Your Dreams.

Her latest book is the paranormal thriller, NightBorn, available at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

You can visit her website at www.theresacheung.com or connect with her on X, Facebook, Instagram or Goodreads.

 

 

The Page 69 Test: *Cinder Bella* by Kathleen Shoop #page69

 

 

 

They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like what's there, it's definitely worth reading the whole book. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Kathleen Shoop's holiday historical fiction, Cinder Bella. 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

She never had anything.

He lost everything.

Together they create a Christmas to remember.

December, 1893–Shadyside, Pennsylvania

Bella Darling lives in a cozy barn at Maple Grove, an estate owned by industrialist Archibald Westminster. The Westminster family is stranded overseas and have sent word to relieve all employees of their duties except Margaret, the pregnant maid, James the butler, and Bella. Content with borrowed books and a toasty home festooned with pine boughs and cinnamon sticks, she coaxes the old hens to lay eggs–extraordinary eggs. Bella yearns for just one thing—someone to share her life with. Always inventive, she has a plan for that. She just needs the right egg into the hands of the right man.

Bartholomew Baines, a Harvard-educated banker, is reeling in the aftermath of his bank’s collapse. With his friends and fiancé ostracizing him for what he thought was an act of generosity, he is penniless and alone. A kind woman welcomes him into her boarding house under conditions that he reluctantly accepts. Completely undone by his current, lowly position, and by the motley crew of fellow boarders who view him as one of them, Bartholomew wrestles with how to rebuild.

With the special eggs as the impetus, the first meeting between Bella and Bartholomew gives each the wrong idea about the other. And when the boarding house burns down a week before Christmas it’s Bella who is there to lend a hand. She, Margaret, and James invite the homeless group to stay at the estate through the holidays. But as Christmas draws closer, eviction papers arrive. Maple Grove is being foreclosed upon. Can Bella work her magic and save their Christmas? Is the growing attraction between Bella and Bartholomew enough for them to see past their differences? 

Read a sample.

Cinder Bella is available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble & Kobo. 

“You’ll see,” Bella said.  

“And you’ll be doing the Lord’s work,” Mrs. Tillman said. “Think  of it. You’re making room at the inn for those who need it most. At  Christmastime.”  

He sighed again and twisted his mouth then pushed to standing.  “You’ve softened me with this remarkable pie. I’ll take the eggs and  give you two days maximum. That will give you time to relocate, the  hens laying eggs or not.”  

“Well.” Mrs. Tillman turned her back. “Thank you for that.”  “That’s more than generous.” He walked back through the pantry  just as Bartholomew reentered through the cloakroom.  Bella saw that Mr. Buchanan had forgotten the basket of eggs. She  scooped it up and hurried after him, catching him as he was opening  the front door. “Your eggs,” she said holding the basket out to him.  He put his hat on. “You keep them. Sounds like you’ll need them.”  She shook her head. “Nonsense. We made a deal and the eggs are  part of it. Surely your wife will look kindly on fresh eggs at the holidays.”  “The missus hasn’t been looking kindly on much of anything I’ve  done lately.” His gaze lingered on Bella. She gave an understanding nod.  Instead of him walking away, his posture loosened and he took on the  tone of a close friend. “Truth is, nothing’s good enough or even  satisfying. I can’t get anything right anymore.”  

The confession moved Bella. She felt his disappointment as though  it was her own. His soft sadness disarmed her—something she hadn’t  noticed in the kitchen. She reminded herself that money didn’t solve all  problems, that sometimes money just made problems bigger or spread  them out among more people. It was something that she comforted  herself with since she could remember. “Take them. Eggs are a symbol  of new life and prosperity. Something everyone needs these days.  Everyone.”  

He cocked his head. “You’re right. Eggs as a present are as good as  anything I’ve dreamed up as of yet. I’ll give it a try.”  

And so he was gone, leaving Bella to shake off the dread he’d  brought with him.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

 

Bestselling author Kathleen Shoop, PhD writes historical fiction, women’s fiction, and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and more. You can find Kathleen in person at various venues. She’s on the board of the Kerr Memorial Museum, teaches at writing/reader conferences, co-coordinates Mindful Writers Retreats and writing conferences, and gives talks at various book clubs, libraries, and historical societies.

Sign up for her newsletter at www.kshoop.com. 

Visit her website at www.kshoop.com or connect with her on X, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, TikTok and Goodreads.

Cinder Bella is available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble & Kobo.