The pandemic obliterated all in-person events that had been planned and eagerly anticipated for two whole years. Both The Ancient Dead and The Devil to Pay were released during the pandemic. Learning on the fly, they were launched via Zoom, allowing people to tune in from across the globe. They were fun, but Barbara certainly missed the chance to meet with her friends, family, and fans to share a chat and a laugh.
As with everyone else, these two years of forced isolation and worry have had impacts on writers in various ways. At times its been difficult to block out the distractions and concentrate well enough to be creative. At other times, being forced to keep only our own company has given us lots of time to work!
Virtual appearances have picked up some of the slack from cancelled events, and Barbara has presented at several Zoom book clubs and talks, with others scheduled in the next few months. Thank you so much to readers for coming out to support writers during these bizarre times.
Recently she has been hard at work on Wreck Bay, the fifth Amanda Doucette novel, set on Vancouver Island's spectacular west coast. Pandemic restrictions are playing havoc with her research, but she finally got out to the Pacific Rim for research in September 2021.
The book is coming out in late January 2023, and two in-person launches are already in the works. Stay tuned for more appearances, and check out the excerpt from Chapter One on the Wreck Bay page.
February 4:
Toronto book launch: Sleuth of Baker Street, 907 Millwood Rd, East York. 2 - 4 pm. Everyone welcome!
February 7:
Ottawa book launch: Perfect Books, 258 Elgin St, Ottawa, 6:30-8 pm. Everyone welcome!