Being the change...:-)

For those of you who don't know, I have an alias: Barbara Markley. This is my maiden name and although I've been married for almost 32 years I still use that name for work and for my activist alter-ego. Yes, I'm an activist who is passionate about many causes but the one that takes most of my time is gun safety. When you live in a country where you are 25 times more likely to die from gun violence than in any other developed nation, and you live in a state (Florida) where a child is shot every 17 hours on average, you feel compelled to take action.

I started a program called Lock it Up!, a non-partisan program to protect children and teens from unlocked guns. This program is through the Broward League of Women Voters' Gun Safety Committee, which I chair. I was thrilled when WLRN, our local NPR station, did a feature story on our project this week. 

Check it out: 

http://www.wlrn.org/post/surprising-allies-address-outsize-role-guns-play-deaths-soldiers-and-kids 

The Bookworm Drinketh :-)

Love this blog! The Bookworm Drinketh not only reviews books, but pairs them up with alcohol. How fun is that? Their motto? Give Tea to the Tillerman, but booze to the Bookworm!

Thanks, Nicole, for the great review and for showcasing my guest blog post.

https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/09/16/cozy-sunday-death-by-didgeridoo-by-barbara-venkatarman-with-guest-post-from-author/

Calling All Audio-Book Lovers :-)

Do you love audio-books? Then you should check out AudioFile Magazine, a great online source of audio-book reviews. Their website is www.audiofilemagazine.com. 

While you're there, you can read their new review of my audio-book, "Jeopardy in July (Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery #5). They love my narrator, Fay Annette, and so do I.:-D

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/146732/

MODERN DAY GENIE

A modern-day genie, beautiful to behold

Spinner of dreams and broken promises

Make your wish, it will be granted.

Music, dance, math, science,

Friendship, revenge, sorrow, joy.

Crave love? Swipe right

Oh, how you need this

How hollow and empty you are without it

You can never let it go

Until one day you find

You are one with the genie

Another slave

Of technology.

Review of "Humans of New York: Stories"

A picture is worth a thousand words--but what if you could have both the picture and the story? "Humans of New York: Stories" is a balm for the soul, the antidote to the poison that afflicts our society in these troubled days. Each photo is a glimpse into the human spirit, into each of us, our hopes and fears, our dreams, our inspiration. I heard about this book from a friend who said he reads a story at random each night before he goes to sleep. The stories help ground him after each grueling day of terrible news and inhumanity. 

Not only are the photos beautiful and artistic, each captures a moment in time: a life poised to begin, a love lost, a love found, a dream fulfilled, or not. You'll laugh and cry and shake your head in wonder at these stories. You've met these people, you've seen them, you are them.

Free e-book promo 7/2-7/6! ;-)

Well, it is July, so of course the book on free promo right now is "Jeopardy in July". Beat the heat by staying inside curled up with a good cozy mystery. Pick yours up today. :-) Happy 4th of July!

Here is the blurb:

Old people were dying at an alarming rate at La Vida Boca, a posh assisted living facility in Boca Raton, Florida. With its sterling reputation, dedicated staff, and top-notch medical care, none of the deaths are considered suspicious, but when members of the poker club start to die under strange circumstances, attorney Jamie Quinn finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. With help from her new friend, Jessie Sandler, and her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie uncovers a crime that took place forty years earlier. Can she stop the killer in time? Or is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

https://www.amazon.com/Jeopardy-July-Jamie-Quinn-Mystery-ebook/dp/B06XWJK9TP/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1530533823&sr=8-5&keywords=barbara+venkataraman

Free Audio-Book Download Codes! :-)

Good news for audio-book lovers, Audiofile Magazine has all the reviews and recommendations you need to find your next great audio-book. They also feature interviews with authors and narrators--it's a treasure trove of audio-book information!

Check out their wonderful review of my 4th Jamie Quinn Mystery, Engaged in Danger, narrated by the talented Fay Annette:

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/138287/engaged-in-danger-by-barbara-venkataraman/

Finally, I'm thrilled to announce that my new audio-book, Jeopardy in July (Jamie Quinn Mystery #5) has just been released and is available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. 

I have 24 audiobook download codes for Jeopardy in July to give away to reviewers, so comment on this post if you would like a download code. :-D