Dear Readers,

Welcome to my web site! I’m so glad you dropped by for a visit. I hope you’ll take a few minutes and look around. Since the last time that I updated my site, a lot has happened.

You’ll find lots of info about my “Charlotte LaRue Squeaky Clean” mysteries, and even some cleaning hints from Charlotte herself, plus a section that contains a few of Charlotte’s and my favorite recipes. Oh, and one more thing. I really enjoy reading comments that my visitors make, so please take a moment to sign my guest book.

I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. I am a native of Louisiana. Yes, born and bred there. I grew up in the North Louisiana town of Minden where I worked on my high school newspaper staff, and later, on the staff of the Minden Press and Herald. At that time though, I never really dreamed of becoming a writer.

After high school, I attended Louisiana Tech University as a music education major, and later I also attended Nicholls University. My dream then was becoming a band director. Instead, I fell in love with my husband, David, and I'm still in love with him even after forty-one years of marriage, three grown children and six precious grandchildren. But I digress.

Not long after we married, my husband and I moved to a small suburb of New Orleans. What a change for both of us. Most people don't realize that there's a vast difference in the cultures of North Louisiana and South Louisiana. Both are unique and have their advantages and disadvantages. But New Orleans is a world of its own. I truly love living near the Big Easy. With its Creole French and Spanish influence, it's such a unique and interesting city. I love strolling through the historic French Quarter then stopping in at Café Du Monde for Café au Lait and Beignets. Then there’s the Garden District with its streetcars, its enormous historical mansions, and its huge oak trees that drape across St. Charles Avenue like a green canopy. New Orleans is nearly 300 years old, but each time I visit, I find something new and fascinating. Though a hurricane named Katrina changed it in many ways, the Crescent City survived and is still just as fascinating as ever.

So how did I get started writing? A lot of people ask me that question, and the answer is both simple and complex. Simply, I was trying to be a good, conscientious mother. More complex, I've always loved to read, and according to my mother, I've always possessed a healthy dose of imagination as well as the belief that I could do anything I wanted to do if I set my mind to it.

When my oldest daughter was a young teenager, Harlequin Presents began arriving through the mail. Without my knowledge, my daughter had subscribed, and I decided I should read a few to make sure they were suitable for someone her age. I deemed that they were suitable, but a funny thing happened. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. Then I came to a point when I began to believe that I could write "one of those."

Believing I could write a book was half the battle. Actually writing one and getting published was the other half. Well, I did write one, then I wrote another one, then another, and I'm still writing twenty years later. But even better, I'm published and get to share my stories with thousands of wonderful readers all over the world, including seventeen foreign countries as well as the United States.

Besides reading and writing mystery and romantic suspense novels, there are other fun things I enjoy too. I love meeting and talking to my readers at booksignings. In the past couple of years, I’ve become a big fan of LSU football (geaux tigers!) and the New Orleans Saints (geaux Saints!). I also love shopping at the malls , and I enjoy watching and playing tennis. Sailing is fun too, but it’s not often I have the time or opportunity to do that any more. The most fun thing of all though, is playing with my sweet grandchildren. So far I have six: three boys and three girls, all ranging in ages from four to fourteen.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to visit my web site. I hope you’ll come back often. May God bless you, and remember, "Keep it Clean!"

                

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An Interview with Barbara

Wednesday, October 13
Friends of the Lafayette public Library Author's Dinner
The Petroleum Club
Lafayette, Louisiana

Saturday, October 23
Greater New Orleans Catholic Librarians Association fall 2010 conference
St. Benilde Elementary
1801 Division Street
Metairie, Louisiana 70001.

Saturday, October 23
Southern Louisiana Romance Writers 25th anniversary luncheon
Austin's Restaurant
Metairie, Louisiana

Saturday, October 30
Writers Guild of Acadiana, The Inaugural Acadiana Book Festival
An all-day event and featuring all kinds of authors, talks and panels
Cite des Arts, downtown Lafayette.

Saturday, November 6, 2010
Heart of Louisiana's Annual Romance Readers Luncheon
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Crowne Plaza
4728 Constitution Avenue
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808
http://heartla.com/luncheon/index.htm

 

Barbara is available to speak at workshops, seminars and conferences as time and schedule permit. Bookings can be made up to six months in advance. Topics include most subjects connected to writing a mystery series or writing a romantic suspense novel.

Barbara's popular three-hour mystery workshop is titled: Writing . . . It's a Mystery.

To schedule a speaking engagement, contact Barbara.

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