The Sword of Smuggler's Point (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781518846113)

Barbara has published The Jaden Steele Mystery Series, set in the Monterey Bay area. The sword of Smuggler's Point is the third mystery in the series. The first is A Slice of Carmel and the second Jaden Steele Mystery, Slash and Turn, introduced a visiting Russian ballet company whose members are the target of a murderer. The story leads readers through a maze to its final exciting conclusion . She won first place in the juvenile/young adult category of the Writers Digest Competition for her original fable set in Okinawa, A Bowl of Rice. Barbara's first novels, Ride the West Wind and The Prisoner's Sword, were reprinted in 2011. They were named Recommended Reading by the National Council of Teachers of English. In2009 Barbara's original fable set in Okinawa won First Place in the Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Her short story won first place in the Northern California Pen Women 2011 literary contest. Barbara has taught storytelling and creative writing classes through adult schools and community college. At a large family genealogy conference in 2009 she facilitated a session, Telling Your Own Stories; Magic Through Memories. This was similar to a presentation done in 2007 at the NSN Sig Pre-Conference session as well as the Asilomar Reading conference in Pacific Grove. Performances have been at private parties, local organizations, the Monterey City Library's Tellabration, and the Palo Alto Children's Library Storytelling Festival. Rockin' Folktales is Barbara's CD of middle Eastern stories. As an elementary school librarian at Bradley Elementary School she set up three different libraries. Barbara also worked in youth services and reference at Monterey City Library and Harrison Memorial Library in Carmel. While working in Carmel she developed the concept for The Jaden Steele Mysteries set in the fascinating Monterey Bay area. The University of California at Santa Cruz awarded Barbara a bachelor's degree in 1987. She received her Masters degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose University in 1992. Barbara was named an outstanding woman of Santa Cruz County, California. She is the immediate past president of the Northern California Pen Women and is a member of the Santa Clara County Branch. She is currently First Vice District Governor of District 4C6 and a member of the local Cabrillo Host Lions Club. She and her husband, Dave, live in Aptos, California.