Barbara's Blog

  Happy Father's Day, Dad. Dad memories. Dad was a classic '50s dad, a Marine Corps vet who'd served in World War 2 and a born scout master. Here he is with my brother and my Mom. He was Scout Master for the troop at our church for years. Having grown up very poor in a large family, he loved nature. Memories of Dad include him taking us on nature hikes in Marshall Canyon in (I think) LaVerne: there was a little "nature museum" there with a butterfly collection and a tiny zoo of snakes and lizards out back. A couple of times a year he'd take us for an over-nighter at Joshua Tree - at the time, the campsites there consisted of a water-pipe and faucet sticking up from the ground at the end of a long single lane of badly-weathered asphalt, and a couple of out-houses (Porta-Potties not having been in use at the time, these were permanent structures). We'd drive out Saturday morning, set up a tent, make lunch, walk among the rocks and desert, have dinner, look a...

  First review is in for the next Hollywood mystery, Saving Susy Sweetchild - and I'm happy to say Kirkus really loved it! SAVING SUSY SWEETCHILD Author: Barbara Hambly Review Issue Date:  July 15, 2024 Online Publish Date:  June 15, 2024 The moral compass of an English expatriate will not let her ignore some of Hollywood’s more sordid exploits. After losing her husband, family, and fortune to World War I, Emma Blackstone has been reduced to working as a dogsbody when she’s rescued by her American sister-in-law, Kitty Flint. Kitty, aka Camille de la Rose, is a lovely but terrible actress of the silent screen whose affair with the studio head allows her to keep churning out movies. Emma, who’s ignored all sorts of illegal and morally repugnant activity, finds that she can’t ignore the treatment of child star Little Susy Sweetchild on the set of Kitty’s latest film. Susy provides financial support for her beautiful but untalented actress mother, Selina Sutton, who’s unconce...