Winner of the 2025 Indie Book Awards for Best Regional Fiction.

Thirty-five-year-old novelist, Shyla Wishon, fears that her life is spinning out of control since her recent marriage to Carl Cores. First, her overbearing new mother-in-law moves to Florida in order to be close to her son, followed by a steady stream of visiting relatives who become a constant intrusion on what was once her time to write. To make matters worse, Carl’s two grown daughters refuse to have anything to do with her, and even though Carl has a good job, bills are starting to pile up.

Shyla tries to cheerfully accept the responsibilities that come with a new marriage and the inevitable adjustments, but the stress is leaving her with constant migraines, a lack of energy, and, worst of all, a loss of creativity. Shyla leaves her home in West Palm Beach to spend two weeks in Naples where she teaches creative writing each summer at the Ibis Institute of Writing. When she arrives, her friend, Jayne Sinclare, president of Ibis, invites Shyla to join her for lunch. Mariela Fanjul, whose family has just donated $100,000 to the Institute, and the Fanjul family attorney, Terry Sawyer, who is a big fan of Shyla’s published work, are also invited.

Mariela Fanjul has signed up for Shyla’s course, and is writing a novel based on her family’s Cuban heritage and their Santerian beliefs. As Shyla works with Mariela, she becomes entangled in the ancient Regla de Ocha involving soul transference and animal sacrifice. It is through these beliefs and a remarkable series of events that eventually allow Shyla to escape her present life and become a totally new person.

Barbara Casey’s other works, Slightest in the House and The Airs of Tillie, were finalists in the Book Excellence Awards.

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Winner of the 2024 New York Book Festival Award

Inspired by Real Events

Regina Anuszewicz looked forward to visiting her sister in Bialystok for a late afternoon stroll along the Bialy River. It was June 1906, and it should have been an exciting time to stay overnight in the women’s boarding house. However, a violent pogrom blasted those plans as a rage of violence shook the town and Regina’s hopes. Russian soldiers swarmed the streets and homes, stomping up to her sister’s boarding house, forcing Regina to hide inside the wardrobe, barely able to breathe as she heard screams and people begging for their lives. The trauma of that day shaped Regina’s life and every decision she made as she moved through the days and years, coloring her approach to every event that took her from Poland to the United States and the four children she sought to protect.

“Pogroms rip at the hearts and minds of all of us, yet the stories of those who fought for survival must continue to be told. In Regina’s story, seen through the revelations of her granddaughter, Spieler takes the reader through an intimate look at Regina’s trials and travails and reveals the consequences of her decisions that impacted the generations that followed. A triumph for the soul!” –Carole Bumpus, Author

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When Sheriff Heath Royal seeks relief for his tormented conscience by attending church services for the first time since his youth, he is beckoned to an empty seat by the wealthy, recently widowed Rebekka Korhenen Brando, and both are immediately, although unwittingly, stirred by an unintentional rekindling of the feelings that almost led to a marriage between them twenty-five years earlier.

Gossipy church members and malicious tongue waggers from the small community of Shady Spring, Texas, watch in amusement and sometimes in horror as the former lovers struggle through a series of challenges and near-death experiences to determine whether the forces of evil or the roundabout intervention of God Himself will allow them a life together.

Standing in their way is a demented ranch foreman convinced that he and Rebekka are destined for each other. Heath’s dubious future as a lawman, and grudge-bearing outlaws who want to put the sheriff into his grave. The solutions may be divined under the sheltering limbs of a magnificent old oak tree where Heath and Rebekka seek solace and open their hearts to each other.

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Coming Summer 2024

For nineteen years, Wash Baker has been haunted by firing into the night at what he thought was a grizzly, only to kill his young son and narrowly miss a second boy, Trey. Now, in 1899, confirmed tracks of grizzly—a species of bear unknown in Texas—have been found at a Davis Mountains camp meeting attended by Wash and his daughter, Grace.

The congregants include Trey, now an adult and courting Grace, and Trey’s father, Ed Mulholland. Long ago, Mulholland’s big talk about the dangers of a grizzly led Wash to panic and fire the fatal load of buckshot. With all of them now striking out to hunt down this confirmed grizzly, Wash has a chance to right the wrongful shot and perhaps deliver judgment on Mulholland.

Meanwhile, up from Mexico has come twelve-year-old Rosindo Mesa, seeking to kill the same grizzly before the next full moon in order to free his dead father’s wandering soul.

This novel is based on the actual 1899 hunt for the only documented grizzly ever found in Texas.

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“WINNER

Congratulations Nina Romano – Winner of the 2023 Pencraft Awards for Literary Excellence

DARK EYES…Anya, an unwed mother of a mentally challenged child, meets Andrei, at a murder scene. They strive to unravel the murders of a hotel worker and a doll-seller with a link to diamond smuggling in Soviet Leningrad.

The offbeat couple, in jeopardy, are stalked by a vicious detective with possible involvement in the murders, and in a taut reversal, the hunted become the hunters.

“Nina Romano’s latest historical novel, Dark Eyes, is a suspenseful, edgy, intense nail-biter. I couldn’t tear myself away from the story until the end—then I wanted to start over again to concentrate on the rich historical details and luxuriate in her dazzling prose. Another five-star tour de force from a top-notch novelist!”—Cynthia Hamilton, author of Spouse Trap and A High Price to Pay

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Enter the World of bestselling publishing, filled with intrigue, power, betrayal, ambition and greed. Yet for Aislinn Marchánt, it represents the attainment of a life’s dream, a point of destiny, and mystery as she is caught up in a storm that is the House of Kane.

“Simultaneously wise and poignant, exotic and suspenseful, The House of Kane is a fascinating story of loyalty, treachery and the power of destiny. With an insider’s view into the world of high stakes publishing, Barbara Casey weaves a masterful story that haunts the reader long after the final page”. —Nancy Steinbeck Author of The Other Side of Eden: Life with John Steinbeck

“Barbara Casey’s The House of Kane is a touchingly tender love story set in an intrigue-riddled publishing industry. Her characters are interesting and varied. Her story is refreshing and engagingly told. Aspiring writers will want to read The House of Kane to tap her wisdom about getting into print.” —John DeDakis CNN Senior Copy Editor/Author of The Lark Chadwick Mysteries

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The Mysterious Secret Guardians in the London Underground

Dr. Raven Wyndot, referred to as Bones by her companions, is a psychotherapist who finds herself hunting World War II era war criminals alongside some very famous historical figures. These historical figures are secret guardians who protect the world from evil that once inspired a world war and horrific experimentation on humanity. The setting is the modern world, with the base of operations for the guardians inside the Savoy, their luxury headquarters. Each new lead the guardians uncover in their mission to hunt down evil, gives the reader a chance to venture into some interesting and nicely illustrated parts of London, which range from dark sewers to the National Maritime Museum.

Bones’ narrative hit a personal note with me. She is the lone female mortal on a team of male professionals from esteemed positions in society. I am all too aware of the difficulties that come with being the only female in a room full of well-educated working professionals with advanced degrees or expertise in their field. This can be a rather intimidating experience, but Bones handles herself well. She is accommodating to the sometimes archaic views of the men in her group without letting them dictate her role as a member of the team. The author, Dorothy McCoy, does a wonderful job of illustrating the challenges of being the female minority in a group dominated by men who are used to being the voice of authority in their professions.

This story demanded a bit more focus from me than most fictional reads usually do. Although much of the story is told from Bones’ perspective, the character perspective changes in certain chapters so that the reader can gain insight into the intent of different characters, including the antagonist’s agenda. I liked the experience of seeing inside the thought processes of the guardians and some of the antagonists. I also liked the experience of determining which character the chapter was focused on based on the way the narrative flowed, but it did require a bit of analytical thought.

This book is a fascinating blend of analytical, supernatural, and historical fiction with an interesting twist on the battle between good and evil. If you are looking for an intricate narrative packed with a multitude of adventures and engaging characters, this is a wonderful read that will leave you asking for more.

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Ryan is a 13-year-old loner living with his mom, and is still reeling from the loss of his dad.  Ryan’s life begins to take an unexpected turn when he meets Merlo, the old caretaker at the hat factory where his mom works. Merlo becomes a trusted mentor to Ryan, helping him to believe in himself every step of the way.  By developing this newfound courage, Ryan feels more confident in handling some bullies, and might even ask out his school crush named Violet!

But Ryan’s life gets magically transformed the very first night he falls asleep with one of the factory’s hats on his head.  He soon finds himself at the center of all sorts of adrenaline-rushing nightly “Adventures” along with his dog Shadow, where he discovers how to think on his feet after suddenly being thrust into various roles. Through Merlo’s guidance, Ryan discovers how to open up his imagination enough to explore the magic hidden in the factory. Ryan encounters many coincidences and clues during the course of these Adventures, as the lines between reality and fantasy grow increasingly more blurred. Eventually, the distinction between Ryan’s everyday waking life and his exciting nightly world of Adventures becomes impossible to discern.

The Hat Diaries is the first book in The Hat Diaries trilogy. Coming Summer 2023!

Stay tuned for the release dates for the rest of the series.

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A Sheriff Lansing Mystery — Book 11

With the Democratic Primary three weeks away, Sheriff Cliff Lansing is facing a serious contender.  Councilman John Tapia is well-financed but lags in the polls.  He digs into his bag of dirty tricks.  Enlisting the aid of his cousin and an unsuspecting State Bureau of Investigation, Tapia becomes a threat to Lansing’s job and his very freedom.

Tina Morales returns from a two-month visit to Nogales, Mexico.  She brings with her a beautiful porcelain doll . . . a doll her grandmother, Naomi, fears.  The teacher doesn’t realize she will unleash an ancient terror, threatening San Phillipe County and Santa Clara Pueblo.

Lincoln Baca gets devastating news that will end his firefighting career.  Angry and depressed, his uncle advises him to seek guidance from the ancestral Kachinas.  Lincoln goes into the wilderness on a vision quest.  He discovers an ancient legend that may rescue him as well as save his Pueblo.

Jeremiah Black, a Cherokee Indian from Oklahoma, establishes his Native American Reform Church north of Segovia.  Using the hallucinatory peyote cactus as a sacrament, his church gets unwanted attention from members of the Lowrider community.  A dangerous situation arises, and the minister has to make a tough choice.

Problems mount . . . the election, a wife who shoots her husband claiming self-defense, young women killed in hit-and-run accidents possibly by a serial killer, and Tina’s doll.

When Tina asks Lansing if he’s having a bad day, he can only respond, “No, not bad . . . just typical.”

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“Here, manifest destiny collides with native mysticism.”

Meet the last open range cowboy and the last nomadic Native American. Better yet, be present for their first handshake in the pages of Lakota Cowboy. Their stories become entwined in an unlikely friendship, but cannot change the inexorable march of history. You’ll witness that march from the back of a horse as they trot across the Little Bighorn, into the Canadian wilderness, past Wounded Knee Creek, to finally arrive in a homestead world of badlands hardship and romantic heartbreak.

This unsentimental and moving portrait is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail. The easy-reading pages are in fact a deep cultural dive into two societies once thought of as irreconcilable. Inspired by true events, Lakota Cowboy the novel is your eyewitness encounter with the winning, and losing, of the American West.

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