Amy Q. Barker | Updates

Life Imitating Art

Amy Q. Barker — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I had a Bibliointuitive * moment this week. I'm still writing book number six, so in the meantime, I've been working with a designer to refresh the book covers on my current books. This process takes time and I was so excited yesterday because, after several months, I could finally reveal my new cover for Lap Baby (which, btw, don't you just LOVE it !!!).

Here's where the biblio * thing comes in: wouldn't you know it, on the same day, while I'm eating my breakfast, I see something pop-up about lap babies on the local news (and later I find this related article):

https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/flight-attendants-renew-push-to-ban-lap-babies-on-planes-after-turbulence-events/

I sometimes wonder, did I will this action into being with my book? These things happen to me quite a bit (life imitating art *) and I just have to scratch my head.

* I guess that's why I wrote a whole book about it - see Bibliointuitive link for more information.

Anyway, I think it's amazing that the Flight Attendant Union is looking into the lap baby rules again. I don't know what will happen (if anything) and I can't necessarily weigh-in myself because I can see both sides of the fight so clearly (as I described in Lap Baby). All I can do is hope my fictionalized account gives some context and framing to the topic, and maybe also a form of justice to those willing to investigate this important topic further and who have suffered and/or survived as a consequence of them.

I find it interesting that Jan Brown, the inspiration for my Julie Geiger character in Lap Baby, isn't mentioned in the article, but the 1989 flight that she was on (and that crashed) is. I keep wondering if she's still alive or not? I dedicated my book to her, but failed in my attempt to locate her, so that I could send her a copy of Lap Baby. The last known information I found was from a 2019 article where she was "too sick" to partake in the interview. This makes me sad. I'm guessing she may have passed by now. And it means she may never know the result of her thirty-plus year fight, if and when it's ever resolved.

Do you sometimes wonder what the universe is trying to tell you?

I hope, if nothing else, it's trying to tell me that writing Lap Baby was a good thing, if for no other reason than it maybe brought something into the light that had long since been buried and forgotten. I'll wait to see what happens, and in the meantime, I'll keep writing my stories.

Thanks everyone, for your support.

Love,

Amy

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Write What You Don’t Know About What You Know

Amy Q. Barker — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This expression makes my head hurt, lol, but it’s what I do every day as a writer, sometimes without even realizing it.

When I began writing Bailey and the CEO, I wanted to dive deep into the corporate world. I’ve been working full-time for over 30 years, mostly at big, Fortune 500 companies (4 of which have been around for over 100 years). I love being a small fish in a big pond. It's what I do best--find my own little niche and play well with others.

So, when I began writing this book, my first thought was to write a story about a woman striving to succeed at a big company, overcoming obstacles and moving her way up the corporate ladder. Then, on the flip side, I wanted to explore what it would be like to be the CEO and how that would not only impact your career but also your personal life.

Finally, I wanted this to be a love story about two people who meet at work but are scared to act on their impulses. When sparks fly between them, how will they handle a corporate romance and still keep the integrity of their relationship intact?

Bailey and the CEO will be the first in a new "A Better Man" series, so stay tuned for books 2 and 3. Enjoy!

Thank you for your support, love, Amy

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Small Town, Second Chances

Amy Q. Barker — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I have a confession: I’m an obsessed birder. This will not come as a surprise to my friends and family. I’ve been known to rudely dash out of a perfectly good dinner or happy hour or work conversation during a random fly-by of an eastern bluebird, pileated woodpecker, or belted kingfisher.

Wait—was that a—! I need to grab my binoculars—I’ll be right back.

Two hours later…

Oh well. Sorry, not sorry.

Do you have any hobbies that have become an obsession?

I’ve been birding since my early twenties and quickly compiled a life-list that rivels the dead sea scrolls. And I’m still adding more. Luckily, we are blessed to live on a lake for half the year and the ocean for the other half, so I’m surrounded by amazing birds every day, and find that the hobby still sparks joy for me.

When I first moved to Indiana twenty-five years ago, I didn’t know anyone, so on the weekends, I would head to the local parks to hike and commune with nature. I also spent WAY too much time online following Operation Migration, a project to save the whooping cranes. I noticed that during their ultralight flights they sometimes spent time in rural Indiana. Back then, I tried to figure out where they were, taking day trips down to Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cranes, but I never found them.

Fast forward to January of this year. For this latest book, I wanted it set in Indiana. And I wanted to see if I could check-in with Operation Migration—was it still a thing? I researched and found https://savingcranes.org/. Although the breeding program hasn’t been successful as of late, the International Crane Foundation is still very much active. I noticed that some of the cranes were currently wintering about an hour away from me in Indiana at Goose Pond!

I took the day off work and drove over there, not caring that the weather was rainy and cold or that I was the only one on the tour that day. Check out the photo—I was happy, happy, happy!!!

I came back from my trip completely excited to start writing a book about two people who fall in love amid the backdrop of the pond and the birds.

Enter Tasha—a sweet, quirky, beautiful visiting nurse who just got out of a bad relationship and is trying to turn over a new leaf and stop being a people pleaser.

Enter Caleb—a kind, thoughtful, handsome biologist who just moved to Indiana after a divorce and wants to start over in a small town.

How will these two bird lovers find a fresh start while also working through their painful pasts?

Tasha and the Biologist—hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it!

This is the second in my “A Better Man” series, which will be a trilogy. For those of you who liked Bailey and the CEO, you’ll notice a quick “appearance” by Bailey and Fox in this story. Each book in the series will have a reference in the beginning to the prior book, but each story will be unique and different, all following the same theme—women who’ve had bad luck in relationships now finding love again with a better man.

I know you're gonna fall in love with Tasha and Caleb AND with the cranes--so dive right into this latest story.

Thank you for your support, love, Amy

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Small Town Second Chance Sweet and Steamy Romance

Amy Q. Barker — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you for your support, love,

Amy

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