Win a "Deadly When Disturbed" Tee-Shirt

And Grab Some Free Books Too!

Apr 07, 2025

To celebrate the release of the audiobook version of Deadly When Disturbed, I’m raffling off this great tee-shirt. It’s a Woman’s Size Medium and it’s all yours if I randomly choose your entry from the ones I receive. All you have to do is answer these two questions:

What is your favorite psychological or domestic suspense book? And why?

Write a short paragraph (it can be as short as two sentences!) and email it to me at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com. Use “Substack Raffle Entry” as the subject line. Be aware that I might publish some of the responses in this blog, so by sending your answer to me, you’re automatically giving me permission to do that.

Can’t wait to see your responses! Good luck! And if you’re interested, you can buy the audiobook version of Deadly When Disturbed here.

It’s Out! Would You Like a Free Review Copy?

For you true crime lovers, on March 25th, Level Best Books released the first of a multi-volume series of true crime travel guides called Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide. These are written under my own name, Dawn M. Barclay, as opposed to my fiction pseudonym, D.M. Barr.

The first volume covers the six states of New England, and includes information on the major crimes that occurred there, including addresses; where to read for more information; true crime and haunted tours; hotels and restaurants that are either haunted or have a crime/justice connection; museums and other attractions that are crime- or justice-related; locations of the prisons and burial sites; and itineraries that bring it all together to make for easy touring. There’s even a Victim Resources Guide included for each state. No other than Katherine Ramsland, author of 73 books and a familiar face from Forensic Files, has called the book “a gem of a travel guide.”

If you would like to review the book, please email me at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com . I will send out free review copies to the first 10 requests I receive, but please don’t request one unless you intend to publish a review somewhere—on your social media account, on Amazon, on Goodreads, wherever. I have a limited number of review copies and I’d like them to go out to people who will spread the word. And be sure to ask your library to stock the book. You can find it here. Thanks!

FREE BOOKS!

My gift to you: some links to free books offered by some other mystery, suspense, and romance/romantic suspense authors for you to download.

Here are the links:

Chilling Thrillers (ends April 10th): https://books.bookfunnel.com/chilling-thrillers/styxvjnigm

Killers/Lovers: https://books.bookfunnel.com/KillersLovers/uzqhfdnobv

Romantic Suspense April: https://books.bookfunnel.com/RomanticSuspenseApril/m2si47ma93

A Thriller a Minute Book Giveaway (starts April 7th): https://books.bookfunnel.com/a-thrill-a-minute/s9qz3w2i2c

Thanks for reading Barr Sinister: The Suspenseful World of D.M. Barr! This post is public so feel free to share it.

What have I been up to?

Podcasts: I’ve been on a number of podcasts and radio shows for Vacations Can Be Murder, but this one, True Crime Tuesday, was my favorite so far. And I’m hoping to be on NewsNation with Ashleigh Banfield sometime during the week of April 7th. I should appear around 10:30pm. Fingers crossed they find time for me.

Award Nods: I’ll be throwing my hat in for the Edgars for 2026 for Deadly When Disturbed and Vacations Can Be Murder, but for the Anthony Awards, given out at Bouchercon this September, cross your fingers for the anthology I co-edited, New York State of Crime: Murder New York Style 6. You can purchase the book by clicking on the graphic below:

Audiobooks: Currently under production: audiobooks for The Queen of Second Chances, Simple Tryst of Fate, and Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller.

Anthologies: I’ve read most of the submissions for Ya Got Trouble: Crime Fiction Inspired by Broadway Show Tunes, to be published in May 2026 by Down & Out Books. There are some amazing stories here, and I’m excited to bring them to you! Another open call for stories for a different anthology will go out later this summer.

Upcoming Appearances:

April 12: A Boozy Bookfair up in Chester at the Rushing Duck Brewing Company. Read more about it here.

April 27th from 12-2pm: Indie Author Day at Big Red Books. (Their definition of “indie authors” includes those published by small presses.) More info here.

May 15th-18th: Sleuthfest, in St. Petersburg, Fl. I’ll be on a panel, topic TBA. Info here.

June 17-21: Thrillerfest in New York City. I’m finally going to (hopefully) meet James Patterson, John Grisham, and Janet Evanovich! And I’ll be on a panel! More info here.

September 3-7: Bouchercon in New Orleans. Hope to be on a panel. More info here.

My latest post from Miss Demeanors (www.missdemeanors.com), about the differences between writing fiction and nonfiction, will run on April 10th. It’s a great blog (voted #25 in the top 400 mystery/suspense blogs for 2025) so be sure to subscribe.