Kathleen Y'Barbo and Free Books!

From Texas to London, The Black Midnight navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as former Pinkerton detectives Annie and Ike ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted—by a killer who very well could be Jack the Ripper.  And it won’t be their first run-in with the man, as they believe he began his murderous spree in Austin four years earlier.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of Ann Gabhart's historical novel, An Appalachian Summer, is:

eclitton@...

Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's chat with novelist Kathleen Y'Barbo, author of the true crime/historical romantic suspense novel, The Black Midnight, Barbour Publishing, August 2020.

Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee and bestselling author of more than 100 books with over two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.

Her latest novel The Black Midnight is a historical mystery based on the true stories of the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper and the Midnight Assassin, a serial killer who terrorized 1880s Austin, Texas. Neither was brought to justice, and some theorize they are one and the same.

When she’s not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical, true crime, and cozy mystery novels as well. Recent historical releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride, set in 1700s New Orleans and Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride, set in 1836 Texas, and The Chisholm Trail Bride, set in 1880s Texas and Louisiana, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books. 


Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They now make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and a family of very adorable Londoners.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I attended a Mick Jagger concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, and a riot broke out outside the stadium. While Mick sang, people were burning cars and throwing Molotov cocktails. We didn’t find out what was going on until after the concert was over and we walked outside to see what looked like a war zone. Possibly my most memorable concert experience.

My goodness. That's one time it was safer to be in the midst of a rock concert than not!

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of The Black Midnight.

Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, women were dying in their beds in similar circumstances as The Midnight Assassin terrorized the citizens of Austin, Texas. Now, with suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter.



The prospect of a second chance to work with Annie just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer. If his theories are right, they’ll find the The Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the feisty female left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.



Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.

What is it about Annie that will make your readers care about her?

Annie may be the great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, but she is determined to make her own way in the world, even if joining the London Metropolitan Police and then moving to America to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency gets her in trouble with her family. When the queen—known to her as Granny—calls on her for help in solving a crime spree occurring in London that no one else seems able to solve, she readily says yes without fear of becoming a target of the killer.

Reading your descriptions brings to mind the series, Victoria, which I love. It's fascinating to imagine your stories wrapped around Queen Victoria's granddaughter.

What’s the most positive thing you can tell my readers about the state of Christian fiction today?

Christian fiction is reaching more people now than ever before. As witnessed by genres like fantasy and true crime, there is something out there for every reader interested in the Christian market.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I just finished The King's Justice, Book 9 of the Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia McNeal. I loved that entire series so much that I binge read all nine of them in a row. And by read, I mean I mostly listened to the books on Audible during my daily commute to my office but also read on my iPad and phone. I guess that makes me a hybrid reader.

I'm always listening to an audio book when I walk (or, in the good old days, when I went to the gym). I'm a big fan of audio books and am going through the process of having audio versions made of all of my books now.

What are you currently working on?

I am finishing up a cozy mystery for Guideposts Books that is set in Charleston, South Carolina. The story centers around good friends, a missing statue, and an old hospital, and I cannot wait to share it with my readers in 2021.

Where else can readers find you online?

All my social media links are listed on my website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.

The book can be purchased online via the following button:



Readers, if you would like to read a sample from the book go HERE and click on Look Inside.

Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

If you got to choose the plot of my next book, what would it be?

Thank you, Kathleen, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Kathleen has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

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Annoying legal disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE