Personal Stuff
Barbara E. Haley, a retired elementary teacher and Reading Interventionist, lives in Universal City, Texas, where she enjoys writing, editing, tutoring, and spending time with her wonderful grandchildren.
Barbara has been writing stories since she was a child. At the age of eight, she began creating storybooks on discarded keypunch cards tied together with yarn.
She earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education in 1987 at the University of Illinois—Edwardsville, and enjoyed teaching for over twenty years before deciding to write full-time. While she believes mastering the academics is important, Barbara’s greatest goal in the classroom has always been to impart a love of learning to her students.
Writing Journey
In 1997, Barbara began seriously pursuing the craft of writing. She attended writing conferences, enrolled in online writing courses, studied dozens of how-to books, and carefully analyzed the books she read for pleasure. Since then, she has written nine books, both nonfiction and fiction. Barbara loves to help other authors with their books with her writing, editing, and formatting services. She’s worked on over a dozen such books, many for missionaries and pastors.
Author “Brand”
Authors are encouraged to find their “brand”—a statement that represents an author’s specific writing style and mission.
Like many of us, Barbara has had ups and downs in life. As an adult, she sought biblical counsel to overcome inner wounds from her past. A godly counselor taught her to carefully examine her feelings and thoughts and to line them up with the Word of God. As she did, the truth set her free. Many of our feelings are based on misconceptions and lies from the enemy—think about how Satan deceived Adam and Eve. Barbara faced the lies she had subconsciously built many of her feelings and thoughts on over the years and spoke the truth to herself instead . . . the truth found in Scripture. One particular phrase provided hope and motivation as she worked with her counselor: feelings follow. As we choose to intentionally base our decisions and behavior on thoughts that line up with Scripture, our feelings will eventually follow. This is what Barbara wants to share in her writing!
So, her brand? Facing Facts in a World of Fiction
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
