About Barbara
Barbara Briggs Ward grew up in the country surrounded by relatives and a backdrop made for inspiring a young imagination. Barbara and her cousins were constantly playing in their chicken coop clubhouse filled with the remains of an abandoned one-room schoolhouse. It was in that clubhouse where Barbara read her favorite authors including Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder - and began writing her own little stories. When Barbara’s grandfather made her "most favorite Christmas present ever" - a simple pine desk with a single drawer which held a pad of lined paper and a #2 pencil - she knew she wanted to be a writer.
Barbara began writing for children. Her first short story was published in Highlights for Children. She is the author/self-taught illustrator of the Snarly Sally picture book series and illustrated “The Brain Reigns” plus “And Then There Was Hope” for the New York State Office of Mental Health.
Barbara's writing took a turn in October, 2010 when she published, "The Reindeer Keeper", an unforgettable story of family and Christmas written for adults and chosen by both Yahoo's Christmas Book Club Group and Yonkers Riverfront Library Book Club as their 2012 December Book of the month. Due to input from readers asking for the storyline to continue, Barbara released “The Snowman Maker” in 2013. The storyline became a trilogy when Barbara released “The Candle Giver” in 2015. Amish fiction includes A Robin's Snow and The Tin Cookie Cutter.
Barbara's short story, "The Kitchens", was third runner up in The Saturday Evening Post's Annual Great American Fiction Contest, 2021. Her short story, "Sleigh Bells Ring Again", won 1st place in the North Country Writers 2018 Festival, Jefferson Community College.
Barbara's short story, "The Great Berry Cook-Off", was featured on The Saturday Evening Post website under the First Friday Fiction Series. Her articles & stories have been published in three Chicken Soup for The Soul books, the Ladies' Home Journal, and The Crafts Report.
Barbara Briggs Ward grew up in the country surrounded by relatives and a backdrop made for inspiring a young imagination. Barbara and her cousins were constantly playing in their chicken coop clubhouse filled with the remains of an abandoned one-room schoolhouse. It was in that clubhouse where Barbara read her favorite authors including Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder - and began writing her own little stories. When Barbara’s grandfather made her "most favorite Christmas present ever" - a simple pine desk with a single drawer which held a pad of lined paper and a #2 pencil - she knew she wanted to be a writer.
Barbara began writing for children. Her first short story was published in Highlights for Children. She is the author/self-taught illustrator of the Snarly Sally picture book series and illustrated “The Brain Reigns” plus “And Then There Was Hope” for the New York State Office of Mental Health.
Barbara's writing took a turn in October, 2010 when she published, "The Reindeer Keeper", an unforgettable story of family and Christmas written for adults and chosen by both Yahoo's Christmas Book Club Group and Yonkers Riverfront Library Book Club as their 2012 December Book of the month. Due to input from readers asking for the storyline to continue, Barbara released “The Snowman Maker” in 2013. The storyline became a trilogy when Barbara released “The Candle Giver” in 2015. Amish fiction includes A Robin's Snow and The Tin Cookie Cutter.
Barbara's short story, "The Kitchens", was third runner up in The Saturday Evening Post's Annual Great American Fiction Contest, 2021. Her short story, "Sleigh Bells Ring Again", won 1st place in the North Country Writers 2018 Festival, Jefferson Community College.
Barbara's short story, "The Great Berry Cook-Off", was featured on The Saturday Evening Post website under the First Friday Fiction Series. Her articles & stories have been published in three Chicken Soup for The Soul books, the Ladies' Home Journal, and The Crafts Report.
