Afraid for her life after spending ten years in an abusive marriage, Kate Finelli has to find the courage to get herself out. When she calls the sheriff’s office, she hears a familiar voice—Jack, the first man to show her love. Can Kate trust him to help her get away from the long-suffering abuse? Jack left Harper’s Glen for a career in the FBI. He’s returned to fill in for the sheriff, the man who mentored him his whole life. With strained family ties, Jack doesn’t plan on staying in this small town for long, until a panicked call comes in from Kate. He left when she chose his brother, but must stay to help her now. With the backdrop of a murder investigation and threatening notes, Kate and Jack find each other again. Will the tension within their family keep them apart? Or will their struggle for safety bring them together after all these years?

Killing Her Softly is dedicated to the late Historical Romance Author Nancy Richards-Akers, a victim of domestic violence. The story came to me in a dream, with many of the characters basic outlines already in my mind. From there, I just had to flush out the plot and some of the secondary characters.
Killing Her Softly was shortlisted for the Chanticleer International Book Awards CAC18 and was a 2018 finalist in the NJRWA Golden Leaf contest.

Barb Warner Deane grew up in the beautiful Finger Lakes area of New York. She graduated from Cornell University and the University Of Connecticut, School of Law. Barb and her family have lived in the Chicago area for the past twenty-five years, other than two years in Frankfurt, Germany and two years in Shanghai, China. She draws a lot of writing inspiration from travel and her experiences as an expat.

After giving up the practice of law, Barb owned Barb's All Romance Book Store, and has worked in many types of jobs, including her current gig as an IT tech specialist for a high school. In addition to writing, Barb is a genealogy and WWII buff, loves to read, is a huge fan of Harry Potter, and is crazy for both U.S. and international travel. Now that she and her husband are empty-nesters, she’s making plans to expand on her list of having visited 47 states and 42 countries on 6 continents.