About The Author

Hi, I’m Barbara robinson.

I am a deep thinker, and a tea drinker (some of my favorites include Early Grey, Irish Breakfast and Orange Spice). I am also an unrepentant optimist who believes that lasting love is possible, so my stories almost always feature happily-ever-after endings.

Most of my writing includes an element of magic, rooted in the cultural and spiritual traditions of pre-Christian Europe. I find inspiration in myths and folktales, poems and ballads, historical sources and academic writing.

I also draw inspiration from nature. I live in Nova Scotia, in the shadow of ancient mountains that lie along the Bay of Fundy coast. New Scotland has a magic all its own, with mist covered valleys and wild, windswept shorelines. These rugged vistas shape my story settings, while providing the perfect backdrop for life with my husband, our three hounds and our dragon (Pogona Vitticeps).

Domestic Arts

I am an enthusiastic gardener, and nurturer of plants. I grow heirloom vegetables, herbs and berries, and I enjoy canning and preserving this bounty each year. I bake, I cook from scratch, and I am always looking for new favorite recipes.

I find comfort in connecting with nature, with the seasons, and with the land. Every year, something does well, and every year something fails, reminding me that food is precious, and harvests precarious. Gardening, cooking and eating with purpose allows me to approach food with gratitude, and to savor food, and life, more fully.

Neurodiversity and Giftedness

I was diagnosed with autism and giftedness in my forties, after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Reflecting back on my life, I found myself contemplating historical accounts of madness, witchcraft and shamanism, and I realized that these descriptions resonated with me in profound ways.

I began to suspect that historical accounts of elves, witches and troll-women featured ordinary women whose extra-ordinary gifts were misunderstood. I believe that some people have cognitive pathways that change the way they experience the world(s). This may manifest as extra-sensory perception, an ability to connect with others empathically, an affinity for the natural world, or simply an uncommon depth of insight.

Applying a lens of magical realism, I explore the things that make gifted and neurodiverse characters different, without forgetting the things that make them human.