How it All Began
Even as a child, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I devoured books on pioneers, ancient Rome and Greece, the wild west, Indigenous Peoples, among many others. My potential was proven in the 5th grade in Mr. Sanders’ class when I scored 100% on a history test. But any future would have to wait until I could support myself.
One of six kids, I was told in high school that I had to put myself through college. I did so while working full-time as a journalist while going to school and didn’t finish an undergraduate degree in English until I was 29. It wasn’t easy. Spending all my 20s in newsrooms and classrooms, however, honed a deep sense of resilience and perseverance. I recognize each of us has challenges, and getting through school was mine.
Maybe because it took so long to earn a bachelor’s degree, or due to a passionate interest in learning, education has become an armor of sorts. I hold a master’s degree in professional writing from UMass Dartmouth, a master’s in environmental management from Yale University, and a treasured master’s in history from Eastern Washington University.
Into my 30s, married, with two children tucked into bed for the night, I’d work on newspaper and newsmagazine history columns until exhaustion brought the first dizzy spell—and then I’d quit. Pathetic to say, fatigue was my barometer. It’s been indeed a decades-long apprenticeship.
With children grown, married, and off into their lives, I now write full-time. I retired from non-profit work in January 2024 following a 20-year career in senior leadership positions.
My Write Pathway
My earlier works were written as Theresa Mitchell Barbo and were composed from 2007 to 2015. These books are evergreen, meaning they stand the test of time. My first book—The Cape Cod Murder of 1899—remains my favorite. You can find all my early works on the Books page.
I’ve had the pleasure of presenting illustrated presentations on all book topics before listening and virtual audiences through the years.
Several books are in the pipeline...
This past Spring, I happily signed on once again with The History Press to write Hidden History of Plymouth due out in Summer 2026.
As of late summer 2025, I am represented by Susan Canavan of WLA Books, formerly Waxman Literary Agency.
My research involves two new works-in-progress:
Symphony in the Wilderness explores national efforts to conserve the Common Loon (Gavia immer,) a waterbird and excellent indicator of ecosystem health. JFK Jr.’s Final Flight and the Government’s Search for Him goes behind-the-scenes of the July 1999 air crash which claimed the life of President John F. Kennedy’s son.
