Welcome back! Thanks for stopping by for this week's snippet from my newest work:
Missi Wanderin' in the Woods
Last week, our heroine's husband made a big, drunken deal out of his leaving his
family . . . again.
Let's see what happens next.
The first time my husband freaked out and called us quits was at our duty station in Italy when I was five months pregnant with our first child together. Drunk, he'd torn apart our luggage in an attempt to find the passports, belonging to my two young children and myself, so he could put us on "the first plane back to the States". Luckily, I'd hidden them well. Angered at his inability to find them, he swore through slurred words to pay child support for “that one,” as he called our unborn son,
thrusting a finger at my slightly swollen belly.
He had been back from his 15-month tour in Afghanistan for a whopping six months before he "broke", an amazing feat considering most of his fellow airborne infantrymen he'd served with had broken long before; like the ever-smiling family man who attempted to strangle his pregnant wife in her sleep or the quiet soldier who had eaten Thanksgiving dinner with us before returning to the Army post and slashing his arms bloody and climbing into a tub filled with steaming water.
When the liquor wore off, he begged forgiveness and swore to get help from Mental Health, in the off chance he did have the so-called PTSD affliction, as long as I would accompany him . . . and give him another chance. Not having it in my genes to be the Army wife who walked out on her sick husband, I agreed and sat proudly by his side as we waited for the psychiatrist to come in.
The door creaked open revealing not the white-haired Viet Nam vet with all the answers like in the movies, but instead a short, unsmiling Middle Eastern woman sporting glasses . . . and a Muslim hijab.
Thank you for stopping by this week! Be sure to stop by next Sunday morning for another snippet from
Missi Wanderin' in the Woods
Missi Wanderin' in the Woods is my forthcoming memoir and perhaps the hardest story I've written to date. This is the story of one woman's reliance on her eclectic wilderness background to face epic struggles, from war-ravaged marriages to life-threatening baby deliveries to a teaching career to cancer, that just may shatter her life -- if she lets them.
Book One of my Everlasting Heart series, written when my husband was on his final deployment to Afghanistan. This saga continues through a four-book series! |
Rebekah's Quilt is my debut Amish fiction work. Just .99 cents this month! Look for more from these characters coming soon in a new series! |
(Rebekah's Quilt is just .99 cents this month!)
You've painted a poignant picture here, Sara. Every line was a jolt to the system . As a, Air Fore pilot's wife during the Korean war I saw some ugly stuff but nothing compares to the subsequent wars and the damage to families. Your writing is well done.
ReplyDeleteCharmaine, thank you for your compliment and for your and your husbands service! I am a strong believer that wives and children serve too, when their loved one is in the military. <3
DeleteSeriously compelling story, Sara. It's like a train wreck, and bittersweet. I feel for him, yet the safety of the wife and children have to take priority...
ReplyDeleteA wow snippet...
Thank you Teresa! I agree, like a train wreck -- in slow motion where you just can't look away. Thank you for the wow! <3
DeleteWhat an emotional snippet! I love that she wants to stand by her husband and at the same time fear for her and her children's lives. The doctor was a surprise to your characters. To me, too. Great snippet.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen! Believe me, it was a shock when she walked in IRL, too. I can't wait to share with you guys what happened next!
ReplyDeleteWow - that was tense and emotional at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSuper characterization and great emotion. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Elaine!
DeleteI remember when this happened -- after the fact, of course. And I'll tell the world that you are obviously made of sterner stuff than I, even if I am your mother, because I couldn't have stood the tests that you have. Can't wait to read more...
ReplyDeleteThanks Mom <3 I love you.
DeleteWhat a great 8! I could picture his drunken rage perfectly. I love her thoughts - she's very "relate-able." You drew me right in and I absolutely want to read more!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lauren and thanks for dropping by :-)
DeleteWow, blown away by this excerpt, very true to life and quite the twist at the end. Simply excellent.
ReplyDeleteThank you Veronica, for your sweet comment and for stopping by!
DeleteHaving known vets who returned with PTSD, this snippet is so real. The doctor was certainly a shock and I expect may even have triggered a dangerous reaction. This is a very emotional and difficult subject, well done.
ReplyDeleteChelle, you are spot on. I can't wait to share with you what happens next!! Thank you for your comment and for stopping by!
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