WeWriWa - 4/10/16 A Heart on Hold (Release on 4/14/16)

Hello one and all! I am switching gears today from Missi Wanderin' in the Woods (where we just finished Chapter One) to A Heart on Hold, which will be released on April 14th! This is the first in a four book series that is very near and dear to my heart.

Thank you for all of your kind comments when I debuted the cover.

Now, A Heart on Hold is up for preorder! Yay! Click to get your copy pre-ordered for $2.99!

Follow this link to get back to the Weekend Writing Warriors bloghop!

“Don’t die till we get to have some fun, girl.” Samuel’s whiskey-ruined voice was hot in Charlotte’s ear. 

Somewhere behind her, his Yankee cohort's maniacal laughter pulsated with cruelty. 

The older defector's Bowie knife grew closer to her face, but with her arms lashed behind her, Charlotte could only watch in helpless terror as the promise of death drew nearer. When the icy blade met the skin of her neck, she knew her end had come. 

Sanderson, she prayed, her thoughts swirling like a tempest. Where are you? 

WeWriWa - 3/13/16 - The Italian Hospital

Hello one and all! It's been about six months since we visited the Italian Hospital in Vicenza, Italy. In the last six months, my family and I have moved from Texas to Oklahoma and back to Texas again. The gypsy blood keeps pumping! I was able to wean one of my sons off of his ADHD medication and another, my baby Bitty, was found (after many tests and hospital visits) to have a GLUTEN allergy! Never, ever a dull moment at my house. Let's see what happened in the wood-paneled Italian hospital room where the bleeding and cramping in a young, pregnant Army wife waited, terrified. I remember it like it was yesterday . . .

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Oh dear God . . .  

The doctor barked something in Italian, completely ignoring any shred of modesty I’d retained and any sense of privacy I might have desired.

“He said get on the bed, now,” the nurse translated, grabbing my arm and helping me roughly onto the bed. I held my hand out for the sheet, but she snatched it away. “No time,” she said.

Someone had pulled a tiny sonogram machine into the room. The doctor squirted the cold jelly onto my still-flat belly and dug the probe into my flesh as the nurse manipulated my legs over the candy cane stirrups just as I’d feared. Before I could get embarrassed, a strong, thudding beat pounded out of the speakers apparently attached to this particular machine.

“The baby is alive,” the nurse relayed, relief evident in her strained English. “The doctor must use the internal probe now.”

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I hope you enjoyed this ten-sentence snippet from my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods. If you'd like to switch gears a bit, check out the rest of the weekend writers at the Weekend Writing Warriors blog. I have featured debut author Madeline McCandless and her contemporary western (spicy) romance, Silver Sky at Dawn (Silver Sky Ranch series #1) on my Everlasting Heart blog. Feel free to stop by and show her some love! 

WeWriWa - August 23, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back, sorry I'm running behind. Back to school has thrown my schedule askew. Popping back into the Italian hospital room . . . 

Several more people had wandered in and one even left the door propped with his foot.

I glanced at Charlie, nervous, feeling Italian eyes burning through my skin. This was more embarrassing than when I had to give a urine sample at the post clinic and, while trying to manage my four-year-old and two-year-old, wound up spilling the entire cup of pee in my pants. “Ask if I get a sheet,” I begged.

The nurse produced a piece of a sheet, wide as a wash cloth and long as about five of them. I wiggled out of my clothes as he tried to shield me with the sad excuse for a sheet. “I had no idea it would be like this.” Over the sheet, I watched as the nurse unfurled two giant metal stirrups from the end of the exam table; ones that resembled massive candy canes and, if I was looking at them right, my feet didn’t rest in them, but my legs went up and over them. A fleeting vision of King Henry VIII’s torture chamber popped into my mind. A deep cramp bent me over the table. 

Thanks for popping by. To get back to the other Weekend Writing Warriors, click here! 

WeWriWa - 8/15/15 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods - The Italian ER

Welcome back to this week's ten-sentence snippet from MISSI WANDERIN' IN THE WOODS. Click here if you would like to be a part of my blog tour for my forthcoming Amish Western, Old Amarillo, September 4-11, courtesy of Loving the Book blog tours. I would be honored to be hosted by my WeWriWa friends! Find my launch party on the 3rd of September here!

Without further ado, let's see what's in store for Sara and Charlie and the baby they may have already lost . 

I bit back a sob. “I understand, but I’d really like a sonogram to be sure.”

“Go on about your business and if you’re still cramping Tuesday, come into the walk-in clinic. After all, you’re just ten weeks along.”

Too upset to talk anymore, I handed the phone off to Charlie, slunk to the bedroom, and buried my head in the pillow. The next morning after dropping the kids off at the on-post childcare facility, Charlie packed me into our pink and purple Volkswagen Beetle – Pink Floyd edition and took me to the Italian Emergency Room, or l’ospedale.

The nurse pulled us back first, before the patients sitting in the strap-backed wheelchairs and through the jungle of glass bottles that dangled from threatening IV poles that would have looked more at home in a 1960’s mental institution, and into a room no larger than a humble office with wood paneling and magazine pictures of wolves taped onto the wall. A small exam table sat off to the side, almost out of place amid the tangle of books and misbegotten papers. The doctor, who hadn’t looked up from his work since we walked in, mumbled something in Italian before turning around expectantly.

     “Strip now,” the nurse translated brusquely, “waist down.” 

Thank you for popping by. Follow this link to get back to the other contributors for the weekly Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop where authors in all phases of publication post eight to ten sentences of the work of their choice and add their link so that readers may enjoy their work. Comments from others are what make this something we all look forward to each week, so feel free to let those fingers fly and tell how you feel about this and all of our snippets! 

WeWriWa - August 8, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back to this week's snippet from Missi. Last week, our characters feared a miscarriage. Find out what happened next. 

“I’m afraid I’ve lost our baby.” The cramping was enough to double me over and the onslaught of impending hysteria wasn’t helping. Charlie put me to bed and called the clinic on post. As luck would have it, we were at the beginning of a four-day weekend.

"I’m sure it’s just a simple miscarriage,” the nurse explained, nonchalant. It sounded as though she were sucking on a lollipop. “God does these things, let it happen naturally.” Then, she waited, letting her end of the line grow silent.

Thank you for popping by. Follow this link to get back to the other contributors for the weekly Weekend Writing Warriors bloghop where authors in all phases of publication post eight to ten sentences of the work of their choice and add their link so that readers may enjoy their work. Comments from others are what make this something we all look forward to each week, so feel free to let those fingers fly and tell how you feel about this and all of our snippets! 

WeWriWa - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods - July 12, 2015

Last week, we finally found out what Charlie did to get thrown out of the Army shrink's office with an MP escort. He told the truth. Many of you commented and stated that you weren't sure how you would have reacted to news that your husband told the shrink he was dreaming of throwing her out the window . . . let's see what happens next. 

Cupping my hands around my mouth and nose, I closed my eyes. I didn’t have time to draw a breath before he continued.

“Her eyes got real wide. Real, like, deathly wide. Then she went all white and picked up the phone.” Charlie gave a little laugh, breaking the solemnity that had filled the car. “Then the MP’s came. Thought they were gonna arrest me, and I said for what, telling the truth?”

To get back and sample more from other delectable Weekend Writing Warriors, click here. 

My debut novel, A Heart on Hold, is on sale for just .99 this week! Get yours here! See where we are falling in love with Charlotte and Sanderson eight sentences at a time on my Everlasting Heart blog here. 

Keep up to date with my upcoming releases at my website. 

Missi Wanderin' in the Woods - WeWriWa - July 5, 2015 - What Got Charlie Kicked Out of the Shrink's Office with an MP Escort?!?!?

Thanks for stopping by this week. In the time since we've met last, we have had quite a few adventures: an interstate move, a mess of new baby animals added to the pack, and a family vacation to my cancer doctor down at MD Anderson. Scroll down for those posts, if you'd like to read about those adventures :-) 

Now, to get caught up to speed on MISSI WANDERIN' IN THE WOODS, my forthcoming memoir where one woman must rely on her eclectic wilderness background to face a host of frontcountry problems, from a PTSD-infected marriage to an extreme cancer diagnosis. 

In our last eight-to-ten sentence snippet, our fresh-from-Afghanistan Charlie had just gotten himself escorted from the Army psychiatrist's office by the MP's . . . but his pregnant wife has yet to find out why.  

Charlie quit his cyclic observation of our surroundings and stilled in his seat. “I answered her  truthfully and said that yes, yes I do think of killing, dream of killing . . . often.”

Chills chased each other up and down my spine, dancing a terrifying dance that brought beads of sweat to my face.

“That’s not all.” Charlie’s voice was uncharacteristically soft, “then she said I got a funny look on my face and she got real sarcastic and said ‘Well what are you thinking about right now?’”

I swiped at the pearls of sweat that had begun their epic descent. Already, I dreaded hearing what would come next. 

“So again, I told the truth . . . I told her I was thinking about what sound her body would make when I threw her out that second story window and she hit the concrete sidewalk below.”

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July holiday! To get back to the other wonderful Weekend Writing Warrior contributors, follow this link here. 

If you would like to keep up to speed on my current releases and forthcoming events, feel free to check out my website or on Twitter @TheSaraBarnard  

WeWriWa - 5/17/15 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back, y'all! Here we go . . .

“What did . . . mean,” I huffed, struggling to keep up, “when you said . . . honest like I told you to be?”

Luckily, we were coming up on the car and his stride slowed considerably. Without missing a beat he went to my side first and opened the door, as usual, and waited until I was situated before shutting it and getting in himself. His hands were trembling and his eyes darted from side to side, as though he was just waiting for someone to appear at the window. Something in his eyes gave me the impression he wanted something to appear, just so he could deal with it. Icy fingers of fear gripped my spine, leaving me with a sense of utter, terrifying helplessness in the passenger seat. What if he flipped and felt he had to deal with me?

Whatever had clouded his eyes passed almost as quickly as it had come, and he began to speak. “She asked me the same question a million ways, and none if it was about what happened between us . . . she didn’t even let me talk about that.” 

Thanks for stopping by and riding the storm out with me as we make our way through the first chapter of my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods! Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts, if you like :-) 

To get back to the other awesome WeWriWa authors, go here!  

WeWriWa - May 3, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back to this week's eight sentence snippet from my forthcoming memoir from Missi Wanderin' in the Woods! Let's see how Charlie, the soldier who had just sought help for PTSD symptoms only to be escorted out of Mental Health by Military Police and told not to come back. 

“Just so long as we’re clear,” the smaller officer snorted as they turned to go.

            Charlie stiffened. “Excuse me?” Both MPs froze, their backs to us, as my husband with the dreamy dimples continued, his already loud voice now a bellow. “You two may be Military Police, but I am still your senior NCO, so turn around and stand at attention for God’s sake!”

Wind gone from their sails, the Private First Class and Corporal slowly turned. “I appreciate your doing your job, but you will conform to military standards when addressing your senior NCO. Is that clear?”

Get back to other Weekend Writing Warrior participants here! 

WeWriWa - April 26, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back to this week's eight-sentence excerpt from my forthcoming memoir, MISSI WANDERIN' IN THE WOODS. Last week, Sara followed two MP's into the dark Mental Health wing of the Army Clinic where her husband, Charlie, had his first appointment. Our last scene closed with Charlie being escorted out by the MP's and a pregnant Sara wondering what in the world was going on. 
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Charlie, however, didn’t lower his voice as heat flooded my face. “I was honest, just like you told me to be.”

Once outside, the MPs clarified the situation without going into detail, also without lowering their voices. “Sergeant, do you understand that you are not to enter this facility unless for a valid medical reason and you are forbidden to make any appointments with Mental Health until a new provider arrives?”

Charlie puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders. “Yes Private, I do.”

Most of those peeping eyes from the clinic had followed us outside, anxious to catch a glimpse of the dirty laundry that my husband had no intention of hiding. Covering my face with my hands, I wanted to melt into a puddle.
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Thank you for stopping by and sharing in these experiences with me! Though MISSI WANDERIN' IN THE WOODS is nonfiction, please feel free to visit my other two blogs dedicated to my distinctly different fiction works: 

Sara's Amish Dreams
An Everlasting Heart

Weekend Writing Warriors are a group of diverse, talented,and passionate authors who share pieces of their hearts and souls in eight sentence snippets each week in this bloghop. Check out their work, fall in love with their books, and be sure to leave them a comment on their blogs :-) Reach out to them here!

WeWriWa - April 19, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back to this week's eight sentence snippet from my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods. Without further ado, let's jump right back into the mix and see what is going on in the Army clinic that drew the MPs on the run . . . and see why in the world I followed them inside. 

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The MPs stepped to the side, like something out of a movie, revealing my husband standing between them.

“Is this your wife?” one of the burly officers barked.

Charlie nodded and stepped beside me, but the Military Police officers just stared at us - unmoving. “Are we leaving?” I asked, feeling as though I’d walked into a group where the punchline of a joke had just been delivered.

Charlie just put one hand on the small of my back and began guiding me toward the door with the MPs following us closely.

I kept my voice at a whisper, acutely aware that all eyes in the clinic were fixed on us. “Charlie, what is going on?”
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To get back to the other amazing WeWriWa participants, click here! 

To see my other blogs for this week, click here for my snippet from A Heart on Hold, my debut novel, and click here for a snippet from my forthcoming Amish novel, Old Amarillo. 

WeWriWa -April 12, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back! Last week, a character I called Villa the Strangler swept by and it was pointed out to me that such an interestingly named character hadn't been properly introduced. I hope you enjoy this next eight-sentence snippet from my memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods, as you brush shoulders with Villa the Strangler :-)

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I kicked my way through the ankle-tall grass, wishing I had an Italian version of an Audubon field guide so I could identify some of the interesting birds that flitted about. I’d already discovered ivy, growing unchecked, choking out an ancient grove of towering trees, but when I mentioned to my husband’s unit commander the need to get someone to cut down the troublesome vine, I was met with condescending smiles and smirks, laced with a general who cares attitude. I was seriously considering, in all of my pregnant glory, taking to the ivy myself with a pair of scissors when I noticed a twosome of Military Police officers, or MPs, walking down the street toward me. Abruptly, they turned up the covered walkway and almost sprinted into the clinic, passing me without so much as a glance.

Curious, I followed them. Had Villa, the friendly soldier who tried to strangle his pregnant wife in her sleep, freaked out on her right there in the clinic?

I squinted as I entered the dark building, unable to make out much of anything except for a flurry of excited chatter coming from every direction. Then, as the MPs slowed to a stop, everything started to come into focus. 

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Thank you for stopping by for this week's eight! Be sure to come back next Sunday to find out what happens when Sara's world comes into sharp focus . . . 

Are you in need of a professional editor for your manuscript or WIP? Contact me, Sara, at Silver Line Editorial Service to see how I can be of service to you! 

silverlineeditorial@gmail.com

The Weekend Writing Warriors are a group of talented writers that spans most every genre imaginable. Head over to check out some more of their work back at the WeWriWa blog!

WeWriWa - April 5, 2015 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back to the blog on this beautiful Easter Sunday! I hope today fills you and yours with the true and miraculous Spirit of the Season, as I pray it does my own family  <3 

When I ponder what to write about, I remember the plights of my past and why I now give you praise. Then I reveal your glory by showing how you’ve worked in my life. 
— Psalm 143:5

Onto my eight sentences from my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods . . .

Almost haughty, the unexpected psychiatrist swept by us leaving a fragrant scent of body odor and spices in her wake. Both of Charlie's knees were bouncing now. “Just be honest,” I whispered as I teetered toward the door she’d left open, obviously for me.

Sitting in the waiting room, I read magazines until I’d read them all. A few people that I recognized but didn’t really know passed me with a wave before attending their appointments and leaving again. Bored, I strode outside for a taste of fresh air before checking the time again. Three hours had gone by without a word from anyone. Villa, the strangler, and his wife passed me with a shy wave, probably for a prenatal appointment. Neither of them smiled much anymore.

Thank you for coming by! Don't forget to head back to the WeWriWa page for more awesome snippets from amazing writers! See you next week to see what happens with Charlie and the psychiatrist!

WeWriWa - 3/29/15 - Missi Wanderin' in the Woods

Welcome back for this week's eight sentence snippet from my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods, where one woman's reliance on her eclectic wilderness background helps her navigate some of life's most unexpected curves from a war-torn marriage to children to an extreme cancer diagnosis. 

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My breath caught in my throat. In all the wisdom of the Army, they’d hired a Muslim woman to treat combat soldiers who were having problems adjusting after returning from fighting Muslims?

“You,” she gesticulated at me roughly. “You wait in downstairs waiting room.”

Charlie’s knee was bouncing and his knuckles had gone white from gripping the sides of the metal chair. Ever nervous, any noise made him jump and a thin sheen of sweat veiled his forehead. “No, you don’t understand, she has to stay with me.”

She stared at us through sour, empty eyes and growled, “She wait outside. I call her in later.”

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Thanks for stopping by! Check out other great authors at the WeWriWa blog :-)

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In need of affordable editing services for your manuscript? 

Trust an author who has been there!  

Sara Barnard's own Silver Line Editorial Service is now accepting manuscripts for editing.

 Check out their rates on the Silver Line page on this blog! 

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Custom cookies for custom taste buds? What a novel idea!

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