A Heart on Hold - An Everlasting Heart #1

Welcome back to A Heart on Hold, my debut novel, as we fall in love with Sanderson and Charlotte snippet by snippet in pre-Civil War Arkansas.

Just having snapped out of their dreamy, nostalgic time spent in the meadow, let's see what we have in store for these two next.

“Do you think we’ll really see a war, Sanderson?” Charlotte mused as she placed her bare foot in Sanderson’s proffered hands. He had laced his fingers together and crouched to hold them at her level.

Not wanting to reject him, Charlotte had obliged and used his hands as a step. Holding onto Achilles’ longish silver mane, she hoisted herself into place atop his wide back. She shuddered as Sanderson’s gaze remained steadfast on her bare leg. She curled her toes toward Achilles’ sides and readjusted her seat.

“Hmm,” Sanderson answered, his voice dreamy, “what?”

“What are your thoughts on a war?” Achilles’ hooves crunched through the twigs and leaf litter leftover from winter. 

What do you think, will a war come and shatter their tender world? Reclusive writers thrive on your comments, so give freely <3 Follow this link to enjoy the rest of the Weekend Writing Warrior bloghop.  

8/2/15 - Charlotte and Sanderson -- What does the future hold?

Welcome back! Let's continue right on with the romance in the meadow, shall we?

“I’m a fool for not doing this before.” His calloused hand stroked her cheek. The intense glimmer in his eyes reminded her of embers that smoldered deep within the charred heart of firewood, begging for a bit of tinder so they it might erupt into a full-blown flame. A foreign reaction gripped her insides, leaving knots where its fingers touched, causing her to feel queasy. And strangely vulnerable.

“I love you, Charlotte. You and only you.”

Without giving her time to respond, he hopped deftly to his feet, leaving her dizzy in his intoxicating wake. “It’s dark. Let’s get you home before George starts to worry.” 

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WeWriWa - July 26, 2015 - Charlotte and Sanderson - A Heart on Hold

Welcome back to where we are working our way through Chapter One of A Heart on Hold, book one in the Everlasting Heart series. Last week, we left off with Sanderson and Charlotte reminiscing about the beginnings of their schoolyard romance and Sanderson had covered Charlotte's hand with his, taking her breath.

Charlotte focused on controlling her breathing. What is it about this man that makes my senses take leave and commence to operate on their own accord? “I sat under that tree a thousand times during your absence,” she whispered, careful not to move her fingers and shatter the tender moment. Please say that you didn’t share any experiences like this with any of those New York floozies. 

With his free hand, he gently guided her chin upward so that their eyes met. She felt every muscle in her body go flaccid as she waited for what would happen next. 

“Thank you for waiting for me.” His breath was warm on her face in contrast to the mountain chill that had begun to brush her cheeks. 

Thank you for stopping by to fall in love with Charlotte and Sanderson from the very beginning. 

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Be sure to stop by Prairie Rose Publications Fandango and celebrate Christmas in July where all 26 featured books are just .99 or 1.99 if it is a duet. Register for the Fandango here and be sure to look for my contribution - The Bank Robber's Lament! 

WeWriWa - A Heart on Hold - Charlotte and Sanderson- July 5, 2015

Welcome back to this week's eight to ten sentence snippet where we are enjoying the opening chapter of my debut novel, A Heart on Hold. We are in the meadow with Charlotte and Sanderson, getting to know our hero and heroine a bit. 

So without further ado . . . 

“If they were really smart, those in charge would find a way to overcome their differences without so much waste and war!” Charlotte swiped absentmindedly at the perspiration that had beaded in the hollow of her throat. “What do you think, Sanderson?” she demanded. 

“Well, my dear, if I thought hard enough, I think that I would think …” His voice was edged in the gentle jocularity that was reserved solely for teasing her. 

Charlotte shook her head in defeat and turned so that Sanderson couldn’t see the smile that had crept back onto her lips. When he got into a witty mood, it would have proven easier to shear a pig than have a serious conversation with him. 

“Think, think, think,” Sanderson tapped his finger to his chin lightly. “I definitely think my schoolyard bullfrog, BobBob, could have beat Betsy in that frog-jumping contest, had I not fed him that extra cricket for breakfast.” Feigning disinterest, he pointedly pretended to take in the sunset before cutting his eyes over to Charlotte. 

Thank you for stopping by! Would you like to go back to sample more delectable tidbits from other Weekend Writing Warriors? Go here. 

Go here if you like to purchase your copy of A Heart on Hold or of the entire four book Everlasting Heart series box set. 

Check out my website or follow me on Twitter @TheSaraBarnard :-) 

WeWriWa - A Heart on Hold -May 10, 2015

Welcome back everyone and a happy Mother's day, one and all! Remember last week when Sanderson was accusing Charlotte of reading the books he lent her while he was away? Let's see if we can find out some more about this guy . . . :-)

Sanderson continued, obviously delighting in Charlotte's uncharacteristic shyness. “Maybe that’s why I always was after you to tutor me.” He drew the words out. 
A giggle, too high-pitched to be natural, escaped her lips. Charlotte, get a grip, it’s just Sanderson. Tossing her hair nonchalantly over her shoulder, she allowed herself a peek at her beau. His russet hair appeared to have grown out quite a bit since his last haircut, which had probably been back before his graduation from The United States Military Academy, and it was tousled lightly by the breeze coming off the Ouachita Mountains. Her insides turned to mush and she felt as though she could live the rest of her life in this moment right here. 

Thank you for stopping by this week and spending some of your Mother's Day with Charlotte and Sanderson! Pop back next week to find out what happens next!

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Get your copy of best selling and award winning A Heart on Hold here, in complete box set with all four books in the series!

A Heart on Hold (An Everlasting Heart #1) WeWriWa - 4/26/15

Welcome back to this week's eight sentence snippet from A Heart on Hold, my debut novel that released in 2012. I have such a special place in my heart for these characters that A Heart on Hold turned into a four-book series!

Last week, a voice from behind her interrupted Charlotte's twilight creek-side musings in pre-war 1860's Arkansas.


Charlotte smiled, not bothering to turn around or even open her eyes, because the melodic voice was of course that of Sanderson Redding, the man who had stolen her heart so many years before.

“You think I’m hiding, Sanderson?” Charlotte asked, the hint of a smile teasing the corners of her lips. “Well, you’re right. I am hiding.” Her voice lingered in the twilight as she pushed herself upright and turned to face him. “Because I think that war of any kind is a complete and total waste of time. And of life.”

His voice took an accusing tone. “You’ve been reading the books I lent you.”

Thank you for stopping by! To get back to the other amazing contributors of this weekly multi-genre bloghop we call affectionately call The Weekend Writing Warriors, click here!

Check out my other excerpts by following the links below!

Sara's Amish Dreams (Fiction)

Missi Wanderin' in the Woods (Non Fiction Memoir)

Thank you for spending part of your day with me, Charlotte, and Sanderson!

Happily Ever After . . .

Sigh. April 17th, always a bittersweet day, as it has been every anniversary since 2010. But before we get to all that, let's go back to the beginning . . .

Just weeks after joining a Rapid Deployment unit at Fort Carson, Colorado, my husband and I had a baby -- a sweet and chunky boy who made his debut a month early -- and six short weeks later took this photo. This was taken just hours before he deployed to Afghanistan. Again. My newborn and I drove home to Texas with the lawnmower tied to the hood of the Dodge Journey we'd bought in Italy and had shipped home as my husband began his trek halfway around the world to hell on earth. Don't Cry by Guns and Roses, a song I'd never heard before despite being a devout metal head, played several times on the way home and became my year-long anthem. (Don't mind the weird video, it's the words I love.) Haven't heard it much since, either.

More coming next Saturday on this misadventure . . .

Where it all began . . .

Where did it all begin? What made Sara Barnard actually take the plunge and begin the exciting and heartbreaking journey to becoming a published author?

A Heart on Hold (An Everlasting Heart #1) was actually born during a time of great adversity. My husband was on his second deployment to Afghanistan and I was home with two toddlers and a newborn . . . and very, very sad. It was a rough deployment to say the least and every time the phone rang, heartwrenching news was on the other end.

Always having been a lover of history and having gained enough foresight in my near-30 years, I knew what we were going through was timeless and had been experienced by couples the world over for centuries. So, I decided to take what we were both going through and toss it back into the Civil War times, where I could control the ending and make sure of a HEA. In doing this, A Heart on Hold was born, but not without  many trials, tribulations, twists, and turns.

Come back on Sunday for a snippet from A Heart on Hold!