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.  

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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WeWriWa - A Heart on Hold (An Everlasting Heart #1) - Charlotte and Sanderson

Welcome back to Charlotte and Sanderson's meadow as we continue through chapter one of A Heart on Hold. Last week, we learned that Charlotte's frog could beat Sanderson's in a long-jumping contest, at least back in their school days.

Sanderson flung his hands up as though he’d just been reminded as to the location of buried treasure. “Of course that’s the best part!” he exclaimed loudly. The sudden booming of his voice quieted the birds that had only begun their nightly song. “How could I have forgotten?” Then he leaned in close. 

He moved so quickly and so precisely that Charlotte's breath caught in her throat at the prospect of what he was about to do -- kiss her? She felt color rush to her cheeks again as his soft lips brushed her ear. “The best part was that I never had to suffer through another day without you, after that.” His fingers came to rest on hers. “And I made it official by carving our initials in the old oak tree after school.”

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Did you know that A Heart on Hold is being looked at for the big screen? 

Get your series here! 

War. Devotion. Deceit. Death. How long can a heart hold on before it breaks? Most women would carry on with their lives after being thrust into widowhood, but not Charlotte Adamsland. Upon learning that her husband, Captain Sanderson Redding, was killed in a botched escape from a Confederate prison in Illinois, she clings to his promise to return to her no matter what, and quickly heads north through a war-ravaged country with only her faith in God and her beloved horse to bring her beloved Sanderson home – one way or another.

The War is over, Sanderson is home, and life is good … until the Army comes knocking. They have charged Sanderson with the murder and sentenced him to “hang by the neck until dead” – unless he bring to justice the notorious outlaw William Quantrill. With Sanderson gone, Charlotte must endure a hard pregnancy and battle a rash of hydrophobia that threatens the countryside –Sanderson included.

 Gold. Massacres. Indians. Soldiers. Can Charlotte survive life on the trail or will the wildness of the west tear her family apart? 

Charlotte leaves behind her life in Arkansas to journey west with Sanderson, the man she loves and whose child she is carrying. However wild animals, natural disasters, and a heavy Indian presence test not only Sanderson and Charlotte's strength and endurance, but their faith in each other as well. Meanwhile, Minerva packs up the little rock cottage to journey west in the company of infant Jay Jay and Cotton just as peace Sanderson is trying to bridge between the Army and the Snake River Indians begins to fall apart. From Quanah Parker to Wyatt Earp, Charlotte and Sanderson rub shoulders with some of the west's most notable characters while struggling to remember what truly makes a home ... is love. 

 When all of their dreams come true, will Sanderson and Charlotte still have what started it all – their everlasting love? 
In this final installment of the Everlasting Heart series, Sanderson and Charlotte must make a home for themselves in the Army town of Fort Bidwell, California. When the job as an Indian agent begs him to round up the peaceful area Indians for execution, Sanderson again runs afoul of the government. In answer to the broken promises of the Army, Sanderson and Jerry turn to a well-paying job with the railroad. However, they are warned to turn a blind eye to the treatment of their Chinese workers ... or else. But can money buy this formerly-happy Arkansas family the happiness they are so desperately searching for? Meanwhile as Charlotte stands up for Cotton against the town bullies, she accidentally falls into favor with Johnny Tan, the handsome young outlaw who slowly transforms into both Sanderson’s nemesis and his saving grace. In a world where women are expected to be silent, can Charlotte be a parent Cotton, a wife to Sanderson who seems to have fallen more in love with money than with her, and friend to Minerva, who seems to be drifting farther and farther away? 

*A Heart Forever Wild is in the running for the 2015 Romance Novel Excellence Award!*

Surprise! Cover reveal time! Here is my forthcoming release, Old Amarillo (Amish Journeys #1) from 5 Prince Publishing. September 3. <3

WeWriWa - A Heart on Hold (Just 99 cents this week!) - July 12, 2015

Welcome back to this weekend's edition of A Heart on Hold, where Charlotte was being reminded of all the reasons she had fallen in love with Sanderson, so many years before. A Heart on Hold is discounted to just .99 this week, so pick up your copy today! Without further ado, back to the meadow we go with Charlotte and Sanderson in pre-Civil War Arkansas.


Charlotte's mood cooled at the recollection of the bullfrogs. Life had been so easy back then. Back before Sanderson left, before her mother and baby sister succumbed to influenza. She immediately cut off her thought. 

Sanderson sat, grinning, awaiting her response. Pushing the bittersweet memories of her mother aside, she said, “You looked so crushed when I didn’t accept BobBob.” 

“I certainly didn’t expect you to go catch your own frog and challenge me to a long-jumping contest!” 

Charlotte exhaled onto her fingernails and buffed them against the lapel of her dress. “You left out the best part,” she reminded him. “I challenged you and then my frog won.”

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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. 

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A Heart on Hold - WeWriWa - May 31, 2015

Welcome back as we continue on with the first chapter of A Heart on Hold, book one of my Everlasting Heart series. We are sitting beside the brook at dusk and Sanderson has just joined Charlotte as she sat on the green and white checked picnic blanket he brought for her as a gift from NYC.

With a cough, Sanderson shook his head. The fog that had enveloped them fizzled into the dusk. Tearing her gaze away from his chiseled profile, Charlotte cleared her throat. “Um, what was I saying?”

“Oh yes,” he started. “Perhaps I should have insisted you read Romeo and Juliet first. Apparently The Crusades aren’t the best choice in literary works, given the trouble our own country is in.” 

The giddy feeling subsided and was quickly replaced with disgust over the actions of those characters that filled the pages of The Crusades. “What I just flat don’t get is how those rich nobles, who were supposed to be so inherently smart to begin with−” Charlotte’s smile faded and she could feel herself flush over the absurdity of society’s leaders of yesteryear. The heated words flew off her tongue almost as quickly as they came into her head and she was powerless to stem their flow, despite her beau’s enchanting presence. 

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A Heart on Hold . . . but how long can a heart hold on until it breaks? WeWriWa - 5/24/15

Welcome back! Now where did we leave off with Charlotte and Sanderson . . . oh yes, he was quite distracted by his love Charlotte, wasn't he?

The slight brush of Sanderson's skin against Charlotte's caused her heart to quicken. She pulled her legs up onto the bank and crossed her damp ankles. Something had bloomed somewhere in the surrounding hills because when the breeze shifted, the air became thick with a clean, lemony scent. Sanderson’s voice dropped to a whisper as he spoke, “and to think, that shopkeeper tried for a week to convince me you would like the red better, but I wouldn’t hear of it . . . has to be green, I said. Green, to match her magnificent eyes.” Charlotte turned her head slightly. Sanderson’s face was there, mere inches from hers. Time ground to a halt and it felt as though she had dunked her head underwater and needed to come up for air. Could this be it, our first kiss? 


Thank you for stopping by!  Visit my other eight-sentence snippets by following the links below!
Sara's Amish Dreams where eight sentences from my forthcoming Amish fiction work, Old Amarillo, are shared each week. 
Back to my first blog, where you can experience post-deployment PTSD in its most raw form, eight sentences at a time in my forthcoming memoir, Missi Wanderin' in the Woods. 
Get back to the other eight-sentence offerings by awesome WeWriWa writers here!

WeWriWa - 5/17/15 - A Heart on Hold (An Everlasting Heart#1)

Welcome back! Here we go . . . back to the bank of a nameless river along the base of the Ouachita Mountains along about sundown just before the outbreak of the war between the states.

Her insides turned to mush and she felt as though she could live the rest of her life in this moment right here. A light bug buzzed her before landing on the picnic blanket. Charlotte gently shooed it off before trusting her voice. “Five years sure crept by,” she told the blanket. “I’m glad you’re back.” I was so worried that you would meet someone else. Someone prettier, someone good enough for you. Sanderson no longer appeared to be engaged in the conversation. “The shopkeeper managed to match the green in your eyes to the shade of green in this blanket perfectly,” he murmured, removing a lock of her almond colored hair from her eyelashes and tucking it behind her ear. 

Thanks for stopping by! To get your copy of A Heart on Hold or the entire Everlasting Heart series box set, check out this link. 

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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.”

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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!

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!