Moments for the Heart

Hey, Weekend Writing Warriors. Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there. Although I don’t think there are any regulars who read this. I do want to remember our late dad, Ed Hoornaert. He was, and I suppose still is, an inspiration to us all and Effing Feline always made us laugh. I’m sure we all miss him dearly.

I know many of us are older, but how many of us still have our father’s still around? My dad passed away when I was nine and my mom never remarried. I never had a dad to celebrate Dad’s Day with. BUT I have four sons and a daughter. Guess I am making up for it in different ways in how I am a father to them.

No, I don’t have a Father’s Day snippet, but I am moving on from The Five Barred Gate II and moving back into our love story Little Reminders of Who I Am. I hope to stay here for a bit since I am starting from page one.


God bless everyone, now let’s get into it!!

SYNOPSIS:

Aaron Stephenson loves his job. As food critic for the popular Houston Gazette, he gets to sample the best cuisine at the finest eateries in Houston without paying a dime. And because there are so many great restaurants in Houston, he doesn’t have to visit the same establishment twice… unless he wants to.

But when Aaron stops in at Davies Deli, a non-descript, off-the-beaten-path, family-owned diner, he suddenly realizes he wants to come back;

But it has to do more with the owners’ brown haired, green eyed daughter, Deborah than the delicious food.
Aaron and Deborah feel a mutual attraction. But Deborah has a secret that could change everything.

And then there is Carter…

SNIPPET:

Summary:
This love story novel was born out of a dream I had about an angel leaving nick knacks behind for a couple to find as they walked through an amusement park together. They were reminders about them being a couple because they were struggling. Them finding these ‘little reminders’ drew them back together. The novel also has a dual storyline, in that the MC also has a struggle with their relationship with God, so they are also being drawn back to Him as well. The diner idea came from my personal love for food, writing some of the book sitting in a Denny’s, and working in kitchens for almost 10 years.

I have shared from this novel before, but it was VERY sloppy, so I will begin fresh, sharing from the top. We begin with the Epilogue.

“So, what do you think, Carter?” the visitor asked as he sat on the park bench.

“I haven’t done this for a while,” said Carter. His worn tweed trench coat was buttoned and scrunched up. He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his white hair and replaced it. His hat matched his coat; old and worn, much like the stubble on his chin.

His friend looked him over. Must have been a matching set, one day, back when tweed was fashionable, he thought.

“Carter,” he began. “I am here with the explicit instructions of sending you on this task.”

Carter thought for a moment, opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. Doubt evident his face.

“She will relate to you. And only you,” he said.


::There is your ten, but let’s continue on and finish the scene and Epilogue.::


“I just don’t know. He knows I don’t like assignments like this. It’s far too difficult when things…  get complicated,” defended Carter.

His friend was silent. He had heard the story and knew Carter’s struggle. No one likes a failed assignment.

The visitor finally spoke, “Consider this. Maybe that’s the reason why He chose you for this assignment?”

Carter looked into his visitor’s crystal blue eyes. They seemed to glow through the darkness of the park that surrounded them. He broke the stare by glancing at his watch, it was getting late, and he wanted to get some sleep.

“Can I think about it?” Carter asked as he stood, knowing what the answer would be. There was no ‘thinking about it’ when it came to assignments. You do as you are asked. He knew he was going to take the job, his visitor knew he was going to take it, and most certainly the One who sent him knew he was going to take it.

“You know how this works,” the visitor said as if reading his mind.

“Yes, I guess I do,” Carter said. He adjusted his coat. It was still summer, but the evenings were beginning to hint at the chill of fall. He looked at the shoebox his visitor had brought. “Is that part of it?”

“Yes, it contains all you need,” the visitor handed the box to Carter, who opened it.

“There are quite a few items in here. How long do I have?”

“A little over two months,” the visitor explained. “First contact will be the day after tomorrow. Then you can work your assignment as you see fit. But understand, time is limited here.”

Carter took a deep breath and released it. He closed the box and gazed into the distance. The traffic was light, typical for a Wednesday evening. The breeze picked up again, causing the brim of his hat to raise. Two months. Not a lot of time at all.

“So, what do you think?” Carter’s visitor asked once again.

“Ok, Gabriel. I’ll do it.”

Here we are laying the foundation for the novel. Carter is an angel on a mission. He will see to this mission, as I, myself, learn later will span three novels. In this edition Carter helps Deborah Davis and Aaron Stephenson. I never thought, starting out I would write a series. But I fell in love with Carter. He is by far my favorite character I’ve ever written. I am sure you feel that way about one of your characters; they just leap off the page and into your hearts. It was difficult to say good bye to him at the end of Book 3.

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Monday is Memory Monday
We remember an important event that occurred on that Monday or sometime that week.

Tuesday is Two Twenty-Two Tuesday
A weekly vlog where I talk about writing or something that’s been on my heart, all in two minutes and twenty-two seconds. — I am way behind on this… sorry.
This is posted on my YouTube channel.

Wednesday is when I post my blog for the week.
I speak from my heart on various topics from writing to faith.

Thursday is This or That Thursday
A weekly two-option poll that raises the question, do you like this, or do you prefer that?
I host this on this on Twitter, IG, and Facebook.

Friday is Fun Fact Friday
I find and share interesting or obscure facts on my pages.

Saturday is for Weekend Writing Warriors
Saturday is for Snippets from a current piece or past work.

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Featured Titles

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In His Exciting Service,

Jeff S. Bray

Check out amazing established and emerging writers at Weekend Writing Warriors. Each week we post new snippets from either published works or works in progress for each other to comment on. Gain insight into how the mind of a writer works and a behind-the-scenes look at works before they hit bookstands everywhere.

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