Moments for the Heart

Hey Weekend Writing Warriors. I’ve returned. It was a nice few days away and I am glad the auto post worked. Technology can be great sometimes. With just a few clicks you can accomplish a task and be a thousand miles away. Yes, I had my laptop with me, but then it would’ve taken away from family time, and that would defeat the purpose of stepping away from it all. I hope y’all had a great week. I have a few images below in my wrap up of our trip. Thanks for your support and reading my snippets. You can catch with past entries here.

The Five Barred Gate is a Dystopian Suspense novel that takes place about 20 years after the events after the first novel. It surrounds the life of Michael, Jacob’s son. He faces the same, but different challenges his father faced. Times are much more difficult. I am excited to revisit this world. I love my characters and getting to revisit the Dystopian genre.

SYNOPSIS:

Still working on a full synopsis:

Michael Andrews is Jacob’s son. He is now the main character. His wife has been arrested for talking to someone on her trip to the store about God. Now he must find a way to fight for her release and raise their twins. He has the help of Rachel’s grandfather Frank Dunham, his parents, and a supportive attorney that will do their best to protect Rachel. But they must fight Federal and local laws that are even more strict than what his father had to deal with. They must also struggle with a corrupt accuser and an old family adversary to ensure justice is served and Rachel is able to come home to her family.

>>>If you are curious about the first novels snippets, I have them archived: Here is a link to them if you want to read up on The Fiver Barred Gate <<<

SNIPPET:

Summary:
In this week’s snippet we wrap Johnathan and Xavier’s courthouse meeting. Several things came to light in last week’s snippet. You can catch up with the past snippets here.


—First, here is a bit from last week:


“I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Johnathan said. He had heard the stories but wasn’t quite sure the connection Xavier was trying to make.

“You still think there are plants out there and that Rachel is being targeted by one of them. Mind you, perhaps not because she is an Andrews, but because she was forced into a situation she was unprepared for.”

“That’s insane. I thought no such thing. I’m trying to defend my client from an outrageous law that shouldn’t be on the books to begin with.”


We pick up in the middle of Johnathan and Xavier Ford conversation in a conference room.

Xavier looked at him with piercing eyes, then shook his head, “Perhaps you are. But be careful, Counselor. If you start to rattle cages, her being an Andrews may make more of a difference than you bargain for.”

“It’s been twenty years. Why would a two-decade-old case matter now?

“Some folks have longer memories than others, is all I am saying,” Xavier said as he stood, closing his briefcase. Then he leaned over the desk and whispered, “You never know who is watching.”

Not sure where Xavier’s allegiance laid, and remembering Michael’s warning, he let the statement go. “All that matters now is defending Mrs. Andrews to the best of my ability and seeing she gets home to her family.”

::There is your ten (or so). Here is a bit more for good measure.

“You’re in for a battle then. Dr. Houston isn’t going away. As I said, she even has me scared.” Xavier extended his hand. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad Mrs. Andrews has you to defend her.”

Johnathan accepted his hand, rolling his eyes, “Thanks.”

“So, I’ll see you out there, Counselor,” Xavier said, exiting the office.

Johnathan looked over his file notes, as well as the documents Xavier had handed to him. Something wasn’t right, besides the crucial document short, his files page numbering was off. Page five’s lower right corner number wasn’t a number; it was a stick figure. That didn’t make sense. Why just one page number? However, the court’s clerical system was the least of his worries. He had a client to defend. Rachel had indeed violated the law. He needed to find a loophole that would exonerate her. Xavier did make a mistake. Johnathan hadn’t considered the possibility of Dr. Houston being a plant. This gave him hope and a new avenue to investigate.

There is another clue here that occurs frequently in the series, and a major part of the first installment. It is the second, maybe third, occurrence in this novel. I will give you a hint. that page number isn’t there by happenstance. And it gives the novel series it name.

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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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THIS WEEK’S WRAP-UP

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT:
Thanks for reading this week. And for your continued support.

We had a great trip. I love being able to see this beautiful country. I miss being a trucker. I would always get to see so much, driving from city to city and state to state. There was always something new to see. This time though I was able to see it from the passenger seat. It was a new experience for me and an amazing drive. The state we spent most of our time in was Louisiana.

First image was the Bonnie and Clyde Museum in Gibsland, LA.
Second image is St. Joseph’s Plantation in Vacherie, LA
Third is Lake Charles in Lake Charles, LA


Again, I was not able to get a blog written this week, nor a vlog. I was winding down from our trip and attempting to dive back into work. You can still see my latest blog and vlog. I keep those up indefinitely.

Here’s to living the dream. God bless Writing Warriors!!

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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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