Moments for the Heart

Hey Weekend Writing Warriors. I am back with a new snippet from The Five Barred Gate II. This is my dystopian suspense novel. I am so excited that this will be my next release. My publisher and I spoke this last week and we set the date of January 5, 2025 for its shelf date. A little bit of a wait, but it will allow me to focus on Elissa the Curious Snail and get lined out on what I’m going to do with her.

I am glad to finally get back into reading y’all’s snippets. It has been too long, but I just had to get everything lined out on my end with work, life, and completing The Transference II, which by the way is being released on October 26, 2025. We worked that out as well. Next year will be an amazing year!!

Well enough rambling. Let’s get into a snippet, shall we?

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:
This novel is a sequel to The Five Barred Gate, a Dystopian Suspense about what would it be like if it our freedom of expression liberties were taken from us. These laws existed in the first novel, but have gone much further it being twenty years later. Now you cannot challenge any authority figure or be arrested. This spills over into the religious community as churches are now no longer allowed to speak freely, out of danger that a sermon would violate the law; pastors must submit sermons and speeches for scrutiny before they are spoken in a public forum. If you fail to do so, you are threatened with closure. This is where we find Jacob Andrews. He was the MC in the first book, he is now the pastor of a church and faced with the challenges of obeying the laws.

I’ve posted before on this novel, if you want to can catch up on past snippets, you can click here.

—We are jumping into Chapter 13. This is about half way through the book. Jacob, our MCs father is about to have a visitor. He owns a gym that serves as his church on the weekends:

He was in the middle of spraying down an elliptical when a knock came at the front door—rather a clink—the sound of metal on glass. Jacob looked up at the clock. It was still an hour from opening, and he wasn’t expecting Michael and the kids for another two hours. He gave the equipment room a quick glance and headed to the door.

There is your ten, but let’s continue for a bit more fun:

Passing his office, he caught a glimpse out of the window and saw a sight he would rather not have seen. He froze in disbelief. It was a black SUV.

Tink. Tink. Tink.

The frosted glass revealed the shadow of a tall figure holding what appeared to be a nightstick. A brimmed hat completed the ominous tower.

“Open the door, Citizen,” the man called out. “I know you’re in there. I saw you through the office window, and I can see your piece of crap pick up in the parking lot.”

Citizen?

Jacob stood, not sure what opening the door would bring. He wanted to call someone, but his cell was in the office. What if someone was watching the office through the window? He couldn’t chance it. Now, he wished he had listened to Renae and put that second line in the storage room. But it was too late now for regrets.

Tink. Tink. Tink.

“I can think of three reasons to break this door down, Citizen.”

Jacob could think of a few more than that. He had no choice. He approached the door and unlocked it.

The patented white uniform of an Official stood before him. The grin behind the reflective lenses seemed all too familiar.

“Now, was that so hard, Mr. Andrews?”

“What can I do for you, Official?”

Jacob and Officials do not pair up well. It has been several years since they have been around Carrolton and Jacob has been seeing them in quick glances around the town. His family has thought it was his imagination or PTSD from what happened 20 years ago (the events of the first novel). But here is proof he hadn’t been imagining anything, the ghost of an Official at his door. But what does this one want?

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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.