
Hey, Weekend Writing Warriors. It has been a long week. Well, as I write this I do not know if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow or not. We can comment if we are in for a long winter or will see a beautiful early spring or not. How is everyone’s writing adventure’s going? Would love to hear about them.
It looks like The Five Barred Gate II will see an early February release. I am excited about that.
The Five Barred Gate part One, is available on Amazon! Pick up your copy today to get caught up before the second installment hits shelves in February.
SYNOPSIS:
With NaNoWriMo, I am taking you on the journey with me and giving you snippets from the book I’m writing. Keep in mind that these will be raw and unedited. So, excuse errors and grammar.
My piece for NaNoWriMo will be The Five Barred Gate III. Considering that The Five Barred Gate II will be released on January 5th, it would be my next logical piece to pen. Enjoy.
The Five Barred Gate is a dystopian world where the government has enacted laws against freedom of speech. This has hurt the religious community the most.
SNIPPET:
Summary:
The Five Barred Gate III picks where The Five Barred Gate II leaves off. Derrick Andrews is talking with his wife, Rachel, and feels he needs to go with is dad, Jacob, to Austin to talk with the authorities. They’ve been demanding Jacob to release his sermons for scrutiny before they are delivered from the pulpit. He has refused. Facing arrest, he now wants to make his appeal.
Here is a bit from last week.
“I’m not saying you’ve been wrong. I’m just pointing out that you’ve been doing this the whole time without realizing it.”
Michael made sense. And how many times had his son told him that? It was one of the reasons for their estrangement. Michael felt that he was pretending to be someone else. But at that time, it was because he was hiding. Running from those who would do him harm. Now it was different. He would be using the laws that bound him to his advantage and proclaiming the gospel in the face of danger head-on.
“It will be different now,” Jacob said.
We are continuing right where we left off. Let’s get into it::
“I know it will be,” Michael said. “I can see a fire in you. I can hear a passion and not fear. You may have been bold and preached the gospel before, but you lived with the ghost of Pastor Eric around you. That fear has been lifted and now I feel you will move forward and do great things for the Lord.”
“I feel different. I agree that I have let what happened with Eric get to me and hold me back. But now, I feel I can do anything.”
“I know it will be,” Michael said. “I can see a fire in you. I can hear a passion and not fear. You may have been bold and preached the gospel before, but you lived with the ghost of Pastor Eric around you. That fear has been lifted and now I feel you will move forward and do great things for the Lord.”
“I feel different. I agree that I have let what happened with Eric get to me and hold me back. But now, I feel I can do anything.”
::There is your ten, or so, but let’s continue a bit with the scene..::
Michael made the final turn leading to Carrolton. The dim lights of the town greeted them in the distance. It felt like a warm hug after their long trip. It was time to make the difference that his six-page document envisioned for the town. He couldn’t wait for that Sunday to deliver it. He couldn’t wait for the expressions and enthusiasm of parishioners to embark on the journey into the future of the town and lives around each heart.
Neither man saw the pair of headlights that drew out of the darkness of the exit shoulder; they pulled in behind them. The headlights would be instantly familiar to anyone in their group, placing fear into their body. A meal and sleep were on their minds, not the dark SUV that was closing in. It turned off just as they hit the lights that would give them away.
Michael looked in his mirror and thought he saw something. He did a double take of the rearview mirror, then shot a glance over his shoulder.
“What?” Jacob said.
Michael exhaled, “Nothing. Just exhausted. I’m seeing things. I need a warm bed and a good eight hours of sleep.”
“Don’t we both.”
This finishes the section on an ominous note. Just as Michael and Jacob get good news, something stirs that could set them back…
Start your journey with the Five Barred Gate. Check out the featured link below.
Featured Title
Additional Titles by Jeff S. Bray

Little Reminders of Who I Am (2020)

The Transference (2022)
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Uhh-oh … I have a feeling he wasn’t imagining things at all. Nice bit of tension building.
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