Inspiration? by Sara Barnard

As writers, inspiration comes in many forms. When I was writing my Everlasting Heart series, which is due to be released from Prairie Rose Publications in April of this year, my inspiration was rich. A husband in Afghanistan, emergency surgery which predicted cancer in my thyroid, and home alone with three young children and an overactive creative mind. All of this filled the pages of the four books which comprise the Everlasting Heart series, A Heart on Hold, A Heart Broken, A Heart at Home, and A Heart Forever Wild -- all so aptly titled.

In this series, Charlotte Adamsland is left behind when her love, Captain Sanderson Redding, leaves to fight for the south in the American Civil War. After a series of adventures and trials (and battle scenes straight from the fields of Afghanistan), When word reaches Charlotte of Sanderson's death in battle, she refuses to believe it and heads north with only her faith in God, trusty horse, and belief in Sanderson's promise to return to her no matter what to drive her on. And that's just the first book.

When I completed all four books of the Everlasting Heart series, I felt as though I'd shared all of my deepest darkest secrets -- and dirty laundry -- in the pages. Do all writers feel that way?

I find much in my family life, between four kids and a mess of rescue animals and an Army veteran husband. Maybe that's why I am working on my 23rd book right now.

What is your inspiration when you write?

Why Write? by Sara Barnard

Problem. You have written THE story. The one everyone has to read in order for the world to keep turning. 





You exercised show and not tell, trimmed the purple prose as easily as you trimmed the lawn last week. You triple checked your P.O.V and tenses, avoided cliches and all allegorical alliteration and emerged victorious at The Battle of The Writer's Block. Then, you got off Facebook and Pinterest long enough to bring your writer's dream to fruition. 

Now what? 

Three agents' rejections, four publisher "I regret to inform you's", and five snarky beta readers left you wondering why you ever bothered to pick up a pen in the first place. 

Where do you go? What do you do? 

For normal people, they would shrug it off and turn on the t.v. Binge on a Netflix series.

Go out with friends. 

Do something normal. 

For a moment you wish you, too, were normal. Like them. 

Like everyone else. 

Alas, you are not.

Then, it comes. 

The one YES that changes everything. 

Be it from a reviewer, beta reader, agent or publisher. 

Once you connect with that person,

make them feel what you wanted them to feel through your words,

the pen that was so heavy before becomes feather light. 

You're on top of the world. 

And then it starts all over again. 

How do you keep motivated?

HELLO FROM SARA BARNARD

As many of you know, I have to be seen at MD Anderson in Houston every three months as the result of a cancer diagnosis that shook my world just under a year ago -- it shook my world alright, and saved my life. Sound strange? It does to me, too, which is why I had to write about it, just to make it make sense. That book is almost done :-)

Well, check out some of our adventures while there . . .

We braved the beaches at the end of a jetty in Galveston . . .  this picture was taken just before my daughter's foot was stung by a jellyfish (we still don't know what kind) and we had our first encounter with a fin in the water . . .

This baby Bonnethead shark flopped up on the beach right behind the kids and me, at my husband and son's feet. I immediately snatched him up for a photo op. He was so sweet and precious!! I wondered how anyone could ever be scared of them. Then again, he was just a baby. I put him back in the water, he swam back to my feet . . . several times. The surf was so rough. Finally, I think he made it back out to the sea. I watched and watched for that sweet little fin.

Before my appointment, we made our pilgrimage to the Rain Forest Cafe. Not for the food, but for the river ride in the back! We had just come out of the ocean and were soaking wet and shivering in this picture!

After my appointment, and a good report (of only some changes, but none cancerous . . . back in three months) we lit out for Dallas where these beautiful kids were waiting for us! We named them Banana and Carrot. 

Until the next two baby goatlets (yes, I call them baby goatlets . . . I just can't call them kids. It feels wrong), arrive in August, I have this gorgeous book cover, compliments of Livia Reasoner, and upcoming release to keep me occupied!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today!