Welcome back to Weekend Snippets.
Today I’m starting snippets from my soon to-be-released book, FOREWARNING.
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Grieving and guilt-stricken after her husband’s suicide, Kasey Martin has closed her energetic healing practice and retreated to her Oregon horse ranch. One night, she rescues a badly injured man, and against her better judgment, uses her neglected skills to save his life. This starts her on an unexpected journey of healing and danger. Complicating her life is Jim Bradley, an old friend who has long been in love with her and wants her to return to her work. When criminals looking for her patient invade the serenity of her world, she must use her skills to save all three of their lives.
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Here’s a short bit from the beginning.
Kasey Martin jerked awake, her heart galloping like a horse running from a cougar. Wide-eyed, she lay frozen and listened to the night. Wind howled through the eaves, thunder rumbled in the distance, rain pounded the roof. A typical storm in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades.
She sat up and stared into the deep black of a night with no city glow to lighten the dark. No help came from the night light in the hall, either. The tempest had knocked out the power again. All she could see was unrelieved black. All she heard was the downpour and Goliath, her Border Collie, snoring on the floor.
Conversations with Horses and Others by Kate Wyland 
Not a great night for finding comfort . . . You’ve captured the bleakness (inner and outer) beautifully!
Yeah, she’s not real happy with the world right now.
Thanks for stopping.
Fantastic visual here!
Glad it worked. Didn’t want a cliched storm.
Dreadful night echoing what she must be feeling which you capture very well. Love the border collie sleeping through it all. 🙂
Goliath isn’t always so blase. 😉
Thanks for stopping by.
Great visual of the storm and its effect on her. Personally I’d be chilling like the collie. Love a good storm.:)
History Sleuth’s Milk Carton Murders
But what about when you are startled awake in the middle of the night?
I love the detail about the dog. I depend on my dog when I wake up in the middle of the night. She’s not much of a guard dog, but she’s a great announcer. If she’s quiet and sleeping, I know I’m okay. Great snippet, Kate. 🙂
Thanks. Goliath does play an important part in the story and she does rely on him.
This creates the perfect atmosphere for what’s to come. Really enjoyed the snippet and look forward to more!
It really is a dark and stormy night and sets the stage.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love the descriptions. I could really see it. Good snippet.
Thanks for taking a look. 🙂
Good descriptions. Could she normally see some city glow? And if there’s thunder, there should be at least occasional flashes of lightning.
No city glow–just a way of emphasizing the total dark.
Excellent descriptions, Kate! I can feel the dark all around her.
Thanks. I’m glad it works.
You had me at border collie! Mine is snoring on the floor too:) Great beginning!
Gotta love those snoring Border Collies. 😉
She seems to be attracting danger, not a good night to rest.
You may be right. 😉
You’ve done a great job creating atmosphere in this snippet. By the way, I love the title.
Thanks for the kind words. It’s funny how many titles you go through before one clicks.
Nerve-wracking until I got to the snoring Border Collie. Clearly, all is well despite the terrible weather and power outage. 😉