Kindle Edition Audiobook Amazon Amazon Category:  Romance Publisher: Lime Pie Publishers ISBN-10:  1979622469 Type: Fiction Pages: 250 Copyright: 2017 ISBN-13: 9781979622462 Price: $1.99 (eBook) Bailey Barker retires as a Lt. Col. from the Air Force when her mother dies. She has no idea what awaits her at the mansion which she seldom visited.   DESCRIPTION: THE SOLDIER AND THE AUTHOR   After twenty-two years of service to her beloved United States Air Force, Bailey Barker decides to retire. She does so with trepidation. Upon the recent death of her mother, Clarissa, the young Lt. Colonel decides that she must focus on the estate which she inherits. The fortune entails a significant amount of money and land. As she walks across the airfield in Mobile, Alabama, finally “free,”  Bailey bemoans the loss of her officer status and position as a registered nurse.   Fear assaults her when she realizes that she has never enjoyed the luxury of wasting time. How does one waste a day? Her last deployment to Afghanistan inflicted a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome upon this dedicated soldier who sacrificed so much.    Finally arriving at the swanky mansion, which her mother named Sunny, she realizes many more challenges other than settling the massive estate await her. Bailey’s refusal to visit her mom for the past five years now brings incriminating thoughts. What kind of daughter never checks on her dying mother? Immediately on arrival at the swanky mansion, Sunny, the soldier learns that her mother lived with a handsome, much younger, famous author for the past five years? This stranger loved her mom filling her final days with excitement and joy. Where was she when her mother died of cancer? The entire town of Fairhope, Alabama claim to have loved the woman with platinum hair and her famous lover, the author Oliver Greene. Now, the village is hesitant to welcome the child who spurned the “belle of the town.”   Bailey quickly discovers that Oliver Greene is not only kind. He is gorgeous. In no time, the arms which once held her mother, now embrace her. Shame that she would dare to entertain her mother’s lover assaults her as well as the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress from her last deployment to Afghanistan. The young woman has no time to regret her decision of retirement as circumstances pull her into the bizarre life of the beautiful Clarissa Barker.   Award-winning author, Linda Heavner Gerald, recently received the silver medal from Florida Authors and Publishers Association for her work in fiction. She also received international acclaim from NovelUnity as well as voted One of Fifty Great Writers You Should be Reading.  Linda lives with her husband in Florida where she writes each day.       Excerpt CHAPTER ONE: BAILEY BARKER Immediately upon graduation from college, with a degree in nursing, I joined the Air Force as a registered nurse. My stint in the Air Force surpassed my original goal of fulfilling only the minimum requirement of time. My passion while there grew each day for a job which I loved more than I dreamed possible. Upon joining, my thought was that I would use my time invested in military service as a means of developing discipline and resolve, nothing more. My parents were both driven and focused. I, however, was lazy and spacey. It surprised me when I found it impossible to walk away after the mandatory two years. Instead, I retired from the service after twenty-two years. Most likely, I would not have left then, but my mother died at the same time that I was up for re-enlistment. Demands of settling her estate became my focus, so I retired from my job as Lieutenant Colonel in service to my great country. It was a sad day when I left. The surprise party, which my friends threw for me, did not erase the feelings of moroseness and a little fear of what I would do now with my life. At the young age of forty-two, having obtained the status of Lt. Colonel, my life had revolved around the demands of caring for my patients as well as serving in a noble field. Nothing else in the world seemed appealing after years of feeling essential and respected while serving my country. Still, I owed it to my mother to make sure that all of her affairs were in order. Clarissa’s estate was vast and involved. As an only child, there was no one else to make critical decisions over her several properties and a significant amount of funds held in a sizable trust. My plane landed on a beautiful, bright blue spring day in Mobile, Alabama. It was impossible for me not to wear my uniform despite the unseasonably warm afternoon. When I served, I bemoaned wearing the dark blue each morning. Now, I refused to wear anything else. I had become “married to my job.” Purposefully, I left my home on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama very early on that bright morning, for my new home in Fairhope, Alabama. My Mother, Clarissa, had purchased this massive estate upon the death of my Father, Clarence Barker, years earlier. “Bailey, I may as well live like a queen. Your Father was miserly for all of my life. Better I enjoy the money than leaving it to you to squander.” I guess she had forgotten that I was a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, not the immature child of yesteryear. Clarence had built a large factory which manufactured table linens from a tiny cottage industry into a sprawling compound. He was famous in our town of Charleston, SC. As a child, I dreamed of breaking away from the demands of being Bailey Barker, child of wealth and privilege, to Officer Bailey Barker, the world traveler. It seems that I had always dreamed of being an officer in the Air Force. The nursing degree was merely a way of establishing myself and gaining entrance into a world of measured decorum. Dreams of becoming an officer drove me to excel in school and later in college. Working as a nurse was not my dream but provided me the means of quickly obtaining status as an officer in the Air Force. As time passed, I discovered that taking care of the wounded veterans in my charge was an honorable and sincere career. Suddenly, the status of officer diminished in my mind, and my job as Registered Nurse provided the catalyst of joy and purpose for each day. As I now walked across the field in Mobile, I wondered if I had made a mistake. Well, Colonel Barker, what will you do now? Instantly, I pulled my shoulders backed and practically marched across the open area as I stared straight ahead. How did one stop being a soldier? It seemed that my adult life was spent making crucial decisions and facing demanding schedules. As I crossed the open field, thoughts of Clarissa clouded my mind. Mother and I always had a love/hate sort of relationship. I had only visited her grand home in Fairhope one time long ago. Her lifestyle struck me as vain and wasted after I stared into eyes which had suffered so intently for the country that the U. S. soldiers risked everything to defend. Without considering my choice, I now found myself in the same boat where she ended her time on this earth. The lavish life of Clarissa Barker silently passed to her only child. I was no better than the woman whom I had criticized for so long because I discovered that deep inside, I desired to experience life spent in luxury without taxing demands each day. The bright red Mustang convertible sat in the rental lot all shiny and appealing. I felt a smile spread across my face as I approached. What is it like to waste a day? Soon enough, I would discover the pampered life of none other than Clarissa Barker. The sadness, which overcame me as I drove out of the rental car lot, surprised me. Never were my mother and I close or connected. Clarissa appeared fastidious and cold. Come to think of it; those words now summed me up pretty well. Stunned at the sudden realization that I had become the person whom I had always detested, I shook my head in disgust. I planned to drive from Mobile to the awaiting mansion in Fairhope. Freed from a life of demands and restrictions, I finally began to relax. As the sun continued to climb in the dark blue sky that matched the color of my jacket, I put the top back and enjoyed the wind on my face. Time flew past as sand blowing in the deserts of Afghanistan! Soon, I removed the pins from my raven hair as I shook my long locks free of confinement. Finally, I could experience a freedom that I had never known. Confidently, I reached for the volume controller of the radio. Cool Rock Classics, from a bygone era, filled the air. All was perfect in my new world. Maybe my decision was not a bad one? Thoughts of my newly opened world of retirement continued to soar past. All worrisome images evaporated from my mind as stress and demands of a past life blew away in the wind. I looked forward to lounging by the rich, blue waters of the pristine pool which nestled behind the vast estate. Clarissa’s gallant horses waited to carry me on long rides through the acres of brilliant green pastureland. My Mother and I were about the same size. She had been meticulous in her wardrobe. Now, I could strut around dressed as a queen just as my Mom had done. I had never experienced pampering with facials and massages. Professional hands did not frequently style my dark tresses. Usually, it draped around my face, or I pulled it back without thought to how perfect it may appear. Glancing at my fingers, I realized that my hands and feet never glowed with bright red polish and lovely clipped cuticles. Ah, the life of wealth and freedom awaited for the once spoiled child who changed while serving her country with noble sacrifice. My past childhood dominated my mind. My earliest recollection was Dad holding me as I rode my miniature white pony at a childhood birthday party. How old was I? Maybe about four or five? Suddenly, I laughed out loud as Hall and Oates cooed from the radio. Mom was wrong about Dad being a miser. Nothing was further from the truth. Lavish lifestyles surrounded Clarissa and me during Dad’s life. Nothing was off-limits from our selfish demands. Clarence just didn’t approve of sprawling homes with a large staff. Yes, Clarissa had done a little cooking over the years, but basically, Petra did most of the housework and preparation of our food. Mother was a fanatic bridge player and fund-raiser for just about every charity in Charleston. Poor Dad only went to all of the events because Mom needed a chaperone. Once they arrived, she floated off to be with her many friends while he suffered alone by the bar. Dad usually got “potted” but ended up enjoying himself. When we arrived home, he met with the disdain of Clarissa for “embarrassing her by getting drunk.” The same scenario played out all through my childhood. Dad and I learned a long time ago that there was no pleasing the selfish demands of the woman whom we both adored. Yes, Mom was a complicated woman. Her beauty caused all of us to suffer her rebukes. Just being in her presence brought us great joy despite her frequent criticisms of us. Don’t get me wrong, she could be very kind and gracious, but usually, it was in the presence of someone whom she tried to impress. Mom was a superficial person. All of my life, I decided to be her exact opposite. Now, I had accepted all that she left me; it was a significant amount of stuff! Will all of this wealth change me? I couldn’t fathom what waited. Dad, well, he was terrific! There wasn’t a mean bone in his skinny body. The voluptuous woman, dressed to kill, in her flowing gowns with twinkling jewels was accompanied by the thin man who appeared nervous and out of place. He usually dressed in a dark gray suit. They were opposites but adored each other with a strange sort of love. My love life did not exist. A few guys asked me out in high school but never any serious romance. Still, I dreamed of having a man, like my Father, follow me around with looks of adoration while I floated spotlessly attired into the room. Such thoughts filled my head. How quickly I appeared to forget my military sacrifices. Soon enough, I turned off Interstate 10 into the outlying area of Fairhope, Alabama. For some reason, I passed the small road to Clarissa’s house and continued into the little town. Fairhope resembled a miniature Palm Beach in that everything was pristine and perfect. Mounds of red and pink flowers greeted me from measured spots around the groomed village as well as each shining storefront. Private boutiques displayed beautiful antiques and expensive clothes. Beckoning restaurants attracted with delicious aromas of Italian delights. There was a lovely French bakery to add to the heavy smell locals enjoyed all during the day. A one of a kind bookstore delighted patrons by adding wine and cappuccinos. Fairhope, Alabama was a village of great wealth. My future home sat in Baldwin County, Alabama. The gorgeous shinning Mobile Bay served as the backdrop for this incredible town of fifteen thousand three hundred and twenty-six blessed people who called it “home.” Southern Living magazine named it the “Best Small Town in the South” in the 2016 edition. Now, I called this unknown place “home” as well. What waited for me in this new life as I stepped into the role of Clarissa Barker? This town of wealth became known as a bastion for the intellectual and artistic during the winter months. It had a great deal to offer the gifted when they became bored with writing or painting. Mobile Bay sat like a beloved jewel in the South. Inspiration waited for the many authors and artists. Maybe I could try my hand at a few water sports? How else would I spend these long hours ahead without my beloved soldiers for whom to care? Fairhope has a subtropical climate during the summer months. After several stints in Afghanistan, I knew uncompromising heat well. Now, the winter months in my new home were quite the draw as they boasted an average temperature of fifty-nine degrees high. These conditions sounded like heaven to my sunburned ears after sweltering in the heat of Afghanistan. Excitement at a new beginning buzzed through my veins. Maybe I shouldn’t be critical of Clarissa, the name I called my mother? You see, I had done some homework on my awaiting new town. Since I was unsure if Petra knew of my arrival time, I decided to eat a bite before I went “home.” Those words sounded fake and foreign.This place, where I was destined to live, had never been home to me. No one could ever replace Clarissa in the house that she had named Sunny. That word also described her. A tall, blonde woman with striking emerald-green eyes, she pulled her long platinum hair away from her face with brilliant combs and hairpins. Her beauty was legendary. Like me, she was tall and willowy. Her demise, due to a brief bout with cancer, had been quick. As a result of my deployment to Afghanistan, I did not return for her funeral which didn’t bother me since I had not often visited during her lifetime. Dad was also tall but dark. I must have inherited his looks. My long hair was as dark as his, and my eyes of ebony were just like the eyes of the man whom I loved more than any man on earth. That wasn’t much of a statement. He was the only man whom I loved on earth. My arrival, on a Wednesday, was scheduled on purpose. Traffic downtown appeared sparse. Good, I wouldn’t have a problem obtaining a seat for lunch. Quickly, I spied a beautiful Italian dining spot. Maybe this is where Mother dined frequently? How could I know? I never cared enough to phone. The added pleasure of seating outside, on a day like this, pulled on memories of being outdoors from past summers of my childhood days in Charleston. Enjoying the beauty of outdoors was what I desired today. If this were a weekend day, a different scenario would have awaited. Tourists loved this little village. Even in the winter, people booked all the hotel rooms, and getting a reservation in the better restaurants could prove difficult. Call it impossible to reserve a room at one of the hotels in the warmer months. Many people found this the perfect place to schedule weddings and receptions. Yes, I had just retired to the idyllic Southern, small town. A town for the “haves” and a magnet to the intellectually gifted. Excitement finally surrounded me. Can really I be stepping into the rather large and beautiful shoes of Clarissa Barker? Apparently, it was so. “Miss, I asked if you are ready to order?” A handsome young man peered with interest at me. I shook my troubled head as if trying to remove the creepy webs from my mind. “I believe that I would love the pasta.” What happened to the quick decisions of Colonel Barker? How quickly I was changing into an indecisive, waster of time. Pointing haphazardly into the air, I looked foolish. Before he could walk away, I began to ramble with useless information. Patiently, the waiter stood before me with a smile. When I realized my impromptu gushing, I blushed. What has just occurred? “Are you visiting here? Don’t worry; I get this reaction all of the time. It is a beautiful place. Where are you staying?” I felt ridiculous. Gushing is not something that an Air Force officer usually does. I shook my head as a sign for him to leave but I had opened the door into my private world. He refused to go. I sighed loudly. “No, I’m not visiting. I have moved here recently.” I smiled only a little hoping that he would accept that as enough small talk. My waiter did not get my body language. He continued to stand in the same spot with the exact stupid smile as he held an empty tray extended into my space. “Where?” He is beginning to annoy me. “I live at Sunny.” My wide grin was an act of sarcasm, but he bought it as genuine. How could he possibly not understand that I wished him to go? The military protected from gaffs such as this. An officer could dismiss questions just by rank. I figured he would think that Sunny was the name of a street or maybe a condo complex. “Really? Sunny is such a gorgeous place. You must be Clarissa’s daughter, Bailey? Wow! You don’t look anything like her. Clarissa Barker was the most beautiful woman in town. We all loved her. Why did you never visit her? You know, your actions caused her pain. She referred to you often. I’m sure Oliver will be happy to have your company, finally. He and Clarissa were quite the item if you don’t mind my saying. During her death due to cancer, he remained by her side and cared for her.” His smile grated on me. My gushing happiness began to evaporate. “What did you say? Who is Oliver?” “You must be kidding? Oliver Greene, you know, the famous author? You do know who Oliver Greene is, don’t you? Do you want me to list all of his books for you?” What is it with this man of many questions? Of course, I knew who the “great author, Oliver Greene” was! I wasn’t entirely without culture. Who had time to read while being deployed and serving their country? Still, I knew the name. “Why would Mr. Greene be happy to have my company? I don’t know him personally. Do you?” “Well, your mother sure did. I mean ‘know him personally.’ He was her lover. They had been together since she first arrived here.” The smile grew substantially in my face. I thought of knocking the tray from the nosey waiter’s grubby hands. Finally, he walked away as if bothered that I didn’t know all of this. Before leaving, he shot me an irritated look. Alone, I waited for the waiter, who knew more about my Mother than I to reappear. As he approached, he looked at me with a puzzled stare. The pasta, which I ordered, smelled divine. It had been hours since I had eaten. Greg, the waiter, also brought a large glass of cold water with several lemons on the side. My appetite had been flushed away with the news of Oliver Greene. What is going on here? All of this information from my waiter must be incorrect. Was he playing a sick game? This day of new beginnings was not the time to throw me a loop. “Look, I will be living in Sunny now. My mother bought that house just after the death of my father, Clarence. I think that you must be wrong with your timeline?” I asked that as a question. “Oh, no, I’m not wrong. I remember well the day that she arrived. Mr. Greene showed up the next week. Immediately after that most of the town enjoyed large parties at their beautiful estate. Those two people were the talk of the area. We sure hope that you continue the soirees. I haven’t seen Oliver much anymore. Maybe you can encourage him to come back here for dinner? He is such a wonderful man. The two of them had a knack for making everyone welcomed in their lives.” Did he just emphasize “their” estate? I thought that I own it. The fake smile begged removal, but I was too shocked by Greg’s information to react. Welcome to the world of, Clarissa, my mother; Oliver, her lover; and Bailey Barker, yours truly.

Editorial Review
Florida author Linda Heavner Gerald has retired from her medical background and is living along the Gulf of Mexico. She has already established a solid reputation as a writer of twelve mystery thrillers, winning awards both in this country and abroad, having been awarded the Florida Authors and Publishers Association award for Fiction. Linda's keen eye for evil in her books is matched by her conviction that 'regardless of our actions, God is always ready to welcome us back with forgiveness.' Rather than simply titillate her readers with superbly terrifying stories and psychological drama she offers a bit of a rainbow at the end - a sense of hope or encouragement for the characters of her books. ' Her goal is to demonstrate that God loves all of us. No one is beyond his redemptive grace.' In ANNAPOLIS SUMMERS Linda turned her penetrating eye to the act of bullying as the theme - sustaining and surviving bullies in a story that is rich in color and the fine settings for which she is becoming highly respected. Now in THE SOLDIER AND THE AUTHOR Linda marries medicine and military in introducing a character who suffers from PYSD

In her Prologue she sets the tone - 'Often, we do not think of our military and the sacrifices they make weekly, daily, hourly, by the minute for our country. Some of the men and women who serve are innocent and very young. How many suddenly question their actions and wish that they had never signed up for the duty now required? Had they volunteered out of anger or a dare only to regret till their grave the heavy toll they are forced to suffer? The emotional consequences of service to our great country must be staggering. The loss of a fellow soldier must be impossible to bear but so is the loss of a limb or severe injury. How many return changed? Does anyone return the same? The Soldier and The Author describes a soldier named Bailey Barker who retires from the Air Force after twenty-two years of service as a combat nurse. The author is Oliver Greene, a famous, wealthy, and handsome man.'

But on to the story as per the synopsis - 'After twenty-two years of service to her beloved United States Air Force, Bailey Barker decides to retire. She does so with trepidation. Upon the recent death of her mother, Clarissa, the young Lt. Colonel decides that she must focus on the estate which she inherits. The fortune entails a significant amount of money and land. As she walks across the airfield in Mobile, Alabama, finally "free," Bailey bemoans the loss of her officer status and position as a registered nurse. Fear assaults her when she realizes that she has never enjoyed the luxury of wasting time. How does one waste a day? Her last deployment to Afghanistan inflicted a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome upon this dedicated soldier who sacrificed so much. Finally arriving at the swanky mansion, which her mother named Sunny, she realizes many more challenges other than settling the massive estate await her. Bailey's refusal to visit her mom for the past five years now brings incriminating thoughts. Immediately on arrival at the swanky mansion, Sunny, the soldier learns that her mother lived with a handsome, much younger, famous author for the past five years? This stranger loved her mom filling her final days with excitement and joy. Where was she when her mother died of cancer? The entire town of Fairhope, Alabama claim to have loved the woman with platinum hair and her famous lover, the author Oliver Greene. Now, the village is hesitant to welcome the child who spurned the "belle of the town." He is gorgeous. In no time, the arms which once held her mother, now embrace her. Shame that she would dare to entertain her mother's lover assaults her as well as the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress from her last deployment to Afghanistan. The young woman has no time to regret her decision of retirement as circumstances pull her into the bizarre life of the beautiful Clarissa Barker.'

A Complicated Life
This is a story of conflict, not between individuals, groups or nations but within the confines of Bailey's mind. She enters a new life, from the discipline and responsibility of the military to one of wealth and privilege, a new kind of freedom, a new kind of responsibility. It's not easy to assume a new role. Can she make the transition?

When Bailey first enters her newly inherited mansion and meets the author, she is struck with new feelings, at first not especially 'kind' ones. Her feelings change toward the author. But there is another side to defeat: the fear from combat stress that haunts her.

The novel is both a love story and a story of transition.

Bailey must come to terms with her past and her relationship with her mother. Her world is radically different since the death of her mother, a mother she had distanced herself from. Now, she will live her mother's life. Can she overcome the past, the guilt of a strained relationship with her mother? Can she whip the horror of a devastating combat experience?

Great Book, Makes Your Heart Warm!
One of the best book that I have read. The characters were beautifully written..As you read they become like family..The plot was very believable and could happen to anyone. A very good clean read.