About Sara

Nurse Sara, aka Sara Swann-Barnard, is a Registered Nurse, native west Texan, conservationist, mother of four youngsters, former teacher, and free spirit to the core. Sara, her children, and their pack of rescue pets have made their home in places all over the world, from the beautiful Oklahoma plains to the eclectic mountains of Vicenza, Italy.

Sara began writing in the third grade and realized her passion for the pen (er, pencil) when she won first place in an essay contest. The subject was animals and Sara wrote about the life and untimely death of her beloved tomcat, J. Thomas O'Malley. Too embarrassed to listen to her essay being read aloud at the P.T.A. meeting, Sara hid in the hallway until the assembly was over.  In the sixth grade, Sara had her tonsils removed and was home for two weeks. During this time, she received a gift from her parents, a copy of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, which proved very influential to her in both good times and bad.

The pull of adventures just waiting to be had coupled with her love and admiration for nature and the wilderness kept Sara on the move during her teenage summers with The Student Conservation Association. From Alaska to the wilds of New Mexico, Sara has piloted small aircraft, counted bats, tracked mountain lions, relocated rattlesnakes, hiked with black bears, and fallen in love over and over again with the roads less traveled. 

After earning her Bachelor's degree in History, Sara experienced the scariest adventure of all: children. 

Three little ones later, Sara decided to put finger to keyboard and wrote her first novel, A Heart on Hold, which then turned into a four-book series.

The many revisions and edits that took place next weren't entirely completed until well after her fourth and final baby was born. Despite a three of rounds with cancer, her publication list has grown to include Civil War Romance, Amish Romance, Amish Adventure, anthology pieces, Christian Western, YA Time Travel, Light Horror, Native American Middle Grade fiction, Children's Nonfiction, picture books, and even more to come! 

While writing and raising her family, Sara decided to switch careers from teaching to nursing. In 2022, Sara graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Nursing and earned her Registered Nurse credentials. Now, she is set to begin studies for her Master's degree in History. Sara is excited to combine her passions of history, research, writing and medicine as she continues to further her education.

Now, Sara and her beautiful family (and their pack of rescue animals) make their home on the fringe of Houston, Texas.

She is a member of the The League of Romance Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, Woodlands Chapter, Catholic Writer's Guild, The Transylvanian Society of Dracula, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and The Western Fictioneers.

Look for Sara's work under her pen names of Sara Barnard and Sara Harris, as well as Sara Swann-Barnard.

Stay tuned!

Though Sara works full time at her beloved hospital she squeezes in a little time for writing, too! New releases are always on the horizon - from self-illustrated children's books (coming soon from WordCrafts Press) to Amish romance (from Vinspire Publishing). 

In her downtime, she and her children enjoy anything and everything Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, vegan ice cream, the beach, trying new restaurants, and of course, relaxing with their pack of kittens and puppies!

Catch up with Sara on Facebook at Facebook.com/nursesarabooks, on Twitter @NurseSarasBooks, or by e-mail NurseSaraBooks@gmail.com.   

She especially enjoys the classroom setting and would love to come speak to your class about writing, publishing, history, and catching rattlesnakes. Be sure to ask her about the time she got caught by a tiny brown bat!

Some of Sara's books are published with her very first publisher, 5 Prince Publishing. 

Sara's short stories and western works are published with Prairie Rose Publications and their various imprints (which include historical romance, YA, historical fiction, time travel YA, and magical realism, just to name a few). In December of 2018, Prairie Rose released the four-book middle grade box set titled The Saga of Indian Em'ly. Look for these books on Audible, as well!

WordCrafts Press released House of Madness in January of 2019, Sara's debut paranormal thriller, one of her many Amish Adventure Romances series' titled Amish Journeys, her Medieval and Pirate romance series', too! Also, look for her self-illustrated Mysteries of the Rosary for Children book to come, too!

Sara's debut Amish series, the four-book Rebekah's Keepsakes series, comes from Vinspire Publishing. The third book in this series, Rebekah's Cradle, released September 30, 2021, with the fourth and final book, Rebekah's Riches, following in 2022. This will be followed immediately by a new Amish series with Vinspire, set during WWII,  titled The Secret Keeper series. 

Yes! Sara's son, Logan, wrote an award-winning children's book titled Moggin Says Red. 

Sara's daughter Michaela penned the sequel to Moggin Says Red, titled Mindy Says Multiplication, which will be published in the near future. 

Dawson, Sara's middle son, wrote a children's book titled The Color Race, also forthcoming and her baby, Bitty, wrote an endearing Christmas story about a little girl named Sara who is not very grateful for her Christmas gift and learns a valuable lesson on Christmas morning! Ha!

Yes! One of Sara's publishers, WordCrafts Press, donates partial proceeds from book sales to the charity of the author's choice. Sara chose . . . 

House of Madness - CAPS Animal Shelter

Katie's Plain Regret - St. Christopher Catholic School 

As it Pleases the King - The Student Conservation Association 

The Mysteries of the Rosary for Children - To her publisher's beautiful granddaughter Josie, who is surviving and thriving despite a rare affliction known as Antley-Bixler Syndome. 

Back From the Dead Red - Guadalupe Radio, Houston's own Catholic radio