*Stares at the title of this blog post*

*Groans*

Hey, y’all! So…writing updates! *Innocent smile* So, I suppose you do deserve an update. After all, I haven’t really talked about my work in progress (WIP) since…September? Yeah, it’s been a while!

I’m currently working on book 5 in The Battle for Heritage Series (for those who don’t know) set during the War Between the States.

If you are subscribed to my blog, you know from your bonus email that I set a goal to read everything I’d written so far. And then, my goal was to finish the rewrites by January 16th. Hopefully, I would have written some new chapters.

I’m still rereading as of January 15th, 2021, when I’m writing this post. I had some unexpected stuff come up, including just not feeling well. Thankfully, it’s not the virus-that-shall-not-be-named. But no fun all the same.

Was some of it a lack of motivation? Getting settled into a new normal? Being a little homesick? Distracted? Wanting to work on a different story?

Yes, to all the above.

But it’s okay.

It’s not the end of the world if everything doesn’t go the way I wanted it to go. It’s okay if I’m running a little behind or if I just need to take a step away from the story. I’m not going to do well if I’m not motivated.

But I do need to get motivated.

So what am I gonna do?

Glad you asked!

Remember that other story I said was taking my attention? I’ve set a goal for myself. Read through two chapters of TBIS before I allow myself to work on…

This is something I’ve literally been working on for almost 10 years. I’ve plotted it in my head. I’ve developed the characters with friends. I’ve written and scrapped several rough drafts of the first book. But now? I know where it’s supposed to go. I know what it’s supposed to be. I know what message I want to send with this story. I know the people I want to reach with this story.

Will it be coming out this year? Probably not. Next year? I hope so. Bear with me. I have a few other projects ahead of this one for this year. So let’s just sit back and see what God’s plans are. For now, I’m working on a thorough outline of the first book for this project. I don’t know how many books will be in this project. I don’t know how often they will publish; I can’t make concrete plans like that. It might go fast. It might drag. But however it goes, it will go in God’s timing.

All I will say about this story is that it was inspired by 9/11. That’s all you need to know right now 😉
 
I have a couple other projects I’m working on, but I’ll be sharing about them closer to time for them to get released. With how uncertain my schedule is at this point, I can’t pin down dates. But yeah, I’ve got four total projects I hope to work on this year! Full plate, but it’s fun! They are all so different from each other, it’s easy to move from book to book.

And now, I need to cut this short, so I can actually work on my stories! Thanks for stopping by! I know this post was a little different in tone, but I hope you enjoyed it!

Writing Prompt: Are you a writer? What are you working on this year? What are your goals for 2021? Readers, what book are you looking forward to the most in 2021?
 
Have a lovely day in the Lord, and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello everyone! I’m am so excited to share the first episode in a new history series, Unsung Heroes! I’m thrilled to showcase men and women of American history who are often overlooked, especially by the younger generation! Without further delay, let’s dig into the life of James Armistead!

James Armistead was born around 1760.  Living most of his life as a slave in New Kent, Virginia, I haven’t found much information about his younger years. But when he reached his late teens/early twenties, he asked his master, William Armistead, for permission to offer his services to Gen. Lafayette during the American Revolution. Every American can be grateful that Mr. Armistead gave his consent, for we owe our freedom to the brilliant Patriot, James.

Gen. Marquis de Lafayette was glad to have James, who ended up becoming America’s first double agent! Fooling the British into believing he was a runaway, James collected valuable intel to the Patriot armies. One of his more famous bits of intel almost led to the capture of the traitor Benedict Arnold!

In the siege of Yorktown, it was only because of James’ warning to Lafayette and Washington that British reinforcements were on the way. This allowed them to divert them from Yorktown and defeat the British forces there, which led to the end of the war and the independence of our great nation, America.

Because James served as a spy and not a soldier, he was excluded from the “Fight for your Freedom” deal made with slaves who fought for our country. But he didn’t give up. Pursuing legal action, James waited for many years to become free. But thanks to a letter to Congress from Marquis de Lafayette, James’ patience was rewarded, and in 1787, he became a free man!

He lived out his life on a 40-acre farm with his wife and children. They bore the last name of Lafayette in gratitude to the man who helped them secure a free life in America.

James Armistead Lafayette passed away in 1832, around 72 years of age.
We owe a debt of gratitude to this brave Patriot, who paved the way for freedom for every American…
 
Likewise, may we be brave in paving the way for others worldwide enslaved to sin. May we daily pray for laborers and do all in our power to get the Gospel into their hands. Never deny our Savior and never give up until all have heard.
 
Writing Prompt: Have you ever heard of James Armistead? Have a fun fact to share about him? Do you have a recommendation for an Unsung Hero we should mention? Share your thoughts below!
 
Have a blessed day, and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello everyone! Today I have a fun little book-related post…my new review system and how it works! So strap on your seat belts, here we go!

So, basically, I’ve never liked the 5-Star system. But since that’s all Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub allow me to use, I’m kinda stuck with it there. But here? I’m gonna start using the good old 10-Star system! This post will cover four things: my Content Meter, my Quality Meter, My Personal Enjoyment Meter, and my 5-Star Converter!

This is where I list my personal opinions of a book’s content. Who I would feel comfortable recommending a book to. Please note, the reader age suggestion is just a guide. Some may feel differently about the proper age, or I may change my rating based on the book’s uniqueness. There are only 5 sections to this meter.
 
5| Completely Clean
100% clean content for all ages

4| Mature Content/Minor Censoring for Young Readers
100% clean content for a reader 16+. A book dealing with topics too hard for a child to handle, but in a clean, moral way (Abortion, the Holocaust, PTSD, Violence, etc.)

3| Mature Content/Mild Censoring for Mature Readers
For readers 18+. It may contain minor swear words/have a storyline that needs to be censored (Romance, Excessive Violence, etc.)

2| Major Censoring
For readers 21+. Contains more serious swear words/storylines that are inappropriate but still have enough good content to be worth the effort of censoring.

1| Filthy
This book contains inappropriate scenes that are the bulk of the story/has excessive language/too detailed in acts of violence,/glorifies evil. I would advise no one read this book.

This meter judges the author’s work according to my personal reading standards.
 
1| Pitiful/Lazy
The book is riddled with typos, with no clear direction or plot in the story. The author basically published their notes.

2| Brainstorming
This book had some potential but needs to be fleshed out and outlined—complete writing overhaul.

3| First Draft
Interesting idea, but no story to grasp. Needs revising and editing.

4| Hard to Follow/Doesn’t Flow
This is a book that has a plot, but only the author can see it. Not enough information is given to keep the readers hooked. Or the writing is too choppy and throws you out of the story.

5| Cluttered
The story has promise, but there’s excess information that clouds the story from being seen.

6| Needs Polishing
The story is good; it just needs some editing.

7| Good
A solid story. Could use minor clean up edits.

8| Great
An amazing story. Minor tune-up and character development.

9| Well Done
No problems and exceeds expectations in setting, characters, and plot.

10|Excellent
This author is a genius and takes things above and beyond!
 
Take Away || 1-5 Not so Great || 6-10 Worth Reading

This is where I give my rating on how much I enjoyed the story. This is my personal opinion and may not line up with the ratings I give on the other meters. I will, of course, provide an explanation on why it received a particular rating if needed 😉
 
1| Shakes Head
I stopped/should have stopped reading it.

2| Sigh
I didn’t enjoy it at all.

3| Eye Roll
Waste of Time.

4| Meh
Not my cup of tea.

5| Shrug
Not good, not bad, not a favorite.

6| Smiles
This book was okay. Not bad!

7| Grins
I like this book. It had a good plot, and I would definitely recommend it!

8| Beams
A Good solid book! I enjoyed it!

9| Heart-Eyes
I couldn’t put it down!

10| Star-Eyes
Top Favorite! I may just reread this every year! 😉

This one is simple.
 
1| 1-2 on my Overall Rating.

2| 3-4 on my Overall Rating.

3| 5-6 on my Overall Rating.

4| 7-8 on my Overall Rating.

5| 9-10 on my Overall Rating.

This is the final score I give the book. Since I don’t know my rates in the other sections, I can’t give you an example, but I will explain the Overall Rating on each book as required!
 
I hope to reread a few of the books I’ve already read and update their reviews here with the new system as I go!
 
Just a quick thought: If you were a book, how would God rate you?
 
Writing Prompt: How do you rate the books you read?
 
Thanks for stopping by today! God Bless and happy reading!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! Today, I’m going to be sharing my first History post of the year! I’m thrilled to bring you Episode 13 of the Soldier Life Series! Today we will be looking at the duties of an 1860’s Colonel!

Just a disclaimer, I am not an expert on the War Between the States, though I am considered an amateur historian on the topic. I try my best to be accurate. This series is designed to educate the history buff/reader and assist authors in their research. If you find that some of my information is incorrect, I would love to hear from you! With that said, let’s hop into it!

As I mentioned in this post, I wasn’t able to find a whole lot of information. I’m pulling this information from Kautz’s Customs of Service for Officers of the Army. It’s a fantastic resource!

Colonel is the highest rank in the regiment. Above him is the Brigadier General, who commands a brigade. About four regiments make up a brigade, so that’s four Colonels in the unit. As with most units, the regiment takes on the personality of its Commanding officer. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the Colonel’s demeanor.

The primary duty of the Colonel was commanding the regiment. He could serve in other capacities (aide to a general or political figure, medical officer, adjutant, etc.), but usually, he was a battle officer. He might be called upon to serve in place of a Brigadier General if the need arose, serve on a court-martial or some other special assignment.

Colonels were also responsible for approving requisitions for his regiment as they were submitted to him by the quartermaster. He also has a say in the amounts of rations issued to each member of the regiment. (For more organizational and administrative details, check the above link!)

 
Want to research some famous Colonels of the War Between the States? Check out Col. Alexander “Sandie” Pendleton (CSA) and Col. Robert Gould Shaw (USA)!
 
Writing Prompt: Have any facts about Colonel’s you care to share? Know of another interesting colonel?
 

That’s all for now!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Happy January, and welcome to our Eighth missions’ spotlight! The Falkland Islands are our first 2021 focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! So, without further ado, let’s take off!

Country: Falkland Island (a territory of the United Kingdom)

Continent: South America

Population: 3,525

Capital: Stanley

Largest City: Stanley (2,213)

Motto: Desire the Right

National Anthem: God Save the Queen

Current Leader: Barry Rowland (under Queen Elizabeth)

Language: English

Bordering Countries: None

Religions: 57.2% Christian; 10% Catholic; 31.5% Non-affiliated or did not answer the survey; 1.3% Other. Nearly 75% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: There are 5 species of Penguins on Falkland! Gentoo, King, Macaroni, Magellanic, and Rockhopper!

Famous Foods: Because England owns this country, Fish and Chips (fries) are popular on the Island! Diddle Dee Berry Jelly is a popular condiment. Seafood and mutton are popular on the Island, but because the country is part of England, they don’t appear to have many recipes of their own. Am I wrong? Drop a comment below and share about Falkland Cuisine!

Fun Facts: 740 Islands make up the Falkland Islands, but combined, they are only Connecticut’s size! They have their own currency and are financially independent of Britain in everything but their defense services. The Penguin News is the only weekly paper in the nation! There are no chain restaurants on the islands!

Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation. I’m not sure if FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Falkland people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to the Falkland Islands! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Writing Prompt: Know any fun facts about Falkland? Do you have any missionaries to the Islands your church supports?

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22