Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! I hope you are having a beautiful day! I love reading and last year was NOT a good reading year for me. I normally read close to a hundred and in 2021, I didn’t even hit 40 books! But you know what, it’s okay! I don’t know how many books I’ll be able to fit in my schedule this year, because I’ll be adding a newborn to the mix! But that being said, I’m optimistic for 2022, because I will be doing a lot of sit down activities because of said newborn 😉

So my plan for these posts are to share five books I specifically want to read this month and five for next month. I hope to read more, but there’s a lot of stuff up in the air, so I won’t bog you down with my full list, lol! Instead, I will focus on books I hope to review on the blog. And then, before we go, I will share 5 Winter Recs with you as well! So let’s get started!

1| Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is a book I’ve been curious about for some time but brushed off as just another cheesy romance. At the collective gasps of indignation from many a dear friend, I have decided to amend my prior judgement and give her a try! Have you read P&P? Tell me your thoughts below!

2-3| Dare (reread) and Deny by Tricia Mingerink
I have read Dare twice with the intent to read this series through and every time another book came up that demanded my immediate attention. The series premise is basically the persecuted church in a dystopian medieval type setting. It’s pretty intense.

Dare was very interesting and I do want to do a full post about it, so stay tuned. I will say there is a hint of what I believe is Calvinism in this book, so I will be addressing that in my review. For clarification, I do NOT agree with Calvinism and stand firmly against it, as it is unbiblical and cruel. However, it is not my intention to attack anyone here, so when I write this post, I will not be doing a hit piece, just noting my beliefs and sharing scripture for what I believe. That is all. We should always speak the truth with boldness, but also with love.

4| Koala Beach Outbreak by Robert Elmer
This book is part of the Adventures Down Under Series! I need to look back and review the books between this one and the last one I reviewed, but so far I have immensely enjoyed this reread of the series! This book focuses on the Chinese in Australia and an outbreak of some type of fever. This book is special to me because it is the book I was reading when my grandmother passed away in 2006. So it’s been awhile… I can’t wait to read it again 😊

5| Rebel Wave by Tor Thibeaux
This is a short episode in a 12 part series that I saw going around Goodreads. Some friends were reading it, it looked interesting, and I thought I would see what the fuss was about 😉 Its basically a sort of sci-fi story set under water in a submarine style survival colony fleet? That’s my understanding anyway, lol! If you have read this book, fill us in below!

1| Confederate Black Ops by Charles Tilton II
This is a reread to help me prepare for rewrites of the 5th book in my Battle for Heritage Series! It’s an excellent read all about the inner working of the Confederate spy rings, secret service and special operations! Written by a Green Beret, this is an epic read!

2| Heretics of the Piedmont by D. J. Speckals
This book was released last year and I am so excited to read it! It’s about the Waldensians of Europe and Baptist history has always been a favorite of mine, so of course I had to get it 😉 It was also written by the brother of a young lady I met last year, so that’s always fun!

3| The Dawn of a Life by Rachel McBride (Davis)
I loved this series growing up and I need to reread these so bad! It’s high time I dig out my favorite western and read it again for the 25th time (okay slight exaggeration, but I have read this over a dozen times growing up!) This series follows the life of Sam Goodton and Tom Sampson and I just can’t wait to visit these characters again as they travel the wagon trains from Indiana to Montana!

4-5| The Land of Cotton and Our Heritage to Save by Yours Truly
This is for research purposes for writing book 5. So, you can read about them here *halo*

1| Dare by Tricia Mingerink
I may have mentioned this on a winter list before, I cannot remember, but it really has a strong winter vibe for me, so I’m throwing it in there again, haha! The beginning of the story is set in winter but not necessarily Christmas, so that’s a plus as well!

2| The Case of the Very Bad Cat by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick
This is book 4 of 5 of the Kitten Files series and is so adorable! The story follows Mia as she tries to get to the bottom of who is leaving dead mice on a neighbor’s porch. It’s set just before Christmas, but it’s not about Christmas, so there ya go, haha!

3| Befriending the Beast by Amanda Tero
I don’t even know if winter is mentioned in this book at all, but the general feel of the story just makes be feel like it should be so we’re going with that, lol! A father-daughter retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this is one of my favorite reads by this author!

4| The Holy War by John Bunyan
This book is an allegory and set in a medieval time era and this just screams winter to me. It’s cold and a little dark, but the light breaks through and AGH! I need to reread this this year…

5| Modern Warriors by Pete Hegseth
Sue me, this isn’t set in winter, but because I read it last January, it will always be a winter book to me. Loved it so much! (Read my review here!) It’s a compilations of Soldier Stories and the patriotism and lessons they have for us and the way they try to bridge the soldier/civilian gap just makes me so happy…
 
What are you reading this month? What books would you recommend to be read during the winter? Share them with us below in the comments so we can grow our TBR lists!
 
Have a blessed day and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn (and Baby Peterson 😉)
Jude 22

Hello everyone! It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone already! I’ve been married for a whole year! I’m six month pregnant! I’M HAVING A BABY THIS YEAR!!! *insert happy squeals* I am beyond excited to meet my baby girl and start my relationship outside the womb with her! If her current disposition is any indication, I’m gonna have my hands full! She loves to kick and punch me at the same time, trying to trick me into thinking she has turned into twins! Little stinker 😊

But y’all didn’t click on this post to hear me gush about my little Southern Belle. Not yet anyway 😉 Don’t worry, I’m sure its coming *wink* (Pst! Subscribe, I’ll share more in my newsletters in weeks to come!) Y’all clicked on this post to see what’s gonna happen with the blog, or if I will even keep it going now that I’m fast approaching motherhood outside the womb. (Yes, I will keep referring to it that way, because I’m already experiencing motherhood inside the womb and its wonderful even if she has been causing me to be sick pretty much the whole time, lol!)

So! Without further ado, lets jump into today’s post!

Things are changing around here. I am cutting my schedule back to one post a week (I’m batch posting, Lord willing!) instead of two and I will be attempting to send out a newsletter to subscribers once a month.

With the Lord’s help, there will be a devotional as usual, a reading related post, a writing or history related post, and on the fourth Monday of every month with five Mondays (confusing I know, sorry!) I will attempt to bring you an author interview! I also intend to make the final Monday of the month a wrap-up of goals accomplished that month and setting new ones. Book Reviews will be posted at random as I write them.

I am due to give birth on April 6th, but as we all know, babies come on their schedule, not ours. Regardless, I am taking a hiatus the month of April. I can’t promise I’ll bounce right back in May, because I’m gonna be soaking up all those baby snuggles. I appreciate your patience and understanding as I undergo this new stage of my life. I love creating content for y’all and knowing you understand when I’ve had to put on the breaks has been a huge blessing to me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I’ll give you the short answer: I got sick again. Then school amped up (I teach electives for a Christian School. No, I’m not telling you where 😉), midterms were approaching and I just didn’t get the book edited in time.

I have not put To Save A Life on the back burner however. I will give more details in an upcoming writing update, but know this is my current WIP and I am enjoying polishing this rough cut story into something I hope God can use to touch lives and save some babies and their families from the destruction of abortion.

I am so excited to share this year’s word of the year. God has been stirring my heart about so many different things related to this topic and my dear friend, Katja, helped me find the word I was looking for.

So, without further ado, the word of the year 2022 is…

As Christians, there are many things God has called us to do. Yes, the Great Commission is the main one and it is not to be tossed aside lightly. But God has commanded us, as our Supreme Commander, to do many great things for His honor and Glory! This year, I hope to scratch the surface as I attempt to grow in these areas myself. Will you join me?

I do have a few goals to share with you today and I encourage you to make a list yourself!
 
Writing||
            Complete edits on To Save A Life
            Batch Posts for February

Reading||
            Read 10 books minimum
            Complete one of my devotional books from last year 😉

Life||
            Stay on top of grading for school (A huge struggle!)
            Make our baby registry (Yeah, I’m way behind!)
            Eat more veggies (gotta keep me, hubby and baby healthy!)
            Journal daily (Something I’ve been wanting to get back to!)
 
So that’s about all I have for you today! Now it’s your turn! Do you have a word of the year? Do you have any special goals for this month? Please comment below and let us cheer you on!

Have a blessed day and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn (and Baby Peterson 😉)
Jude 22

Hello and welcome to the final day of Five Fall Favorites, hosted by Rebekah Morris! (Be sure and visit her site for more fun content and links to more posts!)

For those who are new to FFF, this is a week-long fall celebration of books we love from different genres! Each day, each participant will have a different theme and one of them is a Book Room with a free story so make sure you check every post! My theme for the day is…

Bikes!

Oh man, I miss my bike so bad! It’s been ages since I’ve gone biking! I have a pretty vintage style brown and cream bike that transported me back to olden times, smuggling babies in the Netherlands under the Nazis’ noses or trying to outrun my imaginary older brothers who were much better bikers than me 😊 My siblings and I have been resistance workers, cowgirls (and a cowboy!) or just normal people of all things XD
 
So, while you’re here for the bike trails, let’s fill the basket with my top 5 reads of 2021 (so far)!
 
1| Modern Warriors by Pete Hegseth
Yes, this book needs a little censoring for a handful of words but other than that, I can’t recommend this book enough! Best book I’ve read all year! (My review is here!) Seriously, I got this book on a whim and I don’t regret it at all! It’s literally like sitting down and talking with a veteran rather than reading a book. It sucks you in and makes you think. 10/10 recommendation!
 
2| The Colour Red by Katja Labonte
This book y’all… She’s revising it right now, but oh! If you have the opportunity to read this gem, do yourself a favor and do it ASAP! It has found-family, deal with anxiety and mental health in a way that actually makes sense and provides hope for those dealing with what feels like a never ending cycle of pain. It honors police, so you know I’m all about that! Just please read this book so I can fangirl with you XD
 
3| O The Fallen by Abigail K. Harris
Broke. My. Heart. Based off of two heart wrenching songs about our soldiers, this story ripped my heart out and ran it through a paper shredder… Highly recommend. (some mild romance)
 
4| Firestorm at Kookaburra Station by Robert Elmer
This is part of the Adventures Down Under Series and I loved it so much! I love how it teaches about not judging people by their looks and being willing to listen. The hot air balloon was a fun twist too XD
 
5| Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
In all honesty, this one will probably get bumped off pretty soon XD It’s the middle grade version of Manhunt, but not half as good in my opinion. You can see my reasons in this post so I don’t have to rehash it all here XD

Don’t forget to stop by the Literary Lodge for more Fall Favorites Fun!

What are your favorite reads of 2021?? Are you adding any of these to your TBR list? Share them below!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Y'all, I am just so excited to share this news with y'all! Today is the cover reveal for my book, To Save a Life, releasing on October 22nd! I was blessed to work with the lovely Kaitlyn Krispense as my designer and let me say, y'all, she nailed it! And I'm too excited to keep the suspense up any longer so here we go!

Just look at those precious baby toes!!!! Isn't it just so precious??? I am so excited for this book to release!

And speaking of which... This book is up for pre-order on Amazon! (Click here!) I've never had one of my books on Amazon and I am so excited to be able to readch a larger audience with this story! The pre-order says it's releasing in November. That's just because I'm allowing for me getting sick or something and you can't miss your release date, haha! But once everything is finalized, I'll adjust it to the actual release date, so have no fear!

But why am I allowing to get sick? Well...

Yep! Baby Peterson is on the way! This is part of the reason I haven't been around much the last few months because I have been. so. sick. But I'm breaking out of the morning sickness and hope that nothing else will happen to give me a relapse XD  We just hit 14 weeks (approx. 3 months) and finally got to hear the heartbeat! (160bpm for those who want to know *halo*) Next month we find out what we're having and I am so excited!

Needless to say, writing hasn't really been my priority of late, but now that I'm getting my strength back, I am waist deep in final edits and I can't wait to share some snippets with you in the future! And yes, I will be giving more details about how we found out we were expecting because it's a fun one XD

Anywho! Don't forget to run over to Amazon to pre-order To Save a Life and I'll try and get on here again real soon!

Praising God for His Marvelous Gift!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome to the fifth day of Five Fall Favorites, hosted by Rebekah Morris! (Be sure and visit her site for more fun content and links to more posts!)

For those who are new to FFF, this is a week-long fall celebration of books we love from different genres! Each day, each participant will have a different theme and one of them is a Book Room with a free story so make sure you check every post! My theme for the day is…

Blankets!

I adore blankets! Here, I have a basket full for you to pick from! My husband teases me cause I’m always cold and grabbing a blanket XD I love ultra soft ones with fun patterns. What’s you’re favorite blanket? Grab it or borrow one of mine and we’ll talk about some bookish Babies! Yep, today’s books are all about the babies!
 
1| The Dawn of an Adventure by Rachel McBride (Davis)
While the baby does grow up quite a bit in this book, the very beginning of this fun western is all about an adoption battle and a new widower raising the only child of his best friend with help from his little boys. Little Misty may very well get a little spoiled with all the attention she gets. But thankfully Grandma Pitt saves the day XP A lovely story of life in 1800’s Montana and found family!
 
2| The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin
This is a story with a pro-life storyline that broke my heart. This is a 21+ book, because it handles some very sad situations in a more detailed fashion than I prefer. But the beautiful message that life is precious and deserves a chance despite the sins of the father is so well written. And the little miracle God gave the couple in the story is so precious. Baby Helen stole my heart and I’m still waiting for her to give it back.

Content: (Email me for more information concerning my above comments.) Deception, half-truths, guys speaking disrespectfully to ladies (shown as wrong), over used racism cliches, mixed raced couples.
 
3| Strength and Honor by T. Elizabeth Renich
This is series is one I don’t talk about very much because I did have to censor a lot of unnecessary romance/situations from the story. I personally felt it was worth it, but most wouldn’t want to invest the time (these books are super long and small print!) But this book was better. Not my favorite plot wise, but it had some sweet baby moments in it that just give it a special place in my heart. Baby Glory’s birth story was one of my favorites XD I don’t remember all the content in this book in particular, but if you have any questions about the Shadow Creek Chronicles, shoot me an email and I would be glad to fill you in on what needs tweaking 😉
 
4| A Question of Courage by Jesseca Wheaton
This book was a good wrap up to the trilogy though I won’t lie, I wanted one more book *halo* I will admit, I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the sweet lil guy in this story, only that he was the sweetest lil dumpling ever and I just wanted to hug him XD Seems like there may have been some romance in this story, but it doesn’t stand out to me, so it may have been mild if it was there? It’s been a few years, y’all XD
 
5| Left to Die by Hailey Rose
This book is all about the orphanage crisis in China and oh my heart, this book hurt. Reading about the disregard for these precious little babies broke my heart. Watching Lindy care for Gia was beautiful though personally I thought the guy in the story got in the way, but that’s just me XD

Content: Romance, mild medical details.

Don’t forget to stop by the Literary Lodge for more Fall Favorites Fun!

What are your favorite Baby reads?? Are you adding any of these to your TBR list? Share them below!

Ryana Lynn
Jude 22