I love books. I think every author would say the same. I’m much better at buying books than at buying clothes! So today, I wanted to answer some bookish questions that a sweet friend sent my way. Thanks, Kassie!

What is your favorite thing about reading?
Wow…that’s a tough question…I guess it would have to be learning about people, times and places that I have never met, lived in or visited. Historical fiction is my genre of choice and when I find one that is so vivid I feel like I’m part of the story, it’s not hard for me to enjoy! I love reading stories about people who lived during hard times and conquered in the end. Those are so encouraging!

Which Male Character is your Favorite?
Theodore Mallory from Three People by Isabella Alden; Corey Schreiber from O To Be Like Thee by Kassie Angle (she didn’t tell me to say that 😉); Tom Sampson from The Big Sky Country Series by Rachel McBride; and (I’m gonna cheat) Seth Mason from The Battle for Heritage Series by yours truly!

Which Female Character is your Favorite?
Yikes…that’s actually very hard…Ester Reid from Ester Reid by Isabella Alden; Dixie Mason and Lana Brewster from The Battle for Heritage Series 😉.

Who is your Favorite Villain of all Time?
Say what? Is there such a thing? Like a good bad guy? I can honestly say I don’t have one. I despise the bad guys in books and movies. But then again, I don’t like for them to be stupid and cheesy either. There’s no glory in overcoming an imbecilic.

Who is your Least Favorite character of all Time?
Basically every Nazi in any World War Two book I’ve ever read! I can’t think of specific names. OH! The bad guy from the Elsie Dinsmore series! I can’t remember his name, but he still gives me the creeps!

Which book do you think has the Strongest Plot?
Ester Reid, O To Be Like Thee, The Young Refugees Series

What gets on your nerves the most in a story (a boring character, unrealistic plot, etc.)
The bratty character, especially if you can tell we are supposed to like this character. I can’t stand them. Also, books that make adults/authority figures out to be stupid.

Which book has the best cover?
The Secret Slipper by Amanda Tero. So Gorgeous!

Do you let people borrow your books? If so, are you specific about how they treat them?
I only allow people I trust to borrow my books. People I know will return them and take care of them to the best of their ability.

If a Movie could be made based on any book, which book would you choose?
The Holy War, Across Five Aprils, Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, O To Be Like Thee, The Last Full Measure (because I saw Gods and Generals and Gettysburg {edited| and I really want to know how the film version of the story ends!)…is it lame to say that I’d like to see stories I’ve made up in my head made into movies? I have a really neat WWII German Resistance story I made up that I would love to see on DVD!

Which author has inspired you most?
Isabella Alden. I consider her my mentor, though I can only dream of writing as well as she did!

What single book would you be unable to live without?
The Bible obviously 😉 But if we are talking about man written books…I really can’t think of one that ranks that high above all the others. Maybe I should make a list of the top ten books I love the most…
These were such fun questions! Why not take a minute and look over the books you own and answer the questions for yourself? Maybe do it with a friend! See how many similar (or opposite) answers you give!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

PS. This post was originally the Book Lovers Tag. I didn't feel like tagging anyone, but if you would like to do it, see Kassie's post for the rules!

I enjoy a good non-fiction read! Today’s is a fun one that I borrowed from the library. It encompasses my favorite time period, the War Between the States!

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War
H.W. Croker 111
4 stars
Image Via
(Not sure Why the Cover is different than the book I borrowed...)

This one would have been a five star for me, but because of some language used in the quotes and occasionally in the text, I dropped my rating a little bit.

Overall: This book is a wealth of information on the American War Between the States. It gives semi-in-depth biographies of important generals, north and south. It also takes you through the war, noting important battles, little known facts and what would have happened if the South had won!!!

What I Loved: This book didn’t read like a text book. It was far more interesting. My Favorite parts were about Stonewall Jackson, Gen. McClellan, Nathan B. Forrest, and A.P. Hill. Really neat side-notes; hardcore southern reading. Many good quotes and interesting information. I loved how they didn’t avoid or justify the topic of slavery, while pointing it out as a national sin and how it really had no pull on the southerners as a reason to fight.

Two particular bad words stick out in my mind that were used about half a dozen times. If this had been my book, I would have blotted them out. Another thing that I found personally irritating was the length of the chapters. I prefer short chapters, and these were usually between 20-28 pages long.

Recommended for ages 16 and up for understanding.

Have a Blessed Week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Next to Memorial Day, this is my favorite holiday! There's nothing like a huge, nation wide birthday party for the Greatest Nation on Earth! Today, I want to share what America means to me!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalm 33:12
King James Bible

America, Land of the Free Because of the Brave. What does she mean to you? Here’s some of the things I love about my Country.

*America is where I can worship God without the fear of being thrown in jail (at least for now!)

*America is where I have the right to protect myself.

*America is the nation that has the greatest military in the world! No one can match our boys in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard!

*America is dedicated to freedom and the fact that we are all born with the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

* I can be proud of the fact that, although the opposition would say otherwise, the majority of my countrymen believe that even the unborn have an inalienable right to life.

*America is the home of the U.S. Constitution, a legally binding document that (is supposed) to govern the actions of our lawmakers and our people in general.

*America is not a government; it is a people, an amazing culture based around that fact that Jesus Christ is Lord and He is the ultimate Head of our Country. Any other belief will destroy this country…as we have witnessed over the years.

*America is not perfect, but I’d much rather live here than any other country in the world. She is the last stronghold of freedom. We must stand up and make sure she stays that way.

*America is a mission field. We should always be doing everything we can to reach our countrymen with the Gospel, which is another amazing thing about our country; we have the right and freedom to share our faith with others!

*America has the best Patriotic Holidays ever! July 4th, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veteran’s Day, Pearl Harbor Day, Patriot Day (9/11 Remembrance Day)…can’t beat that!

*America has the best National Anthem in the world! The Star-Spangled Banner never ceases to give me chills when it is played or sung. That is a song I will ALWAYS stand for.
 
Make a list today of some of the things you love about America! And while you’re at it, take a moment to pray for our Nation.

Have a Blessed Day, Stay Safe and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Summer is here officially and one of my favorite holidays is just around the corner! I love fireworks! July is a busy month at the Miller house thanks to all the special events we have lined up for our ministry, The Fundamental Broadcasting Network. But I wouldn’t trade any of it! Ministry life is the best!

My June Favorites…
 
Verse: Rather than a specific verse, the book of Habakkuk really stood out to me. I noticed in the beginning as Habakkuk was describing the state of Israel and how bad they were, that a lot of the things he was praying about were problems America has today. I was eager to read, to know what God would do to bring His children back to Him. I was devastated to realize that this was one of those times God chose to allow His people to go into captivity.

Are we better than Israel? What is to keep God from allowing the same thing to happen to America? It’s amazing to see through history how God often uses the worst circumstances to bring the most people to their realization and acceptance of Salvation. Like Jacob DeShazer, a WWII airman who was captured following the Doolittle Raid. He was kept in solitary confinement in horrible conditions and tortured for the majority of his 40-month imprisonment. And yet during that time, God saved him and called him into the ministry. I certainly don’t want to see anything horrible happen to my country, but what a comfort to know that if it were to come to pass, the Gospel would only take off like wildfire through our nation. 

Book of the Month: It’s going to be a tie between two biographies. Unbroken and I Varina were both great reads. I had a few issues with both, but for the most part, both were amazing tributes to brave Americans who survived horrible, unmerited trials and came out better for having gone through them.

Ministry: FBN is continuing to reach the world with the Gospel! We’ve had a listener in the Vatican, have been able to present the ministry to several churches this past month and we helped celebrate 20 years of FBN in Oakland, Maryland! God is so good!

A few months ago, I requested prayer for the nation of North Korea, who have not been reached with FBN. And while I would continue to pray that FBN be heard there one day, please pray for the underground Christians in the country now who undergo persecution on a daily basis. FBN has never saved anyone; it’s the Gospel Jesus Christ preached on FBN that does that. Pray for those in the country as they labor in secret for the Master. Pray for their protection, faithfulness and strength as they Shine the Light of Christ into their dying nation!

Writing Update: A Song of Home is progressing through the team edit! Already, mom and I have found several things to make the story better and added a fun scene with a particular character deciding to volunteer at a hospital! No details on that, though 😉 Prayers are appreciated as we continue to work. Summer is a busy time for us, in our home life and ministry wise, so meeting together for edits gets harder.

A Book I am Anticipating for July: Jefferson Davis, American by William J. Cooper, Jr. I started this book last year, but it’s thick and small print. I’d like to read a few more chapters of it this month. The writing is very good, just a lot to process! Definitely not a quick read!

A now for your story prompts!

Until Next Time,
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22