Good morning, evening, afternoon or whatever else it may be wherever you are! Today, I am concluding my first ever writing series, Writing 101: I Have a Story! Now What? It’s been so much fun, and I thank you all for joining me! Without further ado, let jump in!

Okay, so let me first say, if you are a writer seeking professional publication, do not read further. I am self-published or an Indie Author, so I know NOTHING about the traditional publishing format. For info on that, see Books and Such Literary Society’s blog, Between the Lines, as they have many helpful articles on that. There are many other sites you can check out with this in mind as well.

So, with that being said, I will explain to you what my personal set up looks like. I don’t use Internet platforms like Kindle or Create Space (which are effective. I have friends who use them. I’m just too busy at this time to get into all of that…). Here’s what I do to get ready for Publication…
 
Read through my book one more time and make sure I am fully satisfied with it.

Finish making my copyrights page, extra information in the back of the book, and formatting. Formatting includes…

Chapter Headings

Scene separators (I use stars in my Battle for Heritage Series)

Making sure the first letter in every chapter is larger than the others (It just looks nice and professional)

Checking the Contents page so that page numbers line up correctly

And checking to make sure all my font sizes are consistent throughout the book

Make my cover! I design the covers for my Battle for Heritage Series. Originally, I made the covers in Microsoft Word, but with The Rivers of Sorrow, I used Canva. They are super easy to use, and I am working on switching all the covers over to that program. My older sister made my Coffee Shop Christmas cover using Adobe Photoshop Elements.  I try to make sure every book reflects the tone of my story. My sister really captured the essence of my book, Coffee Shop Christmas, very well! It’s got the snow, the warm coffee cup and mittens…blues of all the wintery shades and a nice police light going across the top, setting the tone very well I think 😉

Taking it to the Press.

Well, we have a local printer, who prints and binds my books for me (actually, a friend helps them out with the binding, but they will have their own bindery soon!) They take care of several very important details for me.
          ISBN. This is like your Books id number. You can type in the number of any of my books online and find them. This costs $50.00. I could do this myself, but they offer the service and I love not dealing with all the hassle!
          Barcode. They use my ISBN to generate a barcode for me (so kind of them!).
          Cover sizing. I have no idea how to size a book spine (I am still learning; there are always things to learn in the Self-publishing community!) so the printers are so kind to do this for me 😉.
          The actual Printing! Yes, shocker, haha, they print my books for me! It take between two to three weeks usually for me to get my books back from them, so yeah, it’s a great set up! This is also why I haven’t been able to set a release date ahead of time; neither of us knows exactly when they will be done! That’s mostly because of the binder, so, maybe that will change in the future!
 
So that, my friends, is the conclusion of my Writing 101: I have a Story! Now What? Series! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! But stay tuned…some of you have given me so dangerously great ideas for new Writing Series… and who knows what 2019 will bring…😉

Have a Blessed Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! As you celebrate with family and friends on this holy day, don’t forget to take time and thank God for sending the Most Precious Gift known to mankind! (Click here for more Christmas Fun!) And now, for the conclusion of Stille Nacht!

The next morning, Christmas Day, Adler was awakened by Joey, complaining that he was cold. Adler sat up and shook his head, untangling himself from between Sarge’s rucksack and Harold’s discarded blanket.

“You look like you’re feeling better this morning,” Adler replied.

Joey grinned his boyish grin and sat up on his elbow. “Some better, but I still can’t walk on my own. Already tried. Y’all must have been unconscious not to hear me fall earlier. I had to drag myself back into bed.”

Adler yawned and adjusted Joey’s blankets. “I didn’t get just a whole lot of sleep. I think it was about 4:00 when I finally nodded off.”

“Two hours sure ain’t a lot of sleep. What kept you up?”

Adler sighed and held up the book he had tucked in his shirt pocket. “Sarge’s Bible. You know, there are an awful lot of scriptures on the Messiah…and this Jesus does seem to line up.”

Joey nodded soberly. “That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you, Micah. Even the prophet you’re named for knew who He was, before He was born.”

“Maybe. I’ve still got more reading to do.”

“Good. There’s hope for you then.”

The others rolled out of their self-made cocoons and began to mill about the room as Marta prepared breakfast. Rudi came over to change Joey’s bandage and feel his forehead. “You’re still warm, Yank. Better take it easy today. There’s no way you can walk.”

“Ain’t got a choice. Sarge can’t carry me all day on his back!”

Harold whispered something to Rudi, who smiled and nodded. “Be right back,” he called over his shoulder. He motioned to Stefan and the two hurried outside. Adler didn’t pay them any mind.

Hilde skipped around the room shouting “Frohliche Weihnachten!”

Adler smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

Marta smiled and set out bowls to fill with left over potato soup.

The door blew open, nearly knocking Lars into the wall, as Harold and Stefan trudged in with two sturdy branches. Lars shut the door behind them and pulled out his knife. When Sarge realized what they were doing he pulled out his as well. They hacked off the twigs and limbs, making two semi-smooth poles. “We need rope and a sheet,” Lars commented.

Rudi hunted through his pack and Adler reached for his. In the same moment, they pulled out a roll of sturdy cord. “Got it!”

Marta laughed as she headed to the small side room and returned with a stout looking sheet. Working quickly, Lars and Sarge tied together the sheet, branches and rope.

“And there you have it!” Harold said with a grin. “A stretcher for Joey!”

Adler half smiled. “Joey, you’re getting king treatment today.”

Marta turned back to her breakfast preparations. Hilde, still very much in the Christmas spirit, started humming a tune. Stefan smiled at her and hummed along.

Then, Marta’s lone voice began to sing.
 
Stille Nacht! Heil’ge Nacht!
Alles schlaft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar.
Holder Knab’ im lockigen Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
 
Sarge smiled as Joey took up the song.
 
Silent Night! Holy Night!
All is calm; as is bright
‘Round yon virgin, mother and Child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in Heavenly Peace!
Sleep in Heavenly Peace!
 
Hilde smiled and clapped her hands, soon joined by everyone. “Merry Christmas!”

After breakfast, Rudi helped Sarge carry Joey out on the stretcher while Lars, consulting a map and compass, showed Adler the way back to American lines. “If this is still accurate,” Lars warned. “They are probably much closer by now. And keep a sharp watch for our men.”

Adler nodded and jotted down the directions on his map. “And you for ours, though I’d guess you’d be better off than us in such a situation.”

“Ja, probably.”

They turned as Marta and Hilde came out of the cabin, bundled up and carrying their meager belongings with them. They would accompany their soldiers out of the danger zone back to their lines.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” Sarge said, shaking hands with each German present. “I’ll admit, I think at times I’d forgotten you fellows were humans too. Thanks for everything.”

Rudi grinned. “Thanks for proving Americans are equals as well. War paints ugly pictures.”

“Hatred too,” Adler replied. He turned to Lars. “I appreciated our talk.”

Lars smiled. “Keep hoping. They may still be out there.”

“Ja, maybe.”

The soldiers trooped to the wood shed and Stefan handed out their weapons.

“Thank you, Frau Engel, for everything,” Joey called from the stretcher.

“Yes, thank you,” the others replied.

Marta smiled. “Thank you for sharing Christmas with us. May the Lord Bless and keep you.” She turned to Lars. “Shall we go?”

“Ja, forward march!”

The Germans headed one way, the Americans another. But they were different now. Each carried memories that would last the rest of their lives. Hope for peace and healing had been lit in their hearts…all because of a Baby born in Bethlehem.

THE END

And know, for the true story that inspire Stille Nacht...

Have a very Merry Christmas! Jesus is the Reason!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Merry Christmas Eve, Happy 11th Day of Christmas, and welcome to my official 100th post! Can’t believe I’ve been blogging that long! So it’s fitting to celebrate by giving you the next to last part of Stille Nacht! Thank you so much for joining me today! Let’s go star gazing! (Don’t forget to visit Stories by Firefly for more Christmas Eve Fun!)

Rudi grabbed his jacket and hat and followed the boys outside. Sarge stood and followed. “I could use some air.”

Lars and Adler remained at the table, staring into their empty bowls until Marta took them to the sink. Lars chanced a glance at Adler. “What happened to your family?”

Adler let his breath out in a rush. “They, um,” he cleared his throat. “They weren’t able to get out of Germany before the boarders closed. A friend wrote me and said they were transported to a concentration camp called Dachau.”

Lars winced and shook his head. “Do you know if they are still alive?”

Adler swallowed. “Mama died two months after arrival. Papa never made it to the camp. He was gunned down at a transport when he tried to get the others to fight back. I don’t know what happened to my siblings.”

“I…I’m so sorry,” Lars said, his voice low. “My family is gone as well. They died in the Normandy storming.”

“They were at Normandy?”

Lars nodded. “I was fortunate enough to have them stationed in France with me. But I still can’t understand why they had to die, civilians, and I still live, a soldier.”

“Was it a bombing?”

Lars nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“I never should have gotten into all of this! If I had pushed back, taken a stand…”

“You’d be dead.”

“Maybe. But I wouldn’t have guilt plaguing me on a daily basis.”

Adler nodded slowly. He stood and walked quietly over to Joey. The young soldier looked up at him. “Why’s everybody going outside?”

“Going to look at the stars I guess.”

Joey’s face lit up. “I want to see!”

“Alright, uh…oh, there’s your stuff. Let’s get your coat on and I’ll help you outside.”
Lars put on his coat and offered to help with Joey. They went out and helped Joey get settled on a bench beside Stefan. No one said a word, just stared up at the stars, lost in thought.

Joey smiled as he located Orion, while Stefan hunted for Leo. Lars leaned up against the house determined that this time he would find the little dipper which always seemed to evade his watchful eye. Sarge and Adler gazed up at the north star, mentally trying to map their way back to their lines.

The door swung open and Marta came out, holding Hilde’s hand. “Look, Hilde! It’s the star of Bethlehem!”

Rudi translated for Sarge as the group followed Marta’s pointing. The North Star. The brightest one in the sky.

“Is that the star that shone over Baby Jesus’ house in Bethlehem, Mama?”

Marta smiled. “We don’t know for sure, dear. But we like to think so. But do you know why it shone?”

“It was for the Wisemen to follow so they could give Jesus their presents.”

“That’s right.”

Hilde paused, then asked, “Mama, I love Jesus, but why did He have to come to earth?”

Adler shifted uncomfortably. Here we go again, he thought.

Marta hesitated. Christians had been stiffly persecuted in Germany, since their teachings contradicted Hitler. Should she risk explaining everything to her daughter in front of her guests? Or should she put Hilde off until it was safer? Marta swallowed hard. I am not ashamed of You, Lord…

“Baby Jesus came to earth and was born in a manger, because He loved us enough to die for us. He knew that since we are sinners, we could never get into heaven. So He lived a sinless life and took our sins upon Himself and died in our place. After He was buried, three days later, He rose from the dead, our eternal Lord and Savior. He did all of that because He loved us.”

“Even Hitler, Mama?”

Adler smirked and crossed his arms, eager to hear this reply. “Yes, even for Hitler, darling, if he will only ask Jesus to forgive him of his sins. He died for everyone, man, woman, adult, child, black, white, German, Jewish, American, all of us.”

“What makes you so sure that Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah?” Adler challenged, though the words lacked the bite he normally intoned.

Marta smiled and quoted, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2) Jesus was of Bethlehem, was He not?”

“Well, yes, I suppose so.”

“Do you know anyone else of Bethlehem that had done as great things as Jesus?”

“If what they say is true, no.”

“Isaiah 40:11 says, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Wouldn’t you say Jesus fits that description? He certainly loved the weak and children. He seems like a shepherd to me.

“Isaiah 49:6 says, And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus far, I would guess that more Gentiles have come to accept Christ than Jews. And He is our Light.”

Marta wrapped her shawl tightly about her. “There are many more verses that solidify who Jesus is, Pvt. Adler. I challenge you, get a Bible and read the Old Testament. Find the prophecy of the Messiah and see if Jesus doesn’t measure up to every one of them.”

Adler nodded slowly. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’ve got a Bible you can use,” Sarge reminded.

“I know.”

Joey shivered and winced as pain sliced through his leg. Rudi turned to him. “We’d best get him inside. He needs to rest.”

“We all do,” Marta said, opening the door. As they all entered the house, Marta entered a small room and brought out three blankets. “I’m sorry this is all I can spare.”
The soldiers pulled out their own blankets. “We should be able to make do, Frau, thank you,” Lars assured her.

“Then good night,” she said, leading Hilde into the little room.

Joey, Stefan and Harold got the extra blankets. Pallets were made by the fire and each agreed that whoever woke up during the night would chuck on another piece of wood.

As the others faded off to sleep, Rudi checked on Joey one more time. Satisfied that he was sleeping peacefully, he turned back towards their pallets. Lars was looking out the window. “Something wrong?”

Lars shook his head and grinned. “No. I just found the little dipper.”


Be sure and come back tomorrow for the conclusion of Stille Nacht! Have a very Merry Christmas!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Merry Christmas everyone and welcome back to day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas! Two days until Christmas, y’all. Two. Days. Where has time gone?  Things have been crazy busy here getting ready to celebrate and I’m sure each of you can relate!
 
Who doesn’t like a good Christmas song? Today, I’m going to share my top 5 favorites…in a few different categories!

5. We Three Kings
4. Silent Night
3. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
 
You can probably tell by looking at this list that I love songs in minor keys (5, 2 &1). I don’t know why, but these songs appeal to me so much! While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, in my opinion, is best when sung to a tune similar but not exactly like When I Can Read My Title Clear (the Celtic sounding one; I keep forgetting there are several tunes to that one too!)

And Silent Night…I don’t know why, but this song makes me want to cry every time I hear it! I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before, but my ancestors came over from Germany in the 1750’s and since this song was written in German, it’s very near and dear to me (even if the song was originally written in Austria 😉). It was also translated into English in 1863, which is during the American War Between the States, which I love (didn’t know that did you, lol!)

5. Jingle Bells
4. 12 Days of Christmas
3. White Christmas
2. Christmas Pipes
1. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
 
Okay, so these songs are so fun! Jingle Bells was written by James Pierpont, who wrote many patriotic songs for the Confederacy and he thought for sure they would be far more popular than his Thanksgiving song. Yes, I said Thanksgiving! It’s not even meant to be Christmassy! He was originally from Boston, so I suppose that makes sense. He also wrote “Our Battle Flag”, “We Conquer or Die”, and “Strike for the South”. He was a staunch abolitionist and fought for the Confederacy.
 
Number 3 and 1 are a nod to my love of World War Two, may second favorite time-period! I love listening to Bing Crosby sing these classics every year!
 
And Christmas Pipes! Y’all, I love this song so much! It’s so Celtic and captures the whimsical feel of Christmas so well! Listen to it!
 
Runners up would be Christmas Dinner Country Style (Bing!) and Mele Kalikimaka (Also Bing 😉).

5. Let the Joy Begin
4. Everything Changed That Night
3. The Wealth of A Thousand Kingdoms
2. Elizabeth’s Song
1. How Should a King Come?
 
Each of these songs have such an amazing angle on Christmas! Three are Majesty music (5-3). I’m not sure where Elizabeth’s Song comes from, but it is about Mary visiting Elizabeth and John leaping in the womb. So Pretty! And How Should a King Come! AHHHH! I love this song so much! You just need to hear it…

Was that not epic?!? (Please excuse the video being from The Nativity. I do not endorse or recommend that film!) This is a song I look forward to hearing every year!
 
What are your favorite Christmas songs? Make a list and share them on your blog if you have one, or share them with a friend! Make a playlist and enjoy the sounds of the season!
 
Merry Christmas and don’t forget to hop over to Stories by Firefly for more Christmas fun! Be sure and come back tomorrow for Part 7 of Stille Nacht!
 
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Merry Christmas and welcome back to day 9 of the 12DOC blog party! (Click here for more Christmas fun!)

Last time, Lars, a German soldier, asked for Rudi, their translator, to ask Adler, an American GI if he was Jewish. Let’s see what happens next!

Silence hung in the air as Rudi licked his lips and glanced to the side. “He wants to know if you are Jewish, Pvt. Adler.”

Adler refused to answer, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth. When he swallowed, he said, “We’re having a fairly good evening. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”

Rudi looked down. “Silence is as good as answering.”

Adler narrowed his eyes. “We made an agreement.”

Sarge watched as Lars continued to stare at Adler. “Even if he is Jewish, that doesn’t change the fact that he is a human being with a soul.”

“You don’t have to start that too,” Adler mumbled.

Lars glanced at Rudi. “If he is Jewish, then he might-”

“What does it matter?” Adler spat in German. Everyone stared at him in surprise. But they didn’t have long to recover. “Are you intimidated by Jewish people? Do we scare you? Are you afraid I’m gonna kill you all in your sleep for the awful things you’ve done to my family and my people? Maybe that’s why you’re killing us! Because you’re scared of us! Because we happen to be God’s chosen people and the perfect Aryans weren’t!”

Adler stood and left the table, facing the fireplace.

Lars’ mouth fell open as Adler ended his rant. “I…I didn’t…you…how…” he couldn’t get his words out.

“You are from Germany?” Rudi asked.

“As if that isn’t obvious now?” Lars said, finding his voice. “Adler, I wasn’t going to-”

The scraping of a chair interrupted him again. Hilde slowly walked around the table and stood next to Adler. She took his hand and looked up at him. “It’s okay that you’re Jewish. We love you anyway.”

Silence reigned. Adler looked down at Hilde. She smiled at him, then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Adler reached down and lifted her into his arms. He hugged her, burying his face in her raven braids. Hilde grinned at her mother and patted Adler’s back, resting her head against his shoulder.

With a deep breath, Adler set Hilde down. She returned to her seat and bit into a piece of the mystery meat Sarge had brought. Rudi tried to catch Sarge up on what all had been said, trying to make sense of it all himself. He then stood and left the table to check on Joey.

Marta stood and said, “I don’t know the feelings of everyone in this room, but I for one am in agreement with Hilde. Any who feel differently may consider themselves no longer under our previous agreement.”

“I don’t get it. What’s wrong with him being Jewish?” Stefan asked Lars.

“Nothing,” Lars replied. He glanced over at Rudi. “We’ve protected him pretty well, I’d say.”

Harold looked down at his half eaten food. “I wish I was.”

Stefan frowned. “I’m the same age as Harold. I have a right to know what’s going on, even if I’m only a private.”

“Back to what I was going to say earlier,” Lars cut in. Stefan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Adler, I was just curious to know if you knew the Cohen family. They were neighbors of mine before the war broke out. They escaped the ghettos and we don’t know where they went. We were kinda hoping they made it out.”

“Sorry, can’t help you. Do you know how many Cohen families there are in New York? And how many migrated over to escape your maniac leader?”

“I won’t even try to guess.”

“Not enough.”

Marta cleared her throat. “Why don’t we finish our supper and choose a new topic to discuss?”

The others nodded and returned to the table. Again, all was silent except an occasional grunt from Joey.

Stefan and Harold placed their dishes in the sink and headed for the door.

“Where are they going?” Sarge asked.

Rudi smiled. “To star gaze. It’s sort of a routine for us now. It’s a way to stay sane in all the madness.”

 
That could have gotten very ugly! Tomorrow, we will take a short break from the story to enjoy the sounds of the season! Then the next day, we will return for the next to last part of Stille Nacht!

Merry Christmas (three days, y’all!)
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22