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Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! I hope you are having an amazing Monday! I’ve been promising book reviews for a while and today I am bringing you two! I’ve always had a morbid fascination with the murder of Abraham Lincoln (call it what it is, don’t hide behind fancy words) and have read more about it than the battle of Gettysburg and that’s saying a lot, since that is my favorite battle to study, lol! (Would y’all like a 10TRF post about the Lincoln Murder? Comment below!)  These reviews are of two different books by the same author. The first is the young people’s version of the second, and tbh, I was surprised by how different they were. Without further ado, let’s jump into these reviews!  About the Book || NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author James Swanson delivers a riveting account of the chase for Abraham Lincoln's assassin. Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia. -From Amazon About the Author || James L. Swanson is the award-winning author of the bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. His other books include Chasing Lincoln's Killer, an adaptation of Manhunt for young adults, and his follow-up, "The President Has Been Shot!: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy", which was a finalist for the YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction award. He has held a number of government and think-tank posts in Washington, D.C. My Review || This book was good for the most part! It had excellent information, though some basic facts needed correcting. It assumed too strongly that Dr. Mudd was deserved to be punished when his only crime was knowing B ooth. Though it did clarify he wasn’t involved in killing Lincoln. It also pushed the Lincoln Worship narrative to an almost cultish point in my opinion for a children’s book. It was very heavy-handed on calling the Confederacy rebels and such. It seemed more like an indoctrination campaign, lol! I did appreciate how much detail was put into this book! It’s a great comprehensive book for young people that gives them information that will encourage them to share with others! It’s not the generic fact book; it’s got unique little-known facts! At the conclusion of the book, there was a comment about Lincoln being the hero of the story; this was not true, as he had little “screen time” and most of the things said about him were incorrect. There was no protagonist in this story. Nothing wrong with that! Not all stories have a good guy. I recommend it for anyone who loves history, true crime, and dramatic anti-heroes! Recommended for 14+ || Content meter: 3.5* || Quality: 6 || Personal Enjoyment: 5 || Overall: 5 *One major swear word that I remember, in a quote. There is also great detail about injuries/blood. Moderate censoring is needed for younger readers.  Manhunt: The 12-Day Hunt for Lincoln’s Killer By James L. Swanson Adult Narrative Non-Fiction 2006 5 Stars || Amazon || About the Book || The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history--the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops on a wild, 12-day chase from the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness. Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln’s own blood relics Manhunt is a fully documented, fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, it is history as it’s never been read before. About the Author || James L. Swanson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. He is an attorney who has written about history, the Constitution, popular culture, and other subjects for a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, American Heritage, Smithsonian, and the Los Angeles Times. Mr. Swanson serves on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign and is a member of the advisory committee of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. My Review || This book is my favorite! It’s chock full of information that is incredibly difficult to find! People you had no idea were connected with the death of Lincoln and Booth, the mad dash through Virginia, and the final hours of both men.
There is some mild Lincoln worship and anti-southern propaganda, but not nearly as bad as the children’s version. There are multiple swear words in quotes that need censoring and there are some “Too much information!” moments that should be censored out. Remember, Booth was an actor, and the actors’ reputation of today applies to the past as well. The sections on Boston Corbett also need attention! I learned so much about how Washington City was laid out, how interconnected the people were in each other's lives and how such a scheme could be pulled off with just a few hours' notice. It’s disturbing! Thank God we have more safeguards in place now, but it’s alarming just the same. I do wish they had emphasized more how the South did not sanction or condone Booth’s actions. So I will say it for the author: we do NOT as a whole believe that this was a proper move. As much as I dislike Lincoln, this was not the proper course of justice. It was his night to die, or he would not have died. But it was not Booth’s call to make; that was God’s. I recommend this book to anyone who loves history, narrative non-fiction, and true crime. It’s well written and well executed! Grab a copy today! Recommended for 18+ || Content meter: 3 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 9 || Overall: 9 Have you read these books? Do you have a recommendation for a book on this subject? Would you like a post of random facts about the Lincoln Murder? Comment below! Have a Blessed Day and God Bless America! Ryana Lynn Jude 22
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It's Memorial Day!! What better way to honor those who gave it all on a book blog then to share about a book with the same goal in mind? This is probably one of my top books of the year so far, so without further ado, let's get into it!  Oh, the Fallen Abigail Kay Harris May 31st, 2021 Military Romance (Mild) Recommended 12+ for Understanding 4 Stars About the Book || In the cause of freedom, some will give their all. When Matt Renicker joins the Army, he's determined to give his best for his country and his Lord, even if it means risking everything he loves most. But when tragedy strikes on a routine patrol, more than one heart is left shattered and lamenting. In the wake of a terrible loss, will those left behind find the strength to go on? Or will the faith, family, and freedom Matt fought to preserve be broken beyond repair? Goodreads || Amazon About the Author ||  Abigail Kay Harris is a daughter of the King with a personal degree in book-nerdiness. A sister to seven, her passionate love of the written word and deeper meanings hidden in normal things leads her to spend her time reading, writing, using sarcasm, and defining obscure words. When she’s not chasing words, she enjoys watching shows, classic romance movies, tea, sunrises, and the outdoors, especially mountains, beaches, and forests. Follow/contact links:
Guest Post || The Story Behind Oh, the Fallen Oh, The Fallen is my first finished story over 10,000 words that made it to a final draft. I had nearly given up on ever finishing another story after dealing with writers’ block for a long time. Oh, The Fallen came from a fun little (and yes, sad) flash fiction I wrote last summer based on the song I Drive Your Truck, it was super short, between 200-500 words and I set it aside after sharing it with some friends. Well, my family was on a road trip and on road trips I got lots of time to read and write, I had already read like five books and we weren’t even halfway to where we were going. I was chatting with a friend who I wouldn’t be able to chat with again for a long time and I got new ideas for a short story. The main idea was similar to the short flash fiction I had written so I dug that up from whatever lost doc it had been in, I cleaned it up, broke up the story into parts for a longer story, found a song to listen to on loop (Fallen Soldier by Nathan Fair) and wrote the first draft. I was thinking I may share it on my blog, write another draft, and by that time I was thinking it may be a little longer than a short story. Then, at the end of the month, I had a nearly finished short story, ideas to finish it off the story, and talking with a friend about publishing it. Well, another draft or two and I had more ideas, some characters were taking over the story in ways I didn’t expect, and I had the idea for three other books. Fast forward a bit more to right before release, I have the first draft of the next book finished and like five more ideas for short stories, flash fiction, a novelette, and a few novellas. And, that’s the story of Oh, The Fallen. Except for the flash fiction that started it all, there are about 150 days between starting Oh, The Fallen and release day with the millions of ideas that came into play as I went along. I'm not sure where this will end but I’m trusting God on that one. My Review || A more thorough review is in the works, using my system, but since this post is already long, I'll just cut to the chase. (I read a pre-edited copy of the book as a beta-reader. I received a copy of the book from the author for promotional purposes. All thoughts are my own.)
This book is amazing y'all. At the point in which I was reading it, it was in the process of being edited, so of course I caught a few things here and there and even offered a few suggestions, but honestly, the story blew me away! The author's voice is unique and homey and steeped in patriotic passion for God and Country. I cried through the entire thing and debuts rarely do that for me. Abigail Kay Harris has been added to my list of auto-buy authors! There is some mild violence and romance, but nothing gory or PG-13. I would recommend a family read it together for Memorial Day. It's the perfect tribute <3 Grab the links above for more release day fun! God Bless America and God Bless our Gold Star Families... Ryana Lynn Jude 22 PS. What are your favorite Memorial Day reads? How do you honor those who have given their lives for us? Tell me in the comments below! I love looking back over the books I’ve read in a year. It’s almost like a journal of all the places I’ve been! Today, I’m sharing my top 10 favorites of 2020! (Click here to see how I review Books!)  #10 || The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin
This one comes with a MAJOR disclaimer. This is not a family-friendly book. I knew it had a pro-life aspect in the story when I borrowed it, but I didn’t know precisely what aspect. It was sad, and I skipped a good portion of one chapter because of the content. I also didn’t agree with two of the marriages depicted in the story because of personal convictions. I thought that since it stated in the blurb that the couple married early in the story, there would be less romantic content. It was true to a certain extent, but it was still a bit more than I prefer. There was also talk of suicide missions, a disturbing serial killer line, and a divorce (it doesn’t happen but doesn’t show how this isn’t biblical). It was also super annoying that people kept using their childhood past and their ethnic group as a crutch for all the hard things in their life. One or two mentions would have been realistic, but this was every chapter. Way overdone. That being said, I thought the pro-life aspects of the story were excellently depicted. The message of forgiveness and the lesson of the prodigal son’s brother was profound and well-executed. Lessons on humility, charity, and making yourself useful to society were sprinkled throughout. I also loved how they depict true love as both letting go and coming home. It was very well written. It was a library book, but I think it would be fixable if I had my own copy. It would take a good deal of time, though. Recommended for 21+ || Content meter: 2.5 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 6 || Overall: 6 #9 || Resistance by Jaye L. Knight This is not my usual genre, but it was a good starting book for one not used to “Fantasy” (none magical; I do NOT condone anything with magic). Think persecuted church meets the world before dragons became extinct…only with a super confusing race system that just seems more like a mix of different countries/creatures. That part was weird, and I disapprove of it. Just keep it realistic, people. The persecution was very real, reminding me of the Roman Catholic Spanish Inquisition. I fear I might have buckled. I was much impressed by the faith of the characters. It was a great encouragement to me. There is a time to be silent, a time to speak, a time to run, and a time to stand. I was irritated that they never referred to God as God. He was called Elom. I disapprove of tricking people into reading a Christian story by disguising God under a different name. Don’t play games, don’t hide your intentions. Just be honest. I also didn’t approve of some story insinuations (clothing, behavior, rumors, but nothing too detailed that I remember?). Personally, I was uncomfortable with how often those elements came up. I also didn’t like the alone time between a girl and boy in the story. The situation wasn’t above reproach. It’s not the girl’s place to evangelize or befriend a troubled young man; That is a man’s place. There were also mentions of kissing and hugging before marriage, but it wasn’t a heavy part of the story. Kyrin could have been made a bit more feminine, but she wasn’t your typical tomboy feminist heroine, which I appreciated. In fact, it was nice seeing her learn to give up her forced masculinity and find joy in being a lady. But the faith of Trask, Kyrin, Kaden, and Rayad was so impressive! I think the book is worth the reading, but only if you are older and mature and don’t mind the editing. Recommended for 18+ || Content meter: 3 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 9 || Overal: 7 #8 || Untitled by Jesseca Wheaton Again, I need to start with a disclaimer. This is an excellent book. But there is some language in this book that I do NOT condone at all. My copy is set to be censored as soon as I can get to a reread. Also, this book deals with a sin that desperately needs addressing in our country. It is done well and tactfully. But because of these things, I do not recommend it for young readers. This book hurt to read. It details the realities of PTSD and how it was viewed during WWII. It’s not a happy-feel-good book. It’s meant to make you think; to make you appreciate the life you have; to make you open your eyes to what many of our veterans face every day. Her example is on the more extreme side of the spectrum, but that doesn’t make it any less real. This is not Hollywood. This is a reality for too many people. But this story is not without hope! The Epilogue to the story was beautiful, showing that not every story has a resolution, but not every bad thing defines the rest of your life. Y’all know how passionate I am about our troops and that PTSD is a topic that I think is grossly misunderstood and misrepresented. I can give this book a big thumbs up in how the subject is presented. *I received access to an early edition to this book as a beta reader and happily provided my honest review* Recommended for 18+ || Content Meter: 4 || Quality: 9 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 8 #7 || Dare by Tricia Mingerink I promise, not all the books I read require a disclaimer! 😉 This on is for some violence, and a couple scenes where girls were alone with a boy, but everything was kept appropriate. The salvation scene in here was super confusing, and I wondered if it was actually Calvinism, which is heresy. I have fixed my copy to show the truth about Salvation; Everyone gets a chance to be saved, not a select few. God died for everyone! But aside from that! WOW! This book was powerful! It covers very similar themes as Resistance and even had a heroine that I could relate to! She was nervous, unsure if she could stand up for what she believed in when faced with death. Gives one hope that maybe we could if put in her shoes. Highly recommended for a grounded reader. Recommended for 16+ || Content Meter: 4* || Quality: 9 || Personal Enjoyment: 9 || Overall: 9 *I would hand this to a 16-year-old, but it does require a little censoring because of the above disclaimer. #6 || Five-Star Spy by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick Y’all know how much I love The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott 😍 I adore these books, and right before I got married, I binge-read the series to my younger siblings. This particular book is my personal favorite! Emily and Brent are hilarious, and I loved all the details in the setting! Who doesn’t want to be an heiress for a day at a lavish hotel?? The 10,000 mystery gets more in-depth, we learn about triage medical care and that Wasabi is super hot! And that Emily is the ultimate expert at handing out insults 😆 There is a reference to alcohol that I removed from my copy. Recommended for All Ages ||Content Meter: 4.5* || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 9 *This is a clean book for all ages but may require minimal censoring for little readers* *I received an ARC of this book and happily provided my honest review!* #5 ||Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan Finally, I have read this classic! I grew up reading children’s editions, listening to audio dramas, and watching film adaptions, but I’d never read the unabridged version! 2020 was the perfect time to indulge in this epic, and I am so glad I did! Although, I’m still confused about the author’s beliefs on suicide. It sounded like he believes suicide would automatically send you to hell, which is not true if you are born again. I am still researching this, as I know some words have changed meanings since the 1600s. Recommended for 13+ || Content Meter: 4 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 9 #4 || A Touch of Purple Paint by Hailey Rose (See my full review here!) This book. *cries* It was so beautiful! And I loved that it showcased a YouTubing couple? I’ve never seen that done in a book, and I adored that aspect! And the relationship between the main characters was heartbreakingly beautiful. The message was so needed in this day and age, and overall I can’t say enough good about this book! 💜 Recommended All Ages || Content Meter: 4* || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 10 *This book is 100% clean, but there are references to a movie with magic, social media, and deals with intense medical sequences* #3 || A Strand of Hope by Amanda Tero (Read my Review Here!) This book, y’all, is a heart-tugging, soul-stirring, thought-provoking novel that every family should read. That being said, it deals with some mature content in a clean and Godly manner, so I would recommend this for older readers. But the message of this story was so profound! I love books that talk about books and reading and how they can help others, and ah! I just adore this book so much! It’s the best one in the series! Recommended for 16+ || Content Meter: 4 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 10 #2 || Preacher on the Run by Jayna Baas (Click here for my review!) Everyone here knows that I am a die-hard southerner and a proud North Carolinian. You also know I am a hard-core Patriot. I’m also a huge fan of anything about the Regulators of the 1700s. They are the ones who actually started the War for Independence, not the Sons of Liberty! So when I found out someone was writing on the subject…and asked me to be in her blog tour…how could I say no?? If you want to exactly why we went to war with England (hint, it wasn’t just about taxation 😉) and want to see it addressed from a Biblical standpoint, please get this book! Recommended 16+ || Content Meter: 4 || Quality: 9 || Personal Enjoyment: 10 || Overall: 10 #1 || Tattered Wings and Stop the Rain by Kassie Angle (Click here and here for my full reviews!) Yep, I couldn’t pick my favorite of the two! But y’all! These books had me bawling my eyes out! Especially Stop the Rain… I have never connected with a book character on that deep of a level. And I don’t fully understand why I did. What do me and a teenaged soldier with PTSD have in common? Why do I understand him so well? Why he does what he does? I shouldn’t be able to connect with him like I did. But regardless, I’m glad I did. Harley is probably one of my favorite book characters… If you don’t understand how PTSD works or if you are passionate about the topic—basically, if you are alive and breathing, get this book and read it! You will not regret it! It’s super clean, but because of the honest nature of combat and PTSD, I’d rate this book 14+ for understanding. Recommended 14+ || Content Meter: 4 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10+ 😉|| Overall 10 Tattered Wing broke my heart in a completely different way. It was about wounds we can see—broken dreams. A memory itching at the back of your mind, but you don’t know why. A wounded puppy… and red ballons… it’s heart-wrenching. And being someone who enjoys a good run… yeah, it hit home pretty hard. But the ending, though… it was perfect. Recommended All Ages || Content Meter: 5 || Quality: 10 || Personal Enjoyment: 10+ || Overall: 10 Writing Prompt: What are your Top 10 2020 reads? Have you read any of these? Have a blessed day, and God Bless America! Ryana Lynn Jude 22 Emoji provided free by Emoji One 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! My Content Meter|| 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. My Quality Meter || 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 My Personal Enjoyment Meter || 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! 😉 My 5-Star Converter || 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. So, What is an 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  Another impromptu post for all of you! So I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription and I came across this neat looking book called Preacher on the Run by Jayna Baas. I was intrigued that this book was written about the North Carolina Regulators, the true beginning of the American Revolution and Baptist History! I had just started the story when who should email me, but Jayna herself! She had heard about my blog/books and was wondering if I could join the tour! Long story short, here we are today!  Preacher on the Run For Liberty and Conscience Book 1 By Jayna Baas 2020 5 Stars Website || Newsletter Signup || YouTube Channel || Book Trailer || Amazon Author Page || Paperback (direct from author) || eBook (Amazon) About the Book || North Carolina, 1771 Robert Boothe has spent the last four years leading the tyrant-hating Regulators in standing against North Carolina’s corrupt British government. Just being an unlicensed dissenter preacher is enough to make Robert a target, but he refuses to back down from his conscience. Aside from a sympathetic court justice, the village of Ayen Ford has no other champion for its poor and defenseless. Then Charles Drake, emissary of His Excellency William Tryon, comes to town with one ambition: winning the governor’s favor, no matter what it takes. And Robert Boothe just might be his last chance. All Robert wants is a safe place for his little Baptist church to live and worship God. But the established church wants him to shut up. The governor’s men want him dead. And that safe place is farther and farther away. You can run, but you can’t hide . . . About the Author ||
though she believes German writer Thomas Mann was correct in saying, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than for other people.” She enjoys writing and reading in a wide range of genres, but her favorite story is this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)  My Review || First off, I want to say how pleased I was at house southern this book was. Even the narrative was southern! I can normally spot a northern author writing southerners a mile away, but she did such a good job, I was sure she wasn't originally from Michigan! And y'all!!!! IT WAS ABOUT THE REGULATORS!!!!!! This is a little known bit of American history that I adore, though I haven't done as much research on it as I would have liked. I have Regulators in my background so, yes, I am so hard-core fangirling over this book! The history was fantastic, her explanation for Biblical resistance was spot on and she has an excellent Bibliography in the back! She also seperated the fact from the fiction, which I loved! The characters were well developed and perfectly imperfect. This book has earned it's place in my "books to study" catagory to become a better writer! Saul was by far my favorite character and watching him grow was amazing. I loved all the discussions on how a man is to treat a woman and the fact that we were created for the the man. It was a beautiful depiction of Christ-like love. That being said, I was a little uncomfortable with some of the husband and wife scenes. They were not inappropriate, just more than I personally care for. The only other thing I didn't like was all the negative talk towards the Cherokee. I know that in the mid 1700s there were some Cherokee attacks and I can't change that. But the reason for the attacks was never stated and from what I've read, they didn't usually attack without government provocation. This could be an exception, I don't know. Regardless, it's a sad part of our history. Being a Cherokee decedent, I found all the negativity a bit off putting without more explanation into what the attacks were about. But that's just me and it wasn't the main theme of the story. Overall, I loved this book! I would gladly hand it off to a sibling (after censoring a few spouse scenes depending on the age)! It's an excellent read and a must for all homeschoolers, North Carolinians, Revolution-Buffs and Baptists! Buy this book! Don't understand why we rebelled against King George? Think the Tea Tax excuse is lame? Find out what really happened! || I was gifted a copy of the book for promotional purposes! I was not required to write a positive review and all thoughts are my own. || Character Interview With Saul McBraden! || What inspired you to join the Regulators? If you saw folks’ land being sold out from under them, and greedy officials playing fast and loose with the law, you’d likely join the Regulators, too. What was going on made me mad, and when I get mad, I want to do something about it. What goal would you like to accomplish through your resistance? What I want, and I think what most of us want, is just the freedom to worship God and make a fair living under fair laws. It might mean getting our own folks chosen to the Colonial Assembly, or it might mean cornering some officials into being accountable. You can’t change a whole government overnight. When this is all over, what would your dream life look like? I reckon I’ll always want a challenge to go after, but in between times, I’d just want a place to settle down with Elsie. A cabin, some land. Hunting, farming, some trapping maybe. And a passel of young’uns, God willing. What is one scripture that helps you in time of trouble? “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). I want to fix things, which is no surprise to folks who know me. I need the reminder that God is at work, and He doesn’t need my help. What advice would you give to someone wanting to join your cause? Be sure you know what you’re getting into. It won’t help anybody if you talk real loud and then run when the going gets tough. And Pastor Boothe talks a lot about doing things for the right reason, meaning you had better take a stand for something and not just against something. What about Pastor Boothe makes you admire him? He’s steady. Me, I’m a firebrand. I’ll go off on my own tack and realize later how boneheaded I was. Not Pastor Boothe. He thinks things through, and he makes certain sure he’s listening to the Lord. You can follow a man like that. Do you think your struggle will remain in North Carolina or spread through the colonies? I don’t rightly know. There were some Regulators in South Carolina, but things didn’t go very far there. A lot of easterners, all the way up to Massachusetts, think we’re rebels. But I hear they’ve got their own squabbles with the King’s men. I don’t know if we’re lighting a fire, or if the fire’s already lit. I’d like to think we aren’t the only ones to take a stand. Pie or cake? My ma used to make a sugar cake that she said came from the Moravians in Bethabara. But anymore I’d have to say pie. Elsie makes a dried-apple pie that I’d quit the Regulators for. Interview with Author Jayna Baas! || What inspired you to write this book? I love Revolutionary War history and strong Christian heroes, and I was tired of finding nothing but romance in the Christian fiction section of the library—not that I don’t read romance, but a girl needs a break now and then! I was also tired of “Christian” stories that had nothing deeper than a quick prayer in desperation. The Regulator Uprising struck me as the perfect setting for an action-packed, danger-filled story of lived-out faith, especially since I love little-known parts of history. Which character was the most fun to write? Alec Perry was a lot of fun. He just showed up and said, “Here I am, now tell my story”—and his story just kept taking on a life of its own! Hank Jonas was fun, too, especially in how he played off Mitchell and Alec. What can you tell us about the rest of the series? I’m aiming for three stand-alone novels set several years apart. In the second book, which takes place during the British campaign of North Carolina in 1780-1781, original characters reappear, but the story stars some new ones as well. The third book will (hopefully!) be set in the short-lived State of Franklin, late 1780s. I’m hoping book two will be ready to print by the end of next year, but your guess is as good as mine right now. And of course, all of this is subject to change without notice. Any tips on writing Revolutionary fiction? Be prepared for tons of research and challenging subject matter. History can be messy, as I’m sure you know. There aren’t always happy endings or black-and-white sides to take. I love this description by British novelist L. P. Hartley: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” That’s very true, and it’s a writer’s job to act as a “tour guide” in that “foreign country” and make it engaging and understandable to readers without compromising the reality of it. What Bible verse sums up your mission as a writer? Well, I joke that my life verse is Ecclesiastes 12:12: “Of making many books there is no end,” but in truth, writing is my way of sharing the gospel, encouraging fellow saints, and exercising the gift I’ve been given. I don’t know that there’s just one verse to sum up all of that. As for the writing process itself, a good verse would probably be 1 Thessalonians 5:24: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” That is a huge encouragement when I feel like I’m banging my head on a wall. Giveaway! || There is an epic give away people!  That's it for now! Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops! Week One Nov 2: Leona @ Great Books for God’s Girls Guest post, excerpt Nov 3: Madi @ Madi’s Musings Book review, interview Nov 4: Kaitlyn @ Maidens for Modesty Book review, guest post Nov 5: Laura @ Beautiful Things Book spotlight Nov 6: Malachi @ Brainstorms With Rain Excerpt Week Two Nov 9: Abby Rose @ Photos by Abby Rose Book review Nov 10: Kelsey @ Kelsey’s Notebook Guest post, excerpt Nov 11: Lauren @ Novels That Encourage Book review, interview, exclusive ebook giveaway Nov 12: Abigail @ Read Review Rejoice Excerpt, book spotlight Nov 13: Callie @ An Unfinished Story Book review Week Three Nov 16: Tara @ Tower in the Plains Book review Nov 17: Kelly-Ann @ Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama Excerpt Ryana Lynn @ Life of Heritage Book review, character interview Nov 18: Kassie @ Soldier Girl Stories Book review Nov 19: Natalie @ Kenmore Pines Book review, interview Nov 20: Michaela @ Tangled Up in Writing Book review, excerpt, guest post Tour Wrap-Up Nov 21: Giveaway winners announced in Rafflecopter widget and on Books by Jayna  Have a Blessed November!
Ryana Lynn Jude 22 |
Ryana Lynn
Christian. American. Southern. Author. Subscribe for Blog Updates and a Free Short Story!
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