Heidi Chiavaroli's Blog, page 9

A Great Deal, An Anniversary, and Winners!

Today is the 248th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre, a major historical event in my debut novel, Freedom's Ring. To read more about this event, visit here. 

 

With this anniversary, as well as preparations being made for the Boston Marathon next month on Patriot's Day (the Massachusetts holiday commemorating the start of the American Revolution) there may be no better time of year to read this book! And now, all e-book versions are on sale!

Visit Amazon, Christianbook.com, or ebookdeals.net to take advantage of this amazing deal!

 

In other news, our Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt was a huge success! Thank you to all the beautiful readers who participated, and a special thank you to those who entered my giveaway. Without further ado, here are the winners of the three signed copies of Freedom's Ring, chosen by random.org. I will email you soon to work out details!

 

Anna Niepke

Melody Bis

Beth Long

 

Congratulations!

 

 

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Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt: Stop #3

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you've just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 30 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

 

~ The hunt BEGINS on 3/1 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com

 

~ Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).

 

~ There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt--you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/4 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books.

 

~ Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author's scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #30. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

It is my honor to host the incredibly talented Roseanna M. White. We share a love for writing historical fiction! Here's a brief summary of her newly-released novel, A Song Unheard: Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I--to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales. Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won--until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed.

Writing Music...For A Book

By Roseanna M. White

One thing I’ve always loved about being a novelist is that I can simply say something is so. I don’t have to know all the mathematics involved in codes to have a cryptologist break one. I don’t have to know the chemical properties of invisible ink to have my chemist-character develop one. And I don’t have to be a musical composer to have my violinist-character create a melody.

 

But what about when I want to?

 

As I was preparing to write A Song Unheard, I knew that I wanted my heroine, Willa, to eventually compose a piece of music. I knew it was going to be pivotal to the plot. And I wanted to be able to describe it. More, I thought it would oh-so-fun if I actually had this music and could link to it somehow. For once, it didn’t seem enough to just describe a thing. I wanted to actually share that thing with the world.

 

To someone accustomed to dealing mostly in words, that posed a bit of a challenge.

After hosting a contest in which people could submit their original songs and the public could vote on a winner, I was stoked to have a keyboard recording of my winning melody, “Willa’s Song.” It gave me what I needed to be able to describe it in that key moment of the book—the way the notes move up and down the scale, repeat, pause. Being able to hear it as I wrote that scene was a huge advantage for me. And having it in mind throughout the entire writing process let me try to frame my character in a way that would make sense with the music.

We’ve all had the experience of hearing a piece of music that speaks something to us—joy or sorrow, fear or boldness, praise or anger. In “Willa’s Song,” I got to interpret that experience into words for my readers. I pray that I did so in a way that makes those violin notes whisper in their hearts…as it did in hers.

 

After I finished the book, I turned my attention to bringing the song to life. With the help of a friend from high school who turned the piano recording into sheet music and a violinist friend to record it for me, I could finally share “Willa’s Song.” You can hear it in the book trailer here!

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

 

Here's the Stop #3 Skinny:

You can order Roseanna's book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD or at your local bookstore!

Clue to write down: you

Link to Stop #4, the Next Stop on the Loop: Roseanna's own site!

But wait! Before you go, I'm giving away three signed copies of my debut novel, Freedom's Ring! All you have to do is sign up to receive my quarterly e-newsletter below, or note in the comments that you are already a subscriber. Winners will be announced here on March 5th (which just happens to be the 248th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre, a major historical event in the novel).

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The Gray Area of Gun Control

I sat in my car, waiting for my thirteen-year-old to come out of his school. The voice on the other end of the radio caught my attention. Something in the heavy sadness of his tone made me turn up the volume.

Another shooting.

My heart dropped as the radio man quoted numbers.

The next morning I faced my boys, through tears, and told them they were safe. I clasped their hands, prayed for those hurting, then assured my sons that the chances of what happened in Florida the day before are small at their school.

But I know anything can happen. Evil seemed to have won the afternoon of February 14 in Parkland, Florida, and my heart is wrung dry as I think about the families and friends of the victims, as I think about those suffering in Florida hospitals, the memories of what happened surely too fresh and unbearable.

 

The footage is achingly familiar. There were signs. How could such evil have been prevented?

 

These things keep me, and many others, up at night. My faith is tested on these grounds. But the morning after the shooting, I was haunted by another fact . . . in just over two months, a book will be released to the world with my name on it that tackles some of the very things America is grappling with right now. And I wonder . . . Is this really what the world needs? More dark? More stories of tragedy? In Florida, families are really dealing with this. How can I pretend to know what they are going through, even in a fictional world? How can I presume to understand?

 

But I know something else. These issues are important, and they should be talked about with those around us. Those who share our faith and those who may not.

 

Some of us in the world of faith will point to sin and its undeniable hold on our culture as the reason for these recent tragedies. Violence is as old as Cain and Abel, after all. I’m not denying that, for there is no doubt this is the case. But neither do I think we can write it off with such a simple swipe—one that puts on a mask of faith while showing little real compassion for the world around us. One that ignores the necessity for God’s people to work to make this messed-up world more like His Kingdom, whether it seems feasible to us or not.

 

I am not just pointing at our gun laws, though I do wonder why so many Christians feel so adamantly that they should be able to own military-grade weapons.

 

We, as Christians, have a hope of something better. But does that mean we are to ignore our present? The problems of this world? Truly, what would Jesus do in such a time as this?

 

I wonder if He would cling to the Second Amendment more than He clings to the second commandment (You shall not make idols.)? Would He cling to it more than He does the sixth commandment (You shall not kill.)? Would He live from a place of fear, or from a place of deep, abiding faith?

 

Jesus tells us not to resist an evildoer, to turn the other cheek. So where does this command meet us in our own lives?

 

This is hard stuff. This is where the rubber meets the road. If the greatest commandment is to love God and love my neighbors, then where does owning assault weapons for the purpose of self-defense fall? Is it an either/or matter, or is it a matter of where our hearts lie?

 

These are tough questions. My boys play Airsoft and laser tag. I’m constantly picking up Nerf bullets throughout the house. Does this mean my husband and I are fostering future violence? Does it mean we are raising uncompassionate young men? Men who, if given the choice, would choose their rights over faith in a Savior?

 

I am still grappling with these answers. But I hope to continue the hard conversation with my brothers and sisters of faith. In love. With compassion. While looking to Scripture and not my own agenda.

 

Jesus has freed us from sin. As Christians, we can all agree on that. So let’s unite beneath that beautiful, glorious, all-consuming fact. Then, with His light before us, let’s explore and work out these tricky areas of our faith.

 

Together.

 

I hope you join me.

 

***This article first appeared in The Christian Post. In order to stay on topic and adhere to word counts, I was not able to explore the many other factors contributing to gun violence such as mental health, our changing culture that includes an excess of social media and screen time, bullying, and the pharmaceutical industry (of which I am part of), to name a few. My book, The Hidden Side, explores many of these factors. I hope to continue the conversation with my readers over the next several months.

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Behind The Spy: Nathan Hale (And Those Famous Last Words)

One character my readers are introduced to in my upcoming release, “The Hidden Side,” is Revolutionary Spy Nathan Hale. When fictionalizing real historical people, I always feel an extra responsibility to stay as true to life as I can. That means research—and lots of it!

Nathan Hale was born in Coventry, Connecticut in 1755, the sixth child in a large family. His mother died when he was twelve, and it was her side of the family that took charge of his education. At the young age of fourteen, already a devout New England Congregationalist, Nathan attended Yale, where he met his friend, Benjamin Tallmadge (who would later become instrumental in the running of General Washington’s Culper Spy Ring).

After graduation, Nathan entered the world of teaching. It seems that at this time, Nathan fell in love with a woman named Alice Adams, but his desire to join the Continentals and fight for the Patriots came first. This is the major point in Hale’s biography where I take my license as a writer of fiction, and play around a bit. ☺ In “The Hidden Side,” there is no Alice Adams. Instead, Nathan falls in love with Mercy Howard, childhood friend of Benjamin Tallmadge.

(Above is the route Nathan Hale took from Connecticut to New York, in his attempt to gather information for General Washington. Photo courtesy of The Three Village Historical Society.)

I have attempted to keep all other aspects of Nathan’s life historically accurate, up to and including his unfortunate death in New York on September 22, 1776, where he was hanged as a spy.

On Hale’s famous last words: more than likely, before he hung, Nathan did not utter the words, “I only regret that I have one life to lose for my country.” These words were actually taken from Joseph Addison’s play Cato, of which Hale was a fan. What he truly said was written in the diary of a British captain: “He behaved with great composure and resolution, saying he thought it the duty of every good officer, to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief; and desired the spectators to be at all times prepared to meet death in whatever shape it may appear.”

After talking with my editor, we decided to cite the last words that so many associate with Hale in “The Hidden Side.” Even if he didn’t truly say the words, they do fit what we know of his dynamic personality. They also have their place in propelling Mercy along in her journey. Again, the beauty of fiction writing!

Hale’s death would haunt General Washington and cause him to rethink how he would use spies in the future (hence the development of the Culper Spy Ring and using spies who already had a reason to be in British-occupied territory).

Though “The Hidden Side” was already written, I was on my way home from a writing conference in Connecticut on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, when I spotted a sign on the highway that said, “Nathan Hale Homestead.”

I couldn’t resist. And though the place was deserted and I couldn’t glimpse the inside, I will always remember this beautiful place, and imagine little Nathan running in these very fields, now filled with peace and golden sunshine.

I hope you enjoy learning more about the fascinating Nathan Hale in my upcoming release!

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Inspiration Behind The Hidden Side

As we begin gearing up for the release of my second novel, The Hidden Side, I thought it would be fun to start a blog series with some behind-the-scenes posts on the book, how it came to be, and the real life historical characters who inspired it.

So what is the inspiration behind The Hidden Side?

As is often the case, my ideas usually begin with research. I was searching for a true-to-life historical figure from the American Revolution that could inspire a new story when I stumbled upon Agent 355, a woman who played an important part in General George Washington’s most successful spy ring, a woman whose identity we still don’t know for certain. That was enough to get my imagination going! Before long, I had a solid historical story down—a story about a woman seeking to redeem the wrong done her fiancé, infamous spy Nathan Hale. A story about a woman hiding behind a façade that could not only ruin every relationship she has, but could put her life in peril as well. A story about a woman who finds herself caring for a man she must deceive.

The contemporary story didn’t come so easily. I was brainstorming with my friend and fellow author, Melissa Jagears, when we remembered a recent news story about a man who had committed a terrible crime and an interview with a relative who raised him, who was just as shocked as the rest of the country over what her kin had done. Before long (and with additional help from my extraordinary editor, agent, and critique partner) we had the story of a mother, a radio host of a popular Christian morning show—whose son had committed an unspeakable crime. This woman would go through grief, but she would also struggle moving on with her life, struggle with the impulse to hide behind her radio personality, and struggle with finding her identity not in her son’s deeds, but in Christ. Through her attempt to find healing, she turns to the journal her son gave her on the eve of his crime, a journal that tells the story of another woman, centuries earlier, who also felt the need to hide behind a false persona.

Then…the writing. Yikes, this book was a tough one to bring to life. Putting myself in my characters’ shoes took all of the emotional, physical, and spiritual fortitude I could muster (and that God granted me), and yet for how difficult it was, it seemed to flow from my typing fingers with ease. I wrote it in less than three months and now, in about that much time, it will be in the hands of my readers!

The Hidden Side will release May 8, 2018 from Tyndale Publishers. Click here for more information, or to pre-order a copy.

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Two Sides To A Story

At the sound of strident voices coming from my young sons’ bedroom, I raced in, determined not to let the conflict escalate. As soon as I crossed the threshold, a barrage of tattles pummeled me. Yes, each had his own version of how the argument started. Yes, each pointed to the other’s faults while conveniently ignoring his own. And yes, as I sat with them and tried to get each brother to place himself in the other’s shoes, both stubbornly refused.

While my tendency is to often grow impatient at this childish immaturity, I don’t have to look deep inside to see how in many ways, I am just like my children. When I have a disagreement with the hubby, a family member, or co-worker, I don’t first try to see their point-of-view. No, what happens initially is my defenses rise. My need to be right, to be in control, to protect myself, naturally comes to the surface.

I was reminded of this very human trait when doing the research for my most recent book. In going back to the events of Revolutionary Boston, and in particular, the Boston Massacre, it was plain to see that this need to cling to my side, my beliefs, is nothing new to humanity. But since the historical heroine in my novel is torn between the love of two men—one a Patriot and one a Redcoat—it was important for me to explore both sides of the Revolution. It was important for me to understand the viewpoint of a British soldier.

In doing so, I found that the soldiers occupying colonial Boston were surprisingly miserable. The locals mistreated them and they were not paid much for their troubles. Schoolboys would often mock the sentries, call them names, goad them to fight. In fact, it was on the night of March 5, 1770, that one such schoolboy chose to pick a fight with a Regular stationed at the Customs house. Before long, an all-out fray occurred and five colonists were dead. Within a week, Paul Revere and the Sons of Liberty jumped at a chance to show “their side” of things in Revere’s famous engraving still shown in history textbooks today.

Yet what the British were fighting for during the Revolution may surprise you. They fought for the same thing as the Patriots: freedom. In their eyes, they saw the Patriots as a group of radicals causing trouble for their colonists, pushing them into insurrection. And although they got a bad rap in the Boston Massacre, trial records indicate the rowdy, drunken rebels were the ones to instigate the fight—throwing ice at them, pressing in on them with clubs, even daring the King’s army to fire. The Sons of Liberty conveniently ignored these facts when rallying others for the cause of independence.

This theme of doggedly clinging to our own ideas and opinions while dismissing “the other side” is a common one in history. In fact, we don’t have to go much farther than our television remotes or newsfeeds to see its evidence today. The Black Lives Matter movement, quickly challenged by All Lives Matter. Political parties. Police shootings. What side you fall on in certain social issues—abortion, gender identity, women’s rights, planned parenthood, gay marriage, adoption rights.

Now some of us can get pretty fired up about these topics, and perhaps we should. Yet I can’t help but think about Jesus on the cross. He had every right to fight back, to come down off that bloodied piece of wood, and yet he didn’t. He stayed there. For Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. For you, for me, for every person in all eternity who would fight against who He said He was, for every person who would think their way is the better one.

I think here, on that dark Friday, we see Jesus having overwhelming compassion for us, the enemy. The ignorant. He doesn’t show anger and frustration at those who put him on the cross. He asks God to forgive them.

What does this have to do with us, today? No matter who we are, most of us are genuinely trying to do our best. Most are fighting for what we believe is true and right, no matter how our thoughts may differ. So before I jump to judge, I should first try to put myself in the shoes of those in front of me. I should show compassion.

And if I feel God is calling me to stand by my beliefs (which He may be!) then instead of holding up a sign or posting an argumentative meme, I should perhaps make a friend on the “other side.” I do not want to be known for my judgmental attitude, I want to be known for what Jesus was known for. He did not sin, yet He showed compassion for the sinners. He gave them something so much better to ponder than how “right” our side is. He gave us the gospel. He gave us grace.

And the gospel is not politics. It is not Jew or Gentile, Redcoat or Patriot, Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter. It is not abortion or political party or any other social issue, past or present. It is the all-consuming, beautiful news that Jesus has finished for us the most important work—one we couldn’t finish for ourselves.

Jesus himself has reached out His hand to me—a dirty, Hell-bent sinner—and saw my helplessness, my stubbornness, my self-preserving manner and need to cling to my “side” of things. And yet He still loved me. He still gave me freedom, and in doing so He frees me to let go of my “rights” and to step into another person’s shoes.

So next time my boys are ready to pummel each other, what can I bring them? I can bring them compassion. Truth to show them their need—and mine—for a Savior bigger than their problem or any social issue. And I can pray that the most important thing—the gospel—will touch their hearts so that they will learn to see the “other side” as well.

*This blog post first appeared on Crosswalk.com in August, 2017.

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A New Contract!

Sometimes moments come along in our lives when we realize that despite ourselves, God is still choosing to bless us. Despite our struggles, despite what we do or don't deserve, God chooses to work in our lives because of who he is, not because of who we are. 

One of those moments happened last night when I signed my second two-book contract with Tyndale House Publishers! Tyndale has always been my dream publisher, and after working with their amazing team, they are STILL my dream publisher. I am so very grateful to continue partnering with them to bring you more books!

There will be more details to come, but for now, if you'd like to keep up-to-date on my books, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter, where later this week, I will be revealing the beautiful new cover for my next book coming out in May, 2018 (as well as a couple of my favorite Christmas recipes!). Come join the fun!

Until then, thank you, dear readers. You complete this amazing journey. I am so very humbled by your continued excitement, your reviews, and your support.

May your Christmas season be filled with reminders of his goodness. May your worries grow smaller as you gaze upon that nativity scene. May your family be filled with peace and true joy. Merry Christmas!

 

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Striking Out

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

  Isaiah 43:1

 

When I was in third grade, I played baseball on my uncle’s Little League team. (Yes, that's super-slugger me in the picture.) I don’t remember, but my parents tell me I actually wanted to play. With my super thick maroon glasses and my not-so-athletic tendencies, I was pretty conscious of the many boys on the team smirking at the grounders rolling between my legs or how I backed out of the batter’s box before the pitch was even released.

I remember one particular game, getting up to bat. If I struck out, the game was lost. If by some miracle I got on first (I hadn’t gotten to first the entire season unless I was walked,) I could keep the game going. I was my team’s only hope.

After the first two strikes in which I didn’t even swing, I readied myself for the next pitch. In the dugout, my team gave a few obligatory cheers.

Honestly, I would have been better off not swinging. Not even trying. Just hoping for a walk.

But I wanted to prove myself that day. Prove that I wasn’t a failure, that I had worth on that baseball team.

So as the ball came barreling toward me, I closed my eyes and swung.

The umpire called the strike, and the game was over.

I had failed.

I wish I could tell you that I practiced really hard that summer, played again the next year, and showed those boys what a little geeky girl could do with some perseverance, but I didn’t. I never played baseball again.

But that feeling—that feeling of failure and inadequacy, of sensing I didn’t belong, of not feeling worthy—stayed with me for a long time.

In high school, I found running. I found history and writing and school. I didn’t naturally excel at any of these things, but after knowing failure at so many other activities (baseball was just one of many!), I stuck with a few and learned to be good enough.

But being good enough didn’t make me happy. I wanted to truly excel at something. A career, a hobby…something. I felt my worth, my existence even, depended on my ability to do so.

In college, I changed my major. Then, a short time later, I dropped out altogether. I got a job, married my high school sweetheart, and became a mother. Finally! Something I could really do well. Or so I thought.

It wasn’t long before I realized that excelling at parenting was no easy task, either. Most days I felt I failed.

Again.

Yet it was in this time, where I felt ultimate failure at the most important task yet given to me, that Jesus found me. He scooped me up, told me he understood how I felt, that yes—perhaps I wasn’t super-gifted at much, but that wasn’t what mattered the most.

What mattered the most was I was his, and he had already accomplished perfection for me.

With this truth over and behind me, for the first time ever I glimpsed it. Freedom. Real freedom.

I didn’t have to be great at anything for my life to have a purpose. My life had purpose because of WHO I belonged to.

Something like chains fell off me, then. I began writing with a renewed passion, a renewed mission. I began living beneath grace instead of performance. And when those rejections and bad contests scores came, shouting failure, something prodded me to continue, to persevere and ignore the voices in my head tempting me to feel like that timid little girl in Little League.

The journey was eleven years long, and not always pretty. But one thing had changed—I knew, whether I failed or accomplished my goal of publication, my worth was secure.

I wasn’t a failure. I wasn’t inadequate. I belonged.

No matter what.

I was His.

The fact that I signed a contract with my dream publishing house eighteen months ago is all, one-hundred percent God’s grace. That’s what makes it so very amazing. Because in many ways, I’m still that little girl determined to prove myself against the voices ready to ridicule in the dugout, but now, beneath the covering of my true identity in Jesus, none of it matters.

Because whether I succeed or fail, whether I swing the bat or take a walk to first or strike out…I am His.

May you and your family have a beautiful, blessed, Thanksgiving!

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A Special Offer!

Happy November! I am so excited to usher in the month by sharing an amazing offer my publisher is extending to my readers for a limited time. Right now, the e-book version of my debut novel, “Freedom’s Ring,” can be purchased for only $2.99!

If you're interested in this great deal, just click the image above and choose which vendor you prefer to buy e-books through, or you can click here. In the meantime, happy reading, and as always, THANK YOU for joining me on this journey!

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Are My Books Suitable For Young Adults?

So this is one question I’ve been getting A LOT lately, and one that I admit, I hadn’t totally anticipated. And yet, it makes sense that there are some young adult readers who may be interested in reading my books (and I truly am so grateful for them!). So I thought I would try to answer this oft-asked question here, using some of my thoughts on young readers and my books to do so.

~ I write my books with adult women in mind.

Yet that doesn’t mean teenagers wouldn’t enjoy them. But are they appropriate for this age group?

~ Some have pointed out that my books are more of a “tough” read within the Christian fiction genre.

I gravitate toward some of the heavier topics. To read why I am drawn to these stories, see this post.

My debut novel deals with references to some gruesome war aspects, the struggles of those with PTSD, and sexual assault. My next book deals with nothing easier, including teenage depression and violence. And while I’m aware that many books targeted at young adults tackle these very things, I do want to be sensitive to those who may not be looking for this.

~ In the end, I trust parents to help their young adult make the decision whether my books are right for their individual teen.

One reader rated “Freedom’s Ring” PG-16. Many whom I have met at book events say it is suitable for high-schoolers. Another mother commented that it is definitely ONLY suitable for adults. Another allowed her twelve-year-old daughter, who is mature and widely read, to read it. I recently met a fifteen-year-old who loved it. I have a twelve-year-old son. He has no interest in reading a book with a lady in a pretty dress on the cover, but if he did, I would not feel comfortable with him doing so because of the content. (We are also rather picky about what we allow him to watch on TV—though we did make an exception for Hacksaw Ridge).

As you can see, as with anything else, opinions will vary. In the end, it is truly in the hands of the young adult’s parents or guardians to guide them with this decision.

I truly hope this helps, and either way, whatever you ARE reading—whether it be my book, a young adult one, or any other, HAPPY READING!

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