16 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.50

more photos (4)

C.J.’s Year In Books

C.J.’s 2020 Year in Books

Take a look at C.J.’s Year in Books. The long, the short—it’s all here.

See C.J.’s 2020 Year in Books

C.J. Heigelmann’s Followers (52)

More followers…

C.J.’s Bookshelves

read (17)
currently-reading (3)
to-read (60)
now (0)

C.J.’s Friends (2,034)

Jen Davis

2,067 books | 1,358 friends

NayNay

1,341 books | 86 friends

Michelle Cox

441 books | 1,438 friends

Lucretia

913 books | 1,467 friends

Ryan Hyatt

242 books | 1,409 friends

Corinne Mazille

131 books | 187 friends

Sandra Owens

113 books | 967 friends

Daisy James

57 books | 401 friends

More friends…

C.J. Heigelmann

Goodreads Author

Born

in Hartford, The United States

Website

http://www.MustReadCJ.com

Twitter

cjheigelmann

Genre

Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Thriller

Influences

Baldwin, Homer, Langston Hughes, Hemingway, Tolkien, Twain, Emerson, H ...more

Member Since

December 2017

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cjheigelmann

edit data

C.J. Heigelmann is an emerging author of Contemporary, and Historical Fiction, and Psychological Thrillers, who has published three novels, An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody, Crooked Fences, and Can't Hide What's Inside.

C.J. learned to negotiate the changing fabric of class relations within the United States while experiencing different nuances of racial interconnection and social class ideologies from California to Connecticut, the Deep South, and during military service in the United States Air Force. CJ combines these unique experiences with his knowledge of the humanities, an empathetic heart, and a belief in world peace, to produce literature that focuses on the human condition in any genre he touches.

Ever evolving, but yet retaining his cor ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask C.J. Heigelmann questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Any advice on how to use this site?? Lol Thank you!

C.J. Heigelmann Yes! There are plenty of video tutorials! Just do a quick YouTube search. There are literally thousands. :)

flag

like
Comment

Just finished An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody. It was a 5*. My question is you said most of book is non-fiction, correct?

C.J. Heigelmann Hello Barb, I'm glad you enjoyed the novel! Thank you for your great question!

No, that's not correct. This novel is inspired by historical events and …moreHello Barb, I'm glad you enjoyed the novel! Thank you for your great question!

No, that's not correct. This novel is inspired by historical events and is a historical fiction novel that weaves together the lives of lesser-known historical figures into an intimate folk tale while keeping an accurate historical timeline.

In my preface and author notes, I go into detail about which main characters were inspired by historical figures, as well as actual historical figures and actual lesser publicly known historical events. Here are my preface and author's notes for clarification.

PREFACE
This literary work was inspired by true historical events and the people who participated in them during the American Civil War. While illuminating the lives of lesser known individuals and historical facts, it paints a unique and realistic picture of that tumultuous time in world history. Great care and effort was taken to ensure that every detail of speech, dialect and custom be replicated ethically and accurately. The reader is carried backward in time with each character, and into every situation which transpires, compelling them to share that character’s intimate perspective of life.
_______________________________________________________________________
Author’s Notes
As stated within the preface, this book was inspired by true historical events and the people who participated in them during the American Civil War, while illuminating the lives of lesser-known individuals. The acknowledgment of these particular people and events within the book was done with the intention of shedding light on certain myths and stereotypes many people hold to be true as it pertains to the African slave trade to the Americas, and the American Civil War in general.

Not many people imagine that there was a Chinese Union Army soldier like Shay, who was formally adopted by a merchant ship captain in China. Actually, there was not one, there were two, and very well documented. Edward Day Cohota and Joseph Pierce. As their real-life stories are mirrored in this book, so are the men who adopted them.

Captain Price is one such character. In exploring the dynamics of their lives, the reader has an opportunity to ponder the implications of such an adoption, specifically the stereotypes of Caucasian males living during the 1800s. It seems improbable to some, that the selfless and charitable act of adopting an orphan of a socially non-inclusive race would be socially acceptable and occur, but it did at least twice. It is a prime example of an individual who chooses to be obligated to, and driven by, compassion rather than conform to the social prejudicial norms of his society.

Victoria was inspired by my 4th great-grandmother, known as Mary Clark, who allegedly was the second generation of my African ancestors who endured slavery, lived and worked on a plantation in Alabama, and bore three sons from a renowned colonel and surgeon of the Confederate States Army.

Little Jefferson was inspired by my 3rd great-grandfather, Jefferson Clark, the bi-racial son of Mary. I display photographs of them both at my residence, taken during their elder years. They were a great inspiration in the development and the acknowledgment of the vision which compelled me to undertake this literary work.

Levi Holloway Naron or “Chickasaw” is a lesser-known historical figure, but one who’s life story is remarkable on many levels. Civil War historians who read this book will note that the fictitious “Chickasaw” and his timeline near the end of the war, fits perfectly with the entries of his biography, including him checking on one of his scouts and learning the fate of another. That particular scout inspired the character of Hardy.

These are only a few examples of lesser-known historical facts in the book, which unpretentiously incorporates many other such uncommon or lesser-known details of the time period. I have attempted to explore a variety of topics within various subplots, such as racism, prejudice, religion, belief, class, sexual assault, and nationalism. I was determined to examine the intangibles of the human heart through situational character interactions, such as love, hate, forgiveness, empathy, resentment, guilt, and pride.

_______________________________________________________________________

So Barb, all of the historical events are true, and some characters are fictional and based on lesser-known historical figures which lived during the same timeline and woven together into a story. I invite you to research the historical characters listed in my author's notes to learn of their incredible lives so you can recognize the snapshots that I illustrated in An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody. I look forward to more of your great questions!

Warmest Regards!

C.J.

(less)

flag

like
Comment

See all 7 answers from C.J. Heigelmann…

Combine Editions
C.J. Heigelmann’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 86 ratings · 22 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody 4.37 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2017 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Crooked Fences: A Novel 4.33 avg rating — 24 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Can't Hide What's Inside 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

0 posts
C.J. Heigelmann's Blog

C.J. Heigelmann hasn't written any blog posts yet.

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

C.J. is Currently Reading

C.J. Heigelmann is currently reading

Can't Hide What's Inside

by C.J. Heigelmann (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 05, 2021 02:59PM

C.J. Heigelmann is currently reading

Crooked Fences: A Novel

by C.J. Heigelmann (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 05, 2021 02:52PM

C.J. Heigelmann is currently reading

An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody

by C.J. Heigelmann (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 05, 2021 02:19PM

rss
C.J.’s Recent Updates

C.J. Heigelmann liked Mary Yankus's review of Crooked Fences: A Novel:
Mar 18, 2021 09:03PM · see review
C.J. Heigelmann liked Diane April's review of Crooked Fences: A Novel:
Mar 18, 2021 09:03PM · see review
C.J. Heigelmann liked Diane’s status update Diane April is currently reading Crooked Fences: A Novel
Mar 18, 2021 09:03PM
C.J. Heigelmann and 1 other person liked Amanda's review of Home Before Dark: "Just yeah...."
Mar 14, 2021 02:52PM · see review
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read Mice by Gordon Reece	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 14, 2021 06:06AM · 1 like · like
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Fiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 13, 2021 09:23AM · 1 like · like
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Romance	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 13, 2021 09:23AM · 2 likes · like
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Horror	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 13, 2021 09:23AM · like
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read The Guest List by Lucy Foley (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Mystery & Thriller	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 13, 2021 09:23AM · 2 likes · like
C.J. Heigelmann wants to read House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Fantasy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 13, 2021 09:23AM · 1 like · like