Vanessa Hall's Blog, page 21
July 1, 2022
Interview and Giveaway: Preacher on the Run by Jayna Baas
STANDING FOR TRUTH COULD COST HIM HIS FREEDOM.
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM COULD COST HIM HIS LIFE.
It’s 1771, and North Carolina is at war. On one side stands established religion and the power of the Crown. On the other side stands a dangerous freedom of conscience.
Robert Boothe has spent the last four years leading the tyrant-hating Regulators against North Carolina’s corrupt British government. All he wants is a safe place for his little Baptist church to live and worship God.
But choosing sides has made Robert a target. The Church of England wants him to shut up. The governor wants him dead.
Time: 12:00 AM EST June 27–12:00 AM EST July 4 (winner announced on July 4)
Prize: One winner will receive a signed copy of Preacher on the Run and one 12-ounce bag of
American Patriot Coffee Co. Independence Medium Roast. All entrants will receive a promo code for
use on http://www.booksbyjayna.com. Open to US residents 18 and up or with parental consent. No
purchase necessary.
Enter!Interview
VH: Hi, Jayna, and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being willing to chat with me. I’m so excited to have you join me today.
JB: I’m excited to be here! Thank you for having me.
VH: Tell me a little bit about your writing journey. When did you first start writing?
JB: I think I started writing as soon as I learned how. I still have a story I wrote when I was seven about a boy named Lester Billy Frognoodle and his pet spider. At the age of nine, I wrote a kids’ mystery book that my mom hand-copied and taped into a file folder for me. Throughout my teens, I wrote about twenty (shortish) books, many of which will never see the light of day. I started Preacher on the Run after deciding I was finally ready to tackle a full-length novel.
VH: What’s the hardest part about writing for you?
JB: Plotting is the bane of my existence. I tend to edit as I go and then adjust the storyline accordingly, so plotting gets to be quite a mess. It’s also challenging to create authentic internal arcs that develop properly over the course of a whole book. Sometimes, though, the greatest struggle is making myself take a block of time and just write.
VH: What are your favorite genres to write in? What genres can you never see yourself writing?
JB: I enjoy writing historical fiction and have dabbled in contemporary and suspense. I always enjoy a good action scene. I don’t see myself ever writing much in the way of speculative or biblical fiction. Essentially, I enjoy writing the same genres I enjoy reading.
VH: What’s one of your best pieces of advice for an aspiring author?
JB: Stick with it and don’t rush it. Writing is challenging but rewarding. It can also be tempting to release a story into the world long before your story and the world are ready for each other. It’s said that ninety percent of manuscripts submitted to traditional publishers aren’t even ready for editing, and that number is most likely higher in the indie world. Study your craft and make it the best it can be, even if it means a professional editor or multiple rewrites (which it probably will). Also, for historical fiction writers, my best advice is the advice someone else gave me: Write what people actually believed in their era, not what modern opinions would dictate.
VH: What’s your favorite type of character to write?
JB: Conflicted characters are rather fun, as are hawk-eyed, lone-wolf fighter types. But my favorites are the ones who naturally generate snappy dialogue. They’re blunt or spontaneous, or they create humor without necessarily intending to.
VH: At what point did you realize you wanted to publish? How did you decide to go with indie publishing?
JB: I think I always wanted to publish “real” books, hence the construction paper and file folders. I never really considered traditional publishing; I learned early about indie publishing and knew I wanted to control the process. (It’s a good thing no one gave me a Kindle upload button back in the construction-paper days.) I finally took the plunge after I had showed Preacher on the Run to so many beta readers that I needed to either publish it or be quiet about it.
VH: What are the challenges of writing historical fiction? And what are the best parts?
JB: My favorite historical fiction features a backdrop of real historical events, so I strive to create a fictional storyline that fits into an accurate historical timeline. It can also be challenging to remain true to the era and not force modern-day attitudes on the characters. A British novelist once said, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” At the same time, it’s incredibly freeing to know I don’t have to make my characters do what I would do. I can let them do what people historically did in that context. I love learning fascinating facts along the way and then getting the chance to share them with my readers. It’s inspiring and sometimes sobering to learn from the past.
VH: What are your best tips for researching as an author?
JB: Bibliographies and interlibrary loan programs are my friends. 
The researching method that works for me is to do a “flyover” of the era or idea I want to write about, picking out the exact timeframe and plot points to work with, then “zooming in” for a second pass as I outline. If I research too deeply at the beginning, I’ll forget the details because I haven’t narrowed my focus yet. If I don’t delve into those details as I outline, I’ll write myself into a historical corner.
VH: What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?
JB: I want readers to learn something they didn’t know or hadn’t thought of before, which is why I pick topics such as the Regulator Uprising. I also want to demonstrate biblical truth in engaging ways. The power of Christ is an amazing thing, both in the mighty act of redemption and in the daily process of becoming more like Him. Whether it’s through a character battling a particular struggle, living out some principle of Christian faith, or just acting as a follower of Christ in everyday life, I hope readers will see living, growing faith on the pages of my books.
VH: What do your upcoming projects look like?
JB: I’m working on the trilogy of which Preacher on the Run is a part. I have some contemporary suspense ideas on the back burner, but it will be a while before I investigate those further. My email list is a great place to stay updated on my latest projects, and I also love to connect with readers on Goodreads and BookBub.
VH: Thanks so much for chatting with me today, Jayna! It was a pleasure to have you on the blog.
JB: You’re welcome! It was a pleasure to be here.
About the Author
Jayna Baas, pronounced as in “baa, baa, black sheep,” is the author of Preacher on the Run and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. She lives in northern Michigan with a great family of real people and the family of pretend
people who live in her head. (Yes, she does know her characters are not real. No, she does not want you to tell them she said so.) Although she enjoys multiple genres, 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). Learn more and sign up for an exclusive short story at http://www.booksbyjayna.com.
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June 29, 2022
New Release: Midnight Will Come by Kristina Hall
She can’t escape the past …
Mellie Rivers’s job as a nurse allows her to help those the dystopian government has deemed unworthy of medical care. The threats she’s been receiving are a small price to pay. Besides, she has the help of her new neighbor—German missionary and powerlifter Friedrich Wolf.
Friedrich didn’t expect to be drawn into protecting Mellie, but now he’s getting all too close to her—and to the danger threatening her life.
When the threats turn to something more, Friedrich and Mellie face a danger neither of them could’ve imagined, and they’ll have to find a way to escape a situation that has no escape.
Because midnight has come.
Kristina Hall is a sinner saved by grace who seeks to glorify God with her words. She is a homeschool graduate and holds a degree in accounting. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, arm wrestling, lifting weights, and playing the violin. Subscribe to her newsletter: https://kristinahallauthor.ck.page (less)
June 27, 2022
Review: Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman
Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My first book by this author, and what a lovely first read Kate’s Innocence was!
Characters: Let’s start off with Kate herself. She was definitely an interesting character, and I still wanted to know more about her by the time the book ended! (Great job on the author’s part, given this is a series.) I enjoyed the combination of college student and ex-military in her character – and the latter certainly came in handy in different parts of the plot. Then there was Patrick – what a great guy! He was so loyal and devoted to her even when he didn’t have clear proof she was innocent. And the way he always comforted her with Scriptures? Yep, that’s an amazing sort of guy. And the rest of the team … I loved it! All the different personalities and the way they worked together were entertaining and encouraging. Brian was definitely a standout, but Kim’s wisdom and gentleness was so sweet, too. And as for the villain … I won’t give any details for spoilers, but that was an interesting reveal. (I will say, for once in my life, I actually kind of figured out who the badguy was!)
Setting/Writing Style/Plot: Since Kate was a college student, parts of the book took place on a college campus, but a lot of it centered around the police station. Maybe that wasn’t the most exciting place (especially for poor Kate), but there was a lot of thinking and questioning to be done to figure out the mystery! The writing style was very clean (the proofreader, editor, and author did an amazing job). I will say sometimes the reactions of the characters seemed a little lacking or just not as emotional as I would’ve imagined if I’d been in their places. As for the plot … wow, very cool! I can tell the author did some research for the book, and the plot was quite tight and worked well. Really threw me for a loop at the ending! While it wasn’t the most suspenseful book, the pacing wasn’t slow, and there was plenty of intrigue and character development to keep things moving.
Theme/Moral: One big theme that stood out to me was trusting God in all things and in every moment of our life. Both Kate and Patrick struggled with different aspects of trusting the Lord, and it was a wonderful reminder to trust God in the hard times and the bad times. It was also so sweet that Kate realized that God had used the FBI team to show His love for her!
Overall, Kate’s Innocence was a quick, easy read with a nice mystery and a wonderful cast of characters. Check this out if you’re looking for a clean, FBI/law enforcement read!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
June 24, 2022
Cover Reveal: IRON by Madisyn Carlin and Roses, Thorns & Curses by Jenavieve Rose
I am so excited to be part of the Feathers and Roses: All Things Fairy Tale Dual Cover Reveals (hosted by Jen’s Author Assistance) to help reveal the covers of Iron by Madisyn Carlin and Roses, Thorns, & Curses by Jenavieve Rose!
IRONEnforcing justice comes with a price.
Detective Redwyn “Red” Deathan will stop at nothing to uncover those behind the ruthless kidnappings of multiple children. But things are not as they seem, and Red’s efforts are thwarted at every turn. With each discovery the danger grows, putting Red and the lives of those she cares about at risk. Can she reveal the mastermind’s identity before she herself becomes a target?
Preorder!GoodreadsABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious bookdragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales of redemption, faith, and action.
Want to connect? https://linktr.ee/madisyncarlin
ROSES, THORNS, & CURSESA Fae bides her time, waiting to unleash her wrath on those who betrayed her. A prince seeks the answer to the dream that has plagued him for months. A princess who has lain in slumber awakens to find her world not quite right.
When Sorren finds the answer and awakens the princess, he also finds himself involved with a curse. Before Maelle can exact her revenge she is enslaved by Sorren’s brother, a beast of a man who pits Fae against Fae in his uncle’s arena. Aurana must navigate memory loss and her newfound Dreamwalking abilities that send her between her world and the realm of the Fae. After Sorren and Aurana work with an old friend of Maelle’s to rescue her from the arena, they must seek help from someone who betrayed Maelle if Aurana wishes to control her Dreamwalking before she descends into madness.
When an ancient evil from the Fae realm threatens them all, they must set aside their own agendas to stop the looming darkness and learn that righteous vengeance shall overcome what revenge has left broken asunder.
PreorderGoodreadsABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jenavieve Rose has had a love for stories and a highly-active imagination her whole life. Creating her own stories and worlds through Fantasy, or any other branch of Spec-Fic, makes her feel closest to her Creator. In doing so she mimics The One Who created all things. She’s inspired by a myriad of different books, movies, and even video games, but especially by fairy tales. She writes stories where good overcomes evil and hope shines all the brighter through the darkness, for those are the stories that mean something, the ones that really matter.
Music also inspires her and her writing, sparking a story idea or fueling her passion on a topic she wants to share. It’s rare to see her without her headphones on and either worship music or movie soundtracks flitting between her ears.
In all she does she strives to do the will of her Father and spread His hope.
Website – https://jenavieves-reveries-newsletter.ck.page/d50bd06259
Coming September 2022!
June 22, 2022
Interview + New Release: Falling for the Farmer by Hannah Foster
Annabelle Stuart made the mistake of falling in love with her brother’s best friend. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to notice her beyond being Austen’s little sis. Annabelle becomes a roller coaster of emotions as she attempts to be just friends with a guy she loves dearly. Can she put her ultimate hope in Christ even if her romantic dreams never turn out the way she hopes?
Cash Reagan may be muddling in self-pity a little too long when a broken engagement breaks his heart. When he is finally awakened to the condition of his wayward heart, Cash seeks to rebuild his walk with God. But as his relationship with God deepens, so does a relationship with a dear friend. Can he navigate a budding romance while putting God first?
GoodreadsAmazonIn honor of the release of Falling for the Farmer, I got to interview the amazing Hannah Foster! I read Hannah’s last book a few months ago (Something Sweet, Someone Sweet), and I really appreciate the way she writes such gentle, godly romances. If you’re looking for a short, sweet read, check out her books!
Interview with Hannah!VH: Hi, Hannah, and welcome to the blog! I’ve been wanting to interview you for a while now, and I’m so excited to have you join me today. And a big congratulations on your recent release, Falling for the Farmer!
HF: Awe! Thank you so much! I’m excited to be here!
VH: Tell me a little bit about your writing journey. When did you first start writing?
HF: Well, I started journaling as a young teen and started blogging at sixteen. But I didn’t start writing fiction seriously until the last three years. I got into fiction right before moving to Israel for two years, and that lonely season of my life helped motivate me to put in a lot of writing.
VH: What’s the hardest part about writing for you?
HF: I think the editing. I start getting bored of my own writing after rereading it so many times and every time I reread it, I see more of its flaws, making it discouraging. I also sometimes struggle with the middle point of the story. That’s probably because I’m a panster and don’t plan much of anything before I start writing.
VH: What authors have deeply influenced your writing?
HF: Jan Karon influenced me with her town of Mitford, her delightful, unique characters, and the everyday life that takes place in her stories. Jane Austen has influenced me with her humor and talent though I don’t know if I will ever manage to write as well as she did. Louisa May Alcott has influenced me with the gentleness of her stories. And Grace Livingston Hill has contributed to my love for sweet clean romance. I’m sure there are a ton of other authors, as well, but those are just a few.
VH: What’s one of your best pieces of advice for an aspiring author?
HF: Be strong enough to embrace your own writing style, but also be willing to accept feedback or critique. We don’t have to write exactly how every other popular author writes, but there are also always some things we can learn to grow and do better in.
VH: What’s your favorite type of character to write?
HF: Oh, dear. I don’t know. I do love writing quiet, strong gentlemen. Or sassy, feminine women. Probably because I can be a bit sassy myself. 
VH: At what point did you realize you wanted to publish? How did you decide to go indie?
HF: I think when I decided about three years ago that I would try writing fiction, was when I decided to get published, especially as I learned more about indie publishing. Publishing my own stories was a way for me to be motivated to really try and do my best. Indie publishing helped make that affordable.
VH: You write very sweet, gentle romances (which I love!) What are some of your best tips for writing clean and beautiful romance stories?
HF: Keep Christ at the center of a relationship, just like one should do in real life. Also, taking from my own experience of dating, keep the focus on getting to know each other’s hearts rather than just focusing on the physical aspects. Too often in real life and in books, the focus is far too much on the physical and the looks rather than on really having a relationship with that person.
VH: What was the inspiration behind Falling for the Farmer ?
HF: I think I saw a writing prompt that sparked the initial idea and from there it turned into a whole story.
VH: What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?
HF: I want them to mostly see how important it is to keep Christ at the center of any relationship. If Christ isn’t the center then everything gets off balance.
VH: What do your upcoming projects look like?
HF: I have a secret project that I am working on with several other women. But I also am actually working on a story for Austen, the brother of Annabelle. And hopefully with Falling for the Farmer being published it will motivate me to get the brother’s story finished too.
VH: Thanks so much for chatting with me today, Hannah!
HF: You’re so welcome! I enjoyed this immensely!
About the Author
Hannah Foster was born and raised in North Carolina where she was homeschooled with her eight siblings. She attended college in Minnesota where she got her bachelor’s degree in literature, learned to survive temperatures of below zero, and became Mrs. Foster. From a young age, Hannah has loved reading. Throughout her teen years, she also enjoyed journaling and blogging, but it wasn’t till her mid-twenties that she discovered her love for penning her own stories. Hannah’s desire is that the words she writes would bring hope and light in a dark world. Besides reading and writing, she also enjoys baking, watercolor painting, and all things vintage.
Connect with her at her blog!
June 20, 2022
King’s Daughters’ Writing Camp!
Credit to The Unofficial KDWC Street TeamBefore I started thinking about publishing, I really had no idea there were so many other fellow, like-minded writers out there. Beyond my sister, I don’t think I knew anyone else around my age who wrote Christian fiction. And then, when I finally bit the bullet and stepped into the world of publishing, I discovered so many writers out there just like me!
So, when I last saw a blog post about the King’s Daughters’ Writing Camp (I think it was Madi’s that I really convinced me), I was intrigued. I’d heard of NaNoWriMo before and wanted to do it, but it always fell in November (why do they do these things to poor students? November is the end of the semester, and it’s crazy busy!) So when I heard about a Christian version NaNoWriMo (even though it was in November again), I forced my introverted little self out into the wilds of camp and met so many amazing people.
So I have written this long story to inform you that KDWC is opening registration for a July camp! (When it’s summer, and I don’t have to fret about homework!) Joining KDWC is completely FREE – all you have to do is sign up and then either open Slack through your internet browser or download their app.
Now, if you’re like me, you might you feel a little lost or overwhelmed among all the spaces. But never fear! You shall learn the ropes in short order, and feel free to tag me (@Vanessa Hall) or any of our lovely Aunties.
There’s also an option to choose which tent you’d like to be in, so feel free to put me down as the friend you want to be tent-mates with! Or you can pick random and be pleasantly surprised with where you end up. (I’ve done that both times, and it’s kinda fun to get the surprise.)
And finally, KDWC has zero commitments. The only requirements are you have to have some sort of writing goal (even if it’s just figuring out what story you want to work on next) and to follow the Camp Rules. Camp sign-ups are open from June 20th and remain open until the last week of Camp. Camp’s virtual gates open a few days prior, but the official camp starts on July 1st!
So, if you’re already convinced to join us, sign up here!
If you’d like more info, feel free to ask away in the comments and check out KDWC’s website.
June 17, 2022
The Get to Know Me Tag!
Rules!
Link back to the person who created the tag. (Savannah! Thank you!)Thank the person who tagged you. (Grace and E.G. Bella – thank you!)Share the tag graphic (see above!)Tag eleven bloggers Vital Stats and Appearance(pen)Name: Vanessa Hall. And yes, that’s my real name. I thought about having a pen name, but I decided I would get way too confused and probably give away my actual name at some point!
Nicknames: Hmm, I don’t really get that many nicknames even though I love nicknames in general. 
I have been called Nessa before, though, which was super cool!
Birthday: I think this one is classified information. I’ll just say it’s in May. Is that enough?
Hair color and length: Brown. Sometimes it has some lighter highlights, but it’s basically brown. And the length depends on how happy my curls are. It’s actually way longer than it looks most days, because it just scrunches up into curls.
Eye color: Brown. Yep, I got those beady little French eyes from that side of my family.
Braces/piercings/tattoos: No piercings or tattoos, but I had braces and wear glasses.
Righty or lefty: Right-handed!
Ethnicity: A jumble of European stuff (Scotch-Irish, English, French, German). Then there’s at least a few drops of Cherokee Indian in there somewhere!
FirstsFirst novel written: Hmm, I guess there were a few there at the beginning, but one of the first was my wonderful epic about the people with eight kids that each had their own POVs. Needless to say, I never got around to all of the kids’ POVs because the story was so short.
First novel completed: Well, two answers here. First was my Civil War novel that ended at exactly 100 pages because … well, because when you reach a certain page number, you know your story is done!
Just kidding. But I think my first “real” novel that I completed was the first of a later Civil War series. Funnily enough, it was entitled Grace Sufficient. (Yeah, I stole that one for my series.)
Award for writing: Nope, no awards.
First publication: Unknown, published last August. (Can you believe my babies are nearly a year old?) It seems like ages ago, but I don’t know how that much time has passed.
Conference: Nope.
Query/Pitch: Never, and it sounds quite scary.
FavoritesNovel (that you wrote): This is not a fair question! Eesh, this is so hard. I guess my favorite would have to be the fourth book in the Grace Sufficient series. (At least it used to be.) It was the easiest book I’ve ever written, but we’ll see what I say when I have to edit that mess.
Genre: Overall, I’ve got to say historical fiction. (I know, I know, I write romantic suspense, but I’ve also wrote several historicals, and I love reading that genre.)
Author: For fiction, obviously my sister, Kristina.
Writing Music: Whatever strikes my fancy in the moment. It also depends on what sort of writing I’m doing. If I’m writing something terrible (um, difficult) like a research paper, it usually turns out to be Irish music. (Because I need something very light and fluffy.) Other times it’ll be some sort of hymn or something. But recently, it’s been really hard for me to edit and listen to anything. My brain cells just get overwhelmed, I guess.
Time To Write: Definitely afternoon/evening.
Writing Snack/Drink: Tea. Always tea! Hot tea is my favorite (green and herbal), but cold tea is also pretty good. As for snacks … dried fruit is yummy. Like dried pineapple. Yum. Or dried mini bananas (they’re so good!) Or dates or figs or mangoes …. yeah, I love dried fruit. Nuts are also really good.
Movie: Hmm, I don’t know if I have a favorite movie. I do really like The Sound of Music, though I have some complaints, per usual. (Rolf? Grr, that guy.)
Writing Memory: I’ve had some really amazing writing sessions before, and those were super fun. But also when the Lord just taught me something through writing or a scene came out especially well … yeah, those were good.
Childhood Book: Horse books. I specifically remember The White Stallions of Lippizza. I adored that book!
Reading: Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman. I’ve been enjoying it!
Writing: The sixth book in the Grace Sufficient series. Oh those poor, precious people …
Listening to: Well, I have to listen to myself practice the violin, so that’s fun. (Well, it’s fun sometimes, but not when my intonation goes south.) And I usually listen to a mix of folk songs, Irish songs, and hymns/Christian music.
Watching: Does Youtube count? I don’t really watch many movies or TV shows in general …
Learning: I wouldn’t say I’m a very good student, but I’m definitely learning how to rest in the Lord. Not striving for anything to make myself feel like a Christian or prove to myself that I’m worthy to be a Christian … but trusting Jesus and His sufficiency that has made me His.
FutureWant To Be Published: Yup, and praise the Lord, it’s done!
Indie or Traditional: Indie!
Wildest Goal: Ahh, this one’s hard. Publishing 100 books in my lifetime? Becoming a bestseller? I don’t know. I should probably be one of those more driven, dreamy people that reach for the stars, but I’m just not. I guess my biggest goal is just to obey God and to pray that I can change lives with my writing.
Wow, that was a long tag! Thanks for sticking in there with me. I don’t think I can’t tag 11 people who haven’t been tagged, so I’ll just do a few, and if you’re interested in doing the tag, consider yourself officially tagged!
I tag …
Alyssa @ Seeking the Timeless Anchor
Bethany @ A Ruby in the Rough
Sherrice @ Penlightenment
Lillian-Keith @ The Introspective Introvert
June 15, 2022
Some of My Favorite Pieces of Classical Music
Other than writing, one of my other passions is music. I love many different types of music, but I’m very biased to classical music. (Not surprising, since I’ve played it for the vast majority of my life.) Strangely enough, I think classical music can be a lot like reading a book – if you don’t understand any of the words of the book, you won’t have an enjoyable reading experience. The same holds true for music – the more you understand music, the more you will appreciate it and enjoy it. Even though I love music, I like a piece much better if I have some background and familiarity with it.
So here are a few of my favorite classical pieces with a few of my ramblings to give a little context! I hope maybe this introduces some new favorites for you or gives you a new perspective on an old favorite. I also think many of these would make great music to write to if you’re that sort of person.
Even if you’re not a musician, you’ve probably heard of Johann Sebastian Bach. The dude was an absolutely incredible musician and composer, and he’s known for so many pieces: concerti, the Brandenburg Suites, canatas, and of course his suites for unaccompanied instruments (probably most famously for the violin and the cello.)
For much of my life, I wasn’t a fan of the Baroque era of classical music (the era in which Bach lived and composed.) I studied some of the movements from the Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin, but push finally came to shove in the form in March 2020. (Everyone knows what happened then.) I couldn’t play any pieces with my accompanist at school, so in the summer of 2020, I embarked on a Bach journey.
It wasn’t love at first sight, that’s for certain, but I grew increasingly fond of each piece I studied. And last semester, I reached what I think is the pinnacle of Bach’s violin suites: the Chaconne in d minor. This is close to twenty minutes of grief, hope, longing, and desire, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Bach reportedly wrote this when he arrived home to find that his first wife had died in his absence.
All of the sonatas and partitas are worth listening to, but the Chaconne is, in my opinion, the best of the best!
Tchaikovsky’s 4th and 5th SymphoniesIn my book (figuratively, of course), anything by Tchaikovsky tends to be epic. The man knew how to write melodies like no other. They’re simple, yet full of longing and pain and joy. Tchaikovsky himself is not a good role model – dude had some serious issues—but he wrote some of the most beautiful, famous music in the world, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, concerti, and several symphonies.
And that’s where things get really good. The fourth and fifth symphonies are probably some of my favorite orchestra literature out there. I’m massively biased toward the fourth because I played it long ago and far away in youth orchestra, but the fifth might just edge past it. I would recommend the recordings by the Oslo Philharmonic – Vasily Petrenko is one of my favorite conductors, and this Russian dude definitely knows his Russian lit.
Dvořák’s New World SymphonyI’ll tell you upfront: Dvořák in general is amazing. He, like Tchaikovsky, had a talent for developing gorgeous melodies. Being Bohemian, he was very influenced by his homeland, but after a brief trip to America, he wrote the New World Symphony in honor of the folk songs of America. Somehow, this Bohemian guy wrote a symphony that sounds incredibly American! He also wrote a string quartet (“The American”) that is as close to a rollicking cowboy movie soundtrack as there was before cowboy movies existed!
Yeah, I love Dvořák.
I’m a major music history nerd, and Shostakovich is just an example of why that is. His 5th Symphony was written while he was trying to stay alive and satisfy the Soviet demands. It’s probably the most listener-friendly of his symphonies, and the pain he expresses has to stem directly from all he and his country has suffered from their Communist oppressors.
His Seventh Symphony, commonly called the “Leningrad Symphony,” probably has the most dramatic and heartbreaking story attached to it. The city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), was sieged by the Nazis, and though he escaped before the worst hit the city, his heart was always with his home. The 7th Symphony is a tremendous work, and the first movement contains an irritating, yet unforgettable, motif that seems like it will never end (begins around 7:08). Whether that’s the Communist oppression or the Nazis’ advance, that’s up to the listener, but it’s an amazing piece of music. For further reading, check out this book I just reviewed!
Violin Concerto in Gm by Max BruchFinally, this is a sort of honorable mention. Bruch is near and dear to my heart for a couple reasons. First of all, because I wrote a long research paper about him. But mostly – and this was the reason I wrote that paper – I adore his Violin Concerto in g minor. It’s the concerto I’ve spent the most time with, and for such a conservative composer, Bruch created such a romantic and heart-wrenching composition. It’s definitely one of my favorite violin concerti of all time—again, I’m wildly biased. His Scottish Fantasy is also so worth a listen. Although it’s known as “Scratch Frantically” among violinists, it contains beautiful melodies from Scotland even though Bruch was a German composer!
I hope you enjoyed this little foray into classical music! Do you know or love any of these pieces? Do you have a favorite composer or piece of classical music? Do you enjoy writing with music in the background?
June 13, 2022
Review: Place of Refuge by Kristina Hall
Place of Refuge by Kristina Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow … okay, I need to take some deep breaths after that one. This entire series has been thick with suspense and danger, but this final book in the series takes everything to the highest level!
Characters: Having read the first two books already, it was great to come back to familiar characters. My poor Tony … that man really deserves a break. But as he was in the first two books, he’s that flawed yet steady character that everyone needs in their lives. Yeah, he made mistakes, but he was a very loyal and committed person, both to his friends and family and to God. Definitely a great guy right there. And then Merri, sweet Merri. I really identified with her problems and struggles with trusting God in the face of so much. Her thoughts and reactions were so realistic – there was no sugar-coating things here. And all the side characters were pretty great – Wes and Matilda were always such voices of faith and reason! They were amazing. Rick was his normal epic self, though I will say he kinda went on a power trip. (But I forgive him, because he was stressed.) And Brent … standout character right there. He brought some much-needed comic relief. Love that guy! The rest of the side characters were also interesting and added to the story.
Plot/Writing Style/Setting: Oh my word, this plot. This was so suspenseful and fast-paced. Mix a survival book with a dystopian book, and this is what you get. Pretty engaging stuff right there. Although the plot was fairly straightforward, there were also some curveballs thrown in there. The writing style worked really well with this type of book – clean and simple while giving the reader plenty of insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings. And for the setting … yeah, this wasn’t as dystopian as some books I’ve read, but that element of the book was definitely there, and it upped the plot to another level!
Moral/Themes: Okay, where do I even start here? This book truly presented one of the hardest questions that a Christian would answer. (At least in my opinion.) (view spoiler)[ When Eastman gave Merri the option to deny Christ or watch Tony be killed, I had to turn that question around on myself. That’s a horrible question to have to think of, but it’s so good for us to ask ourselves things like that. Would we stand strong? Would we cling to the Lord, or would we fall in the face of watching our loved ones suffer? (hide spoiler)] So that was a really powerful and scary part of the book. But even in the midst of this very threatening environment, the characters found refuge in the Lord and His faithfulness. That’s a very applicable truth for all Christians, and though we might not ever be in the position Tony and Merri were in, God is still our Refuge throughout all of our lives. We change, we falter, we stumble … yet He is faithful.
Overall, wow … this series in thought-provoking, terrifying, entertaining, but most of all, edifying. Books that teach truth and exalt the Lord above all are so needed, and Place of Refuge is one of these books.
June 10, 2022
The Blog is One Year Old!
Wow.
It’s crazy to even say this, but it’s been a year since I first started this blog.
I still remember the day I finally broke down and created the website in the midst of frantic edits of Unknown. I was drinking lots of tea (what you do when you’re me, and you also have a terrible cold/sinus infection that clings to you for way too long), and I was simply overwhelmed by how many options and pages I had to create for the blog.
And , as usual, my amazing sister, Kristina, came and helped me because she’s a pro.
But when I was setting up all those pages and finagling with technology and trying to decide what would look the best, I had no idea what a blessing this blog would become.
Or rather, how much of a blessing you all have become! I never really associated with other writers (except my sister, of course), and I really didn’t know there were a lot of other writers out there. But then I discovered this whole population of people who love the Lord and truly understand my love of writing stories about fake people in fake worlds in fake times. You guys are the honestly the best!
And for those of you who aren’t writers, it’s been so amazing to meet other people who love stories and find so much enjoyment in reading them. Stories are such a gift from the Lord, aren’t they?
So, in honor of my blog’s anniversary, I decided to highlight some of my favorite/most popular blog posts from this last year. Beware – these are some severe ramblings.
The Long, Convoluted Story of My Life As an Author
Publishing is Scary. Why Did I Decided to Pursue It?
Live in Today’s Calling – And Hope in a Sure Future
Unworthy Launch Week: Safety Found Not in Ourselves
Well, that’s a wrap on this post! I had a blast looking back at my rambling posts (I need to learn how to be concise), and I hope you enjoyed it at well. Thank you all so much for an entire year of following along and reading and commenting, and here’s to many more ramblings!
