Phoebe Hinkle's Blog: Chronicler's Corner, page 3
June 5, 2025
The Rescue Tag
Hi folks! I’ve found that I have an awful lot of fun with tags, so I decided to create my own. I posted something like this on Goodreads a while back, but I thought I’d turn it into a proper tag for others to enjoy as well.
The Rules
-Link back to this post 
-Thank who tagged you
-List the rules
-Answer the questions (feel free to add pictures if you like!)
-Tag others
-List a clean copy of the questions
The Questions
I’m actually going to answer these questions twice – once for my fandoms and once for my own characters. These don’t have to be just from books if you don’t want to, movies/audios/games/etc are all options!
1.) Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?*thinks about all the villains I’ve read/watched* Honestly, I have no clue. Because what reason would a fictional villain have to kidnap lil’ ol’ me? Any of the Redwall villains might – if I was an animal – but only because I’d be an otter, lol. 
Stede Bonnet from The Black Buccaneer might work too, or one of the Tom Swift Jr. villains. Any of Chuck Black’s villains might kidnap me because 1.) that’s what they do and 2.) I’m a follower of the King. So I think I’ll just leave things open for any villain to take me. 
Depends on who it is! Tom Swift villains might take me to a stronghold in a remote mountain range; Stede Bonnet would keep me on his ship; and Chuck Black’s villains would lock me up in their fortress dungeon.
3.) Okay, now you’re in a fix. Which 5 characters (1 per book/movie/fandom) do you want to come rescue you?*rubs hands together* This is where things get fun! This list is gonna be a little different from the one I’d had on Goodreads, because I’ve given a little more thought to it. My rescue crew would include, in alphabetical order:
Aragorn from Lord of the Rings
(I’ve never watched the movies, but I still think Viggo Mortenson looks PERFECT in the role. )
Lady Carliss from Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
Sgt. Chip Saunders from the Combat! tv series (1962-1967)
(Saunders is the one in front, with those beautiful blue eyes. I wouldn’t object if he brought Kirby (behind) with him, though!)
Shane from Shane
(I’m only familiar with movie Shane; I want to read the book but haven’t gotten around to it yet. But movie Shane would be on my list of top 10 heroes.)
Tom Swift Jr. from the Tom Swift Jr. series
4.) Explain why you chose these characters.So I figured it would be a good idea to have a mix of characters from different genres, because they might need different skills depending on who kidnapped me. Aragorn‘s strengths are: he’s a leader; a Ranger who knows the ways of the land; and he’s got some experience with fighting the “dark lord” types. Carliss is also from a medieval land; she’s a natural with a bow; a great swordfighter; willing to venture into places most people wouldn’t to rescue her friends. Saunders is also a leader; has mad Tommy gun and grenade skills; and personally keeps an eye on everything going on around him. Shane is a pro gunfighter with dead aim who’s always on the alert. And Tom is an inventor with an analytical mind who can whip up gadgets in short order with few resources.
5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?Hmm, not really. They’re all very sensible types and I think they’d probably get along fine.
And now, to answer the questions with my characters . . .
1.) Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?I think the most likely would be Zahn from To Stand. He’s a sneaky, conniving guy with lots of plans up his sleeve – anyone who can wriggle his way out of dying (I’d planned to kill him off originally) probably wouldn’t hesitate to kidnap his own author. As for the reason, that’s pretty easy; he’s got designs on seeing further action, and probably wants to force me to write any future books his way. 
2.) Where would said villain take you?Who knows? Maybe to some hideout in his home country of Cathay, or wherever he’s been operating recently. Leiale, Valleyfair, one of Veridon’s colonies? Idk 
Ooh boy . . . this is where it gets hard 
I have several from WIPs that would be good choices, but imma stick with the published books so y’all can relate. 
Jesse from We Gave Our Tomorrows
Rhett from End of the Earth
Smoke from To Stand
Sussex from The Treasure Beyond
(I knowwww the AI image has issues. Don’t blame me ok )
Troy from Thunder of Time
4.) Explain why you chose these characters.Jesse is a tough soldier and a good shot with some medical knowledge. Rhett can swordfight, shoot a bow, and wrestle. Smoke is street-wise and highly skilled at infiltration tactics and spying. Sussex is a doctor (do I really want 18th-century shipboard medicine tho?!) and a big strong guy. Troy is also super strong (literally!) and got gladiator training.
5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?Again, not really? I don’t think the others will get too annoyed with Smoke’s and Troy’s optimism. The only issue might be if Smoke follows his nose to where the food is, but I think he can sort out any trouble he brings on himself.
Now it’s your turn! Feel free to steal the tag if you like, just please remember to link back here. And I am going to tag two people, actually . . . Katja @Little Blossoms for Jesus and Miss Special @SheKindaWrites.
And here are the questions:
1.)Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?
2.) Where would said villain take you?
3.) Okay, now you’re in a fix. Which 5 characters (1 per book/movie/fandom) do you want to come rescue you?
4.) Explain why you chose these characters.
5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?
Enjoy! 
May 27, 2025
The Bookworm Tag
Katja @Little Blossoms for Jesus left this tag open, and I told her I would steal it, so here it is!
The (very simple) Rules:
-Answer the questions
-Make up new ones
-Tag people
1.) What is your favourite classic? (Feel free to rave.)
Ooh . . . that depends on how we define ‘classic’. Because I consider LOTR a classic, but it was published in the 50s, making it too late by some standards. So if we stick with ‘older than 1920’, I loved A Tale of Two Cities, but I think my all-time favorite is Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott. It’s such a sweet, lovely story – much different from my usual high-stakes adventure and war stories, lol – but I love the focus on family (found and biological) and the deeper lessons revealed. Miss Celia is one of my fictional heroines (and I don’t say that lightly, because I don’t have a lot of favorite female characters).
2.) What is your least favourite classic? (Feel free to rant.)
I only read part of it in high school literature, but . . . Pride & Prejudice. *hides* 
Sorryyyy Austen fans I just couldn’t get into it, and the characters weren’t grabbing me at all. If I’d read more I might have enjoyed it, but I wasn’t in the mood for a romantic slog. 
3.) What was your first favourite book that you can recall?
Oh, goodness . . take me back to the unremembered years of my childhood. 
Man, that’s a really hard one . . . but when I was little, I liked Richard Scarry’s Busytown books, and also Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. But I remember LOVING the book Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt.
4.) Which author do you want to read more of?
Chuck Black. I’m over halfway through his Knights of Arrethtrae series, and after that I want to read Kingdom and the Starlore Legacy. We’re both going to be at the same homeschool conference in a couple weeks, and I can’t wait to meet him again! 
5.) Have you any bookish merch to show off?
Sort of . . . ? I mean, I don’t have any *official* merch (except the Songs from Redwall cd), but I’ve made some stuff myself – mostly for my own books. I’m a Lego nerd, so I have Lego people for several of my characters, and I got the Veridon dragon shirt custom printed. 
Pardon the wrinkles and cat hair all over the shirt, lol.
6.) Do you have any specific memories or locations tied to a book?
My dad bought me a copy of Jesus Freaks at a used bookstore in Lexington KY. I sat in the humid hotel room reading the whole thing in just 2 days. 
But it always makes me think of Kentucky now whenever I read it!
7.) What’s the book on your shelf that you find the prettiest?
It’s a tie between The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem and The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh. Those were both mainstays of my childhood and my copies are lovely editions.
8.) Which do you prefer: buddy-reading/group-reading or reading alone?
Reading alone, I think, although I do love having someone to fangirl with after the fact. But I also love it when my dad reads aloud to us.
9.) If you could receive a gift card to buy all the books of one author in print, which author would it be?
Ahh, now how is that fair?! There’s so many great authors out there Again, probably Chuck Black. He’s really one of the only contemporary authors I read. Though I might go with G.A. Henty too, because he was PROLIFIC, and overall I enjoy his stories.
10.) How is your reading going for this year? Any books you want to be sure to read?
It’s . . . going? I’ve read 18 books so far, and according to Goodreads I’m 10 books behind my schedule if I want to make 70 by the end of the year. I usually make it up in summer though, due to the library’s summer reading challenge. Plus I’m out of school now, yay! 
I want to read A Noble Comfort by Katja Labonté Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black, The Guns of Shiloh by Joseph Altscheler, The Vale of Mysteries by Jared Michaud, Promise of Refuge by Jayna Baas, and Fighter Escort by Don Patterson.
Let’s see, now . . . I’m going to tag . . . Miss Special @SheKindaWrites. And here are my 10 questions!
1.) What’s the oldest book (by publication date, not counting the Bible) that you’ve read?
2.) If you could change one thing in your favorite book, what would it be?
3.) What book would you like to see made into a movie?
4.) Have you ever dreamed about a book?
5.) Is there a song that reminds you of a book or character every time you hear it?
6.) Which character do you think has influenced you the most?
7.) If you could marry a character, would you? Who would it be?
8.) Is there a character that you find to be a lot like you or someone you know?
9.) If you were holding a ball at your author castle, which characters would you invite? (Your characters or others’.)
10.) Is there an author that you haven’t read yet, but really want to?
May 26, 2025
In Memoriam
Here in America, this is the day we set aside to remember all those who gave their lives in the service of our country. It doesn’t matter their origin, time of service, or branch – each one proved his or her love for America with the ultimate sacrifice, and they are worthy of our honor.
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, and it was meant as a time to remember the Union soldiers who fell in the Civil War/War Between the States. (Several Southern states also began to observe Confederate Memorial Day.) Over time it was expanded to include those fallen in other wars.
To most people, Memorial Day simply means a three-day weekend and a time to celebrate the start of summer. I have nothing against that, but we should remember that this holiday is a solemn occasion. Our heroes gave their utmost for us – let’s make sure that we don’t forget them. They are worthy of our honor.
The best tribute I can think of is this lovely song by the D-Day Darlings:
There is another One who gave His life as the sacrifice for your freedom – not just in this life, but for eternity. Do you know Him as the Captain of your salvation?
May 22, 2025
We Have a New Look!
Hello my friends! Black Otter Books finally has a new, much more professional look. The original website was built with Dreamweaver, and while it worked for a while, it was time for a change. Since I learned WordPress in college, and I run another WordPress site for We Gave Our Tomorrows, I figured it would be pretty easy to switch over. And it was . . . sort of. I’m still figuring out the differences between the free vs paid interfaces. (I’m already telling ya, the free one’s easier.)
Thanks for your patience as I figure things out!
May 8, 2025
Happy VE Day (and Logan's release!)
It's been 80 years since WWII ended, y'all, and of course
We Gave Our Tomorrows
is releasing today! You can check out the blog post I wrote for it on the WGOT website.Go have fun with some 40s-themed activity while I head off to the East! 🚗👩🎓🎓
May 2, 2025
We Gave Our Tomorrows Release Day
I am actually going to be on the road on May 8th, driving back East for my graduation ceremony which is on the 11th! 👩🎓 (I took college online, which is why I have to drive cross-country to the ceremony. 🫠) So I will not be online to post anything on release day proper.
But, Phoebs . . . if you're gonna be driving, why did you set the release for the 8th?
Well, I set the date long before I realized I wouldn't be home. But I had a reason for making release day the 8th, which is a Thursday instead of my normal Saturday release. Some of y'all have probably heard this before, if you stay connected over at the We Gave Our Tomorrows site. But for those of you who haven't, May 8th this year is the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. So, since it's going to be the end of my WWII writing journey (at least for that book, there will probably be others!) I figured it was fitting to release We Gave Our Tomorrows on V-E Day.
Now, there will be a post on the WGOT site for release day, because I can pre-write and schedule posts on WordPress. So if you really want something special to mark the release, you'll want to head over there next Thursday. 😉
February 4, 2025
We Gave Our Tomorrows Trailer!
My brother and I had a lot of fun making this one. We got to put all our military Legos to good use!
January 2, 2025
New Year, New Videos!
Here's the link so you can watch it!
I also fixed the trailer we made for The Treasure Beyond - the old version (which is still on YouTube, btw; I didn't feel a need to delete it) was from the days when I was still publishing with Lulu, so the information needed updating.
In other news, I finished the first round of edits for We Gave Our Tomorrows . I'm planning to have my editor (dad) look at it another time before sending it to beta readers.
December 16, 2024
COVER REVEAL! 🥳
But first, history.
So y’all know me, I like to have significance behind dates. For example, I’m planning to publish this on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. That begs the question: what’s so special about December 16th? I mean, it’s 9 days before Christmas – 10 days before Logan’s birthday – but that isn’t all that interesting.
Well, as it happens, December 16th was a day the guys in the 4th Infantry wouldn’t soon forget. For the past week or so, they had been resting in Luxembourg after their disastrous time in Hürtgen Forest. But on the morning of the 16th, *things* happened. Artillery started coming in, and shortly afterward the German ground troops attacked. It was the beginning of the Ardennes Offensive, better known to us as the Battle of the Bulge.
While the fighting in Belgium is the best-known part of the Bulge, it actually extended across a wide sector of the American lines. The 4th Infantry happened to be on the very southern end of the attack. They were able to hold their ground and kept the vital communications hub of Luxembourg City from falling to the enemy. Within a short time, the 4th’s situation had stabilized, and they launched a counterattack.
Logan and friends are there for the initial attack, but y’all will have to wait for the book to see what happens to them. 😉
And, speaking of which, since it IS a cover reveal day:
ARE
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YOU
…
READY?
Here we go . . .
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(I’m super happy with this one because it’s a very different style for me. 😁)
December 13, 2024
6th Anniversary & Giveaway Winners!
6 years ago, I went insane.No, I'm just kidding. 😉 I'm still sane (mostly), just INCREDIBLY tired. (I *could* go off on a long tangent about how sometimes we Christians do seem a little crazy because sometimes God asks us to do WILD things . . . but I won't.)
Anyway, yeah - I've been a published author for six years, and y'all have heard this spiel before, so I'll skip it this time around. But it's really funny sometimes how God works; the first book I published was set in WWII, and now 6 years later, the next book I'm going to be publishing ( We Gave Our Tomorrows ) is also set in WWII. But this time I did my research. 😉
I thought it would be interesting to compare my writing from both books. Prepare for cringe:
Never Left Alone, 2018
The general rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly. "Happy and foolish are two entirely different matters. There is a time and place for playfulness, and this is neither. Franz, you are twenty-two years old! Can't you stop behaving childishly?"
"Afraid not, sir," Franz replied, doing his best to put on a mournful face. "It's a part of who I am."
"Fine, you may be dismissed," the general told him. "If you can do anything seriously at all (which I doubt), try to think seriously about what I said."
Um, yeah. That was how I wrote back then. 😬
We Gave Our Tomorrows, 2024
Jack cocks his head, looking at my face. “Hm, that is a nice scratch. If you’re lucky, it might scar, and then you’d look heroic like me.” He grins, touching the shrapnel scar on his own cheek.
“You, heroic?” Sam scoffs.
“Yeah, me. Just like my brother Jimmy. Did I tell you about how he shot down a Jap at Pearl Harbor and made it in the Oakland Tribune – especially since he had to bail out with a dozen Zeros on his tail?”
“About a hundred times. Get your own heroic tail back upstairs before I kick it up there for ya.”
Jack makes a face at him. “You’re not Parker, you can’t tell me what to do.” He neatly avoids Sam’s lunge at him and takes the stairs two at a time.
Maybe one of these days I'll rewrite that original book. It needs a major overhaul though so it would be pretty unrecognizable. 😆
Y'all are probably impatient to find out who won a book, so we'll get on to the giveaway entries now. The winners are . . .
- To Stand and Balsam & Spice wax melt: Greta B.
- End of the Earth and Kona Coffee wax melt: Esther K.
And I didn't announce this before, but I decided to draw a surprise third winner. So another copy of To Stand goes to Faith A.!
Congrats to the winners, stay safe, have a merry Christmas, and God bless y'all!
And don't forget that We Gave Our Tomorrows cover reveal is on MONDAY!
