Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Freedom’s Ring
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.heidichiavaroli.com/
CITY:
STATE: MA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two sons.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AVOCATIONS:Running, baking, hiking.
AWARDS:Launch Pad Contest winner, Novel Rocket, 2011; Genesis Contest winner, American Christian Fiction Writers, 2014.
RELIGION: Christian.WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer based in Massachusetts. She specializes in historical romance novels with a Christian perspective.
Freedom's Ring
Chiavaroli’s first book is Freedom’s Ring. The novel includes a dual narrative. One storyline is set in the recent past, while the other is set in 1770. In the more recent storyline, Annie David is given a mysterious ring after having been rescued by a stranger during the Boston Marathon bombing. Annie begins to research the ring’s origins. The sections of the book in the eighteenth century focus on Liberty Caldwell, who who steals a ring from a British military officer after he assaults her. It is revealed that Annie possesses that ring.
In an interview with a writer on the Reading Is My Superpower website, Chiavaroli compared the two protagonists in Freedom’s Ring. She stated: “Both Annie and Liberty share the struggle of regret and fear. Annie wonders how she will ever get past the bombing and the subsequent choices she made. Liberty fears she will have to face the man she stole a ring from—a man who showed her nothing but kindness.” She told the same writer that the message she hoped readers would take away from the book was “that being weak, being inadequate, isn’t a bad thing. In fact, as soon as we think we’ve ‘gotten it right,’ then we often stumble on our pride. We often think we can look to ourselves for strength. Or if not ourselves, then our great faith. But maybe it’s not how together we have it. … Maybe it’s whom we put our faith in.”
A contributor to the God’s Particular Treasure Rae website remarked: “The cover is lovely, and the story, too.” However, the contributor described “having a hard time switching gears, getting into one character’s story and then having to switch to the other.” Other assessments of Freedom’s Ring were more favorable. “Chiavaroli’s writing flows easily and the pacing keeps the pages turning in this moving novel that covers tough topics … with realism,” asserted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly. Karen Rigby, critic on the Foreword Reviews website, commented: “Chiavaroli captures the spirit of the eighteenth century with sharp insights.” Rigby added: “Evocative, rich with symbolism, honest in its portrayal of human errors, Freedom’s Ring explores what happens when individuals reach the limit of their own ability.” Writing on the Historical Novel Society website, B.J. Sedlock suggested: “Chiavaroli’s recreation of Liberty’s 1770s world is absorbing.” Sedlock concluded: “Chiavaroli’s debut novel is fine inspirational fiction.”
The Hidden Side
In 2018, Chiavaroli released The Hidden Side. In an interview with a contributor to the Engrafted Word website, she compared the book to her debut novel. Chiavaroli noted that The Hidden Side “also has a dual contemporary/historical storyline. … The story explores what happens when a family is torn apart by the unspeakable actions of one of its members—and how a woman from the past helps them to heal. The historical story will take readers back to the Revolutionary War and will focus on a real historical character—a woman who served as a spy for the Patriots.” The present-day protagonist is Natalie Abbott, the host of a radio advice show. In 1776, Mercy Howard becomes a revolutionary spy after her fiancé is killed. She finds herself falling for John Andre, from whom she is trying to gather intelligence.
Amanda Geaney offered a favorable review of The Hidden Side on the Christian Shelf Esteem website. Geaney asserted: “The Hidden Side in a word—poignant.” Geaney added: “Physical action, sensory imagery, and absorbing prose combine for a fantastic and unforgettable drama. … It’s a book for parents, teachers, social workers, anyone ministering to youth, and book clubs—definitely, book clubs!”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, June 12, 2017, review of Freedom’s Ring, p. 49.
ONLINE
Christian Shelf Esteem, http://christianshelfesteem.wordpress.com/ (March 26, 2018), Amanda Geaney, review of The Hidden Side.
Darlene Franklin Website, http://darlenefranklinwrites.com/ (July 24, 2017), article by author.
Engrafted Word, http://theengrafteword.net/ (June 27, 2017), author interview.
Foreword Reviews Online, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (March 16, 2018), Karen Rigby, review of Freedom’s Ring.
Gods Peculiar Treasure Rae, https://godspeculiartreasurerae.wordpress.com/ (September 16, 2017), review of Freedom’s Ring.
Heidi Chiavaroli Website, http://www.heidichiavaroli.com (April 9, 2018).
Historical Novel Society, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (August 1, 2017), B.J. Sedlock, review of Freedom’s Ring.
Reading Is My Superpower, http://readingismysuperpower.org/ (July 17 2017), author interview.
Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer, runner, and grace-clinger who could spend hours exploring Boston's Freedom Trail. She writes Women's Fiction and won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. Her debut novel, "Freedom's Ring" is a Romantic Times Top Pick and a BOOKLIST Top Ten Romance Debut, 2017. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle.
Connect with Heidi online at her website (heidichiavaroli.com) or on either of these social media platforms:
Facebook.com/HeidiChiavaroliAuthor
Twitter.com/HeidiChiavaroli
Heidi Chiavaroli
Heidi Chiavaroli began writing eleven years ago, just after Jesus had grabbed hold of her heart. She used her two small boys' nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn't stopped writing since!
Heidi won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. Her debut novel, Freedom's Ring, was a 4½-star Romantic Times Top Pick and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut.
Heidi loves exploring places that whisper of historical secrets, especially with her family. She loves running, hiking, baking, and dates with her high-school sweetheart and husband of fourteen years. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle. Visit her online at heidichiavaroli.com.
Writing Tips: Heidi Chiavaroli
July 24, 2017/5 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Darlene Franklin
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Today I’m happy to introduce Heidi to you…
Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer, runner, and grace-clinger who could spend hours exploring Boston’s Freedom Trail. She writes Women’s Fiction and won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle. Visit her online at heidichiavaroli.com.
Finding Freedom With Your Writing Voice
One of my biggest struggles on my journey to publication was the often frustrating advice to “find my writing voice.” As if the giver of guidance was certain I even had one! But the more I wrote, and the more I inched (very slowly) toward my writing goals, the more I came to understand this complicated thing called “voice.” As it turned out, I did have one—and whether you believe it or not, you do too.
Here are a few things that have helped me find freedom in my writing voice over the years:
~ Read
You probably already do this, so have fun! Read and read widely. When you find an author you like, read as many books of theirs as you can. Often what we like about their style might be their voice. Are their words lyrical? Humorous? Blunt? If we read enough of a certain type of writing, we might just find that same style appearing in our own manuscript.
~ Write
You knew this was coming, right? But the more we write, the more freedom we find in our words. We loosen up a bit, maybe quit analyzing so much. It’s often here—when we’re not scared of breaking the rules—that our voice is set free.
~ Get Real
In his book, Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass says, “To set your voice free, set your words free. Set your characters free. Most important, set your heart free.”
Don’t hold back with your writing. We are sometimes tempted to guard off the vulnerable pieces of our heart from spilling onto the page (or computer screen), but don’t. We only rob potential readers of the best stuff when we do this. Instead, we must let down our guard. Be honest and real with our words. Be vulnerable. Be free.
Your readers will thank you!
Heidi Chiavaroli began writing eleven years ago, just after Jesus had grabbed hold of her heart. She used her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since! Heidi won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. Her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, was a 4½-star Romantic Times Top Pick and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Heidi loves exploring places that whisper of historical secrets, especially with her family. She loves running, hiking, baking, and dates with her high-school sweetheart and husband of fourteen years. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle.
Heidi is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.
Awards
~2014 ACFW Genesis Contest: Winner, Historical Category
~2014 ACFW Genesis Double Semi-Finalist, Historical Category
~My Book Therapy’s 2014 and 2013 Frasier Contest: Bronze Medalist
~My Book Therapy’s 2012 Frasier Contest: Finalist
~2012 ACFW Genesis Contest: Semi-Finalist, Historical Category
~2011 Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad Contest: Winner, Historical Category
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My Publishing Journey
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Ten years ago, I first felt the desire to write stories. Jesus had just grabbed a hold of my heart, and I couldn’t ignore the itch to write stories that would display his amazing grace.
Months earlier, I had given birth to my second child, and with an active toddler on my hands, I snatched what precious minutes of writing I could during naptimes. I didn’t write at night, or even tell my husband that I was secretly pursuing such an endeavor. But each time my children went in their cribs, I’d take out the big old laptop—or more often than not, real pen and lined paper!—and write. Secretly, of course. This was just a crazy fantasy, after all. I didn’t want to look foolish.
Eventually I joined American Christian Fiction Writers in order to enter their Genesis contest for unpublished writers. This was at the end of 2006. I casually mentioned the small expense to my husband.
Well, those first contest scores came back—along with a no-response to my first agent-targeted query—and I went into a writing depression. I think it was four months before I looked at my story again. But God kept pulling me back. The simple fact of the matter was, I couldn’t imagine not writing. I found a critique group, continued to learn the craft, suffered all manner of rejections, and four years later, in 2010, I won a scholarship to attend ACFW’s national conference, where I met some amazing women also pursuing publication. Four years after that, in 2014, I actually won the Historical Category of the Genesis contest (the same contest that had depressed me for so many months eight years before). This contest helped me land a top-notch agent.
Honestly, at this point, I assumed I was on my way. National contest win, check. Great agent, check. But as my agent submitted my most recent novel at the beginning of 2015, rejections started rolling in. With doubts nipping at those typing fingers, I started Manuscript #6. I assumed by now that I had probably put as many hours into my writing career as a person pursuing their Master’s Degree put into their total college education. I refused to see those hours go to waste. Something must simply come from them.
When my agent read Manuscript #6, she was enthusiastic about the story. But that first draft had some problems. After a conference call discussing what needed to be fixed, she gave me a month to make the changes. I woke up at 4AM to write, homeschooled my kids during the day, and fell asleep before poor Hubby (who was working fervently to finish our major house renovation) had even gotten into the shower.
During this time, I received distressing writing news. My agent was leaving and whether or not I stayed at the agency depended on the quality of Manuscript #6.
My poor family…I’m not sure I even fed them as I worked to finish the book. Thankfully, we were staying at my parents’ for a week while our floors were getting done. My mom made sure my family didn’t starve.
I submitted the story, once again gave its fate over to God, and waited. Meanwhile, I got a part-time night job at the garden center of a popular retail store. This would enable me to be around to school my children during the day.
Fortunately, this time, the wait wasn’t so long. My now-agent (who I had sent that first query to all those years ago—isn’t God amazing?) liked the story and started submitting it to editors right away. I will never forget the night my husband and two boys surprised me by coming into the garden center where I worked. I put down my leaky hose, wiped my hands on my super-attractive blue smock, and hugged them. When my husband told me my agent had left a message on the home phone with news of a contract offer, I almost fainted and fell into the petunias. Really.
A few weeks later, I signed a two-book contract with Tyndale Publishers, my all-time dream publishing house.
My dear friends who feel this crazy pull to write...if you are discouraged or wonder if this dream will ever happen for you, hold fast. Some make it look easy. But for some of us, God has a different timetable, a different plan. Persevere. Throw yourself into the arms of Jesus. And run that race.
QUOTED: "also has a dual contemporary/historical storyline. ... The story explores what happens when a family is torn apart by the unspeakable actions of one of its members—and how a woman from the past helps them to heal. The historical story will take readers back to the Revolutionary War and will focus on a real historical character—a woman who served as a spy for the Patriots."
nterview with Heidi Chiavaroli & GIVEAWAY
Posted on 27 June, 2017 by SavannaSavanna — 64 Comments ↓
Heidi Chiavaroli is a women’s fiction author who seeks to portray authentic women finding boundless grace in Jesus. Her stories are largely split-time novels, weaving the past and the present together with hope. Heidi is the winner of ACFW’s 2014 Genesis Contest, Historical Category. Her debut novel will release this August from Tyndale Publishers. Heidi lives in Massachusetts with her high school sweetheart (AKA husband), two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Heidi is represented by Natasha Kern of the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.
Visit her at http://www.heidichiavaroli.com/
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Welcome to the blog, Heidi. I’m so honored to have you here today. Congratulations on the upcoming release of your debut novel. I am so excited to read it. 🙂
Thanks for having me, Savanna!
So tell us a little about your book. 🙂 Which character are you most excited for readers to meet and why?
Freedom’s Ring begins when an antique ring reunites a Boston Marathon bombing survivor with the man who saved her. Together they unearth the two-hundred-year-old history of a woman who suffered tremendous loss in the Boston Massacre, a woman torn between the love of two men—one a Patriot and one a Redcoat.
I am so excited for you to meet all the characters in Freedom’s Ring, but I think if I had to pick one it would be Liberty. She definitely has some spunk to bring to colonial Boston and I loved getting to know her—and learn from her—as I wrote!
It sounds soooo good! I’m so excited to read it soon.
When did you first start writing this book and how long did it take you to finish it?
Although this is my debut novel, this was the sixth manuscript I wrote. I’ve gotten faster at writing with each manuscript. (I think my first manuscript took two to three years—and that one isn’t fit to ever see the light of day!) The actual writing on this book took about four months, which didn’t include research—that was at least another three. 🙂
Who is one of your favorite authors? It’s okay if you want to name more than one. 😉
My all-time favorite is definitely Francine Rivers. Her Mark of the Lion series totally changed how I viewed fiction and inspired me in so many ways. Other favorites include Cathy Gohlke, Katie Ganshert, Melanie Dobson, Susan Meissner, Kristin Hannah and Christa Parrish. I could keep going, but I’ll stop myself!
That’s a great group of authors right there! 🙂
When did you first start speaking? Do you have a personal favorite subject among the topics you offer?
Speaking is definitely a newer thing for me. I’ve done many Bible studies at my church, but only recently began branching out. I recently spoke to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, and that was tons of fun. I think eventually I would really enjoy speaking encouragement to other writers as well. We’ll see where God leads on that.
I was there in 2014 at ACFW when you won the Genesis Award. 🙂 What a special moment! Can you share with us something you’ve learned along the way as you’ve entered in writing contests?
That was a special moment I will always treasure. Contests though, are a funny thing. The first time I received feedback from the Genesis (about ten years ago) I stopped writing for months. I was devastated over my scores and feedback. But after I finished moping and chose to learn from the judges’s comments, my writing did improve. No one has this writing thing perfected. We can all learn something, so it really is best if we humble ourselves and try to view our writing as a piece of art that can always be bettered. Not always an easy task, I know!
The strange fact is, no agent or editor was interested in the manuscript that won the Genesis in 2014. Tears of the Outcast is still one of my favorites, and hopefully I will be able to share it one day. But while the contest was useful in helping me secure an agent, and while it definitely got the attention of the publishing community, it didn’t magically propel me to publication.
I would definitely encourage writers to enter contests, but don’t hang your entire career on them. Learn from them and use them as a tool to persevere in the industry. 🙂
Wonderful advice, thank you. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
My next novel also has a dual contemporary/historical storyline and will be releasing with Tyndale in the summer of ’18. The story explores what happens when a family is torn apart by the unspeakable actions of one of its members—and how a woman from the past helps them to heal. The historical story will take readers back to the Revolutionary War and will focus on a real historical character—a woman who served as a spy for the Patriots. I’m eager to share it with you!
Awww, I’m adding this to my TBR list already! 😉 Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Heidi. I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing your book soon. 😉
GIVEAWAY!!
Heidi has graciously offered to give away a copy of Freedom’s Ring. Enter below and it could be YOU! ;)
QUOTED: "Both Annie and Liberty share the struggle of regret and fear. Annie wonders how she will ever get past the bombing and the subsequent choices she made. Liberty fears she will have to face the man she stole a ring from—a man who showed her nothing but kindness."
"That being weak, being inadequate, isn’t a bad thing. In fact, as soon as we think we’ve 'gotten it right,' then we often stumble on our pride. We often think we can look to ourselves for strength. Or if not ourselves, then our great faith. But maybe it’s not how together we have it. ... Maybe it’s whom we put our faith in."
Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Heidi Chiavaroli & Freedom’s Ring
July 17, 2017 Carrie Author Interview, giveaway, Heidi Chiavaroli 106
I’m really excited about today’s guest! I recently read and reviewed (for a magazine) and LOVED her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring.
Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer, runner, and grace-clinger who could spend hours exploring Boston’s Freedom Trail. She writes women’s fiction and won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. Her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, releases from Tyndale House Publishers in August 2017. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle. Visit her online at HeidiChiavaroli.com.
You can connect with Heidi on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads and Twitter.
Her debut novel, FREEDOM’S RING, releases August 8, 2017 from Tyndale House.
Boston, 2015
Two years after nearly losing her life in the Boston Marathon bombing, Annie David is still far from “Boston strong.” Instead she remains isolated and defeated―plagued by guilt over her niece, crippled in the blast, and by an antique ring alongside a hazy hero’s face. But when she learns the identity of her rescuer, will he be the hero she’s imagined? And can the long-past history of the woman behind the ring set her free from the guilt and fears of the present?
Boston, 1770
As a woman alone in a rebellious town, Liberty Caldwell finds herself in a dangerous predicament. When a British lieutenant, Alexander Smythe, comes to her rescue and offers her employment, Liberty accepts. As months go by, Alexander not only begins to share his love of poetry with her, but protects Liberty from the advances of a lecherous captain living in the officers’ house where she works.
Mounting tensions explode in the Boston Massacre, and Liberty’s world is shattered as her brother, with whom she has just reunited, is killed in the fray. Desperate and alone, she returns home, only to be assaulted by the captain. Afraid and furious toward redcoats, Liberty leaves the officers’ home, taking with her a ring that belonged to Alexander.
Two women, separated by centuries, must learn to face their fears. And when they feel they must be strong, they learn that sometimes true strength is found in surrender.
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Hi Heidi! Welcome to the blog! I start all of my guests out with a fast four:
apples or oranges
Heidi: Apples! Because they’re so versatile. One of our household favorites is German apple pancakes. Yum!
Carrie: Oh yum! That sounds divine!
winter or summer
Heidi: Summer, because the beach when it’s warm is my favorite place. 🙂
Carrie: I’m not really a beach-person but I do love the ocean and just listening to the waves crash on the shore.
dogs or cats
Heidi: Dogs, because I’m allergic to all cats, but not all dogs. We have a standard poodle named Howie who never makes me sneeze!
Carrie: YAY for dogs! And for no sneezes 😉
coffee or tea
Heidi: Definitely tea. I have a dairy sensitivity and I just don’t like coffee without the cream. I love a good cup of chamomile tea plain, though.
Carrie: I have never liked either one but I’ve always loved the idea of chamomile tea because I read about it so often lol.
Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?
Heidi: I would definitely choose a superpower that allowed me to travel back in time. And return safely to 2017, of course.
Carrie: Well, of course. That should be a requirement of any time-traveling superpowers 😀
Which books are ‘on your nightstand’?
Heidi: A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, Perfect Strangers by Roseann Sdoia, A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner, The Illusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy Cambron, and once Kristin Hannah comes out with a new book, that will be there too. 🙂
Carrie: Ahhhh!! So many of my faves! Excellent reading choices!
Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?
Heidi: At the breakfast bar in my kitchen. There’s tons of natural light, which is a must for me while I write (or while I do anything, really!). If it’s cold I wrap myself up with a blanket and a cup of tea and I’m good to go.
Carrie: Natural light is very soul-satisfying, isn’t it?
In Freedom’s Ring, the story slips back and forth between Boston, 1770 and Boston, 2015. What do Liberty (1770) and Annie (2015) have in common?
Heidi: Both Annie and Liberty share the struggle of regret and fear. Annie wonders how she will ever get past the bombing and the subsequent choices she made. Liberty fears she will have to face the man she stole a ring from—a man who showed her nothing but kindness.
Carrie: I love both of these heroines, and Liberty’s story nearly undid me. So captivating!
If you could slip back in time for a brief (or extended) visit, where would you go?
Heidi: Oh my, this is just the best question ever, and probably the most difficult! There are so many places I would want to go, but first I’d definitely want to check out Israel at the time Jesus ministered there. How cool would that be?! Then I would want to swing by colonial Boston. I’ve spent so much time there in my head, I’d want to see the real deal. Italy during the Renaissance would be another must-see. 🙂
Carrie: All of those places would be must-visits for me, too! Also, a stop or two on the Underground Railroad and visiting with the ten Booms during WW2.
What do you most want readers to take away from Freedom’s Ring?
Heidi: That being weak, being inadequate, isn’t a bad thing. In fact, as soon as we think we’ve “gotten it right,” then we often stumble on our pride. We often think we can look to ourselves for strength. Or if not ourselves, then our great faith. But maybe it’s not how together we have it, or even how big our faith is. Maybe it’s whom we put our faith in. Jesus is strong enough to take all our regrets and mess and make them into something beautiful.
Carrie: Oh yes. Amen.
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Heidi: My next novel also has a dual contemporary/historical story line and will be releasing with Tyndale in the summer of ’18. The story explores what happens when a family is torn apart by the unspeakable actions of one of its members—and how a woman from the past helps them to heal. The historical story will take readers back to the Revolutionary War and will focus on a real historical character—a woman who served as a spy for the Patriots. I’m eager to share it with you!
Thank you so much for having me, Carrie!
Carrie: Come back anytime! (And I cannot wait for your next book!)
QUOTED: "Chiavaroli's writing flows easily and the pacing keeps the pages turning in this moving novel that covers tough topics ... with realism."
Freedom's Ring
Publishers Weekly. 264.24 (June 12, 2017): p49.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Freedom's Ring
Heidi Chiavaroli. Tyndale, $14.99 trade paper (425p) ISBN 978-1-4964-2312-2
Two women united by a ring but separated by time tie together Chiavaroli's engrossing debut novel. Annie David survives the Boston Marathon bombing after being taken to safety by an unknown rescuer who gives her an antique ring and promises to find her again. The novel moves back in time to 1770, when Liberty Caldwell comes to Boston in search of her brother. After she fails to locate him, she decides to stay and takes employment as a British lieutenant's housekeeper. It is a tumultuous time in Boston, and despite the lieutenant's attempts to protect his employee, she is assaulted by a British captain. In her distress, she steals the lieutenant's only ring and flees the escalating tensions in the city. In present day, Annie is struggling with depression and guilt after her niece was crippled in the bombing. However, receiving the ring and researching Liberty's history help Annie to overcome her negative feelings. The two women, separated by hundreds of years, both struggle through fear and loss to discover their true strength. Annie and Liberty are flawed, but their pain is familiar, creating an instant, lasting connection with readers. Chiavaroli's writing flows easily and the pacing keeps the pages turning in this moving novel that covers tough topics such as PTSD, sexual assault, and forgiveness with realism and nuance. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Freedom's Ring." Publishers Weekly, 12 June 2017, p. 49. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495720684/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=55ddcd08. Accessed 16 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495720684
QUOTED: "Chiavaroli captures the spirit of the eighteenth century with sharp insights."
"Evocative, rich with symbolism, honest in its portrayal of human errors, Freedom’s Ring explores what happens when individuals reach the limit of their own ability."
FREEDOM'S RING
Heidi Chiavaroli
Tyndale (Aug 8, 2017)
Softcover $14.99 (425pp)
978-1-4964-2312-2
Freedom’s Ring explores what happens when individuals reach the limit of their own ability and allow God to step in.
Heidi Chiavaroli crafts a wise Christian romance out of volatile circumstances in Freedom’s Ring, a novel about finding the courage to start anew, detailing the lives of two women across centuries. From the Boston Massacre and the American Revolution to the Boston Marathon bombing, history proves the triumph of grace.
Anaya David—a marathoner injured in the 2013 bombing, whose now estranged sister and niece were also injured—struggles to reclaim her relationships. Together with Brad, a man who helped save her, and who entrusts her with a family ring, she embarks on a journey to uncover the ring’s history. Their genealogical quest alternates with a fascinating account by Liberty Caldwell, a young American in the 1770s whose loyalty is tested, and with Anaya’s slow re-entrance into her sister’s life.
An uncomplicated plot emphasizes characters whose imagined guilt keeps them from accepting the bounty life has to offer. Christian themes on God’s sovereignty and forgiveness are drawn without glossing over the hardships the characters face when confronting their fears. Anaya dwells on her role in her niece’s injury, believing that had she only completed the race sooner, she and her relatives could have avoided the bombing. Liberty hesitates in admitting the full facts of her past to her betrothed. Each character finds the healing value in moving forward. A dynamic narrative alternates between eras, allowing one woman’s challenges to spur the other’s. Loose parallels between their attempts to embrace new love highlight the flawed self-image they’ve formed in response to pain.
Chiavaroli captures the spirit of the eighteenth century with sharp insights. Liberty’s chapters especially resound for their delicate portrait of a woman caught between patriotism and pragmatism. Despite rising tensions in her community, the need to make a life for herself as the sole survivor of her immediate family takes precedence. Her involvement with the British—when it would have seemed traitorous—provides an original canvas for conflicting emotions. They reach a crescendo in an unexpected encounter that reveals Liberty’s complex personality.
Evocative, rich with symbolism, honest in its portrayal of human errors, Freedom’s Ring explores what happens when individuals reach the limit of their own ability and allow God to step in.
Reviewed by Karen Rigby
July/August 2017
QUOTED: "Chiavaroli’s recreation of Liberty’s 1770s world is absorbing."
"Chiavaroli’s debut novel is fine inspirational fiction."
Freedom’s Ring
BY HEIDI CHIAVAROLI
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The story alternates between present day and the 1770s in this inspirational novel. Anaya feels a tremendous burden of guilt after she is wounded and her niece loses a leg in the Boston Marathon bombing incident. She distances herself from her sister’s family for several years, which leads to resentment. Then Anaya reconnects with a man who helped her on the day of the bombing by giving her a family heirloom ring as a token of support. The ring is connected to Liberty Caldwell, sister of a Boston Massacre victim in 1770 and a reluctant servant for two British officers. Liberty is sexually assaulted by one of them. The book’s alternating chapters keeps the reader guessing about whether Liberty will find happiness, and whether Anaya and family will overcome the trauma of the bombing.
Readers will inevitably compare how two PTSD victims from different centuries worked to overcome their respective traumas. Chiavaroli’s recreation of Liberty’s 1770s world is absorbing, and I enjoyed that part most, since it was historical. Anaya is a flawed person but works to make changes, and her bumpy relationship with her sister is true to life. Chiavaroli’s debut novel is fine inspirational fiction.
Details
PUBLISHER
Tyndale
PUBLISHED
2017
GENRE
Inspirational, Romance
PERIOD
Multi-Period
CENTURY
18th Century
PRICE
(US) $14.99
ISBN
(US) 9781496423122
FORMAT
Paperback
PAGES
385
Review
APPEARED IN
HNR Issue 81 (August 2017)
REVIEWED BY
B. J. Sedlock
QUOTED: "The cover is lovely, and the story, too."
"having a hard time switching gears, getting into one character’s story and then having to switch to the other."
Book Review: “Freedom’s Ring” by Heidi Chiavaroli
Posted on September 16, 2017
Toothless Books (10)
“Freedom’s Ring” by Heidi Chiavaroli
Historical/Contemporary Fiction
Review copy through Tyndale Blogger Program
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
About the Book:
Boston, 2015
Two years after nearly losing her life in the Boston Marathon bombing, Annie David is still far from “Boston strong.” Instead she remains isolated and defeated―plagued by guilt over her niece, crippled in the blast, and by an antique ring alongside a hazy hero’s face. But when she learns the identity of her rescuer, will he be the hero she’s imagined? And can the long-past history of the woman behind the ring set her free from the guilt and fears of the present?
Boston, 1770
As a woman alone in a rebellious town, Liberty Caldwell finds herself in a dangerous predicament. When a British lieutenant, Alexander Smythe, comes to her rescue and offers her employment, Liberty accepts. As months go by, Alexander not only begins to share his love of poetry with her, but protects Liberty from the advances of a lecherous captain living in the officers’ house where she works.
Mounting tensions explode in the Boston Massacre, and Liberty’s world is shattered as her brother, with whom she has just reunited, is killed in the fray. Desperate and alone, she returns home, only to be assaulted by the captain. Afraid and furious toward redcoats, Liberty leaves the officers’ home, taking with her a ring that belonged to Alexander.
Two women, separated by centuries, must learn to face their fears. And when they feel they must be strong, they learn that sometimes true strength is found in surrender.
My Thoughts:
The cover is lovely, and the story, too. What kind of threw me off, to be honest, was the switching back from one time period to the next with each chapter – I found myself having a hard time switching gears, getting into one character’s story and then having to switch to the other, etc. I must confess that I “cheated” and just read the story of Liberty’s first, switching off about halfway through to catch up on Anaya’s, and then slowly eased my way into reading it “normally” towards the end where it made most sense to do so. By reading it in this unconventional way, I was able to enjoy it more, personally.
Liberty’s story was a little heart-rending, the struggles and pain she had to go through. She had a hard life.
I felt for Annie (Anaya), and her own trials she had to deal with.
Really, both of these characters dealt with struggles and trials that shaped their lives. They were not free from pain, but they learned to live through it and eventually, find God’s Grace, Mercy, and Salvation.
The historical side of this book was actually my favourite, and where I connected the most. Though **SPOILER** I wanted her to marry Alexander in the first place. Redcoat or not. END OF SPOILER***
But yes, it was a good book, one I’m sure many will enjoy.
QUOTED: "The Hidden Side in a word—poignant."
"Physical action, sensory imagery, and absorbing prose combine for a fantastic and unforgettable drama. ... It’s a book for parents, teachers, social workers, anyone ministering to youth, and book clubs—definitely, book clubs!"
Review: The Hidden Side by Heidi Chiavaroli
March 26, 2018Amanda Geaney
thehiddensideNew York, 2016
Natalie Abbott offers answers for hurting listeners on her popular radio program. But she struggles to connect with her teenagers, with her daughter in an unhealthy relationship and her son uncommunicative and isolated. When one member of the family commits an unspeakable act, Natalie is forced to uncover who she truly is under the façade of her radio persona.
New York, 1776
Mercy Howard is shocked when her fiancé, Nathan Hale, is arrested and hanged as a spy. When she’s asked to join the revolutionary spy ring in Manhattan, she sees an opportunity to avenge Nathan’s death. But keeping her true loyalties hidden grows increasingly harder as the charming Major John Andre of the King’s Army becomes more to her than a target for intelligence.
Mercy’s journals comfort Natalie from across the centuries as both women struggle with their own secrets and shame, wondering how deep God’s mercy extends.
My Thoughts
The Hidden Side in a word—poignant. Prepare to be immersed in the lives of two families where loyalties are questioned and secrets are laid bare. In the end, I believe they all discover there’s only One true path to freedom.
Heidi Chiavaroli has left an indelible mark on my heart with her second novel. I attribute this primarily to the emotional depth she employs in her writing. More than once, a physical ache settled in my chest as I contemplated the grief, shame, and brokenness her characters endure. As I continued to read I knew this would be a book people will rave about—it’s a book I can’t stop thinking about!
The two timelines are connected through Mercy’s journal. I didn’t discern an immediate link between Natalie and Mercy’s stories, so for roughly three-quarters of the book, I gravitated towards the modern day storyline. There was something about being a mom and envisioning myself in Natalie’s situation that anchored me. Yet, when Natalie begins to draw strength from the writings in Mercy’s journal, everything came together beautifully.
Physical action, sensory imagery, and absorbing prose combine for a fantastic and unforgettable drama. This book stirred me to compassion not only for victims of crime but for those who have family members who are incarcerated. For this reason, I recommend it to everyone. It’s a book for parents, teachers, social workers, anyone ministering to youth, and book clubs—definitely, book clubs!