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Christian Schaal

Christian Schaal

About

Whydo we write?  For some, writing means asource of revenue or fame.  Most however,are filled with words that, once constructed, provide an outlet for a passionand message contained within them.  Iwrite for this reason.

 

Storiesrun through me constantly, most with a message I feel for humanity.  In years prior to this book, I have focusedmy writing, at least my writing for public consumption, on plays designed tomove people; to help build them and move them towards their potential.  All of these carry a strong message ofencouragement.  One of these plays,“Choose You Must”, is currently a novel in the works.

 

Thisbook too, is about message.  If youexperience a level of entertainment, enjoy. However, that is not my intent. Most of the writings placed in this book come from my own livedlife.  The balance, are those expressingsome of my deep feelings.  All, I hope,will provide you with a sense of message. What message, I cannot define for you. We each have our own perspectives and realities, so what you derive fromthe following pages is yours and yours alone.

 

Mydesire and intent in life is to be an uplifting man, and a man of uplifting.  With this book, I have moved closer to beingsuch a man.

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

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<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>

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<h1><span style="font-size:12pt;font-weight:normal;">Holly V. Hendrick</span></h1><p></p> <h1><span style="font-size:12pt;font-weight:normal;">OMG Christian! That was some of the most touching, beautiful poetry and prose that I have ever read!! It is honest, painful, delightful, joyous and breathtaking. Through your words, you insure that pain can fade, relationships endure, true love is true and God lives in everyone and everything. It is a masterpiece painted in words from your soul!</span></h1><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I couldn't stop once I got started!! I even had to tell my hubby I would call him back later! LOL</p><p></p> <h1></h1><br /><h1></h1><br /><h1></h1><br /><h1>Life in Poetry and Prose by Christian Schaal – A Review</h1> <p class="MsoNormal">April 12, 200906:48 PM EDT (Updated: April 12, 200906:55 PM EDT) </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rating: 10/10</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://maryrussel.gather.com/"><span></span></a></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">by <a href="http://maryrussel.gather.com/"><strong>Marge H.</strong></a></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Thanks to a recent article by Sheila Deeth, reviewing this same book, I had the opportunity to read this ebook. Here is a link to Sheila's article: <a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977651345&amp;nav=Namespace">Life in Poetry and Prose</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Christian’s writing touched me. A few of his poems made me cry. I found his poetry about love and spirituality inspiring. I related to all of his poetry and prose in this book.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">His love for God, life, his wife, and his children shines through.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">In his forward, Christian explains his purpose for writing. He says he is, “filled with words, that once constructed, provide an outlet for a passion and message contained within them.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">He further states that “his desire and intent is to be an uplifting man and a man of uplifting.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">For me, he fulfilled his goals, admirably.</span></p> <h3></h3><br /><h3></h3><br /><h3>Christian, I'm Back from Florida, Hope All is Well, By The Way I LOVED Ur Book, there was several pieces that I connected with and found to be Deep in Substance! ~ </h3> <h3>Thanx again~Freedom</h3> <h3></h3><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Christian Schaal's book, A Life in Poetry and Prose, delves into the heartache of regret and the promise of hope. The book is divided into three sections, and my favorite poem from the first is Sandcastle Life, filled with my own shared images of castles built when I was a child. Schaal deftly juxtaposes the innocence of childhood play with the way we hold our friends at bay as adults, building moats and shoveling sand to keep us safe. The second part of the book offers spiritual meaning to the first, and I particularly like the short poem, Simple Gratitude, with its feeling of wind blowing over the sand-dunes of my youth. In Lift Yourself, the line &quot;your life is a diamond / though you see it as coal,&quot; stayed with me long after reading. Part three is headed &quot;Love and Relationship,&quot; and starts, incongruously, with divorce. A backdrop of pain lends depth to the love in these poems, and to the promise in The River and the Valley. My Essence Concealed speaks of hope for so many who hide behind the secrets of their lives. And the final family photograph brings me full circle to the joys of my own family relationships. A lovely book Mr. Schaal, and I'm glad I read it.<br /><br /> Sheila Deeth<br /> Author / Writer</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:#000000;">Life in Poetry and Prose is wonderful.  I do like the sincerity, depth and soul you present in the poetry written.  I hope your sales go very well as I think a lot of people will enjoy it the same as I have done.</span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:#000000;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:#000000;">Anastasia<br /><a href="http://www.authormeetingplace.com/">http://www.authormeetingplace.com</a></span></p> <div></div><div></div>