She contributed a devotional last Christmas (2014) but today she's here to share an excerpt and review of her book, Star Song.
Katheryn's book is her creative telling of the inner thoughts of Mary the Mother of Jesus and Joseph who was engaged to Mary before God revealed to her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, you know the Savior of the World?
Ah yes, and the plot thickens...
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"I'm awed by the author’s writing skill. It is evident that she is a seasoned writer with great talent. Katheryn Haddad delves into the inner thoughts of Mary and Joseph on a personal level. By including modern concepts with authentic details of New Testament times, she demonstrates the relevance of the events of Christ’s birth. The author tells the story of Jesus in such a way that those who may not know the details of the scripture will be lead to read the gospels and those who are Bible scholars will hunger and thirst for the insights found in Star Song."
Star Song Book 1 excerpt written by Katheryn:
“Joseph, I love you with my whole heart. I have always loved you. You are the only man I have ever loved.” Mary then lets her cloak slip down to her feet. “Joseph, I am pregnant.”
Joseph stares in disbelief. Confusion takes over his eyes, his lips and his demeanor. Deep breathing builds up as if getting ready to fight an unknown, unseen enemy.
His fists clinch.
He puts a hand up to his forehead. He turns and looks away and then back again, hoping he only imagined what he was seeing and what he has just heard. But the love of his life is still pregnant.
Mary does not say anything. She just stands there. Tears. Waiting for him to say something.
“Mary! How could you do this to me?”
Joseph turns, jumps down the stairs four at a time, and bounds out of the house, leaving the gate open behind him. He throws the gift he’d brought her at the wall of her house.
He stumbles down some street in some town somewhere. Somehow, eventually, in a time where there is no time, a familiar gate appears. He staggers toward it, not completely aware that he is doing it.
Joseph puts his head down on his still-closed front gate. With his fist he pounds it relentlessly. “Mary! Mary! Not you! Why? Why?” he cries out to an unseeing and uncaring world. And though he is talking to Mary, he is glad she is not around to hear him. He is now aware that he never wants to see her again.
He sobs uncontrollably. Betrayed by innocence. But not innocence after all. The ultimate betrayal.
His voice, his sobs, swirl through his head and rush to the ears of Satan who laughs in sadistic excitement.
God wants to reach down and comfort him, but Joseph is not yet ready.
Somehow Joseph manages the lock and stumbles through the gateway to his courtyard, and toward his little living quarters, the living quarters he had thought he and Mary would be making into a home. But he cannot go inside.
“Oh, Jehovah God, why? Why, God? Why did it have to happen? Oh, God, not this,” He bellows at the sky.
Stumbling around the his hand lands on a bowl of water where he’d washed less than an hour earlier. He pushes it over and down onto the ground in retaliation. Retaliation on Mary. He works his way from object to object, throwing everything he can see with young, strong arms. The arms that once held Mary protectively.
He turns and, tramping over the mud and broken pottery on the ground, he finally makes his way into his quarters.
The man! Who’s the other guy? Who did this to her? He kicks the stool in the middle of the room.
Did Mary consent? Was she raped? He takes hold of the stool and throws it across the room.
He picks up a piece of fine clay on which he had sketched a picture of her and throws it at the wall. He drops to his knees and remains there a few moments as though begging providence to back up and start all over again with this morning.
He sits now in the floor with her picture. All broken. Crushed. Cut to the heart. Unhealable. Inconsolable. Betrayed with the ultimate betrayal.
Sprawling completely prostrate now, he hits his fist against the floor. He is bleeding. Bleeding from the broken pottery. Bleeding from the broken promise. The broken heart. The broken life. “Oh, Mary... Oh, God...” he groans.
Joseph opens his eyes and it is dark. No sounds on the street. It must be very late. Too late. Too late to do any work. Too late for Mary. Too late for him. Too late for happiness.
...
He struggles to comprehend all the angel has just explained to him.
His hair in shambles, sawdust still permeating his clothes, tear stains crisscrossing his rugged face, he runs out the gate without locking it.
“I must get to Mary. She needs me.”
Bolting down the street, he races toward the home of his bride. Seemingly the homes and shops he passes jump out of his way. Seemingly the wind picks up his feet and delivers him to the familiar gate. He pounds on it and rattles the latch. Deliriously, he pounds on it.
“Mary! Open up. Forgive me, Mary. Please, you’ve got to come to the gate.”
The gate is opened. Joseph once more takes the stairs three at a time, spots Mary, and kneels in front of his beloved, his bride, the mother of God’s baby.
He puts his head in her lap and sobs. Mary sobs. Their tears mingle and rise higher and higher through the universe. At last they reach the throne of God and swirl restlessly at his feet.
God reaches down and touches those tears. Now, somehow, the young couple way down on earth, feels peace like a river.
Buy Katheryn's book:
~Review written by Mary Cheatham, author of Secret Promise, Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, Dream Bucket and Abi of Cyrene
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A note for God is Love blog readers from Katheryn Haddad: Okay, here is the excerpt from Book 1, Star Song, Chapter 1, "Joseph: Two Fathers, One Son." The first part is where he discovers she is pregnant, the second is after his vision and God telling him to marry her. I think you can tell that when you read it.
Star Song Book 1 excerpt written by Katheryn:
“Joseph, I love you with my whole heart. I have always loved you. You are the only man I have ever loved.” Mary then lets her cloak slip down to her feet. “Joseph, I am pregnant.”
Joseph stares in disbelief. Confusion takes over his eyes, his lips and his demeanor. Deep breathing builds up as if getting ready to fight an unknown, unseen enemy.
His fists clinch.
He puts a hand up to his forehead. He turns and looks away and then back again, hoping he only imagined what he was seeing and what he has just heard. But the love of his life is still pregnant.
Mary does not say anything. She just stands there. Tears. Waiting for him to say something.
“Mary! How could you do this to me?”
Joseph turns, jumps down the stairs four at a time, and bounds out of the house, leaving the gate open behind him. He throws the gift he’d brought her at the wall of her house.
He stumbles down some street in some town somewhere. Somehow, eventually, in a time where there is no time, a familiar gate appears. He staggers toward it, not completely aware that he is doing it.
Joseph puts his head down on his still-closed front gate. With his fist he pounds it relentlessly. “Mary! Mary! Not you! Why? Why?” he cries out to an unseeing and uncaring world. And though he is talking to Mary, he is glad she is not around to hear him. He is now aware that he never wants to see her again.
He sobs uncontrollably. Betrayed by innocence. But not innocence after all. The ultimate betrayal.
His voice, his sobs, swirl through his head and rush to the ears of Satan who laughs in sadistic excitement.
God wants to reach down and comfort him, but Joseph is not yet ready.
Somehow Joseph manages the lock and stumbles through the gateway to his courtyard, and toward his little living quarters, the living quarters he had thought he and Mary would be making into a home. But he cannot go inside.
“Oh, Jehovah God, why? Why, God? Why did it have to happen? Oh, God, not this,” He bellows at the sky.
Stumbling around the his hand lands on a bowl of water where he’d washed less than an hour earlier. He pushes it over and down onto the ground in retaliation. Retaliation on Mary. He works his way from object to object, throwing everything he can see with young, strong arms. The arms that once held Mary protectively.
He turns and, tramping over the mud and broken pottery on the ground, he finally makes his way into his quarters.
The man! Who’s the other guy? Who did this to her? He kicks the stool in the middle of the room.
Did Mary consent? Was she raped? He takes hold of the stool and throws it across the room.
He picks up a piece of fine clay on which he had sketched a picture of her and throws it at the wall. He drops to his knees and remains there a few moments as though begging providence to back up and start all over again with this morning.
He sits now in the floor with her picture. All broken. Crushed. Cut to the heart. Unhealable. Inconsolable. Betrayed with the ultimate betrayal.
Sprawling completely prostrate now, he hits his fist against the floor. He is bleeding. Bleeding from the broken pottery. Bleeding from the broken promise. The broken heart. The broken life. “Oh, Mary... Oh, God...” he groans.
Joseph opens his eyes and it is dark. No sounds on the street. It must be very late. Too late. Too late to do any work. Too late for Mary. Too late for him. Too late for happiness.
...
He struggles to comprehend all the angel has just explained to him.
His hair in shambles, sawdust still permeating his clothes, tear stains crisscrossing his rugged face, he runs out the gate without locking it.
“I must get to Mary. She needs me.”
Bolting down the street, he races toward the home of his bride. Seemingly the homes and shops he passes jump out of his way. Seemingly the wind picks up his feet and delivers him to the familiar gate. He pounds on it and rattles the latch. Deliriously, he pounds on it.
“Mary! Open up. Forgive me, Mary. Please, you’ve got to come to the gate.”
The gate is opened. Joseph once more takes the stairs three at a time, spots Mary, and kneels in front of his beloved, his bride, the mother of God’s baby.
He puts his head in her lap and sobs. Mary sobs. Their tears mingle and rise higher and higher through the universe. At last they reach the throne of God and swirl restlessly at his feet.
God reaches down and touches those tears. Now, somehow, the young couple way down on earth, feels peace like a river.
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Author bio:
Katheryn Maddox Haddad was born in the north, but moved to Arizona where there is no snow. She lives with her palm trees, cacti, and computer with the key names worn off.
With a B.A. degree in English and Bible, she earned part of an M.A. in Bible, including Greek studies. She spends half her day writing and the other half teaching English using the Bible as a text book to Muslims around the world.
She has converts to Christianity in hiding in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Uzbekistan, and Palestine. “They are my heroes,” she says.
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Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1SB15JN
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1Rm64MX
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Connect with Katheryn:
Twitter - @KatherynHaddad
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