I don’t listen to music while I write, but I do create a playlist for each of my books and listen to it on the go. Each song reflects the theme or mood of the story. In listening to these songs throughout my day, I find myself ruminating on the story and approaching my writing time with excitement. Below are five songs on the playlist for my novel On Living Stone.
Song 1: “Heaven’s Eyes” by Jillian Edwards
This sweet and poignant song beautifully encapsulates my heroine’s journey. Because of her unusual eye color, quick tongue, and wild temperament, Salome is often mocked and labeled as “the girl with no future.” She pushes against this label even as she wrestles with how others view her. With a tendency to prove herself and silence her critics, Salome must eventually learn to view herself “through Heaven’s eyes.” She has nothing to prove and everything to receive. She is fully seen while also fully loved by her Maker. His words of approval over her are louder, stronger, and definitive, silencing all other voices.
Song 2: “Wait For You” by Myles Smith
After the birth of their second son, Salome slips into depression. In ancient times, they would not have had the verbiage to explain this experience, and Salome suffers largely in silence and shame. The story is from her point of view, but I imagine this song in the mouth of her husband, Zebedee. Quietly, he waits by her side—available to her even as she pushes him away in fear. But love is unlimited like the sun behind dark and roiling clouds. Hope comes, sometimes in small, straggling beams of light pushing through the darkness, but it does come. Salome begins to heal as she focuses on each hopeful beam.
SONG 3: “Cornerstone” by The Worship Initiative and Shane & Shane
It’s human to hunt for our purpose and meaning in the relationships we enjoy. As a mother of three, I can relate to the strong pull to find my worth in my role as mother. But we were never meant to root our identity in the good gifts we enjoy; rather, we were meant to find our worth in the gift-giver Himself. The imagery of stone is prominent throughout the book with Salome learning many life lessons from her stonemason father. One such lesson is that a building is only as good as its foundation. Salome must decide where her identity and stability lies—in her role as mother or in her Creator? As this song so beautifully states, Christ alone is our cornerstone, the firm ground that will not be shaken.
SONG 4: “Mourning Light” by Paul Cardall
The wistfulness of this song grips me and won’t let go. Close your eyes and listen to the soaring sweetness of the violin against the backdrop of the piano. At the 2:42 mark, when the lower string comes in, imagine a young man and woman ambling along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, two young people who have no idea all of the big things God has in store for them. This young couple will be tested in monumental ways. They will have to let go of their greatest treasure—their two boys—trusting God’s plans and purposes above their own. The aching tenderness of this song perfectly captures the romance between Salome and Zebedee as they choose love and surrender time and time again.
SONG 5: “Holding Us” by Faithful, Sarah Macintosh, and Rachael Lampa
We all have things we carry, and in On Living Stone, Salome feels the weight of her sons’ futures on her shoulders. She longs to guide and guard them and views herself as a lioness rising up for her young. Holding such weight, however, quickly becomes exhausting, for we are limited in our energy, ability, and knowledge. When the storms of life come and we’re at the end of our capacity, we can rest knowing that God is holding us. More intimate than a mother’s womb is the love of God and Salome can lay down all she carries and rest in His hands.
Access the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5wfUq2uFrt2AyJYjzTDfFK
Women of the Way
Salome's Story
Every stone sings as it finds its purpose. This is the lesson restless Salome learns from her father as she grows up by the Sea of Galilee. Known as the wild girl with the quick tongue, Salome is determined to silence the critics who claim she has no future. An unexpected romance and the gift of two sons, James and John, leave her hopeful and resolved to prove herself as a mother.
Salome's dreams are challenged, however, when her sons answer the call to follow Jesus of Nazareth. As James and John are drawn deeper into Jesus' ministry, opposition to his message intensifies, leaving Salome with a choice. Can her family continue down the path of discipleship when it might cost them everything? With threats abounding, Salome must confront her fears, even as she discovers her own worth in this most unexpected rabbi.
A journey of faith unfolds in this New Testament-inspired story of Salome, mother of Jesus' apostles James and John. This compelling biblical fiction book explores themes of family, sacrifice, courage, and redemption, making it a stirring read for fans of The Chosen, Francine Rivers, Tessa Afshar, and Angela Hunt.
Christian Biblical Fiction | Christian Historical [ Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: January 20, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781540903587 / eISBN: 9781493452545 ]
Heather Kaufman is the author of Up from Dust: Martha’s Story and Before the King: Joanna’s Story, the first two books in her Women of the Way series with Bethany House Publishers. A former editor turned writer, Heather worked eight years in the publishing industry while earning her master’s degree and spinning tales late into the night. When she fell in love with studying the Bible through a cultural lens, the words of Scripture came springing to life, and Jesus became even more astoundingly beautiful. Now she crafts stories that imaginatively enter the lives of biblical characters and compel readers deeper into the Bible. When not reading, writing, or accumulating mounds of books, Heather can be found exploring new parks with her husband and three children near their home in St. Louis, Missouri.
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