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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

3 Things I Love Most about “That Boyfriend Book”

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Secret Beach Boyfriend releases today with a fun contest for the series authors, giveaway for readers, and a great book for all! via @chautonahavig

The manuscript hit my inbox with an electronic thud that still rings in my ears.  No joke. Secret Beach Boyfriend.  What had I gotten myself into?

Seriously!  One of the best things about these Independence Islands Series books is that I’m the content editor.  That means I get to read them first.  Or, in the case of Secret Beach Boyfriend, I have to read them first.

Yep. That’s how I saw it.  I’m not proud of that… but it’s what it is.

Here’s the thing. I knew I’d like the book. I really did.  What I didn’t know is that I would absolutely fall in love not only with the characters, their plots and quirks, but I’d fall in love with the book itself, too.

That’s the sign of a great writer, folks–when they can take something you’re not really interested in and make you a raving fan… look out!

secret beach boyfriend

Note: links are likely affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

3 Things I Love Most about “That Boyfriend Book”

 1.  Characters

In Secret Beach Boyfriend, you’ll find raw, real characters with the kinds of flaws and uncertainties that we all have in some way or another.  They’re recognizable, infuriating, and endearing.

2. Issues

Yes, Secret Beach Boyfriend is a contemporary Christian romance.  Most definitely. But it goes beyond “boy meets girl” and tackles real issues that many of us face in our daily lives: abandonment, mental health, and compensation to start. Annie and Rafe come from deeply dysfunctional pasts, or rather, their pasts have created dysfunction in some instances. Not only that, but this all created a twist that I did not see coming.  Brilliant.

3. Faith

One of my common complaints about contemporary Christian romance is that often the faith element feels tacked on as an afterthought. This isn’t what you find in Secret Beach Boyfriend. Instead, you have a woman trying to live her faith even in awkward and difficult circumstances and a guy who just doesn’t get that faith isn’t something you check off your life to-do list.

Secret Beach Boyfriend releases today!

And do the authors have a great celebration planned. Since Kari’s main character is an event coordinator (party planner), we decided to have a contest among ourselves. We’d all create a table centerpiece/setting and share it with you guys.  You can go from blog to blog to see which one you like, and on the last one, you can vote for your favorite! Your votes get you entries into a fun giveaway including gift cards, e-books, and audiobooks!

First, we were given a list of items and required to use at least SIX of the items on this list. 

  • Table Theme
  • Something silver or gold
  • Something crystal
  • Or maybe something unique to you
  • Something that represents your writing
  • Something floral
  • A gift
  • Something that offers light
  • Something borrowed
  • Food-related something or other

And this was my entry.  I’ll explain each thing below.

secret beach boyfriend

Table theme:

I chose “Time to Write” as my theme.  I confess that this is a bit of a cheat on the right side, because most of that sit just like that on my desk in my room.  Still, it is me and I loved it.  I had decided to use some super-cute vintage figurines (phone, radio, phonograph, camera, etc.) that Sandy had given me, but they just didn’t work–were too small.

Something silver or gold:

I chose… shockingly enough, “silverware.”  I know it’s kind of cheating, but really, nothing realy worked.  So, I put all two of my “silver” things away and went with simple.

Something crystal:  

Okay, so technically that hourglass isn’t “crystal.”  However, the only crystal thing I have just did not work at all.  So, I left it out and called this glass “crystal.”  #4daughter said I could, so I’m going with it.

Or maybe something unique to you:

I’ve slowly begun a random bottle collection. None of them are worth anything or are even that pretty. They’re just random things like #4daughter’s leftover face cleanser bottles and such. They just make me smile.

Something that represents your writing:

That little Brownie camera I bought off eBay as a memento of my Madeline. and while it is a much newer one than the tiny cardboard box one she had, it makes me smile every time I look at it.  Additionally, I have this little resin typewriter that doesn’t take up much room, but is a representation of my little typewriter logo (because I’ve never seen the little one that I actually use!).  Besides, black looks better against my duck blue walls. 🙂

Something floral:

While lavender isn’t my favorite flower (that would be lilacs or even daisies), I love the scent, flavor, and of course the sprays of lavender. #4daughter allowed me to use her potted lavender and I brought in my little bottles with faux lavender sprigs in them.  #becausebottles.

A gift:

The feather pen in the bottle was a gift to me from #4daughter from her trip to Ireland. It got a bit “ruffled” in the suitcase on the way home, but despite Neville’s best efforts to save me from the evil feather, it is one of my favorite decor items (and the nib really does work). Additionally, that same daughter bought me the small book on another trip.  I use that one as a commonplace book as I shared in THIS post.

Something that offers light:

I forgot to put the candle on the table!  Unfortunately, I cannot see the light!  😉

Something borrowed:

I borrowed the lavender pots from #4daughter, as mentioned above with the floral one.

A food-related item:

Okay, so we stretched it a bit with the tea bag and the pumpkin, but hey. I couldn’t get the single piece of chocolate I wanted, which turned out to be a good thing because…

Confession time:

That “tablecloth” is a door curtain.  The “napkin” is a tieback.  Because, you see… nothing I have matches the new plates I got for my birthday (two years ago).  It works… right?

Be sure to check out all the author’s tables before heading over to Celebrate Lit to vote on your favorite!

Kari Trumbo

Rachel Skatvold

Tabitha Bouldin

Carolyn Miller

Melissa Wardwell

Chautona Havig

Celebrate Lit!

secret beach boyfriendMeanwhile, be sure to get your copy of Secret Beach Boyfriend.

I seriously LOVE this book.  Here’s more about it.

Synopsis:  Annie Roman believes love is a fairytale.

She met Rafe on the beach when she was just five and it seemed like fate tied them together. When a chance encounter returns him to the islands twenty years later, Annie finds her beach friend has grown up and now needs her help.

Damaged and scarred from a past that still hasn’t healed, Annie needs help of her own. True to character, Rafe comes up with a perfect solution, but a temporary island romance does not fit into his agenda at all.

Will an offer to be her secret boyfriend give her heart a second chance? How can it turn into something more and prove there’s power in prayer and that love can triumph over a painful past?

He was Annie’s hero long ago, but can the man he has become save her now?

Secret Beach Boyfriend is the third “Merriweather book” in a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Island Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
byChautona Havig

Debut Author, Sara Brunsvold, is bursting on the Christian Women’s fiction scene with an amazing book, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. With characters who have captivated my heart from page one (and enough quirkiness to keep my attention to the last), Sara Brunsvold is sure to become a favorite author, and this book is already on my top five of the year before it’s even released!

Note links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

This Novel Isn’t Even Available Yet, and It’s in My Top 5!

If you’d told me that I’d fall so in love with two chapters of a book that it would push that book into my top five of the year so far, well… I’d have laughed.

The joke’s on me because it happened with Sara Brunsvold’s The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. This debut women’s fiction novel has a bit of a split-time element and is set in Kansas City. Trust me when I say that meeting Clara was one of the most fun introductions to a character I’ve ever had. I just love this woman, and I’m drumming my fingers to get to read more about her.  Not surprising considering it won the ACFW Genesis’s award a couple of years back. 😀

Sara says her passion is intergenerational stories, and you definitely get this with Aidyn and her “assignment,” Mrs. Kipp.  But you also get inter-cultural and ideological influences in this book as well.

And then there’s that next book she has coming out.  You know, the one about a gal cooking her way through her grandma’s German cookbook?  Yeah.  The one we have to wait until early 2024 for?  Yeah. That one.  Sigh.

When Sara told us about her favorite authors, a lot of things made sense.  Just sayin’. Find out which of Katherine Reay’s books are her favorites and how she fangirled over Reay’s response to an email (and why you should email your favorite author!).

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care.

But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her–but she’s going to have to work for it.

Debut author Sara Brunsvold delights with this emotional multigenerational story that shows that the very best life is made up of thousands of little deaths to self. You’ll want to be just like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!

This book is 40% off with free shipping from Baker Book House. That’s less than the Kindle version if you like paper!

You can learn more about Sara at her WEBSITE (and sign up for that newsletter so you can get Mrs.Kip’s 8 Rules to Live By). Oh, and if she does those videos of her cooking through that book, you’ll want to know when/where to find them.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
May 20, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 144: Chatting about Restored Grace with Kathleen J. Robison
May 17, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 143: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Mary Alford
May 13, 2022
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Episode 142: A Chat about A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma
May 10, 2022
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Episode 141: A Chat with Elizabeth Goddard about Critical Alliance
May 3, 2022
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Episode 140: A Chat about When the Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart
April 29, 2022
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Episode 139: A Chat with Middle-Grade Author, RM Ruiz
April 26, 2022
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Episode 138: A Gush about a Good (more like GREAT) Read & GoodReads
April 22, 2022
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Episode 137: A Chat with Contemporary Romance Author, Mandi Blake
April 19, 2022
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Episode 136: A Chat with Middle-Grade Historical Author, Marie Sontag
April 15, 2022
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Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Ent Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Enter cozies like A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink. Clean, with a sweet romance, whose amateur sleuth runs a delectable shake shop. A dog, a child, precocious twins who work for the shake shop, and lovable Papa Luis. Plus, of course, plenty of suspects. “Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who’d a thunk it?”

Trinidad Jones becomes someone I truly care about in this book. I am amazed at how she and Gabe’s two other former wives forgive each other and actually become friends. Not just friends, but family, as thick as blood. Now there is a small cluster of characters to follow and enjoy in this town of Upper Sprocket. Fun!

I enjoy the inclusion of dogs, children, and special-needs people, and Dana Mentink brings them all to our Shimmy and Shake Shop story. Noodles is old, but what a loyal companion, and, wow, does he have an amazing ability or two! Little  Felice adds warmth and vulnerability to the tale. Doug, the special-needs brother of Trinity’s love interest, Quinn, adds reality and complexity to the novel. 

Mentink has a good sense of humor and I laughed out loud several times. Just what I want out of a cozy. Mystery, romance, great characters, laughter. A fun occupation that the sleuth actually works at. I am happy to report I made it through the book without indulging in ice cream! But, can you?

I am looking forward to more murder and mayhem in Upper Sprocket! Plus more Freakshakes! 

———————————————————————
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. (I also bought my own copy.) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
———————————————————————
Notable Quotables:
“He was merely a friend the way a Ming vase was just an old pot.”

“There’s your plan and God’s plan, and your plan…” “Doesn’t count,”

“Maybe it’s one of those weird small-town happenings.” “A body in your trunk isn’t a happening, it’s a horror movie,”

“It wasn’t an easy thing to command the heart to feel what the brain ordered.”

“Rumors carry so much more weight than the truth, sometimes.”
Giveaway on blog in bio.
#celebratelit
#danamentink
#frozendesserts
#justdeserts 
#justiceforsprockett
#amreadingcozies
Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When the Pilot Falls by April Hayman from the Ever After Mystery series is 25% off with the Celebrate Lit Summer Sale? 

More about the book: 
In 1923, there aren’t many pilots, but Willie Labeau didn’t let that stop… her.

A bear of a man, Hugh Taylor, needs a stunt plane pilot, and despite their rocky introduction, Willie sets off for golden California and a new life as his pilot. There’s just one little thing she has to do in addition to flying.

Leave his past alone. Period.

When the flame of her own curiosity becomes fanned by encouragement from Willie’s sister, the feisty pilot can’t help but do just a little investigating.

And Hugh vanishes.

Friends rally around her, and with all the information she can find in hand, Willie sets off to rescue Hugh and battle the evil family holding him hostage.

A fierce air race, a sincere act of humility—are they enough to free Hugh and give Willie a chance to be with him… forever?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. When the Pilot Falls offers a retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch hearts soar and daring dos.

Link in bio! 

#aprilhayman #whenthepilotfalls #everaftermysteries #celebratelit #christianfiction #historicalfiction #bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram
Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used recliners and old, broken wagon wheels.  She can't help it if folks keep asking for help with their love lives... can she?
See the lengths Wade goes to in his quest to behave like a rational guy.
Releases Tuesday, May 24. Available on 
#Kindle
#KindleUnlimited
#PaperbackBooks

#ChristFic
#YouAreOnTheAir
#ContemporaryChristianSweetRomance

Leave a comment request and I'll send you a link. :D
Ready for giveaways and fun? I sure hope so, beca Ready for giveaways and fun?  I sure hope so, because I'm planning on loads!
Win books (mine and others'), fun swag (Do you see those cute pins and reading list bookmarks?), and more!
Starts off Tuesday morning! (or maybe tomorrow... or this evening... depends on how much willpower I actually have!) Join us in the You Are on the Air Reader group!
#booklaunch
#newrelease
#Giveaways
#YouAreOnTheAir
Link to group is in my bio!
And tomorrow the GoodReads Giveaway begins!
How does this author celebrate a finished book? By How does this author celebrate a finished book? By reading someone else's finished book. 😀 
#amending
#needicecream 
#onthemenu
#freakshakes
"Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who'd a thunk "Murder,  mayhem,  and milkshakes.  Who'd a thunk it?"
@dana_mentink 
#shimmyandshakeshop
#cozymystery 
#needicecream
Love it when publishers use plays on words. #amend Love it when publishers use plays on words.
#amending
#cozymysterybooks 
@dana_mentink
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