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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

My 5 Favorite Things about Discovering Hope

by Chautona Havig · 6 Comments

Since it's one of my favorite gooks, I figured I'd share some of my favorite things about Discovering Hope and I even did a little reminiscing... via @chautonahavig

She wore saris and flip-flops. Even in twenty-degree weather, she’d push the cleaning cart from room to room at the motel wearing those flimsy saris and flip-flops. She took special care with each room—as did her husband.  It was their motel, and we lived there.

You see, we’d come to California on vacation and hadn’t gone home. Dad lost his job while here, so he got another one. Here. This time, not delivering sailboats all over the country.

He’d gone back into heating and air conditioning—two very important things when you live in the desert.

Those saris, though. I don’t know what other colors she wore. I only remember orange. And to my fifteen-year-old mind, they were the most elegant, exotic thing ever.

My 5 Favorite Things about Discovering Hope

Note:  Links may be affiliates that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Discovering hopeSaris are one of my favorite things about Discovering Hope.

I hadn’t meant for them to be such a big part of the story, but the romance of the exotic gripped me as I wrote, and the next thing I knew, they’d gone from something Jay’s mother wore when he was little to something that forged a deep, romantic and emotional connection between Jay and Hope.

Look, I don’t know if that part is even realistic. I suspect that most Indian guys would see it as the equivalent of your average American teen getting all worked up about t-shirts and mom jeans. But that’s the beauty of fiction is it not? That suspension of disbelief?

It’s easier when there’s a touch of sweetness and a dash of romance involved.

It’s “The Pit”s.

One storyline I’ve alluded to over the years is of several of the youth of the Rockland area enduring some pretty horrifying things in something they call “the pit.” Well, that first came to life in Discovering Hope. It’s a bit ironic, because I’m pretty sure I left it out of the final draft. I had this idea I’d have to explain it all, and by explaining it, I’d ruin the book I wanted to write.

By the time I got to that spot in Past Forward, I knew how to include it without spoiling the story. I still need to finish that one, but it’s a tough one to write. It’s right up there with A Bird Died and Christmas Embers.

Raj.

Jay’s father is one of my all-time favorite supporting characters. His mixed idioms, his beautiful sense of honor, and his willingness to listen… to examine the gospel out of love and respect for his son. After giving up “religion” when he came to America, that must have been a hard pill to swallow.

My dear friend, Dell, shared Raj with me. The real Raj took a very American name when he came here, and he, too, mixed idioms like “dragging your leg.” I’ve always imagined him saying that something wasn’t his “cup of chai.” Hee hee.

Epic Laser Tag.

You have no idea how much I want to play a game like they did. Every time I see that scene, I ache to try it. I mean it’s paintball but in neighborhoods and with lasers instead of in the desert with soapy paint pellets.

That’s just cool.

PSST:  If you want to know the lessons I learned from writing Discovering Hope, check out THIS POST.

If you’ve read Discovering Hope, what was your favorite thing about it?

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Previous Post: « What Did I Find Endearing about Enduring Love?
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Comments

  1. Ava Gunn Kinsey says

    July 6, 2018 at 11:02 am

    This was the first book I ever read by you! I think I got it free in my “grab-every-free-Kindle-book hoarding days.” So glad I did!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 6, 2018 at 3:13 pm

      Squeeeeeeeeeeee! And I made a new friend!

      Reply
  2. Joy says

    July 6, 2018 at 5:47 am

    I loved so many things in Discovering Hope, but the beautiful depiction of a cross-cultural relationship was my favorite. Because Jay came from another culture, one of the most memorable scenes for me in Discovering Hope (and it was truly memorable – I read the novel years ago and I still recall this moment vividly) was Jay reading Song of Songs. His cultural frame of reference certainly added some hilarious spice!

    Reply
  3. Rebekah Deedrick says

    July 6, 2018 at 5:27 am

    I loved the saris in Hope. I just love how real Hope is. All the characters are really.

    Reply
  4. Linda Sue says

    July 6, 2018 at 5:11 am

    One of my favorites of your books – Discovering Hope was such a sweet yet realistic story –

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 6, 2018 at 5:16 am

      Thank you! 😀

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
byChautona Havig

When I talked to Ernest Yip last month, I was crazy excited to learn about his fantasy novel, The Shattered King, an allegory about the attributes of God. Ernest talks about his inspiration, how he got started, and what’s coming next for us. I loved hearing more about the story and my copy is on its way to me now. EEEP! Listen in to learn more.

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

Experience the Attributes of God in a Whole New Way

In the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress or the parables of Jesus, Ernest Yip brings us a story that introduces to a King like no other through the various attributes our main character meets through out the book. I love a good allegory, and listening to Ernest talk about his book had me choming at the bit to get started.

Though written for teens, The Shattered King is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. I especially love how it is a great introduction to who God is without being a heavy or preachy tome of apologetics. Instead, we’re taken on an adventure to discover it all for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Yip does next!

The Shattered King by Ernest Yip

Finding his way home means finding something else first—someone else.

When a dark force shatters the benevolent and mighty king Eloa, the land of Astrea lies broken and dying. Though Eloa lives, he is a shadow of his true self, unable to restore his kingdom unless he is reunited with the living Fragments of his being and made whole again.

Catapulted into this unfamiliar world and gifted with a magical sword, teenager Jax faces the ultimate test—finding the lost Fragments of Eloa. Only by fulfilling this quest will he be able to return home. But there are new forces in power, forces that will do whatever it takes to thwart Jax’s efforts and defeat Eloa.

But Jax will soon find that Eloa is no ordinary king, and neither are his Fragments—

A creator of living stone beings A father of orphans in a storm-filled land A desert warrior of limitless power

And they aren’t the only ones out there…

Encounter the Fragments of The Shattered King, a tale of danger and discovery that explores timeless truths about the world we live in, where justice and mercy are sometimes the most powerful weapons.

You can find out more about Ernest from his WEBSITE.

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