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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

How Murder Ruined My Mystery

by Chautona Havig · 43 Comments

Leon Czolgosz is my new nemesis. He’s dead, but he ruined my book. No, really. The guy totally destroyed the opening pages of Such a Tease.

Now, these days, not a whole lot of people remember the name of Leon Czolgosz. I didn’t. But I’ll never forget him now (although I may never remember how to spell his name).

How Murder Ruined My Mystery

Links in this post are likely affiliate links that provide me a small commission at no extra expense for you.

Who is he?

Only the guy who shot President McKinley. Why am I annoyed with him over a hundred years later? The idiot did this thing on September 6, 1901. You know, four days after Such a Tease opened? Yeah. Couldn’t he have done it on say… January 6, 1901? Even January 6, 1902, would have served my purposes.

Look, I’m not as callous as I appear. Truly. But if President McKinley had to die, did his murderer have to do it when it would completely mess up my book?

How did it RUIN my book you ask?

I’ll tell you. I left it out—the whole assassination thing. There I was, fixing a wedding date for one of the characters when a thought occurred to me. She could be married on Flag Day—if Flag Day was a thing then. I didn’t think it was. I really thought Wilson was responsible for that—you know, creating holidays in between his notes to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany or something like that. But I hoped. Somehow—just maybe. I mean we had Labor Day from Cleveland, why not Flag Day from McKinley. But noooooo. He didn’t. What did he do?

He got shot. Four days after my book opened. And did my fingers do the Hemmingway “bleed” all over the page in empathetic unison with old McKinley? Nope.

say what?Like I could ever get away with that. This was news! Big news. And nothing about it in the life of a daughter of a politician? I think not.

Not only did this Leon Czolgosz (no, really. It’s spelled correctly) shoot the president on September 6th, but he didn’t do a good job of it! Look, I think I’ve established that I didn’t want President McKinley killed. But if the guy with the unpronounceable last name had to do it, couldn’t he have done a good job of it? Couldn’t he have shot the president in the head? McKinley suffered for eight days before he died. Eight days! They thought he was getting better and then gangrene (some think pancreatitis–from where the bullet went through that handy little organ) killed him.

It would have been a mercy had Leon just shot McKinley in the head or the heart. Why the abdomen? Cruel, if you ask me.

such a tease madeline coverEven for an anarchist.

And it made adding the whole affair to my book even more problematic. No, really! Think about it. I couldn’t have the newspapers announce the death of President McKinley on September 7th and then have a few mentions of the bank being affected or something. No… no… now I had to have a headline event, give false hope, and then add the death on top of it all.

Look, I do an obscene amount of research for my books. No, really. Keen was slang in 1901. Woohoo! Look up “peachy keen”? Yeah. Can’t use it. 1950s. The telephone? Can Madeline expect to use one in a burgeoning city in 1901? Considering there were over 850,000 telephones in use, yes. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that a photographer who works for a local paper might have a telephone in order to receive calls requesting him to come photograph some big event—like the Mayor’s speech on the death of President McKinley, perchance?

Yep.

Somehow, I almost missed one of the biggest events in US history. Research saved the book—and ruined my timeline. All at the same time. Gotta love history. Or not.

And Leon Czolgosz? Yeah. Thanks for nothing.

Time to Celebrate!

(Now that is incongruous!)

 

If you’d like to watch the book trailer, here it is!

I would SO appreciate it if you’d pin that sucker to Pinterest!  In fact, if you’d pin the COVER as well, I’d appreciate it, too!

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Filed Under: General Information, New Release, Writing Tagged With: Meddlin' Madeline

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Comments

  1. Caryl Kane says

    March 23, 2017 at 6:18 am

    This series sounds fun!

    Here are the links to my shares.
    https://www.facebook.com/caryl.kane/posts/10154206092181637
    https://plus.google.com/106599455951476511859/posts/MMcxw7t9XPR
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/563512972112567935/

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 23, 2017 at 5:01 pm

      Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  2. Tychia says

    March 23, 2017 at 6:08 am

    Pinned and tweeted! Love reading your work!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 23, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Thanks! I love writing it! We have something in common, no? 😀 Just teasing. I appreciate the pins and tweets!

      Reply
  3. Lonzine says

    March 22, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    Wow, have I ever been out of the loop. A new Madeline? Yes!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 22, 2017 at 4:43 pm

      Hi, Lonzine! WOOT! Yep, she’s here and meddlin’!

      Reply
  4. Dianne Casey says

    March 21, 2017 at 6:41 pm

    “Such A Tease” sounds like a really interesting read. I enjoy reading historical fiction and would love to read the book.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 6:47 pm

      I had fun with the tease aspect, which is funny because I almost renamed it when I couldn’t figure OUT anything to do with “tease.”

      Reply
  5. Bren says

    March 21, 2017 at 6:11 pm

    Posted on Pinterest. Thanks for opportunity. Love reading your books.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 6:48 pm

      Thanks! I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  6. Marguerite says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    Just bought Sweet on You! Hope to get to it soon…..

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 6:49 pm

      I actually have the second in your series in my planner to purchase for this week. I AM FREEEEEEEEEEEE to read whatever I want! HA!

      Reply
  7. Audrey says

    March 21, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Tweet tweet! So glad you caught that biggie!

    Reply
  8. Emmal says

    March 21, 2017 at 11:45 am

    I shared this post on Facebook. Loving the book, by the way!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      Thank you! And I’m glad you enjoy it. I loved it, but I’m um… biased.

      Reply
  9. Beverly says

    March 21, 2017 at 9:39 am

    What a great sounding book!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      Thanks! 😀

      Reply
  10. Sarah Sarber says

    March 21, 2017 at 9:31 am

    I’ve tweeted, pinned both the trailer & cover, & FB posted the trailer & Amazon link… I think that’s everything. Now I’m off to read the book! ?

    Reply
  11. Vicki Hancock says

    March 21, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Pinned cover (actually on about 3 of my boards because I’m half asleep and it took me 3 times to get it on right board lol). Shared the story on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest!
    It was amusing that’s for sure!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:45 pm

      Oh dear! Thank you so much, but man! You win the prize for persistence!

      Reply
  12. Barb says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:46 am

    Excited for you, my friend! Another great book launch! Whoot whoot!!!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      You make me smile! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Angela Martin says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:32 am

    I love this! Thank you for spending this kind of time hunting for treasure. (I bet you’re a lot of fun in a Bible study!)
    Love,
    A fellow geek
    ?

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      You know… yeah. I’m THAT person in a Bible Study. “Yeah, but there’s that verse… let me find it…”

      Reply
      • Angela Martin says

        March 21, 2017 at 3:41 pm

        Me too!! I get puzzled looks sometimes (“You looked up the Greek?!”) but it’s so rewarding! And this McKinley Easter egg is great. I shared! ?

        Reply
        • Chautona Havig says

          March 21, 2017 at 6:57 pm

          I have a dear friend from Greece who always says, “You know this word?” LOL

          Reply
  14. Donna says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:21 am

    Is there going to be another book in the Agency Files series? I never felt like Keith and Erika were completely finished. I loved their story, and just wanted more.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:47 pm

      YES! I’m so excited about it. I have a LOT more Agencies planned–from before Justified Means, after, and a spin-off with Paris and Henry

      Reply
  15. Linda says

    March 21, 2017 at 7:33 am

    Love it, Everything… The book, the tea, the tea for one…. I am such a tea person and love
    The art of tea !!! I so can’t wait to read your book.

    Linda Marie

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Thank you! I loved putting it all together. IT just fit that cover, you know?

      Reply
  16. Connie Saunders says

    March 21, 2017 at 6:34 am

    I live the cover and I am so eager to read the story. I have shared on Twitter and Pinterest and I follow you on FB, Twitter and Instagram.
    Thank you and Blessings!
    Connie
    https://twitter.com/cps1950/status/844177302351241216

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/258534834840662667/

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/441845413426985736/

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks, Connie! 😀

      Reply
  17. Deanna says

    March 21, 2017 at 6:15 am

    Putting this on my wanted list!!
    I tweeted 🙂

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 6:16 am

      Thanks! And awesome name, btw.

      Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 1:57 pm

      Woohoo!!! Perhaps you’ll win! 😀

      Reply
  18. Diane says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:43 am

    I saved the cover on my Pinterest writing board. I look forward to reading the book.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 5:52 am

      Thank you, Diane!

      Reply
  19. Lucinda Culp says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:19 am

    FB, Tweeted, Pinned and am headed to IG because I am still a little new to posting there. Looking forward to the bonus story!

    Reply
  20. Cindy says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:14 am

    Yahoo!! Another Chautona book. I was just looking for a new one to read!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 5:17 am

      I really love this book. So much fun, even if Leon tried to ruin it.

      Reply
  21. Olivia says

    March 21, 2017 at 4:49 am

    Yippee, it’s out!!! So excited 🙂 And I already follow you on Instagram.

    Reply
  22. Jessica says

    March 21, 2017 at 4:44 am

    Oh my goodness…darn history, messing things up 😉 Now I want to see how you managed to mesh the two.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 21, 2017 at 4:47 am

      Who do these people think they are, right? And really, McKinley was a Flag Day Slacker. Just sayin’! 😉

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 475: A Chat with D. T. Powell
byChautona Havig

There aren’t enough authors willing to tackle the difficult stories. There just aren’t.  Many (guilty here!) feel inadequate to the task, want to escape the tough stuff rather than confront it–so many reasons. Listen in as I chat with D. T. Powell about what made her write, With Mercy’s Eyes.

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

 Loved chatting with Powell about her heart for those who often find it hard to interact with Christians–whose choices make others uncomfortable.  Powell shows love and compassion without ignoring Biblical truth, and the result is a powerful story we could all learn from.

With Mercy’s Eyes by D. T. Powell

He turned his back on God a long time ago. But God never forgot him.

Six months after struggling actor Lane Harris lost his husband in a tragic accident, he lands a movie role guaranteed to put him on the Hollywood map. But one producer holds the power to shut down his shot at stardom—and she’s a Christian. If she finds out he’s gay, it’s over. Lane is careful not to say too much around her.

When an alcohol-fueled tryst with his co-star ends in humiliation, and his landlord hands him an eviction notice, Lane looks for someone to talk to. He finds a confidant in the Christian producer. After a night of too little sleep and not enough coffee, he lets slip his sexual orientation. Instead of a verbal flogging, the woman recounts recently losing her own husband.

The only Christians Lane knows condemn him upon learning he’s gay. But this one is different. She doesn’t embrace his sexuality, but instead of treating him with disdain, she offers compassion. Christians are supposed to hate people like him. So, why doesn’t she? – – – – – – – With Mercy’s Eyes by D. T. Powell is an issue-facing, contemporary novel for adult churched Christians. It addresses homosexuality and same-sex attraction from a Biblical perspective without falling into the trap of the extreme responses we too often see from modern churches. It holds similar views to Jackie Hill Perry, Becket Cook, Rosaria Butterfield, and Christopher Yuan.

Learn more about on WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

 

withmercyseyes.com

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Episode 475: A Chat with D. T. Powell
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October 6, 2025
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