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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why Did I Write a Terrible Ballad to Share My Book’s Backstory?

by Chautona Havig ·

When you want to give readers a bit of backstory, why just tell it? Why not get creative and write a terrible ballad to showcase... nothing! via @chautonahavig

“Her parents’ deaths?”

The moment I thought of it, the answer was no.  Did not want to start my book with something like that.  Too far back and too depressing.

There were so many possibilities.  The book would be partially epistolary–just one letter at the beginning of each chapter–so I could start with that first letter to the Westward Home and Hearts matchmaking agency. Actually, come to think of it, I think I did that and then ended up cutting it.

But of all the ideas I had, I think starting the book at the Laurel Mound, Kansas train depot with Reuben Maddox waiting on the platform for a “mail-order bride” who never came was the hardest to let go of.

See, I wanted a long separation of time between when that young woman didn’t come and Penny’s arrival, or that loyal-to-a-fault guy would never see that maybe God had other ideas for him.

The backstory we get through letters and conversations, but still. I wanted to write it.

I just didn’t have time to add five thousand words of story that I couldn’t use.  Instead, I spent almost as much time doing something just as crazy.

terrible ballad

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

Why Did I Write a Terrible Ballad to Share My Book’s Backstory?

I’ve mentioned it a dozen or more times, like here, but my childhood was filled with old ballads.  Frankly, most of them were pretty heartrending and morbid. Fall in love?  She’s gonna die.  Dog’s your best friend?  Better shoot it now that it’s old. Win a wife in a card game?  You’ll both die (lessons in the evils of gambling, perchance?).  Getting a new mama today? Die, blind girl, die! (Okay, so it was sweeter than that, I promise!) Life’s tough?  Don’t worry, you’ll die. Then won’t you be glad?

No really, that’s a line in one of the old songs he sang.  “Wearing a satin robe whiter than sno-ooh-ow… Don’t you know I’ll be glad when I’m dead?”

Penelope's PursuitSo, you might think I set out to do this–write a terrible ballad.  #becausereasons.

But I actually didn’t. I was going to do something like:

So, in Penelope’s Pursuit, Penelope meets a young man who expected a mail-order bride nine months ago! For nine months he’s been going to the depot, writing, asking around in nearby Abilene, Kansas, and generally making a nuisance of himself trying to find out what happened.

He just doesn’t believe she would say she’s coming if she’s not. And that search is what leads him to believe something’s rotten in Abilene.

Let’s face it. That’s a pretty boring blog post.

So, instead of writing out the story or just skipping it altogether, I did the only thing I could think of.  It’s a tragic tale of a man waiting for his bride-to-be who never comes!  What else could I do? I wrote a ballad.

Not gonna lie.  It’s a terrible ballad. I’m no good at this ballad writing stuff.  (Anyone who has read the epic ballad at the end of Argosy Junction can tell you that!) The last chorus is particularly awful, if you want the truth. However, I wrote it just the same.

Remember the “I’ll be glad when I’m dead” song?  Yeah, to make it easier (hahahaha!), I used the tune for that. So if you happen to know the old song, “Tramp’s Heaven” (which will be told as a book someday!), then you can sing it!  If I sounded better, I’d record me singing it, but as you all saw with THIS post… you really don’t want me to do that.

So, without further ado, here’s the Paul Harvey version of Penelope’s Pursuit (a.k.a. “the rest of the story)… sorta.

Waiting at the Laurel Mound Depot

The train rumbled into the depot.
Steam filled the air all around.
Alone and apart from the others,
’Neath the old sign for Laurel Mound,
A man stood waiting and watching
For a woman who’d come many a mile.
She’d promised to be his sweetheart,
To walk with him down the church aisle.

They’re planning a life on the prairie.
Their hearts’ll grow closer each day.
Like petals on flow’rs, their moments and hours
Will turn mem’ries into a bouquet.
When the evening of life has descended,
Following years of blessings and trials
They’ll remember that day at the depot—
Their hearts both o’erflowing with smiles.

The conductor stepped onto the platform,
And a dusty skirt appeared in his sight.
His heart squeezed; his breath caught within him.
All his hopes soared as he watched her alight.
But another stepped forward to claim her,
And once more he was forced to wait.
The minutes ticked by at a snail’s pace,
And his jitt’ring nerves refused to abate.

They’re planning a life on the prairie.
Their hearts’ll grow closer each day.
Like petals on flow’rs, their moments and hours
Will turn mem’ries into a bouquet.
When the evening of life has descended,
Following years of blessings and trials
They’ll remember that day at the depot—
Their hearts both o’erflowing with smiles.

In minutes, the chug of the engine
Filled the hot, muggy, afternoon air. (hint… poetic license. It was October!)
No bride alighted to greet him,
No young lady awaited him there.
Each day he returned to the depot
And left disappointed once more.
The train never carried his sweetheart,
It ne’er delivered the bride he’d sent for.

He was planning a life on the prairie.
His heart breaks more every day.
Like petals on flow’rs, missing moments and hours
Can’t turn mem’ries into a bouquet.
When the evening of life has descended,
Following years of questions and trials
He’ll remember that day at the depot—
When his bride never came ‘cross the miles.

Well… there you have it. One terrible ballad!

But in my opinion, the story is not. Just under two weeks until Penelope’s Pursuit releases.  Another book in the series released last week… Harriet’s Heartache.  If you enjoy Margaret Tanner’s books, you don’t want to miss that.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
byChautona Havig

Before I began the interview with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel’s Song, I kind of went crazy and left it in to give you a chuckle. But Naomi and I chat about her upcoming release, why she chose to write about Ezekiel, and what areas she focused on. Listen in and hear her heart for the Word and for stimulating readers to love it and live it.

Oh, and that song I couldn’t remember? Well, I found it after a BUNCH of hunting on YouTube. Here you go!

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

Has Ezekiel Always Confused You? How about a Little Fictional Clarity?

There’s SO much to write about in Ezekiel, but after talking to Naomi Craig, I feel like I got a pretty good grasp of where she’s taking this book without feeling like I don’t need to read it now that we chatted, and that’s always great. Naomi shows service in the temple, how Ezekiel could have had a mentorish relationship under Jeremiah, and even what kind of woman his wife might have been.

Personally, I love the “Darcy-ish” meeting where he totally insults her and accuses her of being an idolatress. Let me tell you something. I cannot wait to read that! Seriously!

God had Ezekiel do a lot of weird things, and I always wondered how he managed some of it, but Naomi brings out possibilities by focusing on this wife that we don’t know much (anything) about. How cool is that?

Naomi also gave us a couple of glimpses into what’s coming next!

She’s #TeamBlue in the Keeping Christmas novella collections, writing about Herod’s palace and the wise men’s appearance looking for “the King of the Jews.”  And… from a scribe’s perspective!  How cool is that?

Also… next up is a book about a woman in Ephriam’s lineage who built three cities. A woman credited with the building of these cities!  I cannot wait! I love how Naomi focuses on how strong Biblical women were. So often we think of them as downtrodden and little more than cattle, but God shows how much He loves His daughters in the Word, and He definitely allows them to shine. We saw that in Naomi’s debut novel Rahab’s Courage.

Ezekiel’s Song by Naomi Craig

A prophet’s heart broken, a woman’s joy gone. What does Yahweh have planned for His people?

On the brink of Jerusalem’s demise, devoted priest, Ezekiel, sees the insincerity of Judah’s worship. Despite his efforts to call the people back to true worship of Yahweh, priests, artisans, valiant warriors, and royals are exiled to Babylon. When God gives him messages of continued judgment for the people in his homeland, his heart breaks. How can he minister to the people from so far away?

The presence of the Lord is tangible when Shiriel sings in the temple, and her voice prepares the hearts of many to worship. When she is exiled to Babylon, her faith is shaken. Does the Lord’s presence extend beyond Jerusalem and His holy temple?

Ezekiel is struck mute and paralyzed as he begins his prophetic ministry, and Shiriel devises a plan to get the Lord’s message back to the unfaithful people of Judah. Shiriel struggles with discontentment as serving the Lord looks nothing like she’d imagined. Can she provide for her family and carry out her husband’s ministry when her joy is gone, and her own dreams are placed on hold?

How will Yahweh save His people from themselves? Find out in Ezekiel’s Song!

Ezekiel’s Song is available at 30% off paperback and at a discount for Kindle, too through release week, so visit Naomi’s WEBSITE for more information.

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Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
August 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
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Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
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Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
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Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
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A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
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Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
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Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
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Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
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Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
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Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road t Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road trip isn’t always fun, but it was a bonding experience for Liz and her son, Matt.

Finding Hope in Savannah is on Sale now through the 19th, only on Amazon.

https://amzn.to/3vZypVq

#book #firstlinefriday #savannahgeorgia #romance #Christfic #singlemother #redemption
Fascinating moon tonight. Fascinating moon tonight.
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
#amwriting
#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
#ChristianFiction
#becauselunch #becauselunch
While I was in Minnesota, I went to Red Wing for While I was in Minnesota,  I went to Red Wing for research,  and the shop manager of the salon I've appropriated for my bookstore in Twice Sold Tales was so encouraging and helpful.  She even gave @catheswanson a great bang trim.
#amwriting 
#christfic 
#bookstrings 
#comingsoon
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
#amwriting
#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
#ChristianFiction
Reposted from @karitrumbo Look at this lovely grap Reposted from @karitrumbo Look at this lovely graphic and review!! ❤️📚
.
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Repost from @lakesidereadingsite
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6 Days to Release!  Preorder today!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B92P2B55/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0? 
_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660407148&sr=8-1
Check out my review at https://lakesidelivingsite.wordpress.com/2022/08/13/battle-for-her-heart-by-kari-trumbo/
#karitrumbo #battleforherheart
#cleanread #christianfiction #historicalfiction #preordertoday #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookreview #bookblogger #bookstagram
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