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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Can Repeating History Ever Be a Good Thing?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Escape from Amsterdam offers a peek into a semi-forgotten piece of Dutch history during WWII. Listen in to see why Lauralee Bliss wrote it! via @chautonahavig

The heroic stories of average people during time of war are one of the few things that will choke me up.  Book, movie, verbal–doesn’t matter. Tell me all the stories and watch me try not to sob. Lauralee Bliss captured one of the most inspiring stories of WWII in her recent release, Escape from Amsterdam as part of the Heroines of WWII series published by Barbour, and guys… you’ve got to hear the story behind this book!

Lauralee Bliss

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

Can Repeating History Ever Be a Good Thing?

That’s what I have been pondering ever since reading Escape from Amsterdam, and I think the answer is, “Yes!”  Because think about it. The same ugly, ugly things have been happening since the fall of man, but amid all that ugly are the beautiful self-sacrificial stories like the ones Lauralee Bliss shares in this novel.

Yes, Hitler’s atrocities still affect the world today. And yet, those who opposed his regime and fought for the innocent, those who risked their own lives to save the lives of others… Those stories happen, too.  And if (more like when) the ugly times come again, stories about people like those you meet in this book will remind us that the Lord can use anyone (even me!) to accomplish His purposes.

So… repeating the ugliness of history may not be a good thing, no. But that ugliness means that we likely will also repeat some of the beauty of the past as well. And books like Escape from Amsterdam and the real people who inspired it are there to ensure we don’t forget that we can make a difference.

Escape from Amsterdam by Lauralee BlissEscape from Amsterdam by Lauralee Bliss

A University Student Smuggles Children Out of Amsterdam

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

Helen Smit believed she was called by God to become a teacher. Little does she know that her care for kids will take a drastic turn for survival when the Germans occupy Amsterdam and Jewish children and parents begin to be deported. Now all she can think of is helping all the kids escape before it’s too late.

Erik Misman’s newfound love for Helen is tested when he joins a plot to help move Jewish children to a safe place in the countryside. If danger can foster a closer bond with Helen and save the lives of the little ones, he will do it all. But a German patrol that stumbles upon the farm where they are hiding with three children and a soldier who takes an unexpected interest in Helen, could well destroy their plans for safety and love.

?Don’t miss these other stories:

  • The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander
  • Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma
  • Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson
  • Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War by Mary Davis
  • A Rose for the Resistance by Angela K. Couch
  • The Season of My Enemy by Naomi Musch

You can find out more about Lauralee Bliss on her WEBSITE.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
byChautona Havig

A chilling read from Chris Underwood… literally. What happens if you’re in the Midwest in winter and the power goes out? Listen in as I chat with Chris Underwood about his Cold Winter series.

Content warning: While these books do have characters who are Christians and live their faith, the first book (not sure about the rest) does include a few instances of foul language in the first few chapters. I’m switching from audio to print to finish.

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

Talking about all the research he did for this series was a blast. I loved hearing about his travels with the crew and the prepper side–everything.

The Cold Winter Grid-Down Series by Chris Underwood

The Cold Winter Series begins with a power grid failure at Niagara Falls three days before Christmas, as a snowstorm approaches.

Welcome to The Cold Winter. It follows a group of families in Central Ohio who want to help stranded motorists who end up on their porch. Even when doing the right thing doesn’t work out, they keep on trying. There is a sense of morality and faith as the emergency continues to worsen.

In the second book, they learn that the power outage is an attack on the nation, and join a civilian minuteman militia to fight back.

The third book of the series ramps up the action and features the first major battles of the minutemen militia. Since modern machinery cannot be trusted, vintage military equipment is utilized by the militia, such as a Huey Helicopter and a WWII Landing Ship, the LST-325.

This ship is an actual floating museum on the Ohio River and is used by this militia to go upstream to rescue a VIP and bring him to safety. River locks are liberated from the enemy, and a dramatic battle is staged on Wheeling Island, where the landing ship performs much as it did on D-Day in Normandy: Landing aground with troops and equipment pouring out the front for battle!

The fourth installment of the series introduces more vintage equipment, including a Cobra Attack Helicopter and a P-47 Thunderbolt, to fight modern naval ships in an effort to liberate the Niagara Falls power station from the enemy.

Even the WWII Destroyer, USS The Sullivans, in its current engineless state at the Buffalo Naval Museum, is somehow used in the battle! It’s an epic showdown of antique airpower against modern naval might!

Learn more on Chris’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

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

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • YouTube
  • and more!
Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
June 20, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 552: A Chat with Laura Ashwood
June 17, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
June 15, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 550: A Chat with Joan Lovestrand Farley
June 13, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
June 8, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 548: A Chat with Sarah Heatwole
June 6, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 547: A Chat with Terri McAdoo
June 1, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
May 30, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 545: A Chat with Gina Holder
May 25, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 544: A Chat with Nicholas Teeguarden
May 23, 2026
Chautona Havig
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Preorder your copy today!

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