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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Riveting Suspense That’ll Make You Need Your Own Trauma Therapist!

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

If you're ready for a fun twist on suspense, Kristen Hogrefe Parnell has you set with her upcoming release, Take My Hand. via @chautonahavig

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell started off writing YA suspense, moved to YA dystopian, and now has a romantic suspense series coming out in just a few days! Crossroads Suspense kicks off December 5, 2022, with Take My Hand. Listen in and see why her premise hooked me at the word “mafia.”

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

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

Riveting Suspense That’ll Make You Need Your Own Trauma Therapist!

Just kidding!!! Seriously, though! When Kristen Hogrefe Parnell told me the premise of her book boiled down to “ex-mafia goes to a trauma therapist,” I knew she had a killer of an idea. No pun intended (but it did work out pretty well, didn’t it?). Add to that the idea that she doesn’t know what he told her, he’s not alive anymore to explain it to her, and oh, by the way, RUN! and… well, you’ve got a riveting book. Right?

Kristen and I spoke about her YA series (both of them), the difficulty in naming characters (hint: don’t use your agent’s name for the ditzy gal like Kristen did or kill off your kids’ boyfriends if you think it’s going to turn serious like last week’s guest did).

While you might have to wait a year for the next book in this series, she has several other books to keep you going until then, so check out her WEBSITE for more information about those AND sign up for her newsletter.

Take My Hand Kristen Hogrefe ParnellTake My Hand by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

Don’t find us. We’ll find you.

Trauma therapist Kaley Colbert needs a vacation from her job, and a ski trip with her church
singles’ group seems like the perfect way to unplug. But while in the mountains, she learns that her last client was murdered hours after their meeting, and she wonders if the notes she’s receiving from a possible stalker hold a more sinister warning.

On the trip, ex-boyfriend and entrepreneur Reef Mitchell wants to give their relationship another chance, but Kaley questions if his past and priorities could ever mesh with her life. When her client’s underworld connections catch up with her, she has no choice but trust Reef to help her stay alive, solve her client’s mystery, and bring the killers to justice.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 603: A Chat with Cindy Morgan
byChautona Havig

Sometimes, a book title grabs you and demands you pay attention to that book. The Dogwood Gospel is one of those titles. After talking with Cindy Morgan, I went out and bought the audiobook right away. Listen in and see why!

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

People used to talk about how someone “ran off to join the circus.” Well, in this one, it’s not a line someone says. It happens!

The Dogwood Gospel by Cindy Morgan

A talented young trick rider finds unexpected community in a traveling carnival, only to discover secrets in the shadow of the Big Top.

Kentucky, 1954. Sixteen-year-old Charlie has no memory of being abandoned as a toddler—only the life she’s known with Mama Rose and Papa Arlo, the rigidly devout couple who raised her as their own. But when Papa Arlo’s rules begin pressing tighter by the day, and Mama Rose reveals a long-buried secret, Charlie realizes the truth of her past lies elsewhere. So she runs.

Disguised as a boy and dreaming of a future beyond the hills, Charlie follows the Ohio River to the Southland Carnival, where her fiery red curls and daring trick riding skills catch the owner’s eye, and Charlie is transformed into a featured act. As “The Irish Princess,” she soars beneath the Big Top, thrilling crowds and finding family among the carnival’s kindhearted misfits and wounded souls.

Back in the hills of rural Kentucky, police chief Curtis Cates has his hands full with the disappearance of three local girls when he receives the call that Charlie has gone missing. As he begins investigating, the evidence leads in a shocking direction, calling to mind an unsolved murder that has haunted him for thirteen years. When the trail takes him to the Southland Carnival, Charlie’s hard-won freedom collides with the secrets she fled, forcing both of them to face truths that have waited too long to be told.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Cindy Morgan, author of “mesmerizing” and “atmospheric” (Historical Novel Society) Southern fiction, delivers a coming-of-age story threaded with mystery and heart that’s perfect for fans of Donna Everhart and Ellen Marie Wiseman.

  • Standalone Southern women’s fiction in the vein of Kim Michele Richardson and Lisa Wingate
  • Captivating historical fiction set in the 1950s that’s perfect for book clubs
  • Features a horse-riding heroine, a cold-case mystery, and themes of adoption, forgiveness, belonging, and found family
  • Includes discussion questions

Learn more on Cindy’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 603: A Chat with Cindy Morgan
Episode 603: A Chat with Cindy Morgan
November 14, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 602: A Chat with Paul Headworth
November 9, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 601: A Chat with Glenn Patrick O’Turner
November 7, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 600: A Chat with JPC Allen
November 2, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 599: A Chat with Frank McKinney
October 31, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode : A Chat with L.J. Long
October 28, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 597: A Chat with Alison Treat
October 26, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 596: A Chat with Katheen Rouser
October 24, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 595: A Chat with Jeremiah Friedli
October 21, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 594: A Chat with Joy Crain
October 19, 2026
Chautona Havig
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Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
55,000 words down! 🎉✍️ And yes, I stayed up two ho 55,000 words down! 🎉✍️ And yes, I stayed up two hours past my bedtime to record this, so you know I was excited!
To celebrate reaching the halfway mark on my upcoming historical Christmas novel, Dear Uncle Nick, I’m rewarding myself with my Archer & Olive Advent Box—one box for every 5,000 words written! 🎁
Today we are opening Box 5! These colored pencils are giving me all the cozy inspiration as I dive into the second half of this 1934 small-town advice column story. Dear Uncle Nick releases on Black Friday (no preorders, just straight to your e-reader and bookshelf!), so every word counts right now.
Two questions for you in the comments: 👇
1️⃣ Which Bible verse should I turn into a custom coloring page to test these out?
2️⃣ What do you think is hiding inside Box 6 when I hit 60k words? Drop your guesses below! 🎄✨
#DearUncleNick #ChristFic #ChristianFiction #HistoricalChristmas #HistoricalFiction #AuthorLife #WritingCommunity #WordCountGoal #ArcherAndOlive #AdventUnboxing #CozyReads #BookLaunch
Over halfway there! 🎉✨ I just crossed the 50,000-w Over halfway there! 🎉✨ I just crossed the 50,000-word mark on Dear Uncle Nick, and you know what that means… it’s time to open Box 4 of my Archer & Olive Advent Box! 🎁
Nothing motivates a writer quite like a stationery treat every 5,000 words. Just like an Advent calendar builds anticipation for Christmas morning, each little box gets me one step closer to bringing this 1934 farming community and their heartwarming advice column to your bookshelf on Black Friday! 🎄✍️
There’s no preorder for this one, so we are counting down the days and words together until launch day.
👇 Your turn: At 55,000 words, I get to open Box 5! Leave your best guess in the comments—what stationery surprise do you think is hiding inside next? 🖊️📓
#DearUncleNick #ChristFic #ChristianFiction #HistoricalFiction #ChristmasBooks #1930sFiction #AuthorLife #WritingCommunity #BookLaunch #ArcherAndOlive #CozyReads
G'night! G'night!
When Mom makes pepper jack bread and you butter an When Mom makes pepper jack bread and you butter and fry it. Yum.
With 45,000 words "on the page," it’s time to cele With 45,000 words "on the page," it’s time to celebrate with Box #3! 🎁☕

I am officially halfway through writing my upcoming historical Christmas novel, Dear Uncle Nick! Writing this story—which centers around a cozy, small-town advice column in a 1934 farming community—has been such an encouragement even to me!
To keep my momentum going so this book is ready for you by Black Friday, I’m treating myself to a little joy: opening a beautiful @ArcherandOlive Advent Box "gift" every time I complete 5,000 words. 45K means Box 3 is officially MINE! But now how to use this amazing journal? HELP!
Because this book releases on Black Friday without a preorder, I’d love for you to follow along here so you don’t miss the release day announcement. Your prayers and encouragement mean so much to me (and to Eddie Morten--I'm sure of it!)
#DearUncleNick #HistoricalFiction #ChristianFiction #ChristmasNovels #InspirationalFiction #AmWriting #CozyReads #BlackFridayRelease #HistoricalChristmas #AuthorLife #ArcherAndOlive
Dear Uncle Nick, Our town has a lot of people in n Dear Uncle Nick,
Our town has a lot of people in need—no mistake about that.
We can’t meet them all, but we can do what we can to help.
Everyone loves a good box social, but that can be expensive, especially this time of year.
I propose a “dessert social.” We apply the same premise, but the boxes only hold enough dessert for two. Penny bids can be augmented by work or other goods. Folks can even buy the “augments.”
What do you think?
Hungry for cinnamon rolls!

Ever heard of a box social? 📦✨ In 1934, during the height of the Great Depression, communities had to get creative to help neighbors in need.
This "unprinted letter" from the archives of my upcoming historical Christmas novel, Dear Uncle Nick, shows the exact heartbeat of a small farming town trying to survive winter with a little sweetness and a lot of grit.
✍️ The Question: If you were bidding on a dessert box for two tonight... what dessert would you hope is inside? Let me know in the comments!
#HistoricalFiction #AuthorLife #DearUncleNick #FountainPen #1930s #ChristmasNovel #ChristFic #HistoricalRomance #BookReels
Awesome movie. Don't remember a single foul word, Awesome movie. Don't remember a single foul word,  despite rough subjects and scenes. Well done.
#jimmymovie
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