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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Some of the Best Christmas Reads Coming in 2020

by Chautona Havig ·

Look out for some of the best Christmas reads available now and coming this fall... and it's just the tip of the Christmas tree! via @chautonahavig

After several failed attempts to get this episode out all month, it’s here… some of my favorite Christmas books, the books others recommended to me, and some of the exciting new and best Christmas reads coming this fall!

From older books I rarely see people mention, to some people always recommend to me, and especially some of the exciting collections coming this  Christmas (lots of books for a tiny price or “FREE” on Kindle Unlimited–affiliate link), What more can we ask for?

Single books, series, collections–this episode has it all.

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

Some of the Best Christmas Reads Coming in 2020

Some of the Best Christmas Reads Coming in 2020

First up: some of my favorite Christmas books–ones I recommend you read this year!

Contemporary:

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

  • Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball— Donita K. Paul
  • Snow Angels & Hope for the Holidays by Cathe Swanson. She writes delightful characters with quirky and eccentric elderly and snarky fun for others.
  •  Love, Laughter, and Luminarias —Jaycee Weaver
  • 12 Days of Snowmen (think I said it wrong in the podcast)—Monzon
  • Gingerbread Treasures by Rebekah Jones
  • Sincerely, Jem by Kate Willis
  • Like a Winter Snow  (a semi-sequel” to Secrets of Paper and Ink)—Lindsay Harrell
  • Christmas at the Red Door Inn with Liz Johnson
  • A Caffeine Conundrum— Angela Strong. Hilarious. Must-read romantic mystery
  • Melody Carlson and Karen Kingsbury both have really sweet Christmas books—fluffy but that’s always a nice thing about Christmas fiction—you can take it fluffy then.

the hope of christmasHistorical:

  • A Very Austen Christmas (If you like Regency and Austen, this is a fun way to have quick reads that way)
  • Michelle Griep’s books, 12 Days at Bleakley Manor and A Tale of Two Hearts (She also wrote The Old Lace Shop, but I found the first-person/present tense jarring for a historical novel)
  • The Hope of Christmas Collection— WWII fiction stories at Christmas time. Jodie Wolfe, Linda Matchett, Teri Wangard

Christmas Books Recommended to Me

  • Tinsel in a Tangle—Laurie Germaine
  • Saving Ebenezer— S. Daniel Smith. This book about Scrooge’s story AFTER the end of A Christmas Carol. I’m so excited because Dan will be on the podcast this fall, so watch for that episode.
  • “Red Boots” by Kate Willis (a FREE short story on Amazon—just 9 pages)
  • Christmas Carol Society and 24 Days before Christmas by Rebekah Jones
  • Once upon a Christmas— last year’s collection with contemporary retellings of such stories as:
    • Little Mermaid
    • Cinderella
    • Snow White
    • Sleeping Beauty etc.
  • Taking Chances— a four-book series by Joanne Markey. Who doesn’t love kids, couples, and puppies?
  • Amanda Tru’s Christmas Card Series—a new one coming in September, too!
  • Heard good things about Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock and Restoring Christmas by Cynthia Rushti
  • A Wreath of Snow —Liz Curtis Higgs.

melodies of christmas love2020 Christmas Collections to watch for!

  • Hearts Aglow: The FIFTH ANNUAL Christmas Lights Collection —Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson, Jaycee Weaver,
  • Melodies of Christmas Love—Lynnette Bonner, Lesley Ann McDaniel, Annette Irby, Dawn Kinzer, Sylvia Stewart, JoAnn Durgin, and myself.
  • Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection
  • Amish Christmas Miracles: Their WEBSITE
  • Joy to the World (A Regency Collection)  Carolyn Mille,  Amanda Barratt, Erica Vetsch
    Five Golden Rings by the CrossRoads Collection authors: We’ve done a couple of sets before—Under the Christmas Star and When Snowflakes Never Cease.

Those aren’t even a drop in the bucket of the amazing Christmas books coming, but they’ll give you something to get started on until releases start rolling out this fall!  Meanwhile, I guess I’d better finish mine!

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

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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
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Episode 595: A Chat with Jeremiah Friedli
October 21, 2026
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Episode 594: A Chat with Joy Crain
October 19, 2026
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I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
I've never "colored a prayer" before, nor have I I've never "colored a prayer" before,  nor have I ever had my prayer format remind me to keep praying like this did, because those letters definitely had me growing weary!!!
How about you? Have you ever "colored" your prayer? 
Thanks to my friend Beth for inspiring this one. I'll be adding it to my links page in case anyone else wanys a go at it.
#prayingInColor
#ScriptureColoring
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
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