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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Rumor Has It, Murmur in the Mud Caves Promises to Be Excellent!

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Murmur in the Mud Caves will release on Tuesday, and I got to chat with Kathleen about this book, where it fits in the series, and more! via @chautonahavig

Kathleen Denly has done it again! Her next book in the Chapparal Hearts series releases on the sixteenth, and with a title like Murmur in the Mud Caves, it promises to be another delightful book. Everyone knows I’m a huge fan of this series, so listen in and learn some of the things Kathleen encountered in her research and writing. Oh, and help me convince her and her publisher that we really do want seven books in the series.

mud caves

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

Rumor Has It, Murmur in the Mud Caves Promises to Be Excellent!

Note to all: I apologize for the lateness. Wrenched my ankle in Scotland yesterday and it took a while to get going today. At least it’s still morning in the States!

Okay, as for this rumor, yeah. I started it. However, I totally stand behind it. 100%. If Kathleen Denly wrote it, I’m reading it. If it’s in the Chapparal Hearts series, I guarantee I’ll like it. Woot!

Taking us out into the desert a bit, this book gives us a Civil War veteran, a few stubborn women, and bandits.  What more could we ask for?

How about Kathleen’s brilliant storytelling? That’s what!

If you have any doubts about my opinions on these books, you can check out reviews HERE.

Murmur in the Mud Caves by Kathleen Denly

He came to cook for ranch hands, not three single women.

Gideon Swift, a visually impaired Civil War Veteran, responds to an ad for a ranch cook in the Southern California desert mountains. He wants nothing more than to forget his past and stay in the kitchen where he can do no harm. But when he arrives to find his employer murdered, the ranch turned to ashes, and three young women struggling to survive in the unforgiving Borrego Desert, he must decide whether his presence protects them or places them in greater danger.

Bridget “Biddie” Davidson finally receives word from her older sister who disappeared with their brother and pa eighteen years prior, but the news is not good. Determined to help her family, Biddie sets out for a remote desert ranch with her adopted father and best friend. Nothing she finds there is as she expected, including the man who came to cook for the shambles of a ranch.

When tragedy strikes, the danger threatens not only her plans to help her sister, but her own dreams for the future—with the man who’s stolen her heart.

You can learn more about Chapparal Hearts and Kathleen on her WEBSITE. (and don’t forget that you can get her novella by signing up for her newsletter!

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
byChautona Havig

What if Earth had a twin planet, but the people God created there never sinned? Listen in as Chuck Richardson and I chat about his book and what it all could mean if it happened.

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

I’m still reeling from the idea that a sinless sacrifice is what was needed, so a sinless human (as Jesus was) could actually pay the price for sinful man in this fictional world he’s created. Assuming he even goes that route someday. Still fascinating.

Paradise Unfallen by Chuck Richardson

What if Adam and Eve had resisted the serpent? Welcome to Erimea-Earth’s twin world, untouched by original sin.

Solis and Livi, the first parents of Erimea, begin their lives in perfect fellowship with God. But their obedience does not end the war. Satan and his legions simply turn their fury upon the new world.

As the population of Erimea rises, tensions crack the harmony of paradise. A powerful life-giving resource becomes scarce. Rumors spread. God is silent. And a restless humanity flirts with fear, force, and false gods.

To save their descendants from repeating Earth’s tragedy, Solis and Livi must confront deception, division, and the relentless pressure of darkness. Their journey-from innocence to holiness-will determine the future of an unfallen world.

If you enjoy Christian fantasy, biblical what-ifs, spiritual warfare, and epic worldbuilding, you will love Paradise Unfallen.

Perfect for fans of: C.S. Lewis Ted Dekker

Step into the world that might have been-and the war that still rages.

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

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

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  • Google Play
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  • and more!
Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
May 30, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 545: A Chat with Gina Holder
May 25, 2026
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Episode 544: A Chat with Nicholas Teeguarden
May 23, 2026
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Episode 543: A Chat with Stephanie Cardel
May 19, 2026
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Episode 542: A Chat with Megan Schaulis
May 16, 2026
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Episode 541: A Chat with Demi Griffin
May 11, 2026
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Episodd 540: A Chat with Dana Mentink
May 9, 2026
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Episode 539: A Chat with Jane Kirkpatrick
May 4, 2026
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Episode 538: A Chat with Elizabeth Goddard
May 2, 2026
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Episode 537: A Chat with Meg Calvin
May 1, 2026
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For example, while writing Meddlin' Madeline, I al For example, while writing Meddlin' Madeline, I always play @AdamGSwanson on YouTube so I can stay in touch with her favorite music: Ragtime (I still have CDs of his to use for giveaways with Looks Can Kill. Must get that written. Stay tuned for more about THAT.
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Characters most like me are hard because they're so very convicting to write AND... because I don't usually know it's me until that conviction its.  I tend to have an idealized picture of who I am until reality strips away those rosy glasses and leaves me with crystal-clear vision.  Blech.
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Clearly,  he wasn't talking about me, considering the whole patience being a virtue thing.
Sigh
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Life as a podcaster... #AmRecording #BecauseFictio Life as a podcaster...
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