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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Ready for the Great Stories from This Exciting Contest?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Classics, fairy tales, genres... All about an exciting contest. Don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what kinds of submissions Celebrate Lit gets. via @chautonahavig

This week is the final episode in our three-part series on classic retellings, continuing stories, and mashups with Sandy Barela from Celebrate Lit Publishing. Before we get to the brainstorming session (the last part of a nearly two-hour recording that I broke up),  I gave a short, mini-gush about one of the books we discussed in Episode 13 (about the great ones already in print).  I loved the book, Dust, by Kara Swanson and had to rave about it for a few minutes.  My review for that book is HERE.

Then… onto our brainstorming session and a reminder about the contest!

brainstorming with Sandy Barela and exciting contest

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

Ready for the Great Stories from This Exciting Contest?

One thing we didn’t remind authors of in this episode is that anything we came up with in this brainstorming session is fair game. If you liked any of the ideas or suggestions, please do feel free to run with it—either for the contest or just because you want to write it!

In no particular order, I know we discussed:

  • Alexander Dumas and his Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, Man in the Iron Mask, and some of his family history.
  • Dickens, of course (in passing).
  • Edgar Allen Poe
  • Shakespeare (we pretty much turned everything of his into something)
  • Louisa May Alcott (Come on… Eight Cousins?  Please!)
  • Lewis Carroll
  • Sir Walter Scott:  Particularly Ivanhoe… in space!
  • Both The Scarlet Letter (Amish?) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (WWII?).
  • Jules Verne
  • Jack London
  • H.G. Wells
  • Frankenstein
  • So many more!

I wrapped up the episode with a couple of things.

The Celebrate Lit Story Mashup/Retelling Contest!

exciting contest

To enter:

Fill out THE FORM for this exciting contest with

  • Name
  • Email
  • Story idea
  • What inspired you

By August 31, 2020.

Then, by December 31, 2020,  Send in the following:

  • The first 3 chapters (as clean as you can edit them)
  • A full editor’s synopsis (tell everything that’ll happen—share all the spoilers)
  • A marketing plan

To learn how to make a good marketing plan, join the discussion at Christian Authors Anonymous over on Facebook.

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

  • Apple 
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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 506: A Chat with Suzanne Woods Fisher
byChautona Havig

The charming Amish district of Stoney Ridge has new residents. Listen in as Suzanne Woods Fisher and I chat about this latest book, A Hidden Hope, and the fun she had writing it.

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

Chats with Suzanne Woods Fisher are always lovely. We talked about this book and about her love of writing about outsiders and how they find their place in the world.

A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher

With the arrival of three unexpected newcomers to Stoney Ridge comes an array of secrets and emotions brewing just beneath the surface. Supervising two newly minted medical residents might be the toughest challenge Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus has ever faced. Wren Baker, sharp and ambitious, graduated at the top of medical school with a hidden agenda in tow. Charlie King, at the bottom of the class, is determined to succeed–though Dok isn’t convinced he’s got what it takes. Then there’s traveling nurse Evie Miller, whose quiet love for Charlie doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by Wren. Boarding at Windmill Farm, the trio struggles to balance modern medicine with Plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. Soon the stage is set in the small Amish community of Stoney Ridge for plenty of professional and personal complications. PRAISE FOR A HEALING TOUCH “The author perceptively sketches her characters’ emotional arcs as life’s challenges yield unexpected gifts, speaking to the power of second chances, faith, and love.”–Publishers Weekly

You can learn more about Suzanne from her WEBSITE. Also, follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

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

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 506: A Chat with Suzanne Woods Fisher
Episode 506: A Chat with Suzanne Woods Fisher
January 12, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode:505 A Chat with Becca Wierwille
January 10, 2026
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Episode 504: A Chat with Julie Klassen
January 5, 2026
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Episode 503: A Chat with Megan Soja
January 3, 2026
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Episode 502: A Chat with Kelli Galyean
December 1, 2025
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Episode 501: A Chat with Heidi Gray McGill
November 30, 2025
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Episode 500: A Chat with Joy Crain
November 29, 2025
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Episode 499: A Chat with Jessica Wakefield
November 28, 2025
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Episode 498: A Chat with Sarah Hanks
November 27, 2025
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Episode 497: A Chat with Michael E. Cafferky
November 26, 2025
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One of my favorite characters is a grumpy, rather One of my favorite characters is a grumpy, rather harsh curmudgeon who shows up in quite a few Fairbury books. Neal Kirkpatrick. I told his story in New Year's Revolutions, but that cover and title never worked for the story, so he got a makeover. We all need a refresh now and then, right?
Redeeming Neal Jerk-Patrick is more than a comedic look at one man's entire life overhauling because he fell for a gal who loves Jesus before all else. But that's a pretty fun part of it.
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Twice Sold Tales is hopping with fun characters and packed with fabulous books. FREE through 1/14/26 and always "free" through Kindle Unlimited.
Audiobook narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo coming soon!
#ChristFic
#BookBub
#BookishBooks
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
https://www.amazon.com/Twice-Sold-Tales-Bookstrings-Book-ebook/dp/B0BLKCDYKR
One of my favorite characters is a grumpy, rather One of my favorite characters is a grumpy, rather harsh curmudgeon who shows up in quite a few Fairbury books. Neal Kirkpatrick. I told his story in New Year's Revolutions, but that cover and title never worked for the story, so he got a makeover. We all need a refresh now and then, right?
Redeeming Neal Jerk-Patrick is more than a comedic look at one man's entire life overhauling because he fell for a gal who loves Jesus before all else. But that's a pretty fun part of it.
If you've read Christmas Stalkings and ever wondered how Neal got those kittens... it's all in here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N001JDC/
#KindleUnlimited
#ChristFic
#ChristianRomance
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Narrated by the FABULOUS Christa DelSorbo, Spines & Leaves is availble FREE on YouTube at  and on all major audiobook retailers.
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Twice Sold Tales is hopping with fun characters and packed with fabulous books. FREE through 1/14/26 and always "free" through Kindle Unlimited.
Audiobook narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo coming soon!
#ChristFic
#BookBub
#BookishBooks
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
https://www.amazon.com/Twice-Sold-Tales-Bookstrings-Book-ebook/dp/B0BLKCDYKR
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