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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

How Rewarding Would It Be to Go Back to the Past?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Wendy Jo Cerna seems to write supernatural stories that make readers think more deeply about what the Lord might do in their lives. via @chautonahavig

As I listened to Wendy Jo Cerna talk about her books, I kept getting the feel of supernatural time-slip stories unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I’ll be honest. When she first started describing them, I wasn’t certain they were the books for me. But… by the time we got done chatting about each one, I’d already added it to my TBR. Wendy has a unique perspective in her fiction, coming at ideas from a sideways perspective that intrigues me. Listen in to see why!

Wendy Jo Cerna

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

How Rewarding Would It Be to Go Back to the Past?

Author of The Baby Catcher Gate, The Agreements, and Solbakken, Wendy Jo Cerna chatted with me about how she began writing. As a recent empty nester, she describes praying about it and the Lord asking her what she wanted to do. I don’t know about you, but that kind of throws me. I always picture the Lord as having a plan for what HE wants me to do. I never consider that He might want me to acknowledge my desires. And this from the God of whom David wrote in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”   Duh.

From a book about a baby-catcher gate in heaven to one about agreements people sign before being born on earth, to a woman in Minnesota who visits her family’s farm… and then their lives… well… she’s got quite a diverse and intriguing booklist.

Not only that, but Wendy Jo Cerna is also passionate about encouraging authors who feel like the Lord wants them to write a book. To that end, she has a podcast chronicling what she’d learned along the way.

Wendy Jo SolbakkenSolbakken by Wendy Jo Cerna

A house. A mess. A mystery.

“Hey, Tor.” My cousin’s tone is serious. His words clipped.

“What’s going on? Everyone okay?” I ask.

“Yes, we’re fine but… well, I was just driving by your Uncle Einar’s place… I hate to tell you this, Tora, but somebody broke in. The sheriff is coming out in the morning. It’s quite a mess in there. Looks like every drawer and cupboard was emptied out.”

Uncle Einar’s home stands empty much of the year, and is the original family homestead my grandparents built in Solbakken, Minnesota, in the early 1900’s after immigrating from Norway.

Amongst the scattered papers and photographs, intriguing questions lay unanswered in the Anderson family lineage, hidden for decades. When a stash of ancient coins is found, and a gifted stranger moves in next door, windows are opened to incredible possibilities that transcend imagination and transport Tora throughout her family generations.

You can learn more about Wendy Jo Cerna on her WEBSITE.

Her books are also on GoodReads and BookBub if you’d like to follow her.

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

Episod 560: A Chat witih Melanie Dobson
byChautona Havig

No one does split-time like Melanie Dobson, and boy has she got a fabulous one for us now! Listen in to what she shares about her latest, The Lost Story of Via Belle.

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

I love hearing about authors’ research, but actually getting to see Grace Livingston Hill’s WRITING ROOM? WHAT?

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson

Searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it.

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

  • Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigue
  • Clean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan Henry
  • Includes discussion questions for book groups

You can learn more about Melanie Dobson on her WEBSITE. Also follow her 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!
Episod 560: A Chat witih Melanie Dobson
Episod 560: A Chat witih Melanie Dobson
July 13, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 559: A Chat with Lisa Phillips
July 11, 2026
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Episode 558: A Chat with Felicia Hurd
July 6, 2026
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Episode 557: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
July 4, 2026
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Episode 556: A Chat with Sharon Wilharm
June 29, 2026
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Episode 555: A Chat with Jil Koller
June 27, 2026
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Episode 554: A Chat with Gloriaea
June 22, 2026
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Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
June 20, 2026
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Episode 552: A Chat with Laura Ashwood
June 17, 2026
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Episode 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
June 15, 2026
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