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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

This New Contemporary Romance Has Southern Charm from Down Under

by Chautona Havig · 12 Comments

This week, I chatted with author, Carolyn Miller about her Regency novels, her Independence Islands books, and her upcoming contemporary romance series! via @chautonahavig

I’d seen the covers of her books–lovely Regency titles that intrigued me.  However, when we put out the call for authors in our upcoming series, The Independence Islands, I never imagined I’d see her name among the applicants.

Well, let’s just say that not only was Carolyn Miller an excellent addition to the team, her books… guys, her books!  I’ve read two of the island books now, and I hear the third is winging its way to my inbox.  And well… what do I think?  I think…

carolyn miller

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

This New Contemporary Romance Has Southern Charm from Down Under

It can’t be easy for an Aussie to transition from contemporary Australia to Regency England, but I bet it’s even harder to transition from that to contemporary Southern USA.  Well… If it is, you’d never know it, because Carolyn Miller has mastered it.

In this interview, we chatted about her original contemporary works (did you know she wrote romantic suspense?  Was that the one she won awards for?  I don’t know.  Here’s the thing.  I should have known.

Because her second islands book?  Yeah.  Definitely romantic suspense in it.  With just a bit of tweaking it would have been classified as Romantic suspense.  How awesome is THAT?

Well, last month was her debut contemporary novel as well as her first one of the Islands series, Restoring Fairhaven.

restoring fairhaven carolyn millerJust as an overview of the story, Samantha (Sam) Greene takes over her father’s landscaping business and has to deal with quite a bit of pushback from the men of the business but even more, a man whose assistant hires her to tackle the enormous grounds at the Fairhaven estate.

This poor guy is grieving and brooding, which works for the kind of books he writes.  Yep, he’s an author (think Nicholas Sparks novels on steroids).  Of course, personalities clash, and things just get really interesting.

This book has three primary things going for it.

  • Characterization:  Miller writes lovely flawed characters who you can relate to and watch grow and stretch.  I loved liking and disliking people and the works.  It was great.
  • Plot:  Her story is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, so it’s really cool to see how she handled those.
  • Spiritual aspects:  She didn’t get all preachy, but she did have a few spots where my brain went, “Hmm… what does the Bible say about that… cool…” and off I went to study, which is my favorite.

But as we said, Carolyn Miller got her start in Regency Romance.

With three series out and one beginning soon, she has quite a list ready for you.

  • Regency Brides (A Legacy of Grace)
  • Regency Brides (Daughters of Aynsley)
  • Regency Brides (A Promise of Hope)
  • Regency Brides (Regency Wallflowers–coming  April 2021)

I am most interested in the one about the girl who went to Gretna Green and the “after the wedding” story, so I’ll be reading that, but since I can’t remember which one it is, I’m going to start with her first book and work my way through until I can find it.

But she joined the Independence Islands series to dip her toe into the contemporary waters because…

She has a contemporary “hockey” series coming out next year (just in time for the winter Olympics) and readers need to know she can do this!  Seriously, hearing the story of the closing ceremonies in Vancouver that inspired Carolyn’s first book… I’m so excited about her hockey series, so check that out next year!

You can find more about Carolyn Miller on her WEBSITE where you can also find her social media links as well as fascinating photos of her trips to England (Bath, the Peak District, Scotland, etc.) as well as gardens on the Independence Islands page (she cheats. Her husband is a horticulturist… just sayin’).

And I’m going to give away a copy of Restoring Fairhaven to one commenter!

US residents will receive a paperback, and international will receive an eBook (sorry!).  Just leave a comment about an interesting garden you visited and why you found it interesting.  I loved the gardens at the Bellagio in Las Vegas a few years ago!

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Comments

  1. Joy Suzanne Hunt says

    February 1, 2021 at 6:00 pm

    The most interesting garden I’ve visited was my sister’s “chickadee cafe.” You know my parents got chickens last year – they are pen pals with Neville. Well, apparently there are certain plants that are good for chickens, so my sister planted a little garden in the chicken run with chicken-friendly plants.

    That has not, of course, stopped the chickens from getting out and getting into the “not for chickens” plants on the other side of the yard!

    Reply
  2. Linda Palmer says

    January 28, 2021 at 4:31 am

    Interesting transition for Carolyn Miller. I’ve not read much by her as I don’t care for regency stories. But I love the Independence Island stories!

    Reply
  3. Elissa says

    January 27, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    The most interesting garden I’ve visited would be the golf course turned botanical gardens that my husband worked at when he was in high school/college. It was across the street from his house and the owner is a Japanese man who came to America with the dream of having a botanical garden. It wasn’t complete when my husband was still working there, but perhaps is now? We live across the country and can’t go check it out, but we should really ask his parents!

    Reply
  4. Linda Palmer says

    January 27, 2021 at 5:44 am

    I have visited a few rose gardens in parks. Those have always been fun. It’s always good if the plants are labeled.

    Reply
  5. Carolyn Miller says

    January 26, 2021 at 8:11 pm

    Thanks so much for having me, Chautona! It was heaps of fun! xx

    Reply
  6. MS Barb says

    January 26, 2021 at 8:45 am

    There are beautiful gardens at the conservatory at Como park, in St. Paul, MN (Decades ago, I had wedding pictures taken there (August 1973) & then I visited again w/ my 2 daughters, in 2014 after a niece’s wedding!

    Reply
  7. Lindsay says

    January 26, 2021 at 6:27 am

    ( Scotland resident here! ) A couple of years ago we ventured south to Derbyshire, in England and visited Chatsworth House. I was in my element and managed to drag 2 young children and a semi-reluctant but considerate hubby round the house. However it was when we all ventures into the gardens that the children became alive! A huge hedge maze, tiered water features, old pump buildings, great trees to scramble over, beautiful flowers and bushes, but most impressive was the huge football pitch sized lake/pond with a water fountain that uses natural deep pressure to spout forth and look majestic. It was truly wonderful day of exploring.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      January 26, 2021 at 8:18 am

      Aw, that sounds wonderful!

      Reply
  8. Michelle L. says

    January 26, 2021 at 6:00 am

    We have a local garden called Longwood Gardens. I believe it may be nationally known. I love it! It’s huge it has some of everything and I try to get there as often as I can.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      January 26, 2021 at 8:18 am

      That sounds beautiful–just the name.

      Reply
  9. Cheryl Arcemont says

    January 26, 2021 at 5:06 am

    I remember as a child visiting the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri. My grandmother showed me new plants that I haven’t seen since. Truly a wonderful memory!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      January 26, 2021 at 8:18 am

      Oooh, that sounds like a must-see place!

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
byChautona Havig

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t new to rom-coms, and her first book in the Sweetheart Series promises to be a literary riot, and it lives up to that promise. I’m only halfway through it and am thinking mean, ugly thoughts of everything keeping me from being able to escape into the crazy small-town politics and quirky characters. So far the com far outweighs the rom, which makes me thrilled to bits. Listen in to discover what makes Lone Star Sweetheart so much fun.

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

Why Did This Author Write a Rom-Com about a Loveable Shrew?

Well, I think we can safely blame Shakespeare for that. Shannon Sue Dunlap has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her Katherine, but unlike Katerina, Dunlap’s character is actually trying to learn to tame the tongue. Maybe someone should send her over to the book of James. There’s that whole bit about not being able to tame it, being an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Kate’s isn’t that bad, but not for lack of trying. Or something.

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t joking when she says that her Katherine is a “loveable” shrew. Seriously, I love this character. She’s forthright, no-nonsense, and “what you see is what you get” in her approach to life. I respect that. Add to that her boss who has shaken up the town of Sweetheart, Texas, and you’ve got the makings of a great story. I’m loving Lone Star Sweetheart.

But this isn’t all Dunlap has written.

Under the pseudonym, Shannon Kent, you can find her sweet and clean romances (including one Christian romance) inspired by Korean dramas. If you said I’d be not only chomping to read a sweet and clean romance about Korean tour guides and all that entails but also ready to watch a Korean drama on Netflix… Okay, I might not have laughed in your face, but I’d’ve been laughing on the inside.

Best part… one of them ties into her Sweetheart Series

Lone Star Sweetheart by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Katherine Bruno’s passionate, unfiltered temper makes her the shrew of small-town Sweetheart, Texas. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife run against her own husband, Katherine meets opposing big city political consultant Ryan Park. The good-looking, flirtatious campaign manager gets under her skin, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his jaded rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

You can find out more about Shannon Sue Dunlap AND get that first novella in the Korean Crush series free on her WEBSITE.

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
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May 17, 2023
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Episode 227: A Chat about the New Jewels of Kalispell Series
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