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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

A Great Mystery Author for You to Watch Out For!

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Mystery author Kay Dibianca discusses the fun and trials of writing a modern mystery with today's savvy readers on her heels! via @chautonahavig

Whether you love cozies or procedural, forensic or amateur sleuth, or just get nostalgic about your childhood and Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys (Trixie Belden anyone?), mysteries are a great way to keep the mind sharp and the entertainment flowing.

When I had the opportunity to review author Kay DiBianca’s newest release, Dead Man’s Watch, I jumped at it. Then, I had the pleasure of chatting with her about her books, why she writes mysteries, the struggles inherent in all that, and more.

Kay DiBianca

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

A Great Mystery Author for You to Watch Out For!

There are few things better than a great mystery, so when I run across one I love, I’m all about it.  Well, Kay DiBianca has written one that managed to get me to guess the WRONG culprit without cheap shots. Dead Man’s Watch is also on sale right now, so snag it before the end of the month!

A lot of what we talked about in the interview, I discussed in my review of Dead Man’s Watch, but there is so much more to this interview.  Kay DiBianca shared the frustrations of writing a complex and compelling mystery in this age of armchair forensic experts (my words, not hers).  I mean, I know everything there is to know about how to kill someone. I got my degree in it from Forensic Files, after all. (Removes tongue from cheek… OUCH! )

The episode Kay mentions about the differences between mysteries, suspense novels, and thrillers is Episode 47.

Additionally, Kay DiBianca and I chatted about her inspiration for the series and her tagline.

Part of the charm of this book is the inclusion of messianic Christians and the influence it had on Kay and her husband (although, I’m sure her time in Israel didn’t hurt).  Part of the inspiration for the book came from an older mystery series, The Rabbi Small Series by Harry Kemelman.  With those in mind, is it any wonder that Kay paraphrased a saying from the Talmud as her book’s tagline?

SAVING ONE LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD

We even chatted about how one man giving His life ended up truly saving the whole world.  Wow.

Confession time:

Though Kay DiBianca had made me doubt, at the time of our recording, I thought I’d figured out the whodunnit and I had a couple of theories why.

I was wrong–completely.  While I’d considered the true culprit, I’d tossed aside the idea as not as strong as someone else’s. Of course, by the end of the book when I realized how very wrong I was, that suspect made more sense than anyone else

I cannot wait to see what Kay does with this series. I hope for quite a few more from her!

Dead Man's Watch ReviewAbout Dead Man’s Watch by Kay DiBianca

SAVING ONE LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD

Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax.

Join the adventure as these two young women commit themselves to live up to the quote from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”

And it’s on sale through March 31, 2021!!!

Kay DiBianca book sale

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

Hey, we’re back after a couple of weeks of vacation, and boy did I need it. And, have I got a fabulous interview for you. Nancy Naigle and I talked about her books, her most recent release, What Remains True as well as her Christmas books and the one I’m most anxious to read, The Shell Collector. Listen in and learn about what Nancy says about this bet she has going on in What Remains True. Great stuff!

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

Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?

As I said in the podcast, a while back, someone told me I’d LOVE The Shell Collector–one of those people who recommends books you HAVE to read if they say you do.  So I bought it and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. Well, now it’s on my GoodReads shelf, and I’m about to start it (and I optimistically thought I’d be done with it by the time this episode released. Oh, me of too much faith in myself and my time management!)

Author of over thirty books, not to mention a bestselling author who also has movies made of her novels (And The Shell Collector has been optioned! EEEP!), Nancy loves to write Christmas books and small-town stories. Seriously, as we talked, I felt like she was talking about me half the time. We’re so very alike in so many ways. It was fun.

Nancy also pointed out that her first books (if you go WAY back) are not Christian fiction and are a bit spicier than she prefers to write and definitely more than she writes today. So be warned there, but she did assure us that they are all closed-door books.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle

One woman wants to win a bet. One man wants to become a rodeo champion. One little girl may give them both something even better—from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

“A commitment-phobic rodeo star and a divorcée with secrets find love in this wholesome romance. . . . As uplifting as it is sweet.”—Publishers Weekly

Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?

Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.

Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too?

You can learn more about Nancy’s books and movies on her WEBSITE.

Oh, and PSST… I’m loving the audiobook of this one!

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

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  • and more!
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
Chautona Havig
A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 153: A Chat with Historical Author, Tracie Peterson
June 21, 2022
Chautona Havig
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