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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why I Think This Guy Makes Biblical Fiction Come Alive

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

M.D. House took one of the most infamous characters in Scripture and showed us what God can do with a man so utterly despised. Wow! via @chautonahavig

Biblical fiction, first-person perspective. The books have everything against them, but M.D. House got me excited about reading The Barabbas Trilogy before we’d spoken for five minutes.

House offers us a look at what could have been based on what we know of what was. Just reading the “Look Inside” on Amazon gives you a hint of where House’s Barabbas came from and where he’ll go on his redemptive journey.

From what I’ve read, these books might make my top books of 2021 list!

M.D. House

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

Why I Think This Guy Makes Biblical Fiction Come Alive

A few years ago, I finally read a Biblical Fiction book that I liked.  My favorite part was that the series was about Biblical places and their effects on people’s lives rather than about specific people. I figured that I had finally found “my” kind of Biblical fiction.

And I probably did!

However, after chatting with M.D. House (a.k.a. Mike), I discovered that there are other sorts of Biblical fiction that intrigue me.

Seriously, listening to Mike talk about his process in writing his most recent release, Pillars of Barabbas, all I could think of is, “WOW!”  And “BUY IT NOW.”

So I did.

Mike spent hours and hours reading every word of Paul’s epistles, taking hundreds of lines of notes, and really immersing himself into just who Paul was in order to… get this.  GIVE US A POV character in his book.  From Paul.

YEAH!

Funny thing is, though. This corporate-finance-turned-Biblical-fiction author didn’t start out in Biblical fiction.  Nope… his first book was.

Sci-fi.

Yep, in addition to his trilogy on Barabbas, M.D. House has a sci-fi series.

And it’s good, folks.  It’s GOOD.

Chatting with Mike was great because as we talked, I could hear the passion he has for the church, for God’s people, and for the Lord.  The man loves God’s Word, and it comes out in every word he speaks, practically.

While I’m anxious to read these first two books, listening to him talk about what he’s doing with book three… EEEP!  Guys.  The Destruction of Jerusalem.  It’s about to hit the page.

Personally, I can’t wait.

About Pillars of Barabbas by M.D. House

The man they called Barabbas has come a long way from the wretched prisoner released by Pontius Pilate in lieu of Jesus of Nazareth. He and his wife Chanah are growing in regard among the leadership of Christ’s fledgling church, which is expanding and thriving.

But increasing Christian influence breeds jealousy among several Roman governors and senators. How will Emperor Nero react? Can the apostle Paul soothe the moody young ruler and help the valiant Roman saints continue to spread the Word?

The Parthian Empire also poses threats, including in Eastern Africa, where the former centurion Cornelius has become a prominent Christian leader. Will the Christians need to flee, or must they fight both the Romans and the Parthians?

You can find M.D. House at his website HERE.

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

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If you’d like to be on the Because Fiction Podcast, please go HERE and submit your topic idea! I’d love to hear about it.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
byChautona Havig

A chilling read from Chris Underwood… literally. What happens if you’re in the Midwest in winter and the power goes out? Listen in as I chat with Chris Underwood about his Cold Winter series.

Content warning: While these books do have characters who are Christians and live their faith, the first book (not sure about the rest) does include a few instances of foul language in the first few chapters. I’m switching from audio to print to finish.

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

Talking about all the research he did for this series was a blast. I loved hearing about his travels with the crew and the prepper side–everything.

The Cold Winter Grid-Down Series by Chris Underwood

The Cold Winter Series begins with a power grid failure at Niagara Falls three days before Christmas, as a snowstorm approaches.

Welcome to The Cold Winter. It follows a group of families in Central Ohio who want to help stranded motorists who end up on their porch. Even when doing the right thing doesn’t work out, they keep on trying. There is a sense of morality and faith as the emergency continues to worsen.

In the second book, they learn that the power outage is an attack on the nation, and join a civilian minuteman militia to fight back.

The third book of the series ramps up the action and features the first major battles of the minutemen militia. Since modern machinery cannot be trusted, vintage military equipment is utilized by the militia, such as a Huey Helicopter and a WWII Landing Ship, the LST-325.

This ship is an actual floating museum on the Ohio River and is used by this militia to go upstream to rescue a VIP and bring him to safety. River locks are liberated from the enemy, and a dramatic battle is staged on Wheeling Island, where the landing ship performs much as it did on D-Day in Normandy: Landing aground with troops and equipment pouring out the front for battle!

The fourth installment of the series introduces more vintage equipment, including a Cobra Attack Helicopter and a P-47 Thunderbolt, to fight modern naval ships in an effort to liberate the Niagara Falls power station from the enemy.

Even the WWII Destroyer, USS The Sullivans, in its current engineless state at the Buffalo Naval Museum, is somehow used in the battle! It’s an epic showdown of antique airpower against modern naval might!

Learn more on Chris’s WEBSITE and follow 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!
Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
Episode 553: A Chat with Chris Underwood
June 20, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 552: A Chat with Laura Ashwood
June 17, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
June 15, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 550: A Chat with Joan Lovestrand Farley
June 13, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
June 8, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 548: A Chat with Sarah Heatwole
June 6, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 547: A Chat with Terri McAdoo
June 1, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
May 30, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 545: A Chat with Gina Holder
May 25, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 544: A Chat with Nicholas Teeguarden
May 23, 2026
Chautona Havig
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Yeah. It's a thing. Which is weird because I rarel Yeah. It's a thing. Which is weird because I rarely call a book by its title.  Past Forward is "Willow." Ready or Not (and the rest) are all "Aggie" (I add 1, 2, 3, 4 etc). None So Blind is "Ella."
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Preorder your copy today!

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