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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

My (not so) Brilliant Answers to the Cool Bookish Podcast Tag

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Nicole and the Undending TBR over on Instagram tagged me in the Bookish Podcast Tag and I went for it. Here are my not-so-Brilliant replies! via @chautonahavig

Well, this hasn’t happened before, but I got tagged in Nicole and the Unending TBR’s Bookish Podcast Tag and… talking about books? Ones I liked? Ones I wanted to see in different media? Ones…  ALL THE YEAHs!

So, listen in to find out which villain I want to chuck on a desert island, which I’d take on a reading retreat, what I want to see as a mini-series and more!

Bookish Podcast Tag

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My (not so) Brilliant Answers to the Cool Bookish Podcast Tag

Here goes! I’m excited. I hope

When a Unique Premise Really Is Enough The Kingdom of Ruins by DC Marino YA fantasy1. If you had a time machine and could go into the future to grab one highly anticipated book, which one would you choose?

The next book in the Kingdom of Ruins series. That was my first thought. Second to that since it’s not a well-known book (but it should be), I’d say whatever David Rawlings is working on (He’d better be working on something).  If not that, then a sequel/spin-off to the Rembrandt Stone series.

2. You win a luxurious weeklong quiet reading retreat, what are the first 5 books you will pack?

Impossible. Seriously, it was impossible to decide, so I went into both my room and my shed-i-ffice, closed my eyes, and grabbed books.
Marigolds for Mourning by Audrey Stallsmith,
Shallows by Denver Evans (Perry Kirkpatrick)
Amberwell by D.E. Stevenson
Emma and the Reasons by Natasha Metzler
The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

And then even if I bring no other books with me… I have a stuffed Kindle and I’m not afraid to read it!

3. A book outside your comfort zone but you are glad you read.

Love and the Dream Come True by Tammy L. Gray– Up until the final chapter or two, this was a three-star read for me, but it all came together in a marvelous way at the end there, and I really connected with it finally.

Honestly, the way Tammy Gray pulled all those pieces that I didn’t always like together really shows what a brilliant writer she is. The deep-rooted faith she plants into her books doesn’t always push through the top of the soil quickly, but when it does, it’s strong and supportive and so very healthy. Well done, Ms. Gray. What you did here is so important. It teaches some serious truths without you realizing it’s happening until WHAM! You’re on your face before God and yielding things you didn’t know you’d taken back.

A soothing hug for the broken and a cattle prod at the same time.

4. What genre needs more representation?

I’m going to say… “general.” Everything is so niched these days—even subgenres have subgenres with subgenres! What about a good, old-fashioned story that doesn’t have to fit in a box?

5. What trope needs more representation?

If it existed, I’d say reinventing yourself + humor. But it doesn’t. So how about a romance trope…  Basically, Enemies-to-FRIENDS ONLY.

6. You could maroon one villain/nemesis on a desert island, who would it be?

Jadis from Narnia. I think it would be hilarious for her to be on a DESERT island—heat and misery. On a desert island.

7. What book did you not really think you would like and ended up loving?

Kari Trumbo’s first book in the Independence Islands series, Secret Beach Boyfriend. I mean, that title says fluffy nonsense to me. But it was so rich and so full of encouragement… depth of faith and relationships. I was sooooo impressed.

8. What fictional pet would you want for your own?

Well… of my books, Atticus. Totally. But for someone else’s… I’d say Teri Blake’s bunny… Duggy in The Rosewood Diary. I love that little guy. Her Driftwood Bay women’s fiction series is AWESOME.

9. What book did you love when you were younger and now question your younger self’s taste?

Um… I really loved reading Lois Duncan books. What was I not thinking?

10. Name a book for each category to be adapted into a:
  • Movie: Out of North Korea by Alana Terry—picture Castaway… but in a North Korean prison or Sweet Rivals by Kari Trumbo (she’s really represented in this podcast, isn’t she?) OR… totally different direction, A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus.
  • TV show: The Mrs. Pollifax books!!! Or, since this is about Christian fiction, how about Perry Kirkpatrick’s The Accidental Case Files of Emily Abbott?
  • the accidental cases of Emily Abbott
  • Miniseries: The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone. Okay, I could choose so many so… I think Terrie Todd’s Bleak Landing (THIS episode is about it) would make an excellent one for a more historical fiction series?
  • Broadway play: Dear Henry, Love Edith—but only if they make a musical. Can you imagine a song for the epi-pen that pops up on a startling basis?
11. What fictional family would make the best reality show?

I want Anne Shirley Blythe’s family—all those kids.  Reality. MMMWWWAAAHAHAHA

Dear Henry, Love Edith Becca Kinzer12. What was the last book that made you cry? Laugh?

Laughing hard?  I’m going with Dear Henry, Love Edith. I HOWLED through that book. So hysterical.

Cry? This is going to sound so weird, but if I was a crier, I’d say Stephanie Landsem’s Code Name Edelweiss. Because I see those same things happening in some ways now. And it terrifies me.

13. What author could you talk about for 3+ hours straight?

Cathe Swanson… and I have!

14. What book would you want to write?:

If I could write any book that I wanted to right now this minute, it would be… the concentration camp thing.
.
That’s it! What would your responses be to some of them? I’m sure once I see it, I’ll change my mind about them. #becauseme

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
byChautona Havig

I don’t know about you, but the title, The Goodness of Unicorns, grabbed me. That cover? Also amazing! Listen in as Kayla M. Green chats about her writing and just what this goodness of unicorns is all about

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

Eye color changing? Losing the ability to SEE color? That totally grabbed me. My copy is on my bookshelf waiting for a chance to read it. Yay!

The Goodness of Unicorns by Kayla E. Green

One girl determined to heal her sister and another looking for purpose in a nation on the brink of war. And unicorns—with a twist you’ve never seen before. It’s Rowan Tritonia’s sixteenth Naming Anniversary. Her plans for the day never included a headache that causes her to almost faint on a day meant for celebration. When the world comes back into focus, her brown eyes have changed to magenta. But what scares her more is that everything around her is now black and white coupled with a mysterious ability to see the light and shadows in a person’s soul. Then a local cleric implies that Rowan could have the power of Sight, a gift which has only been seen in the stories of unicorns in the Book of Verimor, an ancient text. Rowan is perplexed. Why would Verimor give her something she never asked for instead of answering her greatest prayer to help her younger sister, Blythe? News of the girl with Sight quickly travels beyond Rowan’s local village. When the King of Wisteria learns of her gift from a letter, he summons her to the castle. With growing political tensions from neighboring nations, Rowan may be able to provide the aid they desperately need. Linnea, the king’s sister and his primary advisor, prays that Rowan has truly been blessed by a unicorn and can save the nation and its people from encroaching darkness. Meanwhile, back at home, Blythe, sets out on her own journey. She feels helpless, tied down by the pain that keeps her homebound most of the time. Although she wears a smile to comfort those around her—especially her family—Blythe wonders if her life will ever amount to anything more than fading into the background. Is she truly too broken for any greater purpose, or can Verimor still use her?

Don’t forget to check out Kayla’s Metamorphosis blog tour HERE.

Learn more on Kayla’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 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
Episode 551: A Chat wth Kayla E. Green
June 15, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 550: A Chat with Joan Lovestrand Farley
June 13, 2026
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Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
June 8, 2026
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Episode 548: A Chat with Sarah Heatwole
June 6, 2026
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Episode 547: A Chat with Terri McAdoo
June 1, 2026
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Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
May 30, 2026
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Episode 545: A Chat with Gina Holder
May 25, 2026
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Episode 544: A Chat with Nicholas Teeguarden
May 23, 2026
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Episode 543: A Chat with Stephanie Cardel
May 19, 2026
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Episode 542: A Chat with Megan Schaulis
May 16, 2026
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