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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Some Say Opposites Attract, but Do They Really?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Blessings in the Bargain released on Tuesday, and guys... this book. You have GOT to read this book. It's my favorite Trumbo book!) via @chautonahavig

The question threw me for a loop. “Do you have a friend who is your opposite but you just love them?” I didn’t (and still don’t) know how to answer her. My friend Teresa is crazy outgoing and gregarious. I’m naturally shy. So… sure. We’re opposites. But we have most things in common. The same is true of my friend since junior high, my husband, and even the other islands authors.

It kind of makes sense, though. Doesn’t it? If you are exactly like your friend in every way, one of you is probably redundant. If you’re completely opposite in every way, then what do you have in common? And if you have nothing in common at all…  Get my drift?

But what I want to point out is that while spending time with people like ourselves might be more comfortable, those people who challenge us to get out of our comfort zones (staying home instead of going out or vice versa, having a party when you’d rather people go away… whatever)… Those people make life richer. And I, for one, am grateful for them.

blessings in the bargain trumbo

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

Some Say Opposites Attract, but Do They Really?

What’s the deal with the friends and the opposites and the samesies?

Well, Kari Trumbo’s latest (and last… sniffles) Independence Islands book, Blessings in the Bargain, released this week, and since there’s definitely an opposites attract (plus May/December) romance, Kari asked the question, and here’s my answer.  It’s not all that exciting, but really… I could tell you about how my friend never believed I was shy until she introduced me to a friend of hers in Walmart and then couldn’t understand why I wasn’t talking.  I didn’t need to. “But you weren’t shy with me!”

Newsflash. Outgoing, gregarious people often drag shy people into friendships with no idea that they go home later and suck their thumbs in the fetal position. Yeah… Teresa figured that out.

It was good for me, though.  So is having a friend who is much more sensitive than I’ll ever be, having one who needs lots of affirmation, having one who needs lots of “outings.”  Things like this stretch me and help me be more sympathetic to others’ needs. And that’s a good thing!

Blessings in the Bargain by Kari Trumbo

Despite a career in logistics, Courtney is unprepared to get lost at sea…

A fated trip to the docks with her closest pal Annie leads to disaster. Ship Captain Lex Ford agrees to take Courtney and two of her friends on what was to be a quick trip to test a new boat. A dangerous storm traps them against a reef, damaging communications and stranding them at sea.Blessings in the Bargain Kari Trumbo

Lex knew this was a bad idea…

He hated having people on his ship with him. Ever since his partner left, he doesn’t share his life with anything but the seagulls. So, when Courtney’s friend Rafe offers him a deal on a new boat, he’d rather ignore the offer.

His heart isn’t ready for how he feels about Courtney, and watching her brave the elements after the storm makes him want to protect her. But the last woman he loved just walked away. And what about their age gap? He’s far older than her. The Lord is good at turning bad situations for good, but can even He make this mess right?

This Breakers Head novel is Kari Trumbo’s final novel in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Check out the other authors’ websites for their friendship stories AND… to get entries in to their giveaways!

Kari Trumbo: September 27
Rachel Skatvold: September 28
Tabitha Bouldin: September 29
Carolyn Miller: September 30
Chautona Havig: October 1
Melissa Wardwell: October 2
Sandy Barela: October 3

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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:

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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
Chautona Havig
Episode 558: A Chat with Felicia Hurd
July 6, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 557: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
July 4, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 556: A Chat with Sharon Wilharm
June 29, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 555: A Chat with Jil Koller
June 27, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 554: A Chat with Gloriaea
June 22, 2026
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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
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