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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

Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

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

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

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

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Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
September 29, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
September 26, 2023
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Episode 263: A Chat about The Love Script w/ Toni Shiloh
September 23, 2023
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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
September 19, 2023
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Episode 261: Chatting with Christian Youth Fiction Author, Candice Yamnitz
September 15, 2023
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Episode 260: A Chat with Rachel Hauck
September 12, 2023
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Episode 259: A Chat with Debut Author, Laura Conaway
September 8, 2023
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Episode 258: A Louisiana Christmas to Remember
September 2, 2023
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Episode 257: A Chat with Fantasy Author, N. Ford
September 1, 2023
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Episode 256: A Chat about Summer in the Spotlight w/ Liz Johnson
August 29, 2023
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