Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

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Was This Book Really the Best I’ve Read by This Author?

"I don't notice point of view or historical anachronisms. I just like to read a good book." It's not that I don't envy my mother that.  I do.  It would be nice to just be able to sit down, read a book, and not notice repetitive words, anachronisms, or if the book was written in present tense.  Continue Reading

What Does Christian Romance Offer That Readers Need?

One of the coolest things about having this podcast is the opportunity to talk with authors, see what inspires them, discover how they fell in love with writing. Some people decided to write as a child. Others had a teacher who inspired them. But I've noticed one common thread despite the Continue Reading

Why Amish Fiction Is Crazy Popular & More

Amish fiction tends to be a bit polarizing. Readers tend to love it or hate it. Are the criticisms valid?  One has to wonder because, despite the naysayers, Amish fiction has a huge following. What is so appealing about Amish fiction, what do readers expect, and is the claim that "If you've read Continue Reading

What Do Pretty Ribbons Have to Do with Ugly Murder?

I remember my father saying, "You have to watch out for those mountain folks. They have long memories that extend back before they were born." I didn't really get what that meant until I read Catherine Marshall's Christy. Suddenly, those words had context.  Meaning. It only makes sense, then, Continue Reading

What Is This NaNoWriMo Thing All About?

I blame MSN Messenger. Well, maybe it was my friend who used the messenger as the conduit for her crazy idea.  Okay, so it wasn't exactly her crazy idea, but she did tell me about it. Millions of people writing fifty-thousand words in thirty days.  During the month of November.  Yep, November--you Continue Reading

Winking, Blinking, Nod(ing): A 2020 NaNoWriMo Parody

It happens every year... the annual NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) parody. I've done a few of these, of course! The Night before Nano (A "T'was the Night Before Christmas" parody) The Raven (as in Poe's, of course) Tease (as in Joyce Kilmer's "Trees") Till November (A "My Continue Reading

Heroes Are Underrated, but Not in This Delightful Novel

One of the best things about being the content editor for the Independence Islands series is that I get to read them all first.  As I said with Secret Beach Boyfriend, sometimes that's a bit scary until you get reading.  I knew what to expect from Melissa's book, Scrumptious Independence because Continue Reading

5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Feed a Book Habit

Book habits can be expensive, especially when you like REAL books to hold in your hands, but there are ways to save money on paperback books, and I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites—five, to be exact! Before I get into them, though, I want to point out that this is episode is Continue Reading

All the Great Christmas Collections Coming Out This Year!

So if there's one thing I LOVE it's Christmas fiction. So, this week, I'm going for maximum Christmas fiction impact--collections. Four, five, ten, fourteen books in one nice little file--often available on Kindle Unlimited! Who could ask for more? Every year, dozens of these fabulous collections Continue Reading

Why It’s Always Good to Make Dreams Come True

On Amazon, every time I went looking for a book, there it was. The Orphan Beach.  I'd not read anything by the author, Laura Thomas.  Each time I started to click through, something distracted me. Then, I had an opportunity to interview her, and when I discovered that it was that Laura Thomas, Continue Reading

3 Things I Love Most about “That Boyfriend Book”

The manuscript hit my inbox with an electronic thud that still rings in my ears.  No joke. Secret Beach Boyfriend.  What had I gotten myself into? Seriously!  One of the best things about these Independence Islands Series books is that I'm the content editor.  That means I get to read them Continue Reading