• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • If You Like…
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

When You Get Lost Walking down Memory Lane

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

Have you heard?  It’s here.  Available.  And on Kindle Unlimited, even!

Wonderland Wishes

Back in the first quarter of the year, I got a message from Lynnette Bonner inviting me into a collection with six other authors.  I, of course, jumped at the chance.  Writing a Christmas “noella”?  Of COURSE!

So, to celebrate the release of Wonderland Wishes, I have a series of blog posts by or about our collection members. For the next few weeks, you’ll get one every Wednesday.  I’m calling them “Wonderland Wednesdays.”  First up (random drawing of order)…  Jan Cline, author of Finding Christmas and You. She shares how she came up with the novella and offers a poignant reminder to treasure our memories!

When You Get Lost Walking down Memory Lane

Don’t Forget!

Who in their lifetime hasn’t struggled to remember something? No matter what age or gender, we all draw a blank once in a while. It can be blamed on many things; stress, being too busy, nervousness, or illness. Whatever the cause, it can be the source of humor, embarrassment, and/or frustration. I find that the older I get, the more forgetful episodes I have.

I’ve misplaced car keys, hats, forgotten where I laid my sunglasses (on a daily basis there), spaced on appointments, and certainly forgot my share of birthdays. It’s to be expected for a grandma, right?

But there are those who suffer from more than just simple forgetfulness. I never really thought much about that until I started writing Finding Christmas and You for the recently released Christmas Ebook set Wonderland Wishes.

My novella is based on a very short story I wrote once about a young lady with amnesia, and how it hurts her relationship with a fiancé she has forgotten. The more I wrote, the more I became aware of how terrible amnesia must be.

For those who have this condition, for any reason, life is more than difficult. To live day by day, wondering who you are, your likes and dislikes, trying to remember faces, names, and events seems like a curse of the worst kind. I cannot fathom the depth of discouragement that would be a constant companion for someone with no past.

Jolene Miller, my main character, has amnesia caused by a car accident.

She is under the care of a counselor but struggles to remember enough to put together her fractured life, let alone plan for a future. When you stop to think about how much time you spend dwelling on your past, or planning your future, it brings home the lost self that is left when something like this happens to a person.

My character must press through the unknown to find truth and peace, regardless of whether or not she regains her memory. (not telling you that!) This story made me think about how I should treasure my own memories, and how precious it is to know where I came from. Some, like Jolene, don’t have that blessing.

I hope you will read my story, along with all the others in this awesome set of books. Each one has been written with Christmas and love in mind. [clickToTweet tweet=”Although wishes don’t always come true, we must live in the spirit of hope through all seasons of life.” quote=”And although wishes don’t always come true, we must live in the spirit of hope through all the seasons of life.”]

Wishing you all good memories for the holidays of 2017!

Jan Cline

You can follow Jan at her website and social media!

Website: 
Facebook:
Twitter: 
Goodreads:

Stay tuned for next week!

Lynnette Bonner joins us with a fun interview!

Share82
Pin
Tweet
Email
83Shares
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
83Shares

Related

Filed Under: Guest Post, New Release

Previous Post: « The Deadly Proof Is in the Reading Pudding–It’s a Winner
Next Post: What Happens When Tinseltown Tugs at Your Heart »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
byChautona Havig

I chatted with Melanie Dobson a few weeks ago, and boy was it a wonderful time of talking about my favorite books of hers and her latest release, The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Listen in to the heartwrenching story that sparked the idea for the book and the delicious (and fascinating) research she did to write it!

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

How a Family Mystery Sparked the Idea for a Beautiful Story

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton takes place during the dichotomous Gilded Age among New York’s famous Thousand Islands.  Combining a family mystery with that era, Melanie Dobson creates a wonderful story that echoes the tumultuous time at the turn of the 20th century.

We chatted about the research involved–both for Melanie’s family mystery of a missing child who was in a photo but no one knew who she was and for the era and area as well.  I loved hearing how her mother got involved in trying to discover what happened to… was it Marjorie?  I think.  And, of course, how that helped shape the story of this book.

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

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:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
November 25, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 281: A Chat with Angela Hunt
November 23, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 280: A Chat with Debut Author, Johanna Rojas Vann
November 21, 2023
Chautona Havig
Because Fiction 279: A Chat with Amish Author, Leslie Gould
November 17, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 278: A Chat with WWII Author, Amanda Barratt
November 14, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 277: A Chat with M. D. House about Sophia
November 11, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 276: A Chat with Jaime Jo Wright about Her New Release
November 7, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 275: A Chat about Knowing You by Tracie Peterson
November 3, 2023
Chautona Havig
Because Fiction 274: A Chat with Sara Beth Williams about No Matter How Far
October 31, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 273: A Chat with Debut Author Holly Varni
October 28, 2023
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

A Ransomed Grete

A Ransomed Grete
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
A Ransomed Grete
Buy now!

Twice Sold Tales

Twice Sold Tales
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Twice Sold Tales
Buy now!

Under the Hibiscus

Under the Hibiscus
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Under the Hibiscus
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

  • Why This Author Sold Me on a Whole Series in One Fun Interview (October 28, 2023)
  • Why an Almost Love At First Sight Mystery Actually Works! (November 28, 2023)

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • How a Family Mystery Sparked the Idea for a Beautiful Story
  • How Angela Hunt Keeps Delivering Great Books to Her Fans
  • How One Fascinating Book Could Change Your Perception of Colombia

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
I should be editing the podcast or writing, but i I should be editing the podcast or writing,  but it's been a long day,  and I haven't read all week. So, quick reading break with some Hungarian coffee cake and a cup of tea. Oh, and On Moonberry Lake by @hollyvarni 
#AmReading 
#LyonsGold
Or just love a suspenseful novel? Reposted from @ Or just love a suspenseful novel?

Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Now that the weather has turned chilly, are you pining for the summer sun? ☀️🌴 Well, you're in luck because it's not too late to get your copy of Come What May, volume 3 of our Summer Heat series, and escape to summer in collection of FOUR novels! Head over to my link in bio to find your copy before it's gone.

 #weekendreading #weekendreads #summerheat #SummerReading2023 #summerreading #summerheatseries #avidreadersofchristianfiction #deals #bookseries #weekendread #bookshelf #2023reads #tbr #readmorebooks #bookstack #faithwriter #ChristianFiction #authorlisaphillips #ebooks #readerlove #christianromanticsuspense #romanticsuspenseseries #comewhatmay
Oh... how I need to learn this lesson! Sigh. Comin Oh... how I need to learn this lesson! Sigh.
Coming December 6! Preorder coming VERY soon! EEEP!
#Bookstrings
#ClockTowerBound
#BerneIndiana
#BookishBooks
#ChristFic
#AmWriting
How did I manage to wait this long to start this? How did I manage to wait this long to start this? I'm ready to move to Moonberry Lake.
@hollyvarni 
#AmReading 
#ChristFic
Tonight's reads. What's on your TBR tonight? #AmR Tonight's reads.  What's on your TBR tonight?
#AmReading 
@nadinebrandes 
#ChristFic 
#Eschatology
Day 4: Vacation Read I LOVE collections for vacati Day 4: Vacation Read
I LOVE collections for vacation reads. They're usually a bit shorter (these aren't novellas but they are shorter novels) and there are usually several options to choose from. 
I love the Summer Heat Series, and not just because I've got a book in there!
#BookishChallenge
Day 3: Colorful Colors Well, I made myself choose Day 3: Colorful Colors
Well, I made myself choose books that are in the shed-i-ffice instead of going and looking at what I had throughout the house. These were some that were bright and vivid. I've only read parts of two of them (plan to finish The Major and the Missionary tomorrow and Fawkes I'll start reading on the 5th for obvious reasons). #BookishChallenge
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!