• 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
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

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

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

How Characters Influence an Author’s Life

by Chautona Havig · 7 Comments

Or:  How Willow Guilted Me into Work

On Tuesday, my daughter bought us two of the grocery store rotisserie chickens for dinner.  I remember her hinting strongly that we only needed one.  However, I like to use the leftovers for chicken soup and even on a half-empty house, one won’t cut it for two meals with my crew.  She dutifully bought what I asked.  Go Jenna.  (and can you please disobey me next time?)

Anyway. I was on the ball.  I had dinner planned for Wednesday night and then we would have chicken soup on Thursday.  That meant that I had to boil those birds, make broth, get the meat off the bones.  All in a day’s work. I mean, it’s not like I had to butcher the things!  They were cooked when I started!

I had another daughter (I have a superfluity of daughters–something for which I am very grateful) dump them in the Dutch oven and start the boil.  And they did.  For a long time (because we all forgot about them).  My husband turned off the heat before he went to bed.

A couple of hours later, I remembered them.  Gulp.  Surely they were cold and probably unsafe.  Yes.  Of course they were.  We’d forget the fact that I’d be reboiling it all before we ate it. Right.  Didn’t need to do it.

I worked on Past Forward for a little longer until the guilt nearly strangled me.  Sigh.  So, instead of replacing the previously expunged “McDonald’s scene,” I went into the kitchen and tested the pot.  Still hot.  Drat.  Resigned to my fate, I began the tedious task of removing meat from bird bones.

It took me fifteen minutes tops.

Really, Chautona?

Sigh.

Does it say something horrible about me that my conscience knew the right thing to do but did not do it (Oh, dear… James 4:17 strikes again), but knowing that some woman who doesn’t exist at all would be shocked was enough to get me off the couch and into the kitchen?

It probably does.

Double sigh.

Share
Pin
Post
Email
Share
Pin
Post
Email

Filed Under: General Information

Previous Post: « I’m So Excited to Present:
Next Post: If You Have Won an eBook from Me… »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Comments

  1. Rebekah says

    August 24, 2012 at 8:20 am

    LOL I think the funniest part of this post might have been imagining Willow’s reaction if you had just stayed where you were and left the stock! :p

    I’m enjoying rereading Willow by the way. And if the McDonald’s scene is the one I think it is, now I’m going to be on the lookout to see if you ultimately decided to keep it, or get rid of it. 😀

    To the KING be all the glory!
    Rebekah

    Reply
  2. Kristi Stapler says

    August 16, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    ROFLOL! Nodding my head in complete and total understanding!

    Reply
  3. Marylin F says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Chautona,
    That is too funny… Thanks for sharing this.
    Question: Are you a late nighter? I’m in Oregon and many times late at night I get my emails from you and I thought you lived more in mid west.
    Also, I was driving around with my daughter the other day and we put in a cd. As I was listening to the song it made me think of Willow. Or how she would think of this change in her life. The song is by Tenth Avenue North (My nephew’s band) and it’s called – All The Pretty Things. If you’ve not heard it you should!! It talks about all the thinkgs that take us away from God. Enjoy! Marylin

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 16, 2012 at 4:00 pm

      I’ll have to go find that song!

      I am most definitely a night owl, but I’m west coast. California’s Mojave Desert.

      Reply
  4. Bethany Goff says

    August 16, 2012 at 6:51 am

    It’s good to know that you’re just as human as I am! And I appreciate you being so real with all of us. 🙂

    Reply
  5. barbara says

    August 16, 2012 at 6:01 am

    ROFLOL! I had a similar thought the other day when I wanted to buy $40 per bottle shampoo, thought about making some instead and then thought “Willow would NEVER buy that!”

    Reply
  6. Carla Linhart says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:30 am

    Sounds like Willow except she would have killed her chickens.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 600: A Chat with JPC Allen
byChautona Havig

If you love a good mystery, you don’t want to miss JPC Allen’s Rae Riley Mystery series. Listen in to learn about the next book, A Threat at the Feast! EEEP!

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

JPC Allen has a great mind for mystery, and this series is proof of that.

A Threat at the Feast by JPC Allen

How can you trust when you don’t understand? In November, amateur sleuth Rae Riley can be thankful for many things but not the media attention brought by a couple of recent cases she and her dad, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski solved in rural Marlin County, Ohio. When the publicity also brings the estranged grandfather and mother of her sort-of boyfriend, Deputy Chris Kincaid, he wants nothing to do with his family. Chris says his actress mother and movie director grandfather have only come to bask in the publicity from the high-profile cases. But Rae notices that his grandfather carries a gun and seems afraid when a producer and his son, superhero movie star Talon Moore arrive in the county. When Chris’s grandfather is found murdered outside the library where Rae works, and someone attacks Rae’s friend Devon and searches the library, Chris becomes the main suspect for Chief of Police Simcox. Rae and Mal race to bring Chris home for Thanksgiving before he’s prosecuted for first-degree murder.

Visit Threat’s landing page to learn how to pre-order, earn a free bonus Rae Riley short story, and get Rae Riley #3, A Riddle in the Lonesome October, on sale. Here’s the link: https://jpc-allen-sfkgbd.subscribepage.io/

Learn more about JPC Allen on her WEBSITE and 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
  • YouTube
  • and more!
Episode 600: A Chat with JPC Allen
Episode 600: A Chat with JPC Allen
November 2, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 599: A Chat with Frank McKinney
October 31, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode : A Chat with L.J. Long
October 28, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 597: A Chat with Alison Treat
October 26, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 596: A Chat with Katheen Rouser
October 24, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 595: A Chat with Jeremiah Friedli
October 21, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 594: A Chat with Joy Crain
October 19, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 593: A Chat with Thomas Goodman
October 17, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 592: A Chat with Heidi Main
October 14, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 591: A Chat with Jenny McLeod Carlisle
October 12, 2026
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Featured Books

Dying to Read

Dying to Read

Take Cover

Take Cover

CrossWords

CrossWords

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • So, There Was That Time I Forgot What I Knew…
  • “Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say” Ain’t No Lie
  • Why Romance Is a Hairy Proposition (or is that proposal?)

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
When I saw @ArcherAndOlive’s Advent Box this year When I saw @ArcherAndOlive’s Advent Box this year (okay, & watched all the spoiler videos), I knew I had to have it. But twelve-day advent boxes really only work well for Epiphany. And who wants to wait until then??? But then I got an idea. What if the advent box was actually a reward for getting my Christmas novel done? Dear Uncle Nick is last year’s Book-mas series turned full-length novel!
What is it?:
I’ve reached over 35K words on Dear Uncle Nick, my upcoming Historical Christmas novel, which means two things: we are opening Box #1 of my beautiful @archerandolive advent calendar, AND I’m finally revealing the cover! 🎄📦 (Watch to the end to see the final design!)
Again, I’ve seen all the spoilers for this “calendar,” so I know what’s in here, but how cool is the spiral over-sized memo pad? Kraft paper? Dot grid? Yes, please! And I know exactly how I can use this for this series! Stay tuned for that.
Dear Uncle Nick: A struggling newspaper with a new advice column, Christmas looming, and a community that refuses to give up hope. 📰✨
The Story:
If you love the small-town warmth of It’s a Wonderful Life, this book is for you. Set in the heart of the Great Depression, it follows a struggling local newspaper that launches an anonymous "Dear Uncle Nick" column to lift the town's spirits. Every chapter starts with a heartfelt letter from a townsperson, weaving together a cozy, "we can get through this together" Christmas tale.
Keeping me accountable in the BEST way possible (Thanks Archer & Olive!)
The book officially releases this Black Friday! To keep myself accountable to the finish line, I’m gamifying my writing. So! Every single time I write another 5,000 words, I’ll be back on here opening the next numbered advent box and sharing behind-the-scenes secrets of the story.
Want to see what's in the next box—and find out if Uncle Nick saves the paper?
👇 Follow to join the countdown and watch for letters that made it to the Fairbury Daily Bulletin but didn’t make it into the paper.
#HistoricalFiction #ChristianFiction #ChristmasBooks #Bookstagram #WritingCommunity #ArcherAndOlive #NaNoWriMo #BookLaunch #CozyReads #ItsAWonderfulLife
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostl FREE through November 3, (and it takes place mostly in autumn!)

October 1939. They fled Vienna looking for sanctuary.
They found a trap.
Following the Anschluss, Austria is no longer recognizable.
For its Jewish citizens, survival means listening to the whispers—whispers of a
hidden chalet where a courageous woman keeps hunted children safe, fed, and far
from Nazi hands. Driven by desperation, parents face an agonizing choice: part
with their children forever, or risk their lives by keeping them close.
Hans Hartmann arrives at Chalet Versteck with a hardened
heart and a terrified little girl in tow. He found young Grete abandoned at a
train station and couldn't leave her behind. But the chalet is far from the
haven they were promised.
The air here is thick with secrets. Children vanish in the
dead of night. And before Hans can uncover the truth, a high-ranking Nazi
officer is murdered right inside their sanctuary.
With the Gestapo closing in, the chalet becomes a pressure
cooker of suspicion. To save Grete and escape with his own life, Hans must
untangle a web of deadly lies. In a place where trust is a liability, Hans will
have to find a glimmer of faith to guide them out of the darkness—before the
killer strikes again.
https://link.amazon/B04ONq0y4 #AffiliateLink#ChristFic
#HistoricalMystery
#FairytaleRetelling
#HanselAndGretel
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2026 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

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