• 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
  • Bonus
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Lessons Learned: in Speak Now

by Chautona Havig · 6 Comments

“You’re really good at authentic dialogue.”

I don’t remember who said it, but I remember thanking her and going back to look at my work.  I agreed.  Most of it was rather realistic. But I noticed something. Most of my scenes were very dialogue-driven.  And that got me thinking… What would happen if people didn’t converse as much in a book? Could I show through fewer words, actions, and subtext what people thought and felt?

Lessons Learned: in Speak Now

Links in this post may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Experiment time! 

So, I began Speak Now as an exercise for myself–a way to force me to write a less dialogue-driven story.  The “what if” question was,

How would a couple ever get to know each other if they didn’t spend the normal amount of time talking.”

I exaggerated the “men don’t communicate” stereotype to an enormous degree and went with it.  One thing that became very important to me right away was that he not be “shy.”  That would be too easy.

Characters: 

Obviously, I learned a lot from Cara and Jonathan, but Verna, and to a lesser extent Lily, taught me important lessons, too.

First up, Cara 

Setting up this book took a little work.  I had Cara who was only five years out of college.  I didn’t want to create a “Cinderella” effect where the rich man sweeps the struggling woman off her feet.  I really strive to keep my characters as “average” as possible.  That’s not quite as easy as you’d think sometimes.

I have many characters that are average Joes (more are than are not), and those I’ve given wealth to for various reasons.  In order to have Jonathan’s quirk of collecting jewelry as investments, he needed to have wealth.

So, I put Cara in the unusual position of a job that most would take 10-15 years at least to secure.  That let her be set up in a furnished townhome only five years outside of college.  Obviously not normal, but it did take away a bit of the “rich rescuer” feel from the book.

From Cara, I learned how to accept people where they are. She doesn’t try to fit them in a box, doesn’t try to bring them out of their boxes.  She just accepts them as they are and where they are.  (I think I said that already…  lol).

Her acceptance of Jonathan’s personality quirk (the distaste for conversation) inspires me.  Could I do that?  I doubt it.  She also accepts who he is as a widower with two children.  She doesn’t try to replace or eliminate Lily from his or the children’s lives.  She embraces that Lily helped shape them as people and respects that.  She’s not perfect.  I like that too, but I learned more from her virtues than I did from her faults in this book.

Then came Jonathan

From Jonathan, I learned how to accept what others do for you.  I learned how to reciprocate, but not to try to “repay.”  I also learned to see people through others’ eyes.  Would Jonathan have ever noticed Cara had his daughter not been so enthralled?  I don’t think so. Not where he was at that time.  He was still grieving for Lily.

I also learned that even when it seems like you’ve grasped temptation and given in, you can turn away at any moment.  I learned that protecting others is more important than gratifying self (something I knew, but it definitely reinforced it in a new way for me).  However, the way he fled further temptation–physically left the source–probably spoke to me the most.

How often do we think we can “handle it” and stay when we really should flee  whatever tempts us.  He “pulled a Joseph,” so to speak.

She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house” (Gen. 39:12)  

Speak Now Quotes

One I grew to love most is Verna.

I admire Verna’s devotion to her second family–the way she mothers everyone in the Lyman household.  Even the simple admonishment to be sure that Cara knows the ring isn’t an investment is genius.  Someone like Cara would need to know that something that symbolic isn’t just part of a retirement portfolio.  For that matter, most of us would.

Some didn’t understand why I gave Lily the intimacy issues I did.  I know some thought it was a way to put Lily down and elevate Cara.  That was not my intention.  I chose to do that to show just how deeply Jonathan loved his wife.  Even with these issues in his marriage, even with the deep attraction between him and Cara, he still grieved for and loved his first wife.  Verna wisely told him to tell her that this past problem could affect their future.  She caught that potential problem before meeting Cara.

And of course, Lily

Lily’s love and care for her husband and children inspire me.  She prepared them for a life with someone else even before she died.  What do I need to prepare my family for in the event of my death?  If there’s anything I learned in 2012, it is that life is shorter and more limited than it often seems.

Speak Now Cover ImageOf course, a theme emerged as I wrote it–one I would never have expected.

This book revolves around the theme of attraction and dealing with that attraction in an appropriate manner.  I made a deliberate attempt to keep it from being “realistic.”  It’s fiction.  If I wrote “reality,” it’d likely be pretty boring. I know most people cannot have wordless conversations such as Cara and Jonathan did–especially not in the beginning of a relationship. But, I exaggerated reality in order to set up their attraction.  When you don’t have words to help drown out the pull of attraction, you have to deal with the actual attraction.

How did readers respond?

Before I ever published this book, I sent it, chapter by chapter, to a friend.  In fact, I dedicated the book to Michele.  In her words in her Amazon review (which obviously is highly biased), she said,

I agree with the other reviewers, they don’t talk much, that’s part of the point. Their chemistry together wasn’t just the physical ‘wanna jump his/her bones’ chemistry…they were so at ease and comfortable with each other, they could read each other, even when they weren’t talking. They were what I’ve always envisioned as soul-mates. ~ Michele “WV Mommy”

A few other reviews caught my eye as well.

Rather than a good vs. evil theme, Speak Now explores right vs. wrong in a situation where emotions are trying to take the lead. Jonathan struggles to balance his roles of father and businessman with his conflicting emotions of grief for the wife who died too young and love for the very different woman who would take her place. Cara is a very confident young woman who struggles with body image, yet is very secure in the other areas of her life. Both are very caring and considerate characters, thinking of the needs of others and responding to them. 

The underlying lesson woven through the story was the realization that we do need to be careful of the dreams and longings we allow into our hearts. “…we don’t have to let our mind stay where it tries to go. We can close that gate and send it down a different path.” ~Colleen in ND

I came away from this book feeling like I could do so much more in my marital relationship to better connect with my husband. I admired the author for bringing out danger zones that occur in pre-marital relationships, the struggles, the temptations, desires, weaknesses, and how it is difficult to make the right choices.  ~ M.A. Pyles  “brealimom”

And critical reviews had important things to say as well. This one is particularly helpful.

Another problem for me was the supposed chemistry they had. I just didn’t feel it. I guess in literary terms it is the difference between being shown something and being told something. I just finished another book that gave me butterflies every time the characters were in the same room. Jonathan and Cara just didn’t do that for me. I was told about their chemistry, but I wasn’t shown their chemistry. ~ Teacher with an opinion in VA

Aaah… Chemistry

I have a very hard time writing the kind of chemistry that some readers want.  I find that to get it sufficiently “chemical,” for some people, I feel like I’ve crossed into emotional pornography.  It’s my personal problem–I have it with reading other authors as well.  What many readers find to be perfectly normal and acceptable in the chemistry department feels much too personal and intimate to me, regardless of who wrote the book.  So, until I get past that or learn to write in a way that satisfies others and my conscience both, I will disappoint some readers in that aspect.  For that, I am sorry.

Speak Now stretched me as an author.  Additionally, the Lord taught me how important it is to remain strong in the face of temptation– not just sexual temptation.  Any.  Temptation to shirk duty.  Temptation to indulge in too much of anything that is inappropriate at that point–this book reminded me of how important it is to remain strong in the face of any temptation.

 

Share
Pin
Post
Email
Share
Pin
Post
Email

Filed Under: General Information, Lessons Learned Series Tagged With: Rockland Chronicles

Previous Post: « Lessons Learned: in Prairie
Next Post: Lessons Learned in Past Forward »

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. Teresa says

    July 3, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    Looking forward to reading this next! I love past forward!

    Reply
  2. Amanda says

    July 3, 2013 at 11:45 am

    Very thought provoking for me. I love romance books & we NEED Christian authors who don’t “dirty up” clean romance. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Linda Sue says

    June 24, 2013 at 7:20 am

    Thank you for writing this – I found the wordless communication a little daunting – have never had that with someone else and hard for me to understand “how that works” – now I get it – you exaggerate something which might be to what is clearer in fictional writing. Again I thank you for NOT going to hot and heavy stuff – I find it most uncomfortable – we are not told to fill our minds with hot stuff – but that which is noble (golly sounds like one of your books!) and good. Passion is a great gift of God’s – but treated trivially – demeans the gifts. I appreciate your writing and your clarity

    Reply
  4. Elisabeth says

    June 24, 2013 at 7:11 am

    So fascinating!

    Reply
  5. dhbarbara says

    June 24, 2013 at 6:13 am

    I love insights into what drove authors. This is even better. Thanks for openly sharing this.

    Reply
  6. Michele Ballard says

    June 24, 2013 at 5:35 am

    Love this!!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

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

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand 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!
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
July 19, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 447: A Chat with Cate Touryan
July 14, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 446: A Chat with Rachel Chamberlayne
July 12, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 445: A Chat with Michelle Griep
July 7, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 444: A Chat with Rosey Lee
July 5, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 443: A Chat with Yvonne M. Morgan
June 30, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 442: A Chat with Liz Johnson
June 28, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 441: A Chat with Shannon Sue Dunlap
June 23, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 440: A Chat with Jordan Millsaps
June 21, 2025
Jordan Millsaps
Episode 439: A Chat with Laura Thomas
June 16, 2025
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Featured Books

Be My Inspiration

Be My Inspiration

Pointed Suspicion

Pointed Suspicion

Courting Miss Darling

Courting Miss Darling

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
Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo j Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo just wants to keep a low profile and start over. He didn't count on his first friend being someone like Allison.
The Kasimirs won't let him go unpunished.
Allison won't let him go unfriended.
What's a guy to do?
Listen FREE to a new chapter every day in November AND the complete book after the end of the month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eLI5ZH6YUk&list=PLGJaJiSo6mQ2dDLCnbGRORVFd5Rg1y7rR&pp=iAQB
Also available on all major audiobook platforms AND on Kindle Unlimited.
Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo
#Audiobooks
#YouTube
#FreeAudiobooks
#KindleUnlimited
#ChristianRomanticSuspense
The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of my books, including TheNutcracker's Suite--a mystery set among the mob activity during the Prohibition era.
You can listen FREE on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@christadelsorbo/videos
Check out the other books she has on there... also free!

OR

You can also get The Nutcracker's Suite and several of my other titles on popular retailers like Audible, Spotify, Everand, and more!
#Audiobooks
#FreeAudiobooks
#ChristianMystery
#HistoricalMystery
#FairyTaleRetelling
3d
Whoa... just in case we didn't understand, this b Whoa... just in case we didn't understand,  this bin has a HUGE instruction envelope to remind us and help with the super complicated job of building a box.
Audiobooks FREE? Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Na Audiobooks FREE?  Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo.
Get a new chapter every day until it's all uploaded OR listen to the FULL audiobook in one video once all chapters have been released!
Scott Keil's mission work tends to overtake both his and his daughter's life.  So when his daughter ropes Natalie Dersham to help out, he's thrilled.  When she starts playing matchmaker... well... okay, he's kind of thrilled about that, too.  The age gap?  Probably prohibitive but if it wasn't...
Available in print, on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and now coming to all major audiobook platforms (and free on YouTube right now!)
#UnderTheHibiscus
#FreeAudiobook
#ChristFic
#KindleUnlimited
https://youtu.be/rzD7cULBeV8
I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover! I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover!  @PlethoraCreative did a fabulous job of redesigning the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales series (Book one updates coming soon!). Not only do we have Kindle and paperbacks, but hardbacks with DOUBLE-SIDED dust jackets are coming. Soon you can read with @notsquid's fabulous map open before you so you know exactly where Everard, Sevrin, and Sassy are headed next! EEEP
Available HERE: https://amzn.to/4eKL6sv  #AffiliateLink
#ChristFic
#ChristianMiddleGrade (older)
#ChristianFantasy
#ChristianFairyTale
#KindleUnlimited
#CoverRedesign
All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solit All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solitude far away from the fa-la-las.  Instead, she got snowbound in Wrightwood with a woman (aptly named Joy) who makes Buddy from Elf look like a Grinch.
Escape to Greenaway is next up in the Christmas in July celebration and FREE on Friday, July 18, 2025: https://amzn.to/4kIK9lI #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#ChristianRomance
#ChristianChristmasRomance
#ChristianWomensFiction
#FreeKindle
#KindleUnlimited
For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "s For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "silver anniversary" that wasn't the joyful thing people expect--until it was.  Tarnished Silver is FREE on 7/16/25 for Christmas in July. https://amzn.to/3GQkVE3 #AffiliateLink
#Christfic
#ChristmasRomance
#SmallTownRomance
#ChristianRomanticFiction
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

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