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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Do You Know What I Know: a book review

by Chautona Havig · 19 Comments

Do you?  Do you know what I know?  I know about a great Christmas read that I can’t wait to share with you.  That’s what I know.

Becky Melby, author of quite a few books, including the “Lost Sanctuary” series, has come out with a Christmas novella that will make you want to curl up with a quilt and a mug of hot chocolate and read straight through.  No joke.  Really.  I meant to read just a bit to get a feel for the tone of the book and sank back in that “after book glow” just a couple hours later. So I was supposed to be writing.  Who cares?  Sometimes you need a book, and this book was “just the write escape” for me!

Do you know what I know Melby review

(Links in this post may be affiliate links and will provide me a tiny commission at no extra cost for you.)

My “Quick and Easy” Review:

If you recall, a couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about how to write a super-easy review when you’re in a rush.  Well, I’m racing through NaNoWriMo and need that super-fast review option! So I’m going to give an example here for you.  To read that post (and maybe encourage you to give your favorite author a review today), go HERE.

Do You Know What I Know?:

Do You Know what I know - melbyI loved everything about this book, but I think what I loved most was how perfectly the author managed a complicated plot in such a short book. Because I became so quickly invested in the characters, I found myself hating the pain simple misunderstandings and mix-ups caused them, but that’s what makes a story great, right?

Melby’s Do You Know What I Know isn’t a comedy, by any stretch, but seriously, who wouldn’t laugh at a chicken in church?  Think “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” meets Milwaukee!  And because I’m kind of a heartless creature, so I didn’t cry. But I guarantee you I would have cried for Elizabeth when she thought things were all wrong in her marriage. Don’t blame the author.  I just don’t cry.

All in all, Do You Know What I Know was a delightful read that I recommend.  Those with convictions against surrogacy and/or IVF may have a problem with one of the subplots, but it was quite tastefully done and gave an alternate perspective on something I’ve never been comfortable with.

So….

Have you read anything by Becky Melby?  If you haven’t, I think Do You Know What I Know is a great introductory book.

*giveaway ended. Congrats, Susan E.*

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Next Post: Do You Know What I Know? I know the winner! »

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Comments

  1. Lori D says

    November 4, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    I haven’t read it and would love to!!!

    Reply
  2. Andrea Stephens says

    November 4, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    I believe I’ve only read one of Becky’s books a long time ago. “Parting Secrets” is in my “books I’ve read” folder on my Kindle.
    Thanks for doing a giveaway. I’d love a chance to win this book.

    Reply
  3. MS Barb says

    November 4, 2016 at 9:25 am

    I haven’t read anything by Becky Melby, YET…but I WILL put this book on my Book request list for the next County Bookmobile visit! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Andrea Rossignol says

    November 4, 2016 at 8:48 am

    I haven’t read anything by her, but I would like to!

    Reply
  5. Sarah says

    November 4, 2016 at 7:01 am

    Never heard of her. I’ll have to check her books out.

    Reply
  6. Sarah K says

    November 3, 2016 at 11:42 pm

    Becky is a new author to me. Guess I need to do some research. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Emma Filbrun says

    November 3, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    Never heard of her. Sounds interesting.

    Reply
  8. Kathy says

    November 3, 2016 at 8:18 pm

    I have NOT read anything by this author yet, but if you say you love it, then I hope to win it or check it out soon.

    Reply
  9. Dacia says

    November 3, 2016 at 7:47 pm

    This is a new author to me, so hopefully I’ll win this book and if not I’ll be searching Amazon for her books on sale. =)

    Reply
  10. Lucinda says

    November 3, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    Not yet but I hope to win this so I can change my answer to yes?!

    Reply
  11. Melissa says

    November 3, 2016 at 7:17 pm

    I have not read any of her books but since I like to pack as many wintery books as I can into December, this sounds like a good one to start with!

    Reply
  12. Marleen Viola says

    November 3, 2016 at 6:58 pm

    No, but I will definitely look for this one!

    Reply
  13. Connie Tillman says

    November 3, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    I have not read anything by her. This looks like a good read.

    Reply
  14. Michelle Stewart says

    November 3, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    No I haven’t but you certainly have me intrigued! lol

    Reply
  15. Tina at Mommynificent says

    November 3, 2016 at 5:55 pm

    I’ve heard of her and might even have one of her books in my TBR pile but haven’t read any yet. Thanks for bumping her up on the list!

    Reply
  16. Alexandra says

    November 3, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    No, I haven’t, but I trust your judgment and thank you for the review – I will wait to see if I won the book 🙂 and, if not, will have to get it myself.

    Reply
  17. Sue Snyder says

    November 3, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    No I had never heard of her.

    Reply
  18. Susan (DE) says

    November 3, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Well, I think the question above was, have I ever read anything by Becky Melby. No. I have not. 🙂

    Reply
  19. Colleen says

    November 3, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Not yet! I have been intrigued with this story idea since I first saw it on Amazon!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 599: A Chat with Frank McKinney
byChautona Havig

Few people tackle the topic of hell in Christian fiction, so I was curious to see what Frank McKinney would do with it in his Hell’s Heaven. Listen in as we talk about his inspiration and what made him tackle this tough topic.

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

Hell’s Heaven by Frank McKinney

Once damned to Hell, it’s forever…or is it? Three “good and godly” people die in the same instant on December 19, 2037: 94-year-old Alexander in Germany, 29-year-old Carolina in Brazil, and 64-year-old Eddie in Butte, Montana. Eagerly, they find themselves in line together outside the Pearly Gates, expecting to be recognized for their sanctified lives and then welcomed into Heaven. Instead, they are violently plucked out of line by angels-turned-demons and cast down into Hell, where they are met at one of the three fiery gates by Judas, Jesus’s betrayer. What lies on the other side of Hell’s gates is beyond comprehension: a sprawling, stench-filled, cavernous realm with a low ceiling of opaque, thick, colorless glass. The voices of the damned release a chorus of everlasting despair. It’s said that no one ever wakes up in Heaven surprised that they are there. Well, Alexander, Carolina, and Eddie are shocked and dismayed that they have been condemned to Hell after the exceptional lives they believe they have led. This must be a mistake! Is this really their fate – forever? Even as they are subjected to Satan’s diabolical and unrelenting mental and physical torments, Alexander, Carolina, and Eddie discover cryptic signs they believe are sent from their loved ones in the heavenly realm. Then when they witness rare bolts of brilliant light wherein a few condemned seemingly disappear, they start to wonder … During the three days between His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went to Hell and freed countless condemned sinners. Could there be a way out of Hell for Alexander, Carolina, and Eddie?

Learn more on Frank’s WEBSITE.

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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.
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#HistoricalMystery
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Storytelling Contest to receive said inheritance. What could go wrong? Get it FREE through Wednesday, October 21st HERE: https://amzn.to/3WfPj22 #Affiliate
#ChristFic
#ChristianFiction
#ChristmasFiction
#Matchmaking
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