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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Made Me Write a Book I Didn’t Want To?

by Chautona Havig · 3 Comments

The Trouble with Nancy released yesterday and now it's time to tell you how she came to be. I can't take credit for it, and I didn't even want to write it! via @chautonahavig

“You’re not going to believe what they chose.”

My friend, being the sympathetic kind, asked what could possibly be so bad. Instead of answering, I threw out the other ideas that had been mentioned and suggested I go with one of those. After all, I’d given myself that out—I didn’t have to go with something that wouldn’t work for what we were doing.

She pointed out what I didn’t want to hear. “But you’d be showing them how to write fast without being dependent on inspiration.” When I typed, *wails* she demanded, “Now what did they decide?”

I was grateful she couldn’t hear my sigh through Facebook Messenger as I said, “Girl riding the Pony Express. Gold bandits. Chuckwagon guy.” A groan probably followed.

“Girl Pony Express rider?”

“Yeah,” I grumbled. “Like that’s never been done before.”

When I grumbled some more, she reminded me that I’d promised to write the story they came up with—for NaNoWriMo. 50,000 words of it—in a month.

“It’ll be boring.”

“Then make it good.”

Of course, my friend was right.

I needed to write it. And with a good attitude. That would take some adjustments—lots of internal adjustments.

So, I did what I enjoy most. I wrote the opposite of what I’ve already seen done. Instead of the amazing girl outdoing all the boys and saving the day with her clever schemes…

Nancy was born. Prissy, silly, selfish Nancy with her tendency to see herself as slighted at every turn and a heart aching to be admired. To that end, I decided she didn’t like horses—nasty, smelly things—and oh!!! Yes! She can’t ride! I pictured her arriving at the first station, just ten or fifteen miles down the road, with the worst case of jiggles and jelly-legs you’ve ever seen. Falls off the horse. Crawls to the next one, weeping…

Okay, I didn’t let her cry as much on the page as you know she did in “reality,” because who wants to read about that?

Then came the thing with the gold.

This was the Pony Express, not the Gold Rush! It took a few tries to get a gold plot that worked, but it did… and totally not how I expected it! Then I did what I always tell people to do. I took that plot and twisted it… and then again. Then I threw in a red herring or two. And the fun began.

Except for the “chuckwagon” dude.

What chuckwagon? There wasn’t a chuck wagon for the Pony Express. There were stations—some with families, although I didn’t put those families into my story. I was trying to keep it as character clutter-free as possible. That’s not easy with approximately 180 stations along the route! (it varied as they had to add more to save the horses and others burned due to attacks by natives).

But, I twisted the idea and came up with Bruce MacLeod. And man, I learned to love that guy!

This isn’t your normal Pony Express story.

Because of the plot I came up with, even the way Nancy has to do her job is slightly different from reality. Still, I tried to stick as close to historical accuracy as I could find and only moved a couple of things around. Those are noted in the afterword.

It was hard work, let me tell you. Really hard work. I had to write a character I didn’t like and make her sympathetic… and eventually, make her likable. How? How could I do that?

Some might even ask why?

What Made Me Write a Book I Didn't Want To?

Note: links are likely affiliate links that provide a small commission to me at no extra cost to you!

What Made Me Write a Book I Didn’t Want To?

Okay, you know those people I mentioned up there under the ambiguous “they?” Yeah, them.

“They” were the students in a class I taught. I think it was called “Supercharging Your Writing with NaNoWriMo.” For the uninitiated and who didn’t know what I was talking about up there, NaNoWriMo stands for “National Novel Writing Month.” It takes place every November. People (almost half a million in 2017) from all over the world endeavor to write 50K (yes, that’s 50 THOUSAND) words in 30 days.

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It’s only 1667 words a day. So, about 1.5 hours of writing for the average Joe.

The goal of the class was to help students learn how to come up with an idea QUICKLY and write as fast as possible. I gave all kinds of tips and tricks… and I said they could choose what I’d write so I could show it could be done.

A year and a half later… The Trouble with Nancy is here.

In November or so last year, Caryl McAdoo (her book in the “series,” Jewel’s Gold releases tomorrow!) asked if I wanted to join a group of authors in a series of unrelated books with the theme “Gold Diggers.” I almost said no.

However, I’ve been dying to write the next book in my Ballads from the Hearth series, Mary, and I thought, “Well, that might be a way to give me an excuse to do it.”

So, I agreed. But by January, another thought had taken root and sprouted. Poor, languishing Nancy could finally get out of my “In Progress” folder and done. Another WIP (work in progress) checked off the list.

Just Like Lewis CoverI liked that. I liked it a lot.

So, poor Mary is still waiting to get married, and I’m done with Nancy. The question now remains… Do I tell her brother Lewis’ story next year or let this one stand-alone? I know what I’d write for Just Like Lewis but does it need to be told? I don’t know.

Should I write Just Like Lewis? I’d love to “hear” what you think after you’ve read Nancy and met her little brother with man-sized shoulders and a lot to learn about life.

Leave a comment and let me know, but meanwhile…

Let’s Talk Nancy!

Fresh out of the stables, Nancy’s ready to gallop her way to your Kindle and show you why she has no business being on the backside of a horse and what God teaches her there.

The Trouble with NancyBook:  The Trouble with Nancy

Synopsis: Her reputation precedes her, whether the bad guys realize it or not.

Nancy Harrison has finally stepped out of her prissy box and tried to do something helpful–but did she go overboard in her first self-less act?

She can’t ride, she hates horses, and she’s terrified of being alone. What’s a girl to do?

Join the Pony Express, of course.

When Nancy Harrison’s family receives a tax bill they can’t pay, there’s only one option open to them. Her brother, Lewis, will have to join the Pony Express and earn the money that way.

It would have worked, too, if ruffians hadn’t attacked him and broken his leg.

She doesn’t want to do it, of course, but what choice is there? Lose everything or ride a stupid, smelly horse for a few weeks? Nancy decides that she’ll chop off her hair, take to the dusty overland trail, and prove that she isn’t a “flighty little thing.”

But things go from bad to worse as she discovers that riding astride is worse than sidesaddle—especially when you’re not used to it.

Can’t she just go back home to balls, teas, and the hope of a suitor before her twentieth birthday? Sans her hair, of course, because that’ll entice the fellows. Sigh.

Nancy is STILL at the pre-order price for a few more hours!

I finished up at 53K words back in 2017, but the story wasn’t done.  Though The Trouble with Nancy got chopped a bit, it also got expanded.  When I put it up for pre-order, I just didn’t know where it would end up, so I gave it a novella price of 2.99.  Well, it’s a full-length novel (although a little shorter than some of mine), so I’ll be raising the price to 4.99 later today.

If you want to meet Nancy, grab it while it’s “cheap”!  (I always let the pre-order price go on for launch day so that people who use gift cards can still get the lower price.)

Oh, and Supercharged Class of ’17… thanks for choosing what I thought I didn’t want to write.  I was so wrong… and you were absolutely right.

The trouble with Nancy quote

 

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Comments

  1. Debbie P says

    July 19, 2019 at 12:47 pm

    This book sounds like a great read.

    Reply
  2. Faith says

    July 19, 2019 at 10:13 am

    Well, you are right! This was different than you usually offer us; it even took a bit for me to convince myself you wrote it. However it didn’t take long to get to that point I always reach with your books where I couldn’t lay it down. Nancy is wonderful! You have created a character that real people can identify with. She’s far from perfect, but she is lovable. I was totally shocked that she didn’t turn out to be “Pony Express Rider of the Year.” What a surprising, interesting twist! One of many throughout the story. I loved Lewis and I definitely think you should write his story! You could even slip in a snippet or two of how things are going with Nancy and Bruce! (HINT)

    Reply
  3. Lucinda K Culp says

    July 19, 2019 at 7:43 am

    Lewis needs to have his story told, Chautona. I mean, look at that awesome cover just waiting for the story to go inside it!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
byChautona Havig

Debut Author, Sara Brunsvold, is bursting on the Christian Women’s fiction scene with an amazing book, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. With characters who have captivated my heart from page one (and enough quirkiness to keep my attention to the last), Sara Brunsvold is sure to become a favorite author, and this book is already on my top five of the year before it’s even released!

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

This Novel Isn’t Even Available Yet, and It’s in My Top 5!

If you’d told me that I’d fall so in love with two chapters of a book that it would push that book into my top five of the year so far, well… I’d have laughed.

The joke’s on me because it happened with Sara Brunsvold’s The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. This debut women’s fiction novel has a bit of a split-time element and is set in Kansas City. Trust me when I say that meeting Clara was one of the most fun introductions to a character I’ve ever had. I just love this woman, and I’m drumming my fingers to get to read more about her.  Not surprising considering it won the ACFW Genesis’s award a couple of years back. 😀

Sara says her passion is intergenerational stories, and you definitely get this with Aidyn and her “assignment,” Mrs. Kipp.  But you also get inter-cultural and ideological influences in this book as well.

And then there’s that next book she has coming out.  You know, the one about a gal cooking her way through her grandma’s German cookbook?  Yeah.  The one we have to wait until early 2024 for?  Yeah. That one.  Sigh.

When Sara told us about her favorite authors, a lot of things made sense.  Just sayin’. Find out which of Katherine Reay’s books are her favorites and how she fangirled over Reay’s response to an email (and why you should email your favorite author!).

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care.

But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her–but she’s going to have to work for it.

Debut author Sara Brunsvold delights with this emotional multigenerational story that shows that the very best life is made up of thousands of little deaths to self. You’ll want to be just like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!

This book is 40% off with free shipping from Baker Book House. That’s less than the Kindle version if you like paper!

You can learn more about Sara at her WEBSITE (and sign up for that newsletter so you can get Mrs.Kip’s 8 Rules to Live By). Oh, and if she does those videos of her cooking through that book, you’ll want to know when/where to find them.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
Episode 145: A Chat with Debut Women's Fiction Author, Sara Brunsvold
May 20, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 144: Chatting about Restored Grace with Kathleen J. Robison
May 17, 2022
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Episode 143: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Mary Alford
May 13, 2022
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Episode 142: A Chat about A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma
May 10, 2022
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Episode 141: A Chat with Elizabeth Goddard about Critical Alliance
May 3, 2022
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Episode 140: A Chat about When the Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart
April 29, 2022
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Episode 139: A Chat with Middle-Grade Author, RM Ruiz
April 26, 2022
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Episode 138: A Gush about a Good (more like GREAT) Read & GoodReads
April 22, 2022
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Episode 137: A Chat with Contemporary Romance Author, Mandi Blake
April 19, 2022
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Episode 136: A Chat with Middle-Grade Historical Author, Marie Sontag
April 15, 2022
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Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used recliners and old, broken wagon wheels.  She can't help it if folks keep asking for help with their love lives... can she?
See the lengths Wade goes to in his quest to behave like a rational guy.
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Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used recliners and old, broken wagon wheels.  She can't help it if folks keep asking for help with their love lives... can she?
See the lengths Wade goes to in his quest to behave like a rational guy.
Releases Tuesday, May 24. Available on 
#Kindle
#KindleUnlimited
#PaperbackBooks

#ChristFic
#YouAreOnTheAir
#ContemporaryChristianSweetRomance

Leave a comment request and I'll send you a link. :D
Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @sweetandswo Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @sweetandswoonyromance
•
Wherever the Road Will Lead by Kari Trumbo... have you read it?? 

Tamar came to the west to find a husband. Instead, she has no choice but to accept a position on Johlman’s sheep farm. Out of money and with nowhere to turn, the handsome rancher she’s just met offers exactly what she needs at the moment, a job and place to stay.

She finds herself thrust in the middle of a dangerous feud, and falling in love with the rancher’s son, Leo, puts her in grave danger.

Leo has been praying for a wife, and he’s convinced she’s arrived in a beautiful green dress…only Pa’s approval evades him once again. As Leo’s love grows for Tamar, will offering his heart be enough to make up for what she’s lost?

***Grab your free copy! Check the link in the bio for our FB page. The pinned post up top has the link to download this and 90+ other sweet romances! 

#sweetandswoonyreads #ayearofsweetandswoony #freebooks #romancestagram #romancebooks #novellas
Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Ent Reposted from @beckylewis345 Life can be hard. Enter cozies like A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink. Clean, with a sweet romance, whose amateur sleuth runs a delectable shake shop. A dog, a child, precocious twins who work for the shake shop, and lovable Papa Luis. Plus, of course, plenty of suspects. “Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who’d a thunk it?”

Trinidad Jones becomes someone I truly care about in this book. I am amazed at how she and Gabe’s two other former wives forgive each other and actually become friends. Not just friends, but family, as thick as blood. Now there is a small cluster of characters to follow and enjoy in this town of Upper Sprocket. Fun!

I enjoy the inclusion of dogs, children, and special-needs people, and Dana Mentink brings them all to our Shimmy and Shake Shop story. Noodles is old, but what a loyal companion, and, wow, does he have an amazing ability or two! Little  Felice adds warmth and vulnerability to the tale. Doug, the special-needs brother of Trinity’s love interest, Quinn, adds reality and complexity to the novel. 

Mentink has a good sense of humor and I laughed out loud several times. Just what I want out of a cozy. Mystery, romance, great characters, laughter. A fun occupation that the sleuth actually works at. I am happy to report I made it through the book without indulging in ice cream! But, can you?

I am looking forward to more murder and mayhem in Upper Sprocket! Plus more Freakshakes! 

———————————————————————
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. (I also bought my own copy.) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
———————————————————————
Notable Quotables:
“He was merely a friend the way a Ming vase was just an old pot.”

“There’s your plan and God’s plan, and your plan…” “Doesn’t count,”

“Maybe it’s one of those weird small-town happenings.” “A body in your trunk isn’t a happening, it’s a horror movie,”

“It wasn’t an easy thing to command the heart to feel what the brain ordered.”

“Rumors carry so much more weight than the truth, sometimes.”
Giveaway on blog in bio.
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#danamentink
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#justdeserts 
#justiceforsprockett
#amreadingcozies
Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When Reposted from @celebratelit Did you know that When the Pilot Falls by April Hayman from the Ever After Mystery series is 25% off with the Celebrate Lit Summer Sale? 

More about the book: 
In 1923, there aren’t many pilots, but Willie Labeau didn’t let that stop… her.

A bear of a man, Hugh Taylor, needs a stunt plane pilot, and despite their rocky introduction, Willie sets off for golden California and a new life as his pilot. There’s just one little thing she has to do in addition to flying.

Leave his past alone. Period.

When the flame of her own curiosity becomes fanned by encouragement from Willie’s sister, the feisty pilot can’t help but do just a little investigating.

And Hugh vanishes.

Friends rally around her, and with all the information she can find in hand, Willie sets off to rescue Hugh and battle the evil family holding him hostage.

A fierce air race, a sincere act of humility—are they enough to free Hugh and give Willie a chance to be with him… forever?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. When the Pilot Falls offers a retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch hearts soar and daring dos.

Link in bio! 

#aprilhayman #whenthepilotfalls #everaftermysteries #celebratelit #christianfiction #historicalfiction #bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram
Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used Dial W for Wrangler: Vi's just trying to sell used recliners and old, broken wagon wheels.  She can't help it if folks keep asking for help with their love lives... can she?
See the lengths Wade goes to in his quest to behave like a rational guy.
Releases Tuesday, May 24. Available on 
#Kindle
#KindleUnlimited
#PaperbackBooks

#ChristFic
#YouAreOnTheAir
#ContemporaryChristianSweetRomance

Leave a comment request and I'll send you a link. :D
Ready for giveaways and fun? I sure hope so, beca Ready for giveaways and fun?  I sure hope so, because I'm planning on loads!
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