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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Makes Cliched Tropes Work Like Magic?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

Plan to Fail--is it the name of a super-fun spy novel set in Phoenix or a commentary on my determination not to be distracted from my latest WIP? Ahem. via @chautonahavig

How many times in some movie have you ever heard someone say, “I know a guy?” And while we’re on the subject, why does the guy saying it always have a Jerzee or Chicagoan accent?

Well… when it comes to TV and movies, “I know a gal.” No, really. I do. I can’t tell you her name. That would be indiscreet. Unlike Arthur in the movie by his name (one I cannot recommend, mind you), I will not whisper it under my breath and then blurt it out, either.

Instead, I’ll let you in on an inside joke. My nickname for her is #notBob. No, really. It is. We were at an event once and people kept saying something like, “You’re the one in the movie industry—but not Bob…” While they tried to remember her name.

Well, I did something last night I’ve never done before. I messaged #notBob on Facebook and told her I thought she should check out a cool new series I’d been reading. The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbot.

the accidental cases of Emily Abbott

In trying to pitch the concept, I did a movie/TV mashup that really does help people “get” an idea quickly. I said, “It’s kind of like Inspector Gadget meets the wonder and delight of Harry Potter when he discovers the wizarding world… but in a nineteen-year-old wannabe college student barista.” Okay, looking back, I think maybe Get Smart would have been a more accurate description. I’d better tell her that.

But it’s true! Seriously, if this came out on Netflix, Amazon Prime, PureFlix, or Hallmark, I’d buy every episode that came out just to be sure I could always have it. I think it would be delightful!

The question begs, of course, why?

Well, because Perry Kirkpatrick took all those cliched tropes that we know and are familiar with and she sent them spinning across the stage of her novels. Because you know the tropes, you know what’s coming—and you don’t. You know what should be there, so when it doesn’t quite happen, it has a lot of punch without the need for explanation.

In fact, I’d say that’s the brilliance of her concept. Perry Kirkpatrick is able to write this series with probably half the words she would have needed if she didn’t stick to tropes, stereotypes, and cliches.

The best part… she made them work for her instead of against her.

What Makes Cliched Tropes Work Like Magic?

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

What Makes Cliched Tropes Work Like Magic?

Taking the known and using them in a new, fresh way makes Plan to Fail (and the whole series so far), one to love. I hate that they’re so short, though—both because I want more, more, more, and because of the brilliance she used to ensure they only need to be as long as they are. It’s something to envy, folks.  Trust me.

I laughed hysterically when one of the main characters got one of those fun upset/plot twists. And I could have cried when I found out a beloved character was the victim of money laundering.

I recommend Plan to Fail for all “spy movie/book/show” lovers who like to laugh, imagine a world of what-ifs, and all with characters you can’t wait to get to know. #becauseSanta (and that’ll only make sense if you read one. Just sayin’.)

Stay tuned for my $.02 on Bad Things, Small Packages… tomorrow! 

And if you missed the first book, you can read the review of Red Rover, Red Rover HERE.

(Today and Thursday are the only double review days this week, so I hope you newsletter subscribers will just bear with me!)

plan to fail reviewTitle: Plan to Fail

Author: Perry Kirkpatrick

Synopsis:  They’re on a date… but not really.

When Brent asks Emily to be his date, she knows it doesn’t mean anything. He has a mission requiring him to go undercover at a charity gala. After getting a makeover at his spy agency headquarters, she’s ready to assume the role of an opinionated book reviewer from New York.

The Gremlin is planning to steal and sell top-secret blueprints from the aerospace company for which he works. When Emily literally bumps into him at the gala, she is able to plant an ICS tracking chip on his glasses. But the Gremlin is smarter than they thought, and ICS finds themselves in the dark about his buyer. With time running out, and the sale imminent, Emily must rely on instinct and quick thinking to save the day.

The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott is a series of clean spy-comedies set in Phoenix, Arizona.

1. Red Rover, Red Rover – (Review HERE)
2. Plan to Fail –
3. Bad Things, Small Packages – (Review HERE)
4. Tutor, Nanny, Spit-up, Spy – (Review HERE)
5. A-Spying We Will Go – (Review HERE)
6. Once Upon a Dime – August 26, 2019  (Review coming)

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Comments

  1. Terresa M says

    August 2, 2019 at 8:43 am

    As a Non- television -movie watcher, I’m afraid all the referenced cliches would confuse rather than amuse me…?

    Reply
  2. Florence Wright says

    July 17, 2019 at 9:17 am

    Sounds great – adding to my TBR list. Thanks. 🙂 Yeah, “I know a guy….” seems to be a common thing around here in “jerzee”,not sure if it’s only this area, but you can hear it a lot for instances when you need a drain fixed, a muffler job, or supposedly ( and I have no experience with this …. ) when you need a “cleaner” after offing someone.

    Reply
  3. Chrys says

    July 16, 2019 at 8:45 am

    This series sounds perfect for my oldest daughter. I’m buying them for her on Kindle so I can “borrow” them too. 😉

    Glad you’ve made it through the last few weeks. Praying for everyone out your way!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 16, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      Thanks! We’re just rolling with the shockwaves. Snort.

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

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.

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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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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.
#celebratelit
#danamentink
#frozendesserts
#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

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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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Link to group is in my bio!
And tomorrow the GoodReads Giveaway begins!
How does this author celebrate a finished book? By How does this author celebrate a finished book? By reading someone else's finished book. 😀 
#amending
#needicecream 
#onthemenu
#freakshakes
"Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who'd a thunk "Murder,  mayhem,  and milkshakes.  Who'd a thunk it?"
@dana_mentink 
#shimmyandshakeshop
#cozymystery 
#needicecream
Love it when publishers use plays on words. #amend Love it when publishers use plays on words.
#amending
#cozymysterybooks 
@dana_mentink
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