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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Happened to the Little Mermaid?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Who stole the little mermaid poster and why? All I can say is that I didn't do it, and you can't prove I did! via @chautonahavig

silencing the siren

It was just supposed to be an auction. You know, you go, you bid, you spend way too much money on something you don’t know for sure you want, you go home, you have buyer’s remorse for a few days, and then it hits you.

It’s yours.

A beautiful feeling when you really wanted it.  And I did.  I wanted that Little Mermaid in the water tank poster. Not for me, actually, and I’ll tell you, I knew a few people really did want it for themselves, but come on. Sandy’s daughter’s book cover art poster?  Denise needed that poster. And I wanted to get it for her.

But the rumors began almost before the announcement of the auction!  Someone said Liz Tolsma wanted to collect them all for her office. April Hayman was building a basement vault of collectible bibliophilia. Marji Laine was ticked off at Sandy about something and wanted it just so they couldn’t have it. (I didn’t believe that one, but it is the rumor), and Rebekah Jones supposedly wanted it for bargaining power to get her poster.

Cathe and I had agreed to go together, and I knew she wanted it for her game room.  Problem is, that game room isn’t built yet.  And Denise’s birthday is almost here!  Come on!

But how to ensure I win the bid?  That… that would be tough. I mean, sure all the Ever After Mysteries authors are trying to win this poster, but the auction isn’t just for us. Soooo many people are noticing Joshua Markey’s artwork these days. This poster could sell beyond my budget in a heartbeat. I needed a plan.

I needed a disguise.

But here’s the deal. I don’t disguise well, and I was going with Cathe.  She’d know me. And if I’m with her… everyone will know me.

Then a package arrived from one of my favorite readers, and it solved everything.  Or so I thought.

There we were, checking out the poster to make sure it was really authentic–exactly what we wanted, and me trying to gauge everyone’s budgets, when things went all wrong.

One minute we were all in our places and the next… poof!  The curtain went up, the poster was gone, and everyone was looking at everyone else. Fingers pointed, authors bolted, and security guards swarmed the place.

I dashed to Sandy’s side and whispered, “It was there just two minutes ago.  I didn’t get more than six feet away from it. How did it disappear?”

“I’m after her!”

Me, I stood staring at a crazed Sandy racing after… someone. I have no idea who “her” is, but Sandy was on a mission. That woman may be little, but she’s fierce… and fast!

A guard headed my way, so I pointed at running Sandy and said, “Do you think she took off with it?”

It worked, too. The guy sprinted after Sandy, and I slipped into the shadows of the great drapes to one side of the dias.  Off went my disguise and I strolled out clapping my hands and trying to call order to the chaos.  I really didn’t want order. I needed the chaos to escape before someone decided I’d stuffed that poster in my… what?  Pants leg?  I don’t think so!

Look… I don’t know what happened to that poster, but I will say that when I joined Cathe at the car, she was acting awfully… suspicious. I can’t imagine her actually stealing the thing, but could she have left her envelope of cash on the podium?  A “forced sale” as it were?  And why did she keep gripping that super fat umbrella so tightly, anyway?

little mermaid poster

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

What Happened to the Little Mermaid?

Well, I sure hope you guys figure out what happened to the poster!  As for me, I don’t have it.  What I do have is a copy of the book, though!  That’s what we’re celebrating. The debut novel by Denise L. Barela…

Silencing the Sirensilencing the siren

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything… until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it—clothes, gadgets… even a car! What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire… in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can’t help but fall for her.

Annabel’s connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the “right” girl with the “right connections.” But he won’t do it. He’ll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don’t add up, Andrew begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, “What happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?”

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the story unfold.

Visit all the authors’ websites to get entries in and find out who got that poster! (I really want to know!)

Rebekah Jones – Jan 4
Chautona Havig – Jan 5
Cathe Swanson – Jan 6
Marji Laine Clubine – Jan 7
April Hayman – Jan 8
Liz Tolsma – Jan 9
Sandy Barela – Jan 10
Denise Lauren Barela – Jan 11

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
byChautona Havig

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t new to rom-coms, and her first book in the Sweetheart Series promises to be a literary riot, and it lives up to that promise. I’m only halfway through it and am thinking mean, ugly thoughts of everything keeping me from being able to escape into the crazy small-town politics and quirky characters. So far the com far outweighs the rom, which makes me thrilled to bits. Listen in to discover what makes Lone Star Sweetheart so much fun.

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

Why Did This Author Write a Rom-Com about a Loveable Shrew?

Well, I think we can safely blame Shakespeare for that. Shannon Sue Dunlap has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her Katherine, but unlike Katerina, Dunlap’s character is actually trying to learn to tame the tongue. Maybe someone should send her over to the book of James. There’s that whole bit about not being able to tame it, being an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Kate’s isn’t that bad, but not for lack of trying. Or something.

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t joking when she says that her Katherine is a “loveable” shrew. Seriously, I love this character. She’s forthright, no-nonsense, and “what you see is what you get” in her approach to life. I respect that. Add to that her boss who has shaken up the town of Sweetheart, Texas, and you’ve got the makings of a great story. I’m loving Lone Star Sweetheart.

But this isn’t all Dunlap has written.

Under the pseudonym, Shannon Kent, you can find her sweet and clean romances (including one Christian romance) inspired by Korean dramas. If you said I’d be not only chomping to read a sweet and clean romance about Korean tour guides and all that entails but also ready to watch a Korean drama on Netflix… Okay, I might not have laughed in your face, but I’d’ve been laughing on the inside.

Best part… one of them ties into her Sweetheart Series

Lone Star Sweetheart by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Katherine Bruno’s passionate, unfiltered temper makes her the shrew of small-town Sweetheart, Texas. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife run against her own husband, Katherine meets opposing big city political consultant Ryan Park. The good-looking, flirtatious campaign manager gets under her skin, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his jaded rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

You can find out more about Shannon Sue Dunlap AND get that first novella in the Korean Crush series free on her WEBSITE.

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

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
May 26, 2023
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Episode 230: A Chat with Bryan Timothy Mitchell
May 17, 2023
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Episode 229: A Chat about Murmur in the Mud Caves with Kathleen Denly
May 12, 2023
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Episode 228: A Chat with Author Emilie Haney
May 9, 2023
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Episode 227: A Chat about the New Jewels of Kalispell Series
May 5, 2023
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Episode 226: A Chat with Archaeological Thriller Author, Doug Powell
May 2, 2023
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Episode 225: A Chat with Dani Pettrey
April 28, 2023
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Episode 224: A Chat with Author Megan Besing
April 25, 2023
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Episode 223: A Chat with Tosca Lee about A Long March Home
April 21, 2023
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Episode 222: A Chat with Regina Rudd Merrick
April 18, 2023
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