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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Is It Any Wonder That I’d Use Paper for Creative Endeavors?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

The Elnora Monet released this week. Who is Elnora's Monet, and why is he called that? And what's with a cat having its own private wing? via @chautonahavig

A paper filled with lines, shapes, and color blocked the words on the page of my book. I looked up into the wide, excited eyes of my youngest daughter, and like nearly every parent who ever lived, I said, “Oh!  That’s…  Well, what is it?”

With that optimistic confidence that only toddlers seem to possess, she gave her answer.  I don’t remember what she thought the blob was, but I recall taking a second look and thinking that it looked remarkably like an embryo. If only my doodles and scribbles could be “translated” into something recognizable.

As a child, my attempts at art were… well, let’s just say that I never won any art prizes.  No honorable mentions.  And Mrs. Elkins, my second-grade teacher, did assure me once that you couldn’t fail “art.”

I think I may have cried in relief.

A few years into marriage, I discovered the illustrations of Tasha Tudor.

The simple, magical drawings left me determined to learn.  So, I did what I do best.  I copied them. Line by line, I drew things exactly the same length, the same curve, the same… everything.  Did they look like hers?  Not hardly–more like the cheap imitation of the cheap imitation.  But it taught me something.  I COULD copy. Not well, but I could do it. Copying taught me the value of just a tiny curved stroke for a nose or an ear instead of trying to copy the whole shape.  It taught me to pay attention to shadows used by the artist.

I can’t do it with actual objects.  When I try to sketch a box, I’m right back to those pathetic drawings of childhood.  But if I look at a box someone else has sketched, well…

Buoyed with that exciting change, I tried something else.  Paint.

There, I found more success.  I found I had an eye for color, for shadow, and for how to blend a brush.  I could trace the shape of a ship in a bottle onto wood and paint it so that it looked like a ship in a bottle!  Pansies with the colors all blended together?  Not a problem.

This took my crafty endeavors out of just fibers and textiles and into a whole new world that eventually led to… paper.

The Elnora Monet Release

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

Is It Any Wonder That I’d Use Paper for Creative Endeavors?

I mean, I’m an author, after all! During the early years of writing, I found less time for sewing and painting, but I need a creative outlet.  So, I took up cardmaking.  Scrapbooking isn’t really my thing, but cards… I can get into those.  You can spend as much or as little time as you want on them.  Lately, I’ve even been planning one kind of card per week and making several of it.  I pick them out one day, gather the papers the next, stamp the images the next, and so forth.

I really think everyone, no matter how creative or “artistic” they think they are or aren’t, really should take time to do something creative on a semi-regular basis.  In this, we imitate the true Creator.

Here are a few of my cards that I found pictures of. #becausecards

elnor
This one uses a stamp of the Wynnewood map! You can get those stamps on Etsy. Isn’t that COOL!
Elnora monet card
I LOVE this stamp so much. It fits with the Independence Islands, don’t you think?
elnora monet card
I use more birthday cards than anything else.

 

the elnora monet cards
Coloring is still one of my favorite things, obviously.
the elnora monet card
Like I said…

Why am I yammering on about creativity and art?

Well, this week is the release of the next book in the Independence Islands Series!  Rachel Skatvold’s, The Elnora Monet is live and ready for you to dive in.  See what is happening on Enora now and who they call “the Elnora Monet” and why!

It’s a wonderful story, and I just loved the personalities, the clashes, and seeing restoration in this tale!  Not to mention, one really pampered cat.

the elnora monetAbout The Elnora Monet:

Islanders call him the Elnora Monet.

Is that island speak for “pompous, arrogant jerk?”

When Carly Mulligan volunteered to make house calls on Elnora, she never imagined treating the richest cat on the islands. What other feline has his own wing in a mansion like the Belshaw Estate?

After a wrong turn in the mansion, Carly stumbles across a secret room—one filled with incredible paintings. Perhaps there’s something more to the man than she first thought.

Most people envy Jean-Luc Belshaw’s position. The heir to a lucrative business and family fortune, he should have everything he could dream of.

But Luc dreams of days past. Days when he traveled the world with his wife and painted the breathings of his soul disappeared with Angeline’s passing.  Faith and inspiration gone, he wonders if returning to France to take his place in his father’s business is the right thing to do.

Carly has a few relational demons of her own, and she’s reluctant to trust him, but Luc’s paintings draw her in even as his story touches a long-empty place in her heart.

Only God can transform two broken pasts into a work of art.

The Elnora Monet continues the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

Summer’s not here yet, but hey!  Beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

To celebrate Rachel’s release, the islands authors are having another round of giveaways!  Check out each one and be sure to get entries in on each website. You won’t want to miss them!

Rachel Skatvold (4/27)

Tabitha Bouldin (4/28)

Carolyn Miller (4/29)

Chautona Havig (4/30)

Melissa Wardwell (5/1)

Kari Trumbo (5/2)

Celebrate Lit (Sandy Barela- 5/3)

Get your entry in for giveaways for The Elnora Monet.

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Previous Post: « What’s Better Than a Suspenseful Book? What about a Romantic One?
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Comments

  1. Sabrina Templin says

    May 3, 2021 at 12:06 am

    I love love love your cards. I am going to be having an online craft time with a friend in England this week so she can help me make a pocket purse card.Nervous but excited She does everything so well and many times the first time….lol Your cards are works of art Chautona. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 3, 2021 at 11:48 pm

      Aw, thank you! I love making cards! It’s so nice to have an outlet for creativity that has a physical expression.

      Reply
  2. KAREN says

    April 30, 2021 at 11:04 am

    I loved your article. What fun you must have.

    At 72 I took up watercolor and now have branched out to watercolor and pen and ink. I took 4 years of art in HS and loved it. For some reason I decided I could not draw or paint and quit trying. Because of an intro class at church, I started painting and drawing. I am sorry I missed all those years because I found out I really can draw and watercolor.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 3, 2021 at 11:48 pm

      I LOVE that you found something you enjoy and are good at. Perhaps you needed the extra years to develop that patience and eye or something. Who nows!

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 206: A Chat with Lisa Phillips about Her New Spin-off Series
byChautona Havig

Fans of Lisa Phillips’ Last Chance County series are doing happy dances following the release of an exciting new spin-off series, Last Chance Fire and Rescue. Expired Return brings back a few favorite characters and kicks off another of Sunrise Publishing’s author/mentor led fiction seasons! Listen in to find out what happens when an author brings back a guy she dropped a building on a couple of books back…

 

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

When Fans Want More Exciting Stories, Smart Authors Listen and Deliver!

Let’s face it. Authors might SOMETIMES be “done” with a series, but readers often want more… indefinitely. Well, with the brilliance of Sunrise Publishing’s mentor model, authors get to collaborate with authors they trust to do their “worlds” proud while still having time to write new, exciting things as well. And some of the Sunrise lead authors even write in the spin-off series–like Lisa Phillips and Trisha Goyer!

This new Last Chance County series promises everything we love about Lisa Phillips’ world–danger, intrigue, heart-stopping suspense, drama… you know… all the feels. But in addition to her own release, Expired Return, this series also introduces us to new authors who have been carefully vetted and selected to ensure they do justice to Lisa’s Last Chance characters. I, for one, can’t wait to check it all out.

Lisa and I chatted about what she plans for the series,Lisa hinted about a possible super-secret reveal coming soon, and I even poked her with the idea of a Last Chance Christmas.

Help me convince them on that, will ya?

But this new book… Whoa…

Expired Return by Lisa Phillips

Pepper stood up. “How dare you.” She could spit fire at him right now. She’d loved and supported Victory since the day she was born. “You know nothing about me.”

“What’s this?”

Pepper whirled around at that voice. Heart. Breaking. She loved that gruff, commanding voice more than anything else in the world.

He wore a look a lot like Aiden’s. Blank, which she knew—or hoped—had to do with protecting his heart because he still cared for her. Except he probably hated her.

Donaldson sat back in his chair. “Allen.”

Former police officer Allen Frees had both hands on the wheels of his chair. He wore a fire department uniform of slacks and a white shirt. Emblems. A badge. His life of service hadn’t ended when he landed in that chair after a building blew up over his head.

As far as she’d been able to tell, it barely slowed him down.

She’ll give everything to protect her family.

He always knew she was the one.

Veterinary tech Pepper Miller lives a quiet life in Last Chance County. She’s watching her niece until her sister shows up…if she ever does. When Victory’s father demands he take over her care, Pepper knows something has gone wrong. With a new drug in town, and her sister embroiled in a dangerous bargain, it’s up to Pepper to protect the people she loves.

Even if it costs every secret she’s ever kept.

Fire Department liaison Allen Frees lives with the injuries he sustained as a police officer in a raid gone wrong. He’s put his life back together but getting the truck crew and engine squad to succeed might be his toughest assignment yet. When Victory is nearly kidnapped at a community event, Allen steps in to help Pepper keep her niece safe. The one thing he couldn’t fix was the love he lost, but he isn’t going to let Pepper walk away this time.

No matter what walls he has to break down.

Last Chance County returns in this blazing new series from Sunrise Publishing.

Last Chance Fire and Rescue

  • Book 1: Expired Return
  • Book 2: Expired Hope (coming soon)
  • Book 3: Expired Promise (coming soon)
  • Book 4: Expired Vows (coming soon)

Last Chance County

  • Book 1: Expired Refuge
  • Book 2: Expired Secrets
  • Book 3: Expired Cache
  • Book 4: Expired Hero
  • Book 5: Expired Game
  • Book 6: Expired Plot
  • Book 7: Expired Getaway
  • Book 8: Expired Betrayal
  • Book 9: Expired Flight
  • Book 10: Expired End

Learn more about Lisa and her books on her WEBSITE.

Learn more about the different seasons (series) offered by Sunrise Publishing or how to audition with them on the Sunrise Publishing WEBSITE.

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

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Episode 206: A Chat with Lisa Phillips about Her New Spin-off Series
Episode 206: A Chat with Lisa Phillips about Her New Spin-off Series
February 7, 2023
Chautona Havig
BONUS Episode: The Bookish Podcast Tag!
February 4, 2023
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Episode 205: A Chat about Cold Light of Day with Elizabeth Goddard
February 3, 2023
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Episode 204: A Chat with Sarah Sundin about The Sound of Light
January 31, 2023
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Episode 203: A Chat with Heather Greer about Window of Opportunity
January 27, 2023
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Episode 202: A Chat with Historical Christian Author, Laura Frantz
January 24, 2023
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Episode 201: A Closer Look at This YA Dystopian Series
January 20, 2023
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Episode 200: Comparing & Contrasting Two Split-Time Novels
January 17, 2023
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Episode 199: A Chat about Karl May with Robert Stermscheg
January 13, 2023
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Episode 198: A Chat about Everything Is Just Beginning with Erin Bartels
January 10, 2023
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Reposted from @courtneywalsh MY PHONY VALENTINE is Reposted from @courtneywalsh MY PHONY VALENTINE is officially available in e-book, paperback and in #kindleunlimited ♥️♥️

Treat yourself to this swoony, sweet romance! 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

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Heath Karras has a problem. Lots of eager first da Heath Karras has a problem. Lots of eager first dates... no second dates. With his propensity to spout random (and often bizarre) animal facts while nervous (he's always nervous around women) it's no wonder. 
His sister has a solution--lots of dates. Great, heaping gobs of them. Go ahead. Be awkward. Get used to it. Then... then try with someone you really want to get to know. He's not so confident, but when a man gives his word... (Note to self: no more agreeing to Selby's plans without knowing what they are!)
Find out what happens in Random Acts (or is it Facts?) of Shyness.

This book just got a fresh makeover, thanks to the genius of @PlethoraCreative & @PerryElizabeth.
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Reposted from @katherinereay My next novel A SHADO Reposted from @katherinereay My next novel A SHADOW IN MOSCOW will be available on June 13, 2023!! I can’t wait for you to meet Cold War spies, Anya Kadinova and Ingrid Bauer. You can pre-order your copy today!!
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Heath Karras has a problem. Lots of eager first da Heath Karras has a problem. Lots of eager first dates... no second dates. With his propensity to spout random (and often bizarre) animal facts while nervous (he's always nervous around women) it's no wonder. 
His sister has a solution--lots of dates. Great, heaping gobs of them. Go ahead. Be awkward. Get used to it. Then... then try with someone you really want to get to know. He's not so confident, but when a man gives his word... (Note to self: no more agreeing to Selby's plans without knowing what they are!)
Find out what happens in Random Acts (or is it Facts?) of Shyness.

This book just got a fresh makeover, thanks to the genius of @PlethoraCreative & @PerryElizabeth.
There's a link to how to find it in my bio.
#ChristFic
#ChristianRomCom
#InspiredByATrueStory
Reposted from @sarahsundinauthor The Sound of Ligh Reposted from @sarahsundinauthor The Sound of Light is now available from @revellfiction , and it received a starred review from Booklist!

In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a common shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden--a task that proves challenging when he meets Else Jensen, an American physicist who seems to see right through him.

Read more and find purchase links in the Linktree in my bio!
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Reposted from @celebratelit ONE MORE WEEK! ⁠ ⁠ Reposted from @celebratelit ONE MORE WEEK! ⁠
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