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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Exciting Fairy Tale I Never Wanted To Tell

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

Fairy tales can come true... it can happen to you... if you rewrite them! Today is The Last Gasp reveal and the first of seven! via @chautonahavig

You see them everywhere. Sometimes it’s done deliberately–someone retelling a familiar story in a new setting with a twist.  Other times, it’s accidental and even the author goes, “Oh! Yeah.”

What am I talking about?  Retellings.  Whether Austen characters and storylines or Shakespeare, Robin Hood or fairy tales, they’re everywhere.  I mean, even tropes have names that fit fairy tales.  Don’t believe me?  I’ll just throw two out there.

“Rags to Riches.”  A.k.a. “Cinderella.”

And… “Beauty and the Beast.”  #becausefairytales

Is it any wonder that one day I woke up and had an immediate epiphany about fairy tale retellings?

Confession.  I didn’t wake up with that epiphany.  It wasn’t even an epiphany. I just kept seeing fairy tale stuff everywhere, and all of a sudden, I wanted to do one, too.  Actually, I wanted to do them all and knew I’d never have time.  So… that meant pulling in my partner in crime…

Sandy.  #becauseSandy.

This left the “twist.”  We needed something that would make them stand out. Be different. After thinking of and rejecting a million ideas, it came to me.  The 1920s aren’t often showcased in Christian fiction.  What if they were all set then–the “Roaring Twenties.”  Prohibition, decadence… ooooh…

That’s when I got the million-dollar idea.  Mysteries. I mean, that would make it all stand out, right?  Just to recap… we’d do mysteries, set in the 1920s, inspired by fairy tales.  We’d get several authors to join me.  Boom, bam, baby!  A perfect literary trifecta.

Now we could have all the fairy tales.

Then, because I came up with the idea, I claimed first dibs on picking my fairy tale. While I wasn’t sure which one I did want, I knew what I didn’t.  No Cinderella. No Snow White.

We were talking about before Bible study one night, and when I mentioned that I had to choose what I would do for the series, one friend said, “So… are you doing Cinderella… as what, a cigarillo girl?”

You know what happened, right? How could I not do this? So, my dreams of telling this story or that all faded into the mists of my mind, and I settled in to figure out how to write…

The Last Gasp Cover Reveal

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

The Exciting Fairy Tale I Never Wanted To Tell

Writing about a cigarillo girl isn’t exactly easy–not when you write Christian fiction.  I’m just sayin’. Set in a period of time where some doctors still swore by the health benefits of tobacco, some people wouldn’t have balked at Christians standing outside church smoking!

What would today’s Christians do with me having a heroine who sold candy and cigarettes to moviegoers?

I hoped they’d accept the historical significance, read the story, and see how I handled it.  I mean, in a case like this, it’s all you can do.

At first, I had a grandiose plan of turning the story into a copy of Agatha Christie’s formula for mysteries.  I thought it would be cool if one of my characters was a little like Miss Marple–but a man.  A couple of friends would be Tommy and Tuppence, and a heavy-set woman with more hair on her upper lip than most women prefer would walk around asking if everyone was happy.

Two things prevented that.

First, my cigarillo girl needed to be front and center in the story, and she didn’t fit any of those descriptions. Next, I had a limited number of words to work with, and it just wouldn’t fit. Still, if you look really closely, you’ll find that some of those people still linger in the shadows of my characters’ personalities.

One of the reasons I didn’t want to do Cinderella is that while she’s a self-sacrificing young lady, a hard worker, and keeps her attitude in check (for the most part), I’ve always found her bland.  Meh.  #hohum

Lucinda actually started off that way.  I couldn’t figure out what my “prince,” Gary, saw in her. However, she showed her true colors as more than a would-be stenographer working as a cigarillo girl until she could afford to take the right courses… or marry the right guy.

Some say that how you respond to adverse circumstances shows your true character.

Frankly, I don’t know if I believe that! I mean, why is who we are at the worst our only measure of who we are?  That has always bugged me.

However, if the old saying is true, then my cigarillo girl proves herself to be quite the young woman when she finds herself locked up for a murder she didn’t commit.

That’s how I chose my fairy tale in the Ever After Mysteries series.

Now it’s time for The Last Gasp reveal.

the last gasp cigarillo girl

We have LOTS of cover reveal and series release fun planned, starting with…

My cover–The Last Gasp reveal.  Not this one…

AMAZON!

The first person to find the placeholder cover replaced with the real cover, shares it somewhere online, and sends the link or a screenshot to that share will win a free advance reader copy of the book. You’ll get it before anyone (except the launch team) else!

What does it all look like?  Well…

The Last Gasp- cover reveal        The Last Gasp- Havig
We put a “placeholder” cover on Amazon that looks like the one on the left.  We’re releasing one final cover per day on Amazon and making a game of it. Watch the Amazon Book Page for the change to the gorgeous cover painted by talented artist, Josh Markey.  We’re so excited to have him for this series.  I can’t wait for you to see all his excellent work! Then be sure to share and zip that email to [email protected] The first email to arrive with proof of sharing The Last Gasp reveal wins!  It’s that simple.

Don’t forget. The Last Gasp reveal is the first of seven. Tomorrow… you’ll want to head over to Marji Laine’s website to see her reveal, to watch for her cover to change on Amazon, and to get your entry in first!

 

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  1. Melissa Wardwell says

    February 12, 2021 at 10:02 am

    The cover is stunning

    Reply

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Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
by Chautona Havig

What happens when you combine domestic violence with suspense?  A hair-raising ride you won’t want to miss.

On March 2, T.E. Price ‘s book, Take Flight, releases on eBook, and boy is this one excellent story.  Join me as I talk with Tiffany about her book, the inspiration, and all the excellence you’ll find within the can’t-put-it-down pages.

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

The 3 Best Things about This Domestic Abuse Suspense Novel

A new author to me, T.E. Price knocked her suspense (and almost thriller) out of the park with three excellent elements to the book.  

Aside from wonderful and realistic characterization and edge-of-your-seat storytelling, T.E. Price also digs deep into a subject Christians sometimes like to pretend isn’t a thing.  And boy does she do it well. 

So if a great story that grips you and won’t let you go isn’t the best thing, what is?  Well… I’ve got three.

First, the writing is stellar.

Let’s face it, domestic abuse victims have cyclical thought patterns and actions that can feel redundant and become boring when you see it on the page, but Tiffany managed to avoid that while still showing how real and confusing it can be both for the person going through it and for those watching from the outside.

Second, her laser focus on her subject.

Domestic abuse is a multi-layered and faceted subject that spans so many different aspects of life. It would be easy and natural, even, to try to show it all with the one person who experienced it all, but T.E. Price keeps her focus on one woman’s escape from that life and how it affects her relationship with the Lord and others. That’s it.  

Third, T.E. Price shows her heart for the Lord and His people in every word on the page.

While not preachy at all, and while often just the undercurrent of the story, there is no doubt in the reader’s mind that Price wants the reader to learn both how to overcome as the victim of domestic violence and how to aid others in the church going through it.  Additionally, that steady reminder of Who the only true support we truly have touches every aspect of Hallie McClain’s life.

There are so many other excellent elements to Take Flight, but I’d be chatting all day with Tiffany (and nearly did!) if I kept going.

Don’t forget!

T.E. Price’s book releases March 2, 2021 and on March 5, 2021  from 7-8 pm (EST) she is having a Facebook launch party with prizes and lots of information about it.  HERE is a link to that party and I hope to be there to celebrate with her!  Please join her and maybe you’ll win an eBook copy of Take Flight!

You can find more about T.E. Price (Tiffany) at her WEBSITE where you can also find her other novel, Love’s True Colors.

Title:  Take Flight Author: T.E. Price Synopsis:  

Within Take Flight, readers follow Hallie McClain as she is faced with numerous fight-or-flight decisions in her attempt to escape her abusive husband, Jonathan McClain.

Hallie has made the decision to leave him for good, but Jonathan has no intentions of complying. During their separation, Hallie grapples with trusting those closest to her, the gossip-mill of her small town, and her wavering trust in God. Living alone in a secret, secluded cabin in the woods, she is thrust into multiple circumstances where she has to balance her safety with the reality of inescapable encounters with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Jonathan soon discovers Hallie’s whereabouts, forcing her to escape to the city while awaiting the divorce, but her move isn’t the solution as her safety is still compromised.

Hallie has to learn to trust God with her safety while leaning on the church body for support. The tantalizing storyline of Take Flight weaves through one “fight-or-flight” scenario after the next, filling Hallie with angst regarding her constant need for escape. Take Flight addresses the ugliness of domestic abuse and the need for support from the church community. Furthermore, it affirms God’s trustworthiness in the midst of difficult, sometimes even life-threatening, situations.

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

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You can find the Blog post HERE.

Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
February 23, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 47: The Drew Farthering Mysteries
February 16, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 46: What Romances Do I Think Are Perfect for Valentine's Day?
February 9, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 45: A Gush about Things We Didn't Say
February 2, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 44: A Chat with Carolyn Miller
January 26, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
January 19, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 42: A Chat with J'nell Ciesielski
January 13, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 41: A Chat with Jennifer Pierce
January 5, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 40: My Favorite Book of 2020
December 8, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 39: A Chat with L.K. Simonds
December 1, 2020
Chautona Havig
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