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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Happens When Your Little Sister’s Best Friend Becomes Yours?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

As I’ve been working through the Madeline books, I realized that Madeline’s best friend is now her “best friend’s” brother.  And vice versa! This of course, made me wonder if Russell knows it yet. So, I decided to ask him about it… and a few other things.

Let’s get right at it.

What Happens when Your Little Sister's Best Friend Becomes Yours?

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

Me:  Russell, thank you for visiting with me today.

Russell: I wish Madeline was here. She’d enjoy watching your flat typewriter go.  Where are the strikers?

Me: Um… well, under the keys.

Russell: Fascinating.

Me: Now you’ve known Madeline for a long time—almost ten years, haven’t you? How has she changed over those years?

Russell:  Aside from becoming even more interesting and full of adventure, not much. Well…

Me: Yes?

Russell:  Upon further reflection, it does occur to me that she is more thoughtful of her aunt’s sensibilities.

Me: I’ve noticed that as well.  It seems that the more unreasonable Louisa Farnsworth becomes, the more reasonable Madeline is about it.

Russell: Yes, yes, that describes it well.

Me: I’m curious. What did you think when Amy asked you to “look after Madeline” while she was away?

Russell: It wouldn’t do to be completely candid. I will only say that my affection for my sister is the only thing that induced me to accept. She asks for so little that one does not refuse Amy anything.

Me: What did you expect keeping your promise to entail?

Russell: The young ladies of Rockland have determined to keep their set embroiled in a whirlwind of social engagements. I thought I would be called as an escort to lectures, the theater, benefits, concerts, and of course, dances.

I noticed a small smile form as he worked to hide… something.

Me: I wonder… what surprised you most?  That she wasn’t eager to participate in all the social melee or where her interests turned?

Russell: I should not have been surprised about most of what has taken place since Amy’s departure, but I think what did surprise me is that I also became her confidant in matters of the heart. When Delbert Jackson made his unfortunate proposal, it shook both of us, I think. I had been in the habit of thinking of her as “little Maddie,” not a young lady with an appeal to suitors.

Me: Tell me about that. How were you involved?  It always sounds like you were there at the proposal.

Russell: No, I visited her that evening to bring a letter from Amy that I wanted to share and found her understandably distressed. She may have gotten past his boorish behavior, and it is like her to appreciate forthrightness, but as fine a fellow as Jackson is, what he did was inexcusable.

Me: It could have been worse. He could have done the reverse and told her how inferior she was a la Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

Russell: That’s an interesting perspective. I considered his assertions of superiority to be equivalent to emphasizing her inferiority, although I know him to be above doing that consciously.

Me: What do her friends really think of her “meddling?”

Russell: Most people in Rockland admire her; although, it is disconcerting to realize she often sees through what most try to hide.

Me:  And what does she see in you that you would like to hide?

Once more, Russell fought to repress a telltale smile.

Russell: You ask impertinent questions, Mrs. Havig. I will answer you, though. I do not try to hide anything from her, and as a result, she does not yet see what I might wish to.

Me: And is that a good or bad thing, do you think?

Russell: That, I believe, is something best left for time to show.

Me: Fair enough.  I’m curious.  What is the best thing that has come from keeping your promise to Amy?

Russell: I have found a much dearer friend in Madeline than I had known she could be. I look forward to seeing how our childhood dynamic adjusts to the change in all of our circumstances.

Me: And seeing how your relationship continues to grow, I imagine.

But Russell refused to answer that one.  He only smiled. Again.

A message from Jimmy arrived right about then—informing him that Madeline required his assistance, and we all know Russell would never refuse.  Amy might be disappointed.  That must be the reason, of course.

I don’t know about you, but I think Russell was deliberately vague at times, and I find that… would it be too dramatic to say… suspicious?

That’s not the only interview we have with Madeline’s friends!

There’s this interview with Essie!

Madeline sweet on you book 1Synopsis:

It is my hypothesis that social conventions are created to test our fortitude. 

Rockland circa 1900-
As the mayor’s daughter, Madeline Brown enjoys a rich social life that many might envy. But a sharp mind and a growing talent for observation leaves Madeline torn between avoiding social censure and exploring the world around her.

With an aunt who considers higher education and employment equally unsuitable for the mayor’s daughter, there is little to amuse her save endless committee meetings, evening socials, and her favorite pastime: curling up with an exciting detective novel.

So, when a young man shows interest in her friend, Madeline’s interest piques–until his actions hint that he might not be the upstanding gentleman everyone presumes him to be. Unable to ignore her concerns, Madeline finds herself in the middle of an investigation into his character and discovers a side of Rockland she’s never encountered.

Will her new hobby reduce the tedium of her life, or will her “meddling” create tension for herself and her father? Will she be forced to squelch this budding skill of hers or has Madeline finally found her calling in life.

Meddlin’ Madeline: Welcome to Rockland’s infancy.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 482: A Chat with Lara d'Entremont
byChautona Havig

When Lara d’Entremont began describing her YA portal fantasy, The Painted Fairytale, I knew this would be right up my alley. Listen in and see how art becomes the portal to other worlds!

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

Portal fantasy is my favorite, so I was crazy excited to learn about this one–especially the art tie-in. I can’t wait to dive in myself.

We chatted about her characters, the world, and the faith that connects them.

The Painted Fairytale by Lara d’Entremont

Seventeen-year-old Wren Devine refuses to share her art with anyone-other than her parents and her sister (who died three years prior). But when her mother submits her artwork to a mentorship program, and she gets accepted, Wren is forced to display her artwork for the eccentric Professor Hayes. Despite her fears, Wren hopes this mentorship will finally make her as worthy as her sister.

But this mentorship is about more than painting.

Wren soon learns that she has a magical ability to turn her paintings into portals to travel not only to other places but also to another world entirely. An eerie children’s book in the professor’s classroom reveals a wicked pirate with a vengeance who has her eye on Stefan Branson, a former student of Professor Hayes.

As all four of these lives intersect, it becomes apparent that everyone has a secret–some more deadly than others. The longer these secrets brew, the more deadly and heavy they become, and possibly lead to never seeing her former, earthly realm again. Wren must not only learn to release the shadow of her beloved sister but step boldly into her own world.

Learn more about Lara on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads.or on Subtack.

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Episode 482: A Chat with Lara d'Entremont
Episode 482: A Chat with Lara d'Entremont
October 27, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 481: A Chat with Patricia Bradley
October 25, 2025
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Episode 480: A Chat with Tracie Peterson
October 20, 2025
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Episode 479: A Chat with Connilyn Cossette
October 18, 2025
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Episode 478: A Chat with Julie Klassen
October 17, 2025
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Episode 477: A Chat with Kate Angelo
October 13, 2025
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Episode 476: A Chat with Katie M. Reid
October 11, 2025
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Episode 475: A Chat with D. T. Powell
October 6, 2025
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Episode 474: A Chat with Ann Swindell
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Episode 473: A Chat with Jennifer Willcock
October 3, 2025
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