• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What’s with My Obsession with Silence?

by Chautona Havig · 13 Comments

Maybe it’s because I’m too much like Dean from Corner Booth.  Perhaps it’s because I’m just weird.  Maybe both. Yeah.  Probably that.

But silence seems to be a theme with me.  When I wrote Speak Now, I did it because I wanted a less dialogue-driven novel.  I thought I could make it work that way.  I failed.  In every way.  Only my friend, Michele and a few loyal readers disagree with me.  A very few, I suspect.

Update: I changed my mind about that book in 2017. You can read about it in my post, Speak Now is Like a Fungus: It Grew on Me.

Still, it was a fun experiment.  

Then I wrote  Corner Booth. The reason was kind of to redeem the quiet/silence idea.  And, well, I think the Lord wanted me to learn a few things about that whole “a time to be silent and a time to speak” thing.  The James thing–you know, “let everyone be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

my obsession with silence

Note: links in this post are likely affiliate links and as such, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

WHOA!

Parenthetical light bulb moment. Look at that progression up there.  “SWIFT TO HEAR.  Slow to speak (so you can keep LISTENING), slow to anger (another thing to keep you listening).  But you know what else?!!  You are less likely to become angry if you actually LISTEN to what someone says and hear the whole thing–let them talk it out so they can clarify what came out backwards etc.  W.H.O.A.  *reels for a bit*

Anywho.  Then when I was going through my (wow… still reeling.  WOW!) stack of unfinished manuscripts, I ran across the third Journey of Dreams book.

Seaside, not to put too fine a point on it, takes place near the ocean.  Shocker, right?  I knew it was about half done, so I decided to look at it this past January to decide where it went on the editorial calendar. Began reading.  I choked.  Here’s the opening excerpt.

Seaside: Journey of Dreams book four

My year of semi-silence began on a beach.  If I close my eyes, I still hear those first sounds of my life in Seaside.  Who knew that seagulls were so loud and obnoxious, not to mention stupid?  They flew overhead, fought each other on the shore, and pretty much made nuisances of themselves.  They were like kids on a school playground, squabbling about something all the time.  When that first wave lapped at my toes and woke me, the first thing I heard was the distinct call of a seagull, and then the crash of the water as a new one rolled just a smidge farther up on the sand to wet the ball of my foot.

Those waves were like the snooze button on an alarm clock.  Did you ever imagine that those awful screeches got louder every time you hit the button?  I always did until my step-dad yelled at me to turn it off and get my lazy butt out of bed.  That usually got me going.  Anyway, those waves were like that, inching up the shore a bit more each time as if gently trying to force me into full consciousness.

As my eyes adjusted to the sunshine, I assumed I was dreaming.  I mean, west Texas just doesn’t have beaches, but that was exactly where I was.  I pulled my feet away from the water and sat up, blinking and wondering why my dream was so real after years of not remembering any dreams but the nightmares that I tried to forget.  My step-dad always said that I was too dramatic to remember anything normal.  “Julie, that girl has to make a big deal out of everything.”

I’d heard it a million times.

This was different.  The waves, each sound, the feel of sand on my hands and even my face as I brushed away a tear that I still don’t understand.  Why was I crying?  It was all so bizarre.  I remember walking crab style—how ironic… or is it?  I can’t remember if that fits as irony or is just coincidence.  Mr. Japier, my English teacher, was a stickler about stuff like that.  Well, I did.  I crawled crab-style up the beach behind me so the water couldn’t reach me and waited for the dream to end.  I kind of hoped it was a sign from God that my step-dad had walked out on us for good.

A voice behind me nearly made me scream.  “I wondered if I’d have to drag you up the shore.”

seaside quote

AAAK!!!

What’s with me and silence???

I don’t get it!  BLECH and all that jazz.  So, I’m here to ask you a simple but obvious question. Do I need to change this story?  Are three books with silence/quiet/not speaking (sorta in this one) just too many out of about 60 in print?  (did I just write 60?  WHOA!)  What are your thoughts?

Share131
Pin
Tweet
Email
136Shares
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
136Shares

Related

Filed Under: General Information, Writing

Previous Post: « Ante Up! Pre-Order Is Live!
Next Post: Because She’s Mibs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. EJaa says

    January 1, 2019 at 7:15 am

    I have learned so many good things from each of your Journey of Dreams books. I have been eagerly awaiting this book after reading a sample. I know that it will be excellent. And I don’t find the main character’s silence the same as the silence in other books, because she is the one “speaking” the story, so you still hear her clearly.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      January 1, 2019 at 2:37 pm

      That’s true! Good point! 😀

      Reply
  2. Meleah Heavner says

    June 10, 2016 at 11:23 am

    The first thing I thought of when I read the title of this post was a quote by Miles Davis, actually (my hubby is a jazz musician and often informs me of this kind of thing). Davis once said, “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” The hubs and I have been composing songs on noteflight.com and what I find interesting about that quote is, basically, when it comes to arranging/playing cover songs, Davis tries to focus on improvising around the melody, only playing enough of the chord changes and melody that the song is recognizable. This leaves room for filling in elsewhere with what really makes his version of the song unique. He also said that, regarding composition, choosing places to place a rest are as important as placing a note,

    I look forward to being a published versus ‘as yet unpublished’ author and hopefully sooner than later. Meanwhile, to the extent that I can relate as an author, I’ve noticed it’s important to have characters to pause once awhile, or to be cut off or interrupted, for that matter if our stories are going to mimic real life. We need those moments in real life too, of course, to take the time to observe as much as to be observed by someone else.

    Anyway, I enjoyed your post and found it very thought-provoking. I wandered down a tangent path but just thought I’d share a bit of where your post sent me 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 10, 2016 at 9:51 pm

      This was so encouraging! Thank you! I absolutely agree that variety keeps things from becoming repetitive.

      Reply
  3. Carin says

    June 7, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    Is Highland an okay stand-alone or should one read Prarie first?

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 7, 2016 at 1:50 pm

      Absolutely can stand alone. Prairie just introduces you to the idea of the alternate place but other than the fact that they take place in alternate places, they have nothing in common.

      Reply
  4. Mari says

    June 7, 2016 at 10:15 am

    OK. No. Please don’t change Seaside’s story. You seriously hooked me with just that excerpt. Those books are quickly becoming my favorite of your series. I love how you write and other than the Bible and Dee Henderson (you more than Dee but don’t tell her lol) you are the author I read, reread and read again. I cannot wait for Seaside and for the new Hartfield mystery! Thank you for writing!

    Reply
  5. Faith Derickson says

    June 7, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Okay–I read the first two Dream books, but haven’t seen the third. Which one is it? In this post you said Seaside was the fourth book. And I wanted to tell you that I loved the first two. They were different and I was really caught up in them. I can’t wait for the next one! In addition–please don’t quit writing about silence and quiet! My hubby is like those characters and they have given me some insight into that kind of personality. I’m the talker in our family and need to learn about responding to a quiet person! Then of course, I need to be reminded that I must be still if I am going to hear the Lord speak to me. Wouldn’t that solve a lot of problems in my life! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Kelley A. says

    June 7, 2016 at 7:50 am

    I think you should continue with Seaside as is! I want to read the rest of the book already and you haven’t even finished writing it!

    Reply
  7. Lucinda says

    June 7, 2016 at 5:47 am

    Don’t change a thing. By and large, I believe, people are afraid of silence. They rush to fill the void with chatter, with loud music, with beeps and buzzes of electronic games, with ever present text chimes. In literature, silences are most often “uncomfortable” and pauses are “pregnant”…yet Scripture admonishes us to “Be still, and know that I am God”. Personally, I am a big fan of companionable silence. My husband and I spent two hours on Saturday, sitting together quietly, watching God gently soak our fields with much needed rain. Perhaps a dozen words between us. The closeness we shared, good. I can think of times that I felt God speaking to me when everything was quiet and still, would I have heard Him, had the silence been chased away?
    Your books, the way you deal with silence? Maybe those will be a turning point for someone who is afraid of what they might learn about themselves or about God in the stillness.
    Don’t change a thing. Please.

    Reply
  8. Linda S McKinney says

    June 7, 2016 at 5:45 am

    Can’t have too many stories about such different characters learning the lessons of silence! I (apparently like so many) need reminders to keep still and allow the Lord to speak to or through me instead of me blurting out the drivel which generates inside my mouth! So write on and keep’em quiet!
    Love love love Corner Booth (just re-re-read it !)

    Reply
  9. Darlene says

    June 7, 2016 at 4:42 am

    Hi Chautona,

    I say keep the silence going.. we all need to learn more of it. Be still and know that I am God. Anyway, can’t wait to read this one too!

    Reply
  10. Jackie says

    June 7, 2016 at 3:47 am

    You have me very intrigued with Seaside!!! I WANNA READ IT!!!! Hate teasers where I get drawn in and now have to wait on the book to be released!!! AAAKKKKK!!!! Needless to say, I love the Journey to Dreams series…KEEP WRITING!!!!! And release it soon!!! LOL!!!!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
byChautona Havig

Before I began the interview with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel’s Song, I kind of went crazy and left it in to give you a chuckle. But Naomi and I chat about her upcoming release, why she chose to write about Ezekiel, and what areas she focused on. Listen in and hear her heart for the Word and for stimulating readers to love it and live it.

Oh, and that song I couldn’t remember? Well, I found it after a BUNCH of hunting on YouTube. Here you go!

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

Has Ezekiel Always Confused You? How about a Little Fictional Clarity?

There’s SO much to write about in Ezekiel, but after talking to Naomi Craig, I feel like I got a pretty good grasp of where she’s taking this book without feeling like I don’t need to read it now that we chatted, and that’s always great. Naomi shows service in the temple, how Ezekiel could have had a mentorish relationship under Jeremiah, and even what kind of woman his wife might have been.

Personally, I love the “Darcy-ish” meeting where he totally insults her and accuses her of being an idolatress. Let me tell you something. I cannot wait to read that! Seriously!

God had Ezekiel do a lot of weird things, and I always wondered how he managed some of it, but Naomi brings out possibilities by focusing on this wife that we don’t know much (anything) about. How cool is that?

Naomi also gave us a couple of glimpses into what’s coming next!

She’s #TeamBlue in the Keeping Christmas novella collections, writing about Herod’s palace and the wise men’s appearance looking for “the King of the Jews.”  And… from a scribe’s perspective!  How cool is that?

Also… next up is a book about a woman in Ephriam’s lineage who built three cities. A woman credited with the building of these cities!  I cannot wait! I love how Naomi focuses on how strong Biblical women were. So often we think of them as downtrodden and little more than cattle, but God shows how much He loves His daughters in the Word, and He definitely allows them to shine. We saw that in Naomi’s debut novel Rahab’s Courage.

Ezekiel’s Song by Naomi Craig

A prophet’s heart broken, a woman’s joy gone. What does Yahweh have planned for His people?

On the brink of Jerusalem’s demise, devoted priest, Ezekiel, sees the insincerity of Judah’s worship. Despite his efforts to call the people back to true worship of Yahweh, priests, artisans, valiant warriors, and royals are exiled to Babylon. When God gives him messages of continued judgment for the people in his homeland, his heart breaks. How can he minister to the people from so far away?

The presence of the Lord is tangible when Shiriel sings in the temple, and her voice prepares the hearts of many to worship. When she is exiled to Babylon, her faith is shaken. Does the Lord’s presence extend beyond Jerusalem and His holy temple?

Ezekiel is struck mute and paralyzed as he begins his prophetic ministry, and Shiriel devises a plan to get the Lord’s message back to the unfaithful people of Judah. Shiriel struggles with discontentment as serving the Lord looks nothing like she’d imagined. Can she provide for her family and carry out her husband’s ministry when her joy is gone, and her own dreams are placed on hold?

How will Yahweh save His people from themselves? Find out in Ezekiel’s Song!

Ezekiel’s Song is available at 30% off paperback and at a discount for Kindle, too through release week, so visit Naomi’s WEBSITE for more information.

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

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Stitcher
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
August 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
Chautona Havig
A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Join a Reading Challenge

2022 Write Reading Challenge

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Penelope’s Pursuit

Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Purchase with Paypal
Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy now!

The Last Gasp

The Last Gasp
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
The Last Gasp
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • Book Club Capers: July Part One
  • Has Ezekiel Always Confused You? How about a Little Fictional Clarity?
  • Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule

Footer

What Am I Working On?

Book, Chapter & Vows
Book, Chapter, & Vows
Phase:Week 3
100%
Get Book Updates

Featured

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Dial W for Wrangler

Dial W for Wrangler

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note: I DO NOT link to products that I do not recommend.

Privacy & Cookies. This website uses cookies (not the delicious kinds that make life grand) to do stuff it needs to do. By staying on the site, you agree to this evil substitution of yummy cookies for internet calorie-free substitutes. For more info, click here and read the boring stuff. Cookie Policy
Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road t Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road trip isn’t always fun, but it was a bonding experience for Liz and her son, Matt.

Finding Hope in Savannah is on Sale now through the 19th, only on Amazon.

https://amzn.to/3vZypVq

#book #firstlinefriday #savannahgeorgia #romance #Christfic #singlemother #redemption
Fascinating moon tonight. Fascinating moon tonight.
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
#amwriting
#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
#ChristianFiction
#becauselunch #becauselunch
While I was in Minnesota, I went to Red Wing for While I was in Minnesota,  I went to Red Wing for research,  and the shop manager of the salon I've appropriated for my bookstore in Twice Sold Tales was so encouraging and helpful.  She even gave @catheswanson a great bang trim.
#amwriting 
#christfic 
#bookstrings 
#comingsoon
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
#amwriting
#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
#ChristianFiction
Reposted from @karitrumbo Look at this lovely grap Reposted from @karitrumbo Look at this lovely graphic and review!! ❤️📚
.
.
Repost from @lakesidereadingsite
•
6 Days to Release!  Preorder today!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B92P2B55/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0? 
_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660407148&sr=8-1
Check out my review at https://lakesidelivingsite.wordpress.com/2022/08/13/battle-for-her-heart-by-kari-trumbo/
#karitrumbo #battleforherheart
#cleanread #christianfiction #historicalfiction #preordertoday #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookreview #bookblogger #bookstagram
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!