The Because Fiction Podcast Chautona Havig

Don't know about you, but I love it when an author gets the whole "loathe to love" thing right, and it sure sounds like this new-to-me author nails it. Listen in to see why I am excited to read Jenny Erlingsson's Her Part to Play.
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 Jenny and I had a great time chatting about her debut novel (but check out her Christian nonfiction!) Her Part to Play. 
I loved learning about her personal family history, the cool place she lives (seriously... it's a COOL place. bring a coat), and about Christian fiction in general. I loved hearing (in particular) how she blends Nigerian and Southern Black culture. How cool is that?
Oh, and here's that link I promised on Christians reading fiction. 
 John Piper on Fiction: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/in-defense-of-fiction
PSST!  There's a Goodreads Giveaway until June 17, 2024!
 Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson
  Desperate for extra income after her mother's passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She's working to save her parents' legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.
 
John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he's ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set--and definitely not a fan.
 
Sparks of tension--and could that be attraction?--fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John's scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what's right in front of them?
Get Her Part to Play from bakerbookhouse.com for 40% off with FREE shipping. SQUEEE
Learn more about Jenny on her  WEBSITE and follow her  on GoodReads and BookBub.
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 Talking with Ann Gabhart is always a pleasure, but this time we got to chat about a book that I feel like is going to be my favorite of all the books she's ever written--and definitely a favorite of 2024. Listen in to see why I'm so excited about The Song of Sourwood Mountain.
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 With a story reminiscent of Catherine Marshall's beloved Christy, The Song of Sourwood Mountain touches at the heart of what historical romance readers love best--history, local culture, faith, and an epi romance.  Well, when I started reading, I knew this book had all that and more. I mean, it kicks off with a proposal from a man our heroine hasn't seen in years and didn't know well then. 
If you love a good marriage of convenience story, I'm sure you'll love The Song of Sourwood Mountain.
  Get the book from bakerbookhouse.com for 30% off with free shipping!
The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart
  While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean's hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher--until Gordon Covington shows up.

No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.

With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.

From the pen of bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart comes a heartwarming story of the unexpected blessings that can come when we dare to follow the Lord's leading.
Learn more about Ann on her  WEBSITE and follow her  on GoodReads and BookBub.
Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:
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When I first saw the cover for When Plans Go Awry, I was probably more excited about that book than I've been about almost any book I've ever seen shared. Listen in to how a math whiz who wasn't much of an English "gal" ended up writing historical fiction. 
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The one-room schoolhouse appeals to many readers--lovers of all things Little House, you know. But there was a lot more to that life than meets the eye.  Colby explores the disparity between what was expected of male vs. female teachers and that's only the tip of a rooster-topped iceberg.
From the first inspiration for the story through all of its iterations, how she won a publishing contest, and finally how she created my favorite character (that rooster), Denise shares it all!
When Plans Go Awry by Denise M. Colby
  Olivia Carmichael escapes her past to become the next schoolmarm in the small ranching community of Washton, California. Her plan? Live a quiet spinster life alone, never to depend on anyone again.

Luke Taylor selected a mail-order bride to help raise his two younger sisters and protect his broken heart. His plans don’t include being responsible for the beautiful new schoolmarm, who threatens his resolve between his need to stay away and his need to ensure her safety.

Along the way, Olivia’s carefully laid-out plans are challenged at every turn, and Luke’s mail-order bride is not what he expected.

With the help of the entire town and its wily rooster, can Luke and Olivia learn to trust again?
Learn more about Denise on her WEBSITE and follow her  on GoodReads and BookBub.
Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:
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 What if what is perceived as a negative thing by some here on earth turned out to be a superpower "out there" in the universe somewhere?  Jared N. Michaud has taken that idea and soared with it. Listen in to see how an autistic boy is the long-awaited prophecy in another galaxy!
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 Every once in a while, I get to talk to someone who is clearly brilliant.  I usually enjoy it, but once in a while it's frustrating (and then I usually use the experience by writing a novella to deal with the frustration).  But even more rare, I chat with someone who is both brilliant and capable of not "talking down" to me or too far above me.  Some people just have the gift of interacting with everyone on their level.  Jared Michaud is definitely one of those rare gems.
I had a blast talking with him, got encouraged in my faith, got excited about his Energmatrice6 series, and walked away thinking, "Wow..."  It was, a bit I think, how people who chatted with C. S. Lewis probably felt. He had the gift of being able to converse at nearly any level as well.
Don't miss out on Jared's podcast, Modern Apocrypha.
Jared mentioned a couple of books, and I wanted to list those here:
 Evolution 2.0 by Perry Marshall--a looking at Darwinism and Intelligent Design in a new light.
Ordinary Men by Christopher R Browning--his take is that it's rough but a good read.
Brightstar: Energematrice6 – The Epimyth Begins  by Jared N. Michaud
 “Only the void is content to wait in peace.” 
Brightstar is the beginning of an epic space adventure that introduces readers to Nate, a boy desperate to escape the prison of an ordinary life made unbearable by his autism. When he is unexpectedly transported to another universe, Nate’s perceived disability is transformed into a near superpower. 
In the Aurora Galaxy, where his arrival has been prophesied for thousands of years, Nate finds the weight of expectations difficult to bear. After being greeted by an ancient ally, Nate begins gathering a misfit group of “odds” from every corner of the universe. Nate’s odyssey, which starts in the most prestigious school in civilization, will end battling monsters from the darkest imaginations of an ancient, captive Earth.
Coping with greater and greater adversity, Nate finds himself confronted by enemies who all seem to be connected in suspicious ways. In the end, Nate must stand before the Lightmaker Himself, who sent Nate to the Aurora Galaxy in the first place.
Brightstar is the beginning of a myth in the tradition of authors like C.S. Lewis, written to introduce young people to the most important stories and values of Western Civilization. Rich language and an epic story provide the backdrop for an exciting, yet thoughtful space fantasy.
Learn more about Jared on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads.
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 Not all authors can step up to the plate and hit six home runs in a year, but if any can, I bet Kimberley Woodhouse is one of them.  With a packed year of novels to write and share with the world, is it any wonder that she and I chatted about two different historical fiction books in this episode?  Listen in to see which ones!
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 First up, Set in Stone.  People who love plays on words might call this a "dino-might" series about the "Bone Wars."  Other, less ridiculous folks, chose to allude to the "gold rush" by calling this period of American history, "the great dinosaur rush."  
I like dino-might.  I mean, they're dinosaurs, and they're "MIGHTy" cool creatures, no?
But if paleontology isn't your thing (how can this be???) then how about a different kind of conservation--the formation of Glacier National Park and a thunderpuppy who can't see how some things that look so good on paper might not be so good for those people who rely on something different.  And how they clash--and all the fun stuffiness that comes with that.
Kimberley talks about her writing with Tracie Peterson in the Jewels of Kalispell series and wow!  I'm excited myself!
 
Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse
 A dangerous scheme could bury their long-held dreams forever. . . .

From the time she was little, Martha Jankowski has been digging in the dirt, much to the dismay of her mother. Now she dreams of being a paleontologist and is determined to make her parents proud by uncovering the next big discovery. When Martha finds what she hopes to be a fully intact dinosaur skeleton--one that could win her an acclaimed exhibit--she learns another team is competing against her and could steal her chance at being recognized for this momentous discovery.

Paleontology student Jacob Duncan has fulfilled his dream of digging for dinosaur bones at last. In a race against time, he and his team are bent on unearthing a complete skeleton to claim a museum exhibit with their names on it. But when Jacob meets their charming competitor Martha and uncovers foul play within his team, love and danger grow hand in hand until a menacing ruse threatens to destroy it all.
and
With Each Tomorrow by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
Even in the midst of adversity, love and faith can flourish.

As the formation of Glacier National Park takes Eleanor Briggs and her conservationist father on a journey west to advocate for public lands, her heart carries the weight of a painful past. Since the death of her mother, she has spent her life traveling the country with her father and helping him with his work, but now he's considering settling down and writing a book--and she's not sure what that means for her future.

Carter Brunswick faces trials of his own when the Great Northern Railway's departure threatens his family's livelihood and the entire town of Kalispell. In the visiting conservationist's daughter, Ellie, he finds a spirited woman who challenges his convictions in ways he never anticipated, and his own dreams for the future begin to change.

When tensions over the railroad's departure boil over, Ellie and Carter are drawn together on a daring journey that tests the depths of their feelings and their faith in God.
Learn more about Kimberley on her  WEBSITE. 
Check her out on GoodReads and BookBub, too!
Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:
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I always have a blast chatting with Naomi Craig, so I knew this would be a great conversation, but Donna E. Lane, co-author of the four-novella set, And Their Numbers Grew, made this conversation extra fun. Listen in and see why.
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Naomi Craig's love of Biblical fiction shines in every conversation you have with her about books period. Add to that her total attention to detail, and you get a great read.  
I knew she'd be careful about who she wrote with, so I was eager to see how Donna E. Lane and she approached things, and boy was that a fun conversation. I loved how each of the women chose their characters, embraced their strengths, and created a picture for us of what life during those times might have been like.
Okay, so I was excited to learn that they're doing more, too!
 And Their Numbers Grew by Naomi Craig and Donna E. Lane
Four lives. Four destinies. One gospel.

Fans of Mesu Andrews and Connilyn Cossette will love And Their Numbers Grew.
If you love The Chosen, the story continues in And Their Numbers Grew.
Rumors of the risen Christ spread through Jerusalem like a wildfire—and the Sanhedrin is paying attention.
Their efforts to stifle the name of Jesus only fuel the cause until a young Pharisee gets involved, breathing threats of imprisonment—or worse. Stephen’s brutal stoning accelerates the persecution and sends the faithful fleeing the city for their lives.
They are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. As the fledgling church disperses, their numbers continue to grow. Now, the apostles must train the new believers in the ways and words of Jesus—and what it means to live in God's Kingdom here on earth.
The Kingdom of God spreads to Damascus, Joppa, Caesarea, Antioch, and Tarsus through the testimonies of Ananias, Tabitha, and Barnabas. While an outraged Saul sets out for Damascus to arrest them all, the followers press on fervently, with the help of the Holy Spirit—though it may cost them their lives.
Four disciples whose lives are intertwined, told in four novellas, chronicling the birth pains of the early church.
 
Learn more about Naomi on her WEBSITE and follow her  on GoodReads and BookBub.
Learn more about Donna on her WEBSITE and follow her  on GoodReads and BookBub.
Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:
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