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Sunday, May 30, 2021

 

About the Book

Book:  Prairie

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fantasy

Release date: February 13, 2013

What if you could literally wish your life away?

My name is Jessa Davidson, and I awoke one day in the place of every dream I’ve ever had—the prairie.  I don’t know how I got here or where here even is, but I know one thing for certain. I can’t go home again. Ever.

If I’ve learned one thing being in this beautiful place, it’s that no matter how perfect it and its people seem, sin lives in the hearts of men and women in Prairie, too. The differences between Prairie and Pittsburgh? There are too many to count.

I grew up hearing the words of the Apostle Paul. “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

Here in Prairie, they’re not a lesson. They’re a warning.

I’ve been given a gift—the greatest desire of my heart. A life in the place of my dreams, a chance at love and family, a sense of real belonging.

Can I hold onto it? Time will tell—time I may not have if I can’t learn to be content.

Prairie is the first book in the Journey of Dreams, a series of related but stand-alone contemporary Christian fantasy novels exploring truths in a whole new way.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

 

More from Chautona

When Your Novel Teaches You an Important Lesson

I’ve told the story before, but I’ll tell it again. Prairie began as a dream. For several days in a row, I fell asleep and found myself lost in the sway of prairie grasses undulating to the strains of “Theme from a Summer Place.”

It’s a bad habit of mine, but despite being in the middle of a writing project, I wrote down my thoughts—my impressions. Two strange things happened.

First, the story came out in first person. Folks, I don’t write in first-person perspective. Not my novels, anyway. I don’t enjoy reading it, and I really don’t enjoy writing it.

Jessa, however, demanded I let her tell her story… her way. So I did. And it’s one of the fastest novels I’ve ever written.

There’s irony in that.

You see, I didn’t know where that story would go. My dream only replayed the scene of Jessa waking up on the prairie and not knowing how she got there—only knowing she could never go home. Beyond that, I hadn’t a clue.

And though I wanted to rush through so I could see where the story would take me, and though I wrote at breakneck speeds, the story unfolded at its own pace.

The people of Prairie live a different life from anything you’ve ever seen—and yet it is mostly very familiar. One thing, however, sets it apart.

Time.

Only in Prairie does time not work as it does here, and that changes everything. The story begins slowly and for a reason. Line by line, observation by observation, step by step through the grasses and down rutted lanes, the story draws you out of the breakneck speed of modern life and into a world that, if you aren’t careful, will whiz by faster than is even possible.

Here in our world, that is.

There… you’d better watch out.

Has anyone ever warned you not to wish your life away? It’s just a gentle reminder that if you’re always eager for today to end in hopes of a more exciting tomorrow, you may find you never lived.

In Prairie? It might actually happen.

MY REVIEW 

If ever a book was meant for me this one is it. I can’t believe how on point this story is for me. I am a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie. I have always loved that time period where people lived in a small town and had farms. Neighbors helped each other and families spent time together. I have wished so many times that my life was different. How many times have you said that you wish your life  was different? Let’s unwrap this story  together as we step into a place where there is no concept of time. 

Jessa wakes up in a field filled with everything you would imagine from being on a farm. She has no concept of where she is and how she got there. Now I had to let that sink in. Did she just land Somewhere over the Rainbow?  My heart beat a little faster as I took in everything that Jessa did. She was in the place she thought her life would be better at. Meeting the people in Prairie  made her unsure of what was happening. Everyone helped each others out , they welcomed strangers yet seemed so removed from the world we know. 

The simplicity of this place was heartwarming. I loved when Jessa is talking to Graham about going to church. His explanation is so on track that it hit me in the  face. “How do you expect to eat at the Lord’s Table, feed on His Bread, and nourish yourself with one another if you never partake.” Well I think God just smacked me in the face with that statement. We need to surround ourselves with like minded people and fellowship at church. Why do we lose sight of God wanting to have a relationship with us? 

The story is one that awakens an urgency within me. I pray from this day forward that I trust God with everything in my life.  I want that childlike faith again and that hunger to be in His presence. Let Him settle my restlessness and be content where I am. Allow me to be joyful in the midst of a storm and give grace to others without judgment. Show me that the desires of my heart I have already received and remind me of the blessings of patience, family  and unconditional love. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 28

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 28

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 29

For the Love of Literature, May 30

Blogging With Carol, May 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 31

Inklings and notions, June 1

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, June 1

For Him and My Family, June 2

deb’s Book Review, June 3

Spoken from the Heart, June 3

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 4

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, June 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 7

Pause for Tales, June 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 8

Lots of Helpers, June 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 9

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, June 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of the book & a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10ca2/prairie-celebration-tour-giveaway

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing! I think this will be so good!

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  2. This sounds very intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading this!

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  3. I'm so glad you "got" my book. It's always uncertain how someone will react when you write something so "out there." Thanks for reading and reviewing.

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  4. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of this book, it sounds like a must read for me.

    ReplyDelete