Searching for the elusive unicorns of Wynnewood's forests sends Philip and Dove on an adventure that threatens more than the freedom of the beautiful creatures. Will their quest to satisfy Lord Morgan's desire to own a unicorn cost Dove everything- even her life?
**fingers skittle across the keyboard. Stop. Eyelids blink over the top**
Oh, was this bio day? Oops! I forgot. I was lost in my latest manuscript. Umm... bio. Yeah.
Hi! I’m Chautona Havig. (for those who care, that’s Shuh-TONE-uh HAVE-ig). Yeah. Just work with me here. I should have used a pseudonym, but when you grow up with a name like Chautona, it kind of sticks.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10: 23–25
Those aren’t just words on a page for me–they’re why I write. I write to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. The stories I create are to make people laugh, cry, question, consider.
They’re for you.
When the world screams for hope, I try to point you to the true Source of hope–Jesus.
Sometimes life in the church no longer seems a refuge from the pain of a self-serving world around us, but through my stories, I try to point you to the only Refuge that can truly help–the Father’s Everlasting Arms.
And sometimes we just need an escape from the monotony, the emptiness we see around us. We need joy, laughter–what I like to call “just the write escape.”
Christian fiction without apology or pretense–lived, not preached. What does that even mean? It means I care–about you. About your walk with Jesus. I care about the words you put before your eyes, the mental pictures those words conjure. It’s difficult to express just how much I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s difficult to share just how much I love you.
But I do.
And I write for you. I sit in my little house in California’s Mojave Desert and I write to show you why one sister believes one thing, why a brother believes another. I write to show you how some Christians handle trials or triumphs–for you. So when you’re faced with something–good or bad, it doesn’t matter–maybe it’ll spark a memory. Maybe that memory will smolder until you pull out your Bible and see what the Lord said about it–about His great love for you. For YOU!
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll share that love with another hurting, confused, or blessed-with-more-than-she-knows-what-to-do-with soul.
I just happen to think that’s the most blessed giving anyone could hope to receive.
Cloaked in Secrets (Annals of Wynnewood Book 2) by Chautona Havig Genre: Christian children’s fantasy Format: Kindle Timeframe: 13th century Location: Northern England village of Wynnewood Main Characters: Philip Ward: 12-year old apprentice to the arrow maker (fletcher) Dove: Creature the village calls Ge-sceaft (meaning creature) Charles Morgan: Earl of Wynnewood Brodor Dennis Clarke: Village cleric Bertha Newcombe: Village midwife who took in Dove Letty Wood: Girl Bertha took on as midwife apprentice
In this second book, Dove gets lost in a snowstorm and takes shelter in a cave she has no idea is a dragon’s sleeping place. What she doesn’t expect when she inspects the cave is a new species she didn’t know existed.
A deal was struck with them to catch a certain animal and bring part of a horn to this community in order to gain her freedom. Dove needs Philip’s help to accomplish that…and what an adventure this all turns out to be.
Meanwhile, when Dove goes missing for days, Bertha assumes she’s dead, decides she’s well rid of Dove and chooses an apprentice named Letty to move in…which will be quite a surprise to Dove upon her return.
Brodor Clark and Lord Morgan are still trying to decide what the future will hold for their favorite, Philip, because he is certainly not being trained to be an arrowsmith like he’s supposed to be.
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The second book is a continuation of the first, but with slightly different themes. Taking the high road in pride issues, retaliation, and jumping to conclusions are battles for Philip. He’s learning to be a young man of integrity and people who are watching are impressed.
Very good book for kids, but even adults can enjoy this!
I am reading this series aloud to my school-age children, and we are really enjoying these books. Partway through this one, we figured out Dove’s condition, which cleared up a lot of mystery for us. It has been great fun to read about Dove’s adventures inside and outside the mountain, and the challenges involved in catching a unicorn.We finished this book, and immediately started the next one!
It turns out this book is the second in a series. Although I haven't read the first, I was able to follow this book easily, although I am confident from the references that the experience of reading them in order would be better.
This book is a very unusual mix of fantasy and religion. The Christian religion. For the most part the religion was just part of the characterization.
The book could use a bit more polish, but it isn't bad. Missing and misplaced quotation marks that make it occasionally difficult to follow dialogue is the most common issue. I was also annoyed by reigns instead of reins, but that is aggravated by it being the second book in less than a week with that error.