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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Classy Women Wear Heels but I Absolutely Love Invisible Shoes

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Rachel Skatvold's Hooper Safe Haven is her favorite book in the Independence Islands series, and it's my favorite of hers, too! What's with the shoes, though? via @chautonahavig

My feet hurt. You’d think after walking through airports all day, this wouldn’t surprise me. Here’s the thing. I’ve worn the same brand of shoes for the past five years.  When my old pair got worn out and my daughter said Marshall’s had them in stock, I had her grab some.

They are not the same.  Hurt.  Pain.  Misery.

So while we were in Tennessee, I decided. NEW SHOES, baby.

But hee’s the thing. I don’t like shoes.  I’m a bit royal in my shoe preferences.  Way back a few hundred years ago, my great, great, great (all the greats) uncle, the Emperor of someplace or another had some really special clothes made.  They helped determine who is a fool or not.  Well, I really don’t want to know if I’m a fool, but I like my invisible shoes that tell me if I’m going anywhere today or not.

If I can’t see them, then I’m not going anywhere.  If I can, then I am.  But here’s the thing. I prefer the invisible ones.  While I don’t think feet are very pretty, I do love knowing that I get to stay home and OUT of shoes.

In other words, I don’t like wearing shoes. I own about three pair, I think.  One of which I’m getting rid of next time I find them in the closet.  So now we’re back down to two…  Shoes really aren’t my jam.  Not even toe jam. 😉

What’s all this shoeness?  (and why on earth is this post so late?)  Well, today is my day to help celebrate the release of Rachel Skatvold’s latest book in the Independence islands series!

Hooper Safe Haven

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

Hooper Safe Haven is Rachel’s favorite book in the series!

And it’s my favorite of hers, too!

Hooper Safe HavenHooper Safe Haven

Harbors should be safe havens, but what if you’re harboring secrets?

When Alicia Roberts accepts a job with mobile veterinarian, Kendall Mulligan, she hopes the Independence Islands will give her a safe place to start over. And as much as she appreciates the Mulligan girls’ offer to stay with them while she gets settled, Alicia knows she needs her own place. ASAP.

Hooper Ear Cove Apartments on Hooper Island offers a beautiful ocean view as well as one of the landlord’s hunky son—all at an affordable price. Just what she needs to start a new life. Isn’t it?

When life knocked Jace Young in the head with a literal curveball that ruined his major league chances, he was forced to return to Hooper Island and a job as the maintenance guy at his father’s apartment complex. On the side, he leads the contemporary song service at church as his heart heals.

When Alicia moves to Hooper Island, Jace is drawn in by her sweet personality. However, something hides deep beneath the surface, and Alicia resists any discussion of God. What will it take to convince her to anchor her heart to God and to confide the secrets she harbors?

Hooper Safe Haven continues the Hooper Island stories of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Get your entries in for the Hooper Safe Haven on all the author blogs!

Rachel’s (October 26)
Tabitha’s (October 27)
Carolyn’s (October 28)
Chauotna’s (October 29)
Melissa’s (October 30)
Kari’s (October 31)
Sandy’s (November 1)

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
byChautona Havig

I’ve been anxious to read this one since the moment I saw it. I mean, come on! Secrets are always cool but then Frank L. Baum? And The Pilgrim’s Progress? WHAT? Listen in as Laura DeNooyer and I chat about A Hundred Magical Reasons.

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

The L. Frank Baum connection was a draw, but then she brought in The Pilgrim’s Progress, and it took the whole story idea to a new level!

I had a blast chatting with Laura and I’m excited to read this one. It’ll probably be my flight read tomorrow. EEEP!

A Hundred Magical Reasons by Laura DeNooyer

Some fairy tales don’t end when the story is over…they begin when the truth is finally told.

At eighty-eight, Charlotte Rose Gordon has spent a lifetime guarding secrets—burdens that have turned her into the town’s most notorious recluse. But before her story ends, she has one final quest: to set the past right and clear her husband’s name.

Even if it means facing the dragons she’s spent decades avoiding.

Carrie Kruisselbrink is fighting dragons of her own. Fresh out of college and desperate to escape the weight of her parents’ expectations, she risks everything to chase a dream that feels just out of reach.

An unlikely job with the reclusive Mrs. Gordon seems like a temporary solution. Until it becomes something much more.

As Charlotte begins to unravel her past—from a stifling childhood to an extraordinary friendship with author L. Frank Baum—Carrie is drawn into a story filled with imagination, loss, and long-buried truth.

But the deeper Carrie digs, the more she’s forced to confront her own fears, her own choices… and the cost of living someone else’s life.

Because some stories were never meant to stay hidden.

Spanning generations and woven with echoes of a beloved literary legacy, A Hundred Magical Reasons is a moving tale of courage, identity, and the kind of hope that only comes when truth, grace, and imagination collide.

Can two women from different generations find the strength to rewrite their stories—before time runs out?

Step into a story of secrets, second chances, and the courage to believe again.

Learn more on Laura’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

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

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Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
June 8, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 548: A Chat with Sarah Heatwole
June 6, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 547: A Chat with Terri McAdoo
June 1, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 546: A Chat with Chuck Richardson
May 30, 2026
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Episode 545: A Chat with Gina Holder
May 25, 2026
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Episode 544: A Chat with Nicholas Teeguarden
May 23, 2026
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Episode 543: A Chat with Stephanie Cardel
May 19, 2026
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Episode 542: A Chat with Megan Schaulis
May 16, 2026
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Episode 541: A Chat with Demi Griffin
May 11, 2026
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Episodd 540: A Chat with Dana Mentink
May 9, 2026
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