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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Trashy Reality Shows: A Media Menace or Guilty Pleasure Time Wasters?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

Regaining Mercy releases today, so the Independence Islands authors are all chatting about reality TV of course. Find out why! via @chautonahavig

I never saw the first season of Survivor. It didn’t appeal to me, but something someone said about it made me curious after the season ended. So, when Season 2 came along, I watched it.  That was the one with church elder Rodger and sweet Elizabeth. It was fun, interesting, and I actually enjoyed most of what I watched.

Unfortunately, each season afterward got less and less interesting. Some in my family still watch it.  I don’t.  I’ve lost interest.

We watched The Amazing Race for several years, but like the Survivor, I just lost interest over time.

There was that first reality show we watched… Fire Me, Please. I don’t remember most of the episodes, but I do remember what I think was a mattress store and a girl finally lying down on the mattress intoning, “Boring, boring, everything is boring, boring, boring…”

Her employer just wouldn’t fire her. He was so sure she’d “get used to it” or whatever.

However, there was one show our entire family loved, and we’d all love to see return to airwaves near us!.

The Mole.

In that show, there were… oh, maybe thirteen contestants?  Twelve were legitimate contestants. One was a… shocker, I know… mole!  The game was played through tasks.  They started with a pot of ZERO and if everyone did their tasks, they could add money to the pot for the grand prize. The mole’s job was to sabotage the efforts.  So, if everyone had to bungee jump off a bridge, all the mole had to do was pretend to be afraid of heights, and no one would suspect him or her of sabotage. Or would they?

It was a HUGE bit of fun–so much that we actually bought the SEASONS (all 2 of ’em) on DVD to watch again down the road. We know who it is. And yes, we know who won.  We know everything.  But we still wanted them.  It was that fun!

Alas, Celebrity Mole was not nearly as fun.  Sigh.  But watching shows like that really does make people think. Or maybe it’s just me.  But I wonder…

Trashy Reality Shows: A Media Menace or Guilty Pleasure Time Wasters?

My opinion is yes.  To all of it.  Depending on the show.  Some are definitely media menaces (housewives of anything?  Seriously, the few clips I’ve seen don’t remind me of any housewife I’ve ever known). The Bachelor?  We saw a few at the beginning (research for Thirty Days Hath… and so forth).  It got old. Fast.  Trying again later… WOW! They went from sleazy to down-right trashy (in my opinion of what I saw, anyway!)

But reality TV goes beyond sensationalism of the scandalous type.  It fits all sorts of genres. The Great British Baking Show (I hope that’s the name), Extreme Home Makeover, Restaurant Impossible, or even X-Factor.  Some of these are fascinating shows.  There’s even one in England that was a one-off (because it HAD to be due to the kind of show.

Churchill’s Secret Agents is a show that uses actual spy training methods to put contestants through the paces to see which one might have the skills to make it back then.  Here’s a short clip:

So, no. I don’t think all reality TV is a time-waster or “media menace.” Like everything, how its used makes a huge difference.  Or, for Mindy Murray of Carolyn Miller’s Regaining Mercy, it might be a long shot at a better life.

Regaining Mercy Released yesterday!

And the authors of the Independence Islands are having so much fun sharing Mindy’s story with you. Seriously, her little boy… oh my word. It’s such a good book.  That’s one advantage to being the content editor for the series. I get to read it all!  YAY! Seriously, I have the BEST job in this whole thing.  Regaining Mercy

A mom ready to do anything for her son. A man determined to win the woman he loves.

Going on Love at First Glance had seemed like such a good idea. She didn’t care about finding Mr. Right. No, Mindy Murray chose the reality TV show for more mercenary reasons.  A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do when it comes to feeding her son.

When Mindy returns to Elnora, the girl from the “wrong side of the island” just wants a chance to rebuild her reputation. Too bad the folks at church don’t practice what the preacher preaches.

Enter Dermott Reilly. The interim boss at Greener Gardens has always had a soft spot for Mindy and her son, but with his new responsibilities, an important garden competition, and a few other concerns, he finds it difficult to prove himself to her.

A tropical storm and a missing child prove that sometimes grace appears in the most unusual ways.

Regaining Mercy concludes the Elnora Island romances 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.

Time to Celebrate!

We have lots of release day fun for Regaining Mercy (like the giveaway below) so check out what reality TV the other authors in the series enjoy and get your entries in on their giveaways! EEEP!

Carolyn Miller (June 29)
Chautona Havig (June 30)
Melissa Wardwell (July 1)
Kari Trumbo (July 2)
Rachel Skatvold (July 3)
Tabitha Bouldin (July 4)
Sandy Barela- publisher (July 5)
Enter here:

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Comments

  1. Rebecca Pittman says

    June 30, 2021 at 8:38 am

    Chautona, Yahoo didn’t like your email title. Tried to convince me it was spam, although since you are on my contact list it graciously put it in my inbox–with a caution! Definitely an eye catcher! Regaining Mercy is already in my kindle waiting for me to read, right next to Penelope’s Pursuit. They both look interesting…Now I just need the time! Have a great day.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 1, 2021 at 5:00 pm

      That’s a hoot!!!

      Reply
  2. Flo says

    June 30, 2021 at 8:26 am

    Have you watched Alone on History Channel? THAT’S a really interesting one. Gets a little slow in the middle but it’s not a boring slow … just slow.

    Reply
  3. Cheryl Arcemont says

    June 30, 2021 at 5:56 am

    Such a fun giveaway! I must admit, I never was much into reality shows. I only watched Dancing With the Stars because my sister and her MIL were really into it. After I moved 4 hours away, I stopped watching except the finale to discuss with sister and her MIL. Since she has moved and MIL is in nursing home, I no longer am interested. Again, like you said of some of other reality shows, it got old. Not into celebrity drama. I would much rather watch a good mystery! Thank you for the chances of these awesome giveaways!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

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

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
July 19, 2025
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Episode 447: A Chat with Cate Touryan
July 14, 2025
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