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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 217: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Terry Garner
byChautona Havig

Terry Garner joined me tonight to chat about his fascinating Biblical Fiction series, Magi Journey. Starting way back in Assyria, through Babylon, and into Persia, the series chronicles two timelines–first that of the Israelite kings, and then of a fascinating family back in Persia… Listen in to see the hope this Magi family found in Scripture and how it led them to Bethlehem. 

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

This isn’t just another “traveling to Bethlehem with gold” story of the Magi. No, Terry Garner links the Israelite kings from Ahaz through the destruction of the temple and into captivity with a family who discovers that God has promised redemption for those outside Israel as well. Follow a physical and a faith journey across the ages all the way to the hope of an age.

With extensive and meticulous research, Terry Garner looks at Scripture and compares it with historical secular accounts. Even more exciting, however, are the things he discovered along the way. He talks about Jewish historians discounting Scriptural accounts of historical events to explain away the supernatural as if God Almighty… isn’t!

And then, Terry explains how he’s also writing a nonfiction book to help readers pull all the pieces from Scripture and see what God has promised us… so that we may know His plans. I’m excited about that book, but I confess, learning he’s working on a spinoff of the Magi series excited me even more. EEEP!

Terry Garner has all his books on sale right now!

The paperbacks are on sale for 9.95 and the box set (also available on Kindle Unlimited) is on sale for 4.99!

Magi Journey by Terry Garner

A sweeping historical saga from the courts of Tiglath-Piliser III in Assyria to the sleepy town of Bethlehem. History is seen through the eyes of the Magi as they journey from 734 BC to -0- AD.

Explore with the Magi the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Witness God’s judgment on Israel, Assyria, and Babylon. And rejoice in the redemption of Israel and the coming of the Messiah.

Join the Magi as they answer the question that is critical to every man and woman, “Who Is This Messiah?”

Learn more about Terry on his WEBSITE.

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

  • Apple 
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Episode 217: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Terry Garner
Episode 217: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Terry Garner
March 31, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 216: A Chat with Jaime Jo Wright
March 28, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 215: A Chat with Henry O. Arnold
March 24, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 214: A Chat about After the Shadows with Amanda Cabot
March 21, 2023
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Episode 213: A Chat about Daughter of Eden with Jill Eileen Smith
March 17, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 212: A Chat about Code Name Edelweiss with Stephanie Landsem
February 28, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 211: A Chat with Lynn H. Blackburn about Under Fire
February 24, 2023
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Episode 210: A Chat with Jennifer Deibel about The Maid of Ballymacool
February 21, 2023
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Episode 209: A Chat with Tracie Peterson about Remember Me
February 17, 2023
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Episode 208: A Chat with Author, Hallie Lee
February 14, 2023
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