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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

If I Were Looking for Great, Exciting, and Unconventional Date Ideas…

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Stranded on Sparrow released this week, and Tabitha has us digging deep for fun, unconventional date ideas. What's yours? via @chautonahavig

A friend recently asked my best idea for an unconventional date. Now while Rachel didn’t ask for my actual unconventional dates, that’s where my brain went, and I’ll be honest. I had no idea how to answer the question.

You see, my husband and I never dated. Not only that, but I never went on “dates” before I met him, either.  The closest was probably my friend taking me to Disneyland for my birthday when I turned fifteen. With his mother and grandmother.  And… yeah, there wasn’t anything remotely romantic about it, okay?  Not what I’d call a date.  Just sayin’.

And for the curious, no. I didn’t like Disneyland.  I didn’t like it a year or so later when I went with a friend and her family, either. It’s just not my thing.

Where did that leave me? Dateless, for one thing, but then I got an idea.

You see, once upon a time, my husband and I got married.  (Talk about stating the obvious). After the wedding (several months after said marriage), we went on a honeymoon to Lake Tahoe.  Okay, that was the idea, but we got a room at the Circus Circus in Reno for fourteen bucks a night! FOURTEEN! I’m sure it will shock you to learn that we stayed in Reno instead of Tahoe.  We drove around the lake, checked out the sites… did all the touristy things.

Not only that, we even played penny slots at this tiny little slot machine place on the street down from our hotel.  We went to the movies and even saw a timeshare presentation in exchange for $200 in chips.  We took those chips, cashed them in, and voila!  That paid for our hotel and then some.  Woohoo!

So there you have it. My perfect, unconventional date idea.  A honeymoon.  Anyone up for the challenge?

stranded on sparrow

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

What’s this all about?

Of course, that “Rachel” who asked was Rachel Skatvold, and she asked because there are a couple of super-cool, unconventional dates in her recent Independence Islands release, Stranded on Sparrow.  So, definitely check out the book, but please!  Tell me about your unconventional dates (or ones you’ve heard about).  And don’t forget to enter all the giveaways–mine and the other authors’).

stranded on sparrowStranded on Sparrow by Rachel Skatvold is AVAILABLE!

If His eye is on the sparrow, where does that leave her?

Lia Diaz’s life has become an illusion. Fired from her perfect job, she’s living a lie to avoid censure from her critical family. So when Lia gets a call about her nana’s recent fall, she heads to Nana’s house to help out and regroup.

Things are looking up until she discovers that her childhood refuge, Nana’s home on Sparrow Island, has been condemned in the wake of Hurricane Arley. Time to regroup—again.

Getting stranded on Sparrow Island while visiting the house was not in those revised plans.

After “rescuing” his niece and a motley crew of animals, some might say Zachary Nolan has a hero complex. Zachary never thought that he would live life as a single dad. However, as a web designer, he is able to spend lots of time with Violet, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. A call for help when Lia gets stranded there sends him rushing to the rescue. That hero complex thing again.

A hero and his niece offer new hope to Lia—maybe God’s eye is on Sparrow Island after all.

Read the next Sparrow Island novel in 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.

Check out the other authors’ posts for their fun dates, too!

  • Rachel Skatvold (April 26)
  • Tabitha Bouldin (April 27)
  • Carolyn Miller (April 28)
  • Chautona Havig (April 29)  This one!
  • Melissa Wardwell (April 30)
  • Kari Trumbo (May 1)
  • Celebrate Lit (Sandy Barela–May 2)

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 566: A Chat with Clint Hall
byChautona Havig

I blame Clint Hall for me singing Roger Millers “Two Worlds Collide” for the last couple of months. No, his sci-fi Worlds Collide has nothing to do with that song, but… I’m DYING to read it. Listen in and see why.

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

Space wars? Prophecy? EEEP!!!

I found Worlds Collide while writing one of my books and was eager to get a copy of it. Thanks to Clint for the lovely copy sitting on my shelf right next to me. Time to start!

Worlds Collide by Clint Hall

Five worlds at war. Only one can survive. Ten thousand years ago, five cosmic beings—a dragon, a phoenix, a serpent, a lion, and a wolf—set their worlds on an inevitable collision course. Each civilization was given one command: destroy the rival worlds, or crash into them and die. As the planets draw near to each other, the moment of final reckoning is at hand. In a galaxy filled with starfighters and superweapons, magic and manipulation, planet-killing devices and mechanized legions, five heroes must defend their homeworlds against overwhelming odds. But when prophecy and destiny collide, a far greater power begins to stir—one that challenges everything they’ve been told. Oaths will be broken. Chains will be shattered. Champions will rise. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as these heroes discover whether any world deserves to survive. The War of the Creators has begun. Perfect for fans of Red Rising, The Expanse, and mythic sci-fi epics, Worlds Collide blends high-stakes interplanetary war with a legendary, fate-driven mystery—where the final battle may not be what it seems.

Learn more on Clint’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads.

The Experience podcast starts up in September.

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

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Episode 566: A Chat with Clint Hall
Episode 566: A Chat with Clint Hall
August 3, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 565: A Chat with Taylor S. Newport
August 1, 2026
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Episode 564: A Chat with Sheri A. Bradley
July 27, 2026
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Episode 563: A Chat with Stephanie Mack
July 25, 2026
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Bonus Episode: A Chat with Becca Wierwille
July 21, 2026
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Episode 562: A Chat with Laura Thomas
July 20, 2026
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Episode 561: A Chat with Laura Frantz
July 18, 2026
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Episod 560: A Chat witih Melanie Dobson
July 13, 2026
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Episode 559: A Chat with Lisa Phillips
July 11, 2026
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Episode 558: A Chat with Felicia Hurd
July 6, 2026
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She just wants a chance to film helping restore th She just wants a chance to film helping restore the islands in the wake of a hurricane. He just wants to keep his job when the islanders find out they're going to be on TV. This loathe to love romance includes a found dog, a found family, and a bit of a mystery, too. Book four of the Independence Islands: The Book Barrow series, Flipping Hearts is available in print, on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited), as well as audio (which is also free on YouTube on Christa DelSorbo's channel). https://amzn.to/3R6OcQ6 #Affiliatelink
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Bible Study can be life changing. Just ask Bentley Bible Study can be life changing. Just ask Bentley. Okay, so maybe her conclusions about how we glorify God might be a bit extreme, but no one can argue that it worked out well for her. Proposing to a guy she's not in love with (yet!)? Not easy, but no one said living to the glory of God would be easy, right?
Book one in the Marriages of Conviction series, Blessing Bentley explores one woman's approach to a happy marriage--start with God!
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