Becky Wade's Blog

Back into the Fast Track

Like Karen, I returned home from Phoenix on Sunday after the wonderful and unforgettable Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers conference. Despite being exhausted, I definitely returned on a high from being with others Christian novelists.

Unlike Karen, I had pretty smooth travel, arriving on Thursday night before the storms began. I went in a day earlier so I could attend James Scott Bell’s masterclass (photo of me with Jim below).

And since my return flight didn’t depart until Sunday night, I was able to participate in the after conference retreat where I joined the brainstorming session. I just happened to sit at what I dubbed the “hot table.” We brainstormed several really good stories. However, we did note that the body count was high and horses were almost always required. (Photo of the “hot table” below.)

Then God blessed me with a beautiful sunset while I waited for my departure. (Photo of the sunset below.)

I spent Monday catching up on both sleep and to dos. Then it was time to hop into the edits that I received just before I left for the conference.

My finished edits are due to the editor soon, and then I’ll return to writing the next book in the series. It’s hectic, but I love it.

~robin

9:10 to Yuma

I made it home after a wonderful conference in Phoenix where I got to spend time with some of my favorite people — writers! Including our own Robin Lee Hatcher. The Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers Conference was my favorite conference of the year, for sure. But I think my book characters plotted some revenge on me for all the obstacles I throw in their paths, because getting to the conference was a crazy adventure.

I flew from Abilene to Dallas with no issues, but a monsoon hit Phoenix on Friday and all air traffic was grounded. After several hours of delays, they finally cancelled my flight and sent all of us to Customer Service to re-book. When I finally made it through the line, my ticket agent told me that the earliest she could get me from Dallas to Phoenix was 5:30 on Saturday evening. I would miss nearly all of the conference! Including the session I was supposed to teach at 3:00. Thankfully, I’m an avid watcher of The Amazing Race and knew to eavesdrop on other passengers. The gentleman next to me was also desperate to get to Phoenix and his agent had found him a flight to Yuma that night. I immediately asked for the same option. After a few minutes, my agent found me a seat on the 9:10 to Yuma. (Sounds like a movie, right?) So after 10 hours in the Dallas airport, I made plans to spend the night in the Yuma airport and hoped to catch an early flight to Phoenix from there. I went so far as to buy a travel pillow and a toothbrush and toothpaste, since I planned to rough it, and all my personal items were in my checked bag.

Fast forward to Yuma, and I come to discover that it is a very small airport. No worries . . . I’ll just find a corner somewhere to curl up. Only they close after the last flight. They kicked me outside! Very apologetically, of course.

Now, I could have found a hotel and called an Uber, but I still wanted to make sure I could get on an early flight. And the man said the property was safe and well lit, and I could use one of the outside benches if I wanted. I’m also terribly cheap by nature, and it bothered me that I was paying for a hotel in Phoenix that I wasn’t using that night, and I didn’t want to pay for another hotel in Yuma for the same night. So . . . I took the outdoor bench option. It helped that the man from the customer service line was on a bench, too with his son. He was only there for about 2 hours until his wife came to pick him up, but it helped. After another 2 hours, the airport opened at 3:00 am and I was able to move back inside.

As you can imagine, I got basically no sleep. I dozed a little bit, but my over-fifty body didn’t work well on the hard metal bench. I did feel a bit like an intrepid heroine, though. Overcoming obstacles with grit and determination. Or maybe foolishness. Not sure which was more dominant. Anyway, I survived. I even got a seat on the 7:00 am flight out of Yuma and made it to the conference in time to freshen up and jump in after missing only one session. WooHoo! I even managed to reunite with my long lost luggage, which was a HUGE blessing. Never have I been happier to see a hair brush. Ha!

I made it through the day running on adrenaline. Taught my session, introduced others, and smiled through it all with true joy because God had taken care of me, and life was good. Then I slept 10 hours before leading worship Sunday morning.

I felt good after a full night’s sleep!

God is good, even if his weather timing was a mite inconvenient.

.

Have you ever experienced dramatic obstacles when traveling?

I came home from the conference with lots of book goodies, and I’d love to share with you. One person who leaves a comment on today’s post will receive these great new books. (US addresses only.) Winner will be posted in the comments on Friday.

The Reagan Ranch

Over the past thirty-five years, my husband’s work positions have created opportunities for us to experience some amazing things. But this one might have topped them all. 

Last week, we were in Santa Barbara, where my husband was speaking. One of the things you must understand about us is that we love Presidential libraries and homes. We knew the Regan Ranch was near Santa Barbara, but we also knew it wasn’t an open-to-the-public kind of place. But on this trip, we were asked if we would like to tour Rancho del Cielo (Ranch in the sky), the ranch the Reagans owned for over twenty years. 

Um, yes, please! 

I mean, we both attended the Republican National Convention in Dallas in 1984, though we didn’t yet know each other. We met in DC in 1985. But while politics was never my main interest, my husband had campaigned for Ronald Reagan in his middle school mock election back in 1976—when very few people outside of California knew him as a politician! Since then, he’s read pretty much every biography of Reagan. So to say we were excited was an understatement! Although I had a moment where I considered backing out once I heard it was a forty-minute drive up a windy, one-lane mountain road! 

My first impression when we got out of the car was the peace. It’s up there in the middle of nowhere. So quiet. So beautiful. I could see the appeal for someone who carried first the weight of his state, then his nation, and the world on his shoulders. 

That Spanish-style house looked small, nestled among the fields and trees and mountains. And guess what? It was small! In fact, it was tiny! I’d say 1200 square feet, maybe? And that was after they closed in the screen porch for a little more space! That former screened porch was where they allowed guests, such as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, even serving them a meal at a nondescript oval dining table that I think sat six. (No pictures were allowed in the house. Sorry!)

The kitchen’s harvest gold appliances were straight out of the seventies. The master bedroom had a bed made from pushing together two twin metal headboards and zip-tying them together! The master bathroom was almost the same size as the closet, and all the walls in the bedroom and bathroom were painted yellow. Nothing like you’d expect to see in the home of a president. This was simple and homey. And the small den in the original part of the house? It was reserved for President and Mrs. Reagan, and sometimes their two ranch hands. That’s it. No political staff. Even Vice-President Bush only went in there once!

Above the house sat the barn for the vehicles and the tack room for horse saddles. President Reagan not only loved to ride his horse while he was at the ranch—a daily three-hour ride was typical—but he loved to do projects around the property. He built the dock going out into the pond himself. And with the help of his two ranch hands, they put up the rail fence surrounding the house and pond. And lest you think his “help” wasn’t much, he wouldn’t let them work on it while he wasn’t there because he wanted to do the work himself, so it took twelve years to complete it!

Up a hill from that barn sat the Secret Service house, which was shielded from view of the house by the trees, but had windows across one end so the agents could see the house. I loved watching videos of former agents who’d been stationed at the ranch through the years. We even came home with a book written by one.  

We made one last stop before we left the property. We went to where the helipad used to sit. (President Reagan had it removed after he left office, not wanting to be seen as profiting off something the government had funded.) Just to the left was a ridge overlooking a lake, mountains, and a valley. President Reagan took Barbara Walters here when she interviewed him at the ranch. When asked why he liked that view, he told her it reminded him of the Bible verse, “I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?” Today, it is known as the Psalm 121 ridge. 

Back down our little one-lane road we went and returned to Santa Barbara. But we will never forget that three-hour tour that brought us face-to-face with one of our heroes. 

What experience have you had that is a highlight of your life? 

I’m Giving Away Audiobooks!

Back in the 90’s I remember going to a library and checking out an abridged audiobook that came on multiple cassette tapes. I listened to it on a road trip and didn’t like it at all. The unabridged version is so much better than the abridged! I want every word of a novel, the way the author wrote it. That said, I certainly understand why they abridged audiobooks back in the day. 15-20 cassette tapes would have been needed to span a full-length, unabridged novel. Production costs, even of abridged books, were high. So the sale price was very high. So only a few books were offered in audio format.

Later, the industry graduated to unabridged books made available on CDs. For a few of my titles, the company who bought the audio rights sent me little cases filled with CDs containing the audiobook!

True to You has 11 discs. My Stubborn Heart has 9.

In 2012, when I popped the first CD from My Stubborn Heart’s audiobook into a boom box and pressed “play”, I found it incredibly weird to listen to someone reading my book aloud. It was so unsettling and cringey, in fact, that I turned it off after only a minute or two. I don’t fault the quality of the audiobook or the narrator for that. I reacted that way because 1) I had no practice listening to books other that the children’s books my mom read to me when I was little and 2) I’d only ever experienced my own novels by reading them with my eyes. At that moment in time, audiobooks felt like a bridge too far.

Eagle-eyed readers might notice that this cover is different from the paperback’s original cover.

But then in 2014, I learned about a platform called Audible. They were offering a free trial. I could download an app on my phone and stream audiobooks. [!!!] No cassette tapes or CDs needed. In 2014, I was a busy mom who spent a hefty chunk of each day driving my kids around Dallas. I’d decided to read a biography written by a pro football player in order to research the hero of the book I was working on, Her One and Only. It struck me how time-efficient it would be if I could listen to that biography while driving. So, in September of 2014, I listened to my very first audiobook on Audible.

And–just like that–I fell in love with audiobooks.

A lot of you were falling in love with them around the same time. What had once been a niche in the book market experienced tremendous growth, with revenue from audiobooks more than tripling between 2015 and 2025.

For my Sons of Scandal series, I decided to produce the audiobooks myself. That was largely a creative decision. I’m such a fan of audiobooks that I was set on hearing my books the way that I wanted them to sound with both a male and female narrator. I had no idea whether I’d earn back the money I spent on them. But, to my great surprise, the growth of the larger audiobook market has played out with these novels. In 2023, these books accounted for 15% of my income. In 2024 (and so far in 2025) they account for 30%. Readers listening through their libraries are driving most of that! Followed by Audible listeners. Followed by all the other outlets. So thank you for listening to books via any platform. They’re ALL helpful!

To celebrate completing this series, I’m giving away 100 audiobooks! Enter to win Memory Lane or Rocky Road, by filling out the form below. [And if you have reader friends who love audiobooks, I’d be grateful if you’d encourage them to enter. :)]

Loading… What is your history with audiobooks? Do you remember abridged audiobooks, casettes, CDs?

Cover Love

Hi friends, 

So happy to be back with you. Thanks for spending a little of your time with me. I’m so excited to share a book cover with you. It is the cover to my novella collection, Whiteout, with Lynette Eason. I’m so excited about this collection. We had the best time writing it. 

Brace yourself for a snowbound adventure in this 2-in-1 novella collection from your favorite romantic suspense authors as an avalanche forces two couples to face down their enemies in a ski resort shut off from the outside world.

In “Buried in Shadows” by Dani Pettrey, Cassandra Parker arrives at her best friend’s destination wedding, praying her stalker didn’t follow her to Colorado. Also part of the wedding party is Sheriff Joel Brunswick, the man Cassandra left at the altar to save his life. When an avalanche traps their skiing party in an abandoned lodge, it soon becomes dangerously clear Cassandra’s stalker has followed her . . . and he is willing to kill to make her his.

In “Snowbound Secrets” by Lynette Eason, Dr. Maya Sullivan fully intends to escape her past and finish planning a retreat for military veterans at the ranch she’s inherited. Unfortunately, her plans go sideways when an avalanche traps her in a Colorado ski resort. An unexpected reunion with her high school crush forces her to confront past wounds, but she soon realizes someone is targeting her, and their search for a shadowy enemy becomes a matter of life and death.

I don’t want to keep the cover love just to my book, so I’m sharing three of my favorite covers out there.

What’s one of your favorite covers? 

Best, 

Dani

Grateful for Good News

Last week, I received a text from dear friend Tessa Afshar congratulating me for something, but I didn’t know what! (My husband and I had been away for a few days and not online much.) So I went on social media and discovered the happy news that my novel, The Seaside Homecoming, is a finalist in the Christy Awards, which celebrate excellence in Christian fiction. What an honor!

I am very grateful to the entire team at Bethany House Publishers, including my editors and cover designer, Jennifer Parker. As well as my first readers Cari, Anna, and Michelle Griep who provided helpful input to make the book better. Writing is not a one-woman job!  

Hats off to my fellow nominees in the Historical Romance category:  Jamie Ogle, Joanna Davidson Politano, and Rachel Scott McDaniel.  

Win or not, I am so honored to be on the list of finalists with many other friends including Tessa Afshar, Jaime Jo Wright, and our own Deborah Raney for her novel Who Touches the Mountains. Warm congratulations to Deborah and to all.

And many thanks to you for reading our blog posts and especially our books!

A New Book (and a giveaway!)

My newest novel, Who Stirs Up the Sea, released earlier this month and is now available in e-book and print formats, and will soon be available as an audiobook. (Click on the book cover below for a link to order.) A huge thank-you to those of you who have made it the #1 new release in Christian Women’s Fiction.

This is the second novel in The God Who series, which has four planned books. Usually, I take at least a month off between books just to clean off my desk, read something just for fun, and usually rearrange my office before I start research on the next novel. But this time around, an idea sparked, I made a phone call to my dad to see if he thought my idea would work, and his comment was, “Hurry up and write this book! I can’t wait to read it!” How blessed am I to still have my sweet, encouraging dad in my life? So I’m already working on Book 3, Who Names the Stars. I can’t wait to share the cover with you. I think it’s my favorite of the whole series.

When Ken and I were on Saint Simons Island researching this book, I picked up a few little things to give away to one of you. I’d love to send one of you these trinkets along with a copy of the novel. To be entered in the drawing, simply comment on this post and I’ll choose a winner tomorrow and add your name to this post.

This weekend, I learned some exciting news for the first book in this series: Who Touches the Mountains is a Christy Award finalist! It has been ten years since one of my books, Home to Chicory Lane, was a finalist for the Christy and 21 years since my first Christy final for Playing by Heart. It never gets old!

I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to so many who made this book the best it could be: my dearest friend and writing critique partner, our own Tamera Alexander; my sharp-eyed editors who are also my sister and my daughters; and most of all, the love of my life, Ken Raney, who designed such beautiful book covers and who makes the magic happen behind the scenes at Raney Day Press.

I am so honored to be on the list of finalists with many dear author friends, including our own Julie Klassen for her novel The Seaside Homecoming. Warmest congratulations, Julie!

Remember, simply post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win Who Stirs Up the Sea along with the little gifts pictured above.

Belly-Up by Boo Bear Hatcher

Note from Robin: I’ve been writing up a storm on my winter/spring 2026 release, so I asked Boo to fill in for me today. Always willing to oblige, she decided to share a poem (with some AI assistance, of course; her typing is atrocious).

I flop upon the floor just so,
With paws up high and tail aglow.
You think it odd? Oh, don’t be shy.
This trick is meant to catch your eye.

It’s not surrender, not defeat,
It’s how I beg for something sweet.
A gentle rub, a loving pat.
My belly’s velvet, soft as that.

Your hand’s my joy, my daily prize,
It makes me squint my happy eyes.
And while you think you’re spoiling me,
I’m healing you. Can’t you see?

So every time I roll this way,
I’m really asking, “Please, let’s play!”
For life is better, here’s the catch:
When belly’s scratched, and hearts attach.

If your dog has written any poetry about belly rubs or anything else, please share in the comments!!

~robin

A Bookmark Giveaway!

If you read print books or just enjoy collecting bookmarks from your favorite authors, we’ve got a gift for you that you are going to love!

The amazing Erica Vetsch is coordinating a fanstic bookmark giveaway with donations from over 20 of your favorite Christian fiction authors, and all you need is a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a mailbox.

Here are the instructions:

Send a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope (SASE) to:

Mossflower Digital Services
3460 Marion Road SE
Rochester MN 55904

We will fill that envelope with bookmarks and return it to you! It’s that easy!

A few guidelines, disclaimers, and details:

You must send your own envelope, with your address written legibly and an appropriate stamp already affixed. This ensures your bookmarks will get to you safely!
First come, first served! The giveaway lasts through September 30th or while supplies last. If you want to ensure you get bookmarks, don’t delay!
Use a long #10/business envelope to ensure your bookmarks won’t get folded or bent during delivery.
Looking for a specific author’s bookmark? We can’t guarantee that you will receive a particular author or style of bookmark. But we do promise that each bookmark you get will be unique! No duplicates in your envelope!
When in doubt, add an extra stamp! We can send about seven bookmarks for one US Forever stamp. Adding an extra stamp MIGHT mean (but does not guarantee) that you get a few bonus bookmarks!
The Authors and Mossflower Digital Services are not responsible for lost mail. We will do all in our power to make sure your bookmarks get to you safely, but some things are out of our hands!

Here’s a list of participating authors:

.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever used to hold your place in a book?

Things I Didn’t Know I Needed

I’m here today to tell you about five things you might not yet have, but you might need. At least they were things I didn’t know I needed!

Stick on appliance cord organizer

      A friend of mine highlighted these on the last Amazon Prime Days, I immediately ordered them! And I have not been disappointed. So far, I have stuck these flexible cord wraps to my Instant Pot, my blender, my toaster, my mixer, and my coffee machine. Since I keep these things (except the coffee machine and mixer) in a corner cabinet in my kitchen, it has greatly reduced the chaos of that cabinet. No longer do I fight a tangle of cords when I pull one out or put one back! 

2.   Stick on Apple pencil holder for iPad case

      I’ve actually had this one a while now, and I don’t know what I’d do without it! Yes, my pencil connects magnetically to the side, but when I’m carrying my iPad when I travel or to a coffee shop or wherever, I don’t want to take a chance of knocking it off and losing it. This little case keeps it secure, but it is also flat, so that when I fold back my cover case, it lies flat if the pencil isn’t in it. 

3.   Ninja Crispi

     This is an air fryer, but a little different. It’s not a big machine, but a piece that goes on top of specific glass pans in which you place an air fryer grid. That means I don’t have to store another large appliance! But it also means I can throw the grid and the glass pan in the dishwasher. And those pans have lids, so if there are leftovers, they can go straight to the fridge. I love my Crispi and use it all the time! 

4.  Kindle case with a handstrap, kickstand, and magnetic back

     Y’all. This case is seriously a game-changer! I love the magnetic back, meaning when I fold back the cover, it stays. And when folded back, the handstrap and kickstand are there, ready to use! While I do love holding my Kindle like a book, I realized both of these methods are even better. And when you pair it with the next item . . . 

5.  Ring page-turner remote

    Page-turning remotes have been around a little while now, and frankly, I always thought they were silly. But I recently realized that my Kindle fits in that phone holder on the back of the airplane seat, meaning I could read on the plane without hurting my neck by looking down for three hours. It was great to read this way—except for reaching up to turn the pages. When looking for a remote, I came across this one where the remote slips over your finger, leaving your hands free to do other things (like eat the Biscoff cookies on the plane). I was sceptical, but it is fabulous! Now I use it at home, too. I also like it because I can slip the ring remote on the piece that fits on the device and so I don’t have two pieces to keep up with if I set my reading aside for a little while. Oh, and one more perk–you can use it on your phone to take a picture!

There you have it. Five things I didn’t know I needed, but each has made my life a little easier in some small way. 

Do you have any of these? Do you need to get any of them?