Becky Wade's Blog, page 100

One of my new favorite things

I recently received a gift, and while I knew it was a Bible, I had no idea what kind of Bible it was—and how addictive it was going to be!

Have you ever heard of the Filament Bible?

As the website describes, the Filament Bible combines the simple elegance of a premium Bible with the powerful capabilities of your mobile device. You get the best reading experience a print Bible can offer and instant access to more meaningful content than you’ll find in any one study Bible or devotional Bible.

What meaningful content, you ask?

So much! And it’s all there at your fingertips.

You simply download the Filament App, then scan the page number of the Bible with the camera on your phone, and voila! You get all of these features . . .

STUDY
Think book introductions, study notes, in-depth articles on key topics, and profiles of key people from the Bible. The Study window contains everything you would expect to find in an excellent study Bible.

REFLECT
Think devotional articles and thoughts that are curated from some of Tyndale’s favorite resources. The Reflect window is less about in-depth study and more about connecting the ideas of the Bible to your everyday life.

SEE
Think all things visual. Interactive maps that allow you to zoom in or out and tap key locations to learn more and see photos of the sites. Videos that are relevant to the page you are reading are provided by The Bible Project.

I’m thrilled to share a Filament Bible with you and am giving away one on my website this month. Check it out if you’re interested—or if you know someone you’d love to gift it to.

TOSS MY NAME IN THAT HAT!What are some of your favorite study tools when you’re doing a deep dive into the Word of God?

Much love from Nashville,

Tammy

Theological Dig

When I write historical fiction, whether based on biblical characters or not, I take great pains to get the history right. That can be especially challenging when writing about ancient times, but the challenge is often fun!

The following is an old email conversation between me and one of my like-minded writer friends (this is what we do when we should be writing). The subject: How long was Israel in Egypt? I’m sharing it because maybe you’ve had the same question. Even if you haven’t, read on for some fascinating tidbits.

Angie:

I have a problem with Galatians 3:16-17. Paul says that the Law came 430 years after God’s covenant with Abraham. But the 430 years didn’t start until Jacob’s family was in Egypt. So between Abraham and Jacob going to Egypt, there were a couple of generations. It seems like Paul’s error. On the other hand, it may be one of those instances of “rounding off.”

But these problems always just cause me to dig, and I always find the answers I’m seeking. Haven’t yet found a real error.

Girlfriend:

Oooooh (hand waving), I studied this when I was working on my books about Joseph and Moses. I never actually publicized what I found out, but here goes—the years start counting from Abraham, not Israel.

In the Septuagint it says 430 years passed from the time Abraham left Ur from the time Moses left Egypt. In other words, it was 430 years between the time God promised Israel a home and they actually arrived in Canaan to claim it. There was absolutely no way I could make Moses and Joseph fit with the historical Egyptian timeline unless I went with this situation; when I did, it fit perfectly. To start counting when Israel went down messes things up—puts the Hebrews in Egypt too early or sends Moses out too late.

I have all kinds of facts to back this up—Joseph had to be 18th dynasty or later because the Hyksos (pre-18th dynasty) introduced horses, and the Bible says Pharaoh gave Joseph his chariot. The Bible also says the Hebrews built the city of Rameses, which allows Moses to confront Ramses the Great. There are only about 200 years between the 18th dynasty and Ramses the Great.

Look at Gen. 15:13—God tells Abraham that his people will be strangers in a country not their own and will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years—they did NOT have a country of their own until Moses led them into Canaan. And they were enslaved in Egypt, and probably mistreated everywhere else, but most people assume that entire passage belongs to the Egyptian period. It really doesn’t. (If God tells you your descendants are going to be homeless for 400 years, wouldn’t you think the clock started at that moment?)

Now look at Exodus 12:40: “Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt.” BUT—the Masoretic Text, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Septuagint substitute the phrase Egypt and Canaan for “Egypt.” So the Hebrews were without a home 430 years, and this is what Paul was referring to.

Now it gets exciting—there’s no way there are 430 years between the place in the timeline where Joseph HAD to be and where Moses HAD to fall, unless you start counting with Abraham. But if you do, there’s a pharaoh in Moses’ time who mysteriously lost a first-born son, there’s a pharaoh in Joseph’s day who had mysterious dreams and was hung up on interpreting them . . . it’s really cool!

This stuff is fascinating, isn’t it? I could do this all day . . . when I ought to be working! But I’m convinced there’s an answer for every “seeming” contradiction, if we only dig deep enough to find it. The fun’s in the digging!

Angie–
Yes, it’s very interesting! I really like your explanation. So am I getting it right? You think they were really only slaves in Egypt for around 200 years? I’m sticking this page in my Bible, so I’ll remember it when the question comes up again.

When I see stuff like this, I always KNOW that God knows something I don’t, and that I’m getting it wrong. What freedom inerrancy gives us to dig and study and puzzle.

Girlfriend:

Exactly. They were slaves in Egypt for 215 years. It’s the only way the historical Pharaohs fit with what we know from the Bible, and it’s wonderful that the Bible does back this up . . . if you consider the Septuagint AND what Paul said. And it’s so, so exciting.

Look at the genealogy in Ruth 4:19-22:
Hezron the father of Ram, (HEZRON is on the list of those who went into Egypt)
Ram the father of Amminadab,
[20] Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon, (Nashon is on the list of those who came out of Egypt)
[21] Salmon the father of Boaz,
Boaz the father of Obed,
[22] Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David.

Okay—Hezron (son of Judah) went INTO Egypt with Jacob. (Gen. 46:12)

Now look at Exodus 6:23:
Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

See what I mean? Aaron—MOSES’ BIG BROTHER—married a woman whose grandfather came into Egypt with Jacob! Plus, Nashon is one of the leaders of the people during the Exodus (Numbers 2:3). People weren’t living extra-long in those days, plus these generations had to overlap. We know Boaz and Jesse lived well into the time Israel inhabited Canaan. So this fits MUCH better with 200 years than with 430.

One more fascinating tidbit: Genesis 15:15 gives us a reason why the Hebrews remained so long in Egypt: “In the fourth generation,” God told Abraham, “your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

Note that “the fourth generation” exactly matches the family names above.

God wanted to judge the Amorites (and he did, when the conquering Hebrews destroyed them), but he gave them plenty of time to fill the cup of his wrath, so to speak.

I have to get to work today!

Angie

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

What I’ve Learned From Writers Who Enter Contests

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the privilege of reading numerous writing samples from unpublished writers. The samples were from those who entered Sunrise Publishing’s audition for a chance to co-write with me as I publish three more books in my Bride Ship series.

First of all, I want to thank ALL the many writers who entered the competition for Season 7, Bride Ships: New Voyages. It was truly a privilege to read your work. I know how scary it can be to put something out there for others to read. It’s a little bit like opening your heart and giving others a glimpse inside.

I’m truly inspired by you entrusting a part of yourself to me (and to the other judges). I want you to know I read each entry with extreme care and consideration, realizing just how much time and effort each of you put into crafting your stories. Your boldness teaches me to have more courage.

Second, whenever I judge contests or read samples from unpublished writers, the critiquing process is humbling. As I notice “mistakes” or areas for improvement in others, I’m reminded of my own inadequacies and realize that none of us has truly arrived. No one is a perfect writer, not even the more seasoned of us. Your efforts show me that I need to keep on honing my craft and skills just like everyone else.

Third, I want to acknowledge just how hard it is to find solid footing in the publishing industry, to get noticed, to achieve success, and even to break into traditional publication. Seeing your efforts reminds me of all the angst, and I empathize with you immensely.

But I will say that in reading entries, I am able to see the fruit of those who have written multiple books, taken classes, had critique partners, and put months and years into developing their writing. It shows. Thank you for reminding me that while this writing journey is difficult at times, it also brings so much satisfaction.

For those involved in the Sunrise Publishing Season 7 auditions, we’re still in the process of narrowing down the top three writers who will join me in a new voyage of bringing more bride ship stories to life. We hope to announce the winners in the next week or so.

Thank you again, dear writer friends! We need each other!

28 Years, 40+ Books

Robin’s post a few weeks ago inspired me to write out my own publishing history. I can’t claim nearly as many years or books as Robin (or nearly as many awards, though Robin humbly didn’t mention those in her account!) but it is fun to look back on how everything has unfolded in my career as a writer.

I knew from the time I was twelve that I wanted to someday write a book. I never dreamed I’d have a career as a writer, but I did want to see “By Deborah Raney” on one book cover before I died. Of course, I didn’t know then what my married name would be. I did know that marriage would be important to me because my first choice of careers was stay-at-home mom. And I wanted a dozen children. Yes, you read that right—an even dozen. My plan was to give birth to six children and adopt six more. 

When doctors told me as a teenager that I probably wouldn’t be able to conceive, it didn’t faze me. I would just adopt all twelve of my future kids. I met Ken Raney the summer after I graduated high school. We were headed to different colleges (Ken had finished two years of junior college) so after dating all summer, we spent a long school year getting to know each other via daily letters. We got engaged that Christmas, and the following August we were married in the same Kansas church where my parents wed.

I don’t think I shared my “plan” for twelve children with Ken Raney. He probably would have hightailed it for the hills if he’d known. I do remember him saying he wanted to wait a few years before starting a family, and since doctors continued to say I likely couldn’t conceive, we left it in God’s hands.

And what a mighty God we serve! Sixteen years later, I had given birth to four children—which, most days seemed like a dozen—and life was grand. Ken moonlighted so we could afford for me to stay home with the kids. Stay-at-home mom is the BEST career I’ve ever had! But if you do that job well, you quickly put yourself out of a job. I’d always known I would need to go back to work when our oldest went to college. What I didn’t know was that I’d have a three-year-old at home at the time, and I desperately wanted to stay home with her for a few more years.

So I started praying that God would show me a way to work from home and still make enough money to help our kids through college. It was as if God tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Remember that book you’ve always wanted to write? Start writing!” So I did! On New Year’s Day, 1994, I sat down with a steno pad and a red felt-tip pen and wrote the epilogue to the book that would become A Vow to Cherish.

Ken bought me a computer and I wrote the first draft in five months, got at least 17 rejections, but ultimately had three contract offers. One was a two-book contract from Bethany House Publishers, and to our amazement, the advance they offered was to-the-penny the amount we’d just been told was the cost of room/board and tuition for four years at our son’s college of choice. (Wow, has the cost of college tuition skyrocketed since then!!)

That was the incredible answer to prayer that began my career as a writer. Blessedly, our oldest daughter was a National Merit Scholar and won a full-ride scholarship, giving a reprieve between kids. Still, for the first twelve years of my writing career, every penny I made went to some college.

This was three college grads down, one to go. We were pretty happy!

For the first few years, I wrote at our kitchen table and put away all my research materials each afternoon when the kids got home from school. (This was before the Internet so a lot of the resources I have at my fingertips now were physical books back then.) After that, I wrote in a corner of the living room in the four-bedroom duplex we rented.

Since there are eight years between our youngest son and our “oops” baby, we got another reprieve on college tuition and bought our first home during that time. Here, I got my first dedicated office and wondered how on earth I ever wrote in the chaos of a home with three teenagers and a toddler! But somehow I did. (Nowadays, I sometimes find having my husband in his office in the basement to be a huge distraction. Ha!) 

Over the years, I’ve written books for Bethany House, WaterBrook Press/Random House, Steeple Hill/Harlequin, Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, Summerside Press, Barbour Books, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Abingdon Press, Guideposts, Gilead Publishing, Kregel Publications. My husband teases me that I’ve shut down more than one publisher (it’s sort of true in the sense that a few of my books were among the last of a publisher’s line or the last they released before shuttering the company. Ouch!) I suppose I’ll likely be the one to shutter Raney Day Press one of these days too. But not so fast…

My first novel became a movie from World Wide Pictures, Billy Graham’s film division. Ken and I got to fly to Hollywood for the premier and meet Gary and Carol Johnson, my publishers, for the first time, along with many of the movie’s actors.

I’m so grateful God granted me this career just as my stay-at-home mom status was coming to an end. While I’ll always maintain that being simply “Mom” was my best job ever, this writing gig is certainly a close second.

Since then, my writing career has settled into a lovely, ordinary rhythm of writing, editing, speaking events, teaching at writers conferences, and retreating with some of the most wonderful writer friends I could ever imagine.

Left to right: Robert Elmer, Jerry Jenkins, Brandilyn Collins, me, Terri Blackstock, Robin Jones Gunn, Nancy Moser, Francine Rivers, Randy Alcorn, Gayle Roper, Melody Carlson, Angela Hunt, Robin Lee Hatcher.

That one book I hoped to write has now turned into two bookcases full. These cases in my current office belonged to my parents and hold one copy of every book I’ve written in every form it took (paperback, hardcover, large print, foreign translations, audiobook CD, etc.) One shelf holds books I’ve contributed to—devotionals, interviews, quotes, etc. If only my eleven-year-old self could have seen!

There’s even one book on the shelf that I didn’t write. Years ago another author writing under her maiden name, which is the same as my married name, self-published a book with some pretty colorful language. Unfortunately, a few bookstores ordered that non-returnable book to feature at my book signings, thinking it was mine. (Thankfully, amazon now has a way to sort out books by authors who share the same name.)

I am currently finishing up a book that will complete a series I started almost 25 years ago! Later this spring, Raney Day Press will release Breath of Heaven, which continues Natalie’s story from Beneath a Southern Sky and After the Rains. I also have a Christmas novella coming this fall from Kregel Publications in a collection titled O Little Town with Amanda Wen and Janyre Tromp.

I used to say that I hoped to be writing till the day I died. That may be the case, as I still have a few good ideas in me, and since I write much more slowly than I used to, it may take the rest of my life to turn those ideas into novels. 

However, it turns out those dozen kids I thought I’d have? They were GRANDKIDS! Our #11 was born on Wednesday, a precious little boy, and #12 will make his appearance in June! I could easily see that dozen turning into my next “career”!

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

Go On a Blind Date With a Book

Have you heard of a “blind date with a book”? Essentially, a library or bookstore or friend will wrap several books and then write clues on each one. You pick the one that matches your mood based on the clues, unwrap it, and go on a date with it by reading it.

Today, I’m doing the very same thing virtually! The advantage here is that you can “unwrap” them ALL.

Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Unwrap this book!Here’s hoping I’ve succeeded at setting you up on a date with a book this weekend! Which one did you unwrap first?

Before I go, I wanted to mention this amazing e-book deal on the first two books in my current Misty River Romance series…. Stay with Me is free until the end of March and Let It Be Me is priced at just $4.99! This deal is available at all your favorite online retailers of e-books.

Book Talk with Cara: have you listened?

In January 2021, I started what I thought would be a short lived experiment. I missed my writing friends and decided to host a handful of Facebook lives where I could reconnect with some. I’ve had so much fun chatting with authors like Bethany Turner and Becky Wade. Katherine Reay and Sarah Sundin. Rachel McMillan and Toni Shiloh. Rachel Hauck and Robin Lee Hatcher. Tamera Alexander and Pepper Basham. There are literally so many if I listed them all this would be a very long blog post, but you can find all of them here.

There are 48 episodes out as the Book Talk podcast, with another four or five ready to release in the next month. I truly never had any idea that I would host ten let alone fifty.

I’d love to have you join me live on Monday nights on my Facebook page. The conversation begins at 8:30 PM EST, and it’s so much fun when readers join the conversation. Here’s the amazing authors who are joining me over the next nine weeks. I’d love if you’d make plans now to join us. This is my gift to authors and readers. I love to help readers find new-to-them authors or connect with authors whose books they already love. At the same time, I am something of a book gusher when it comes to reading voraciously, so I love spreading the word about authors and having a fun conversation in the process.

You can find links to the 48 past conversations here on my website. You can also find links to the show on your favorite podcast platform here. It’ll take you to Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and more.

Have you listened in? Are there authors I haven’t talked to that you’d love to have join the conversation? What types of questions would you ask if you were hosting the Book Talk? I’d love to know what you think if you’ve listened in. Happy reading and listening!

Celebration Time

Hi friends and happy Wednesday! I am so excited we’re heading closer and closer to Spring. Have any of you seen signs of Spring out and about? I know we’re heading to Rita’s on the 20th for free Italian ice. They do that every year on the first day of Spring. They’re awesome that way.

So far, I haven’t seen any buds or blooms in my yard, but I’ll be hitting the nursery as soon as it’s a bit warmer—sustainably warmer. We are having the weirdest winter. One day it’s nearly 60, the next day we’re below freezing. But Spring is on the horizon, and I’m celebrating wrapping up a novel. I signed off on the final review copy of The Deadly Shallows last month.

The Deadly Shallows was literally the hardest book I’ve ever written. I was dealing with five surgeries in a three-month period (I’m doing well now, thankfully) and my Lupus really flared brain fog. A sustained writing pace I’d done on all my novels, evaporated seemingly overnight. Suddenly it was taking me four to five times longer to manage the same word count. Talk about frustrating!

The editorial process of TDS was long and arduous for all of us. I’m so grateful to be blessed with such an amazing editorial team. And we are very much a team. My lovely copy editor dubbed us Team Dani! I love her. Needless to say, when I signed off on it, I celebrated. I think we all did.

My hubby took me out for a date day. We love lazy car rides through the farmland of Maryland and up to a fun town named Havre de Grace. If you’re ever in Maryland, you should really check it out. It’s situated on the water and there’s a small boardwalk you can go on, and it exudes the feel of a quaint small town—lots of fun shops and restaurants, including The Vintage Café where they have a wonderful Eggs Benedict. It was a great way to celebrate! Now I’m on to a new season with a new series, Jeopardy Falls. The first book in the four-book series will release next summer. I’m so excited to introduce you to a new family, new setting, and heart-pounding adventures.

While thinking back on all the ways we’ve celebrated when I’m completed or launched a book, I thought it would be fun to ask a few of my author friends how they celebrate when they finish a book. So fun to see all the different ways writers celebrate.

Jody Hedlund: “I bake! I’m not a huge cook or baker, but after weeks of not doing much cooking or baking while I furiously write, I’m usually starved for some home-baked goods.”

Jaime Jo Wright: “I fill my coffee cup, sit back, take a deep breath of thankfulness that God has once again allowed me to walk this journey for however long, and then I rest. Usually followed by ransacking my TBR pile and internally screaming “I CAN JUST BE A READER NOW!” which is the heart of all writers. Just read.”

Becky Wade: “I celebrate turning in a book with time off! I typically take an entire month of vacation to rest, relax, and travel with my family. I look forward to that celebration all year long. I think in this writing life it’s very important to pause and honor the wonderful moments the Lord gives. Counting my blessings is one of the things that’s enabled me to continue year in and year out down such a creatively challenging path.”

Julie Klassen: “After I turn in a manuscript, I usually celebrate by cleaning my long-neglected house. Then I often plan a few-day getaway with my long-neglected husband.”

Lynn Blackburn: “I try to schedule a massage within a week of finishing a novel because my neck, shoulders, and back are always a mess after so much writing! But I also treat myself to something that is not necessary, but that makes me smile. After I finished my last novel, I purchased a leather backpack that I’d been thinking about for a couple of years. Most recently, I finished a novella and bought a new traveler’s notebook to carry my bullet journal in. It’s a lovely soft bluish/green leather, and it makes me happy every time I touch it.”

DiAnn Mills: “When I finish a book, I take a deep breath and treat myself to shopping. That shopping can be for a personal item, Hobby Lobby, or off to purchase flowering plants for the yard.”

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these celebrations!

Reader Question: How do you like to celebrate an accomplishment or special occasion?

Blessings,

Dani

Sanditon Season 2: Brighter Than Ever

Sanditon is back and it’s brighter and more colorful than before. Season 2 (now based even more loosely on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel) became available for US viewers  on March 20th. I watched episode one and was impressed and delighted with the new production. The set and costumes have been much-improved and taken to a whole new level with far more color and detail.

Costume and Set upgrades, Sanditon Season 2.

The producers have said that fictional Sanditon is based on a compilation of south coast British seaside towns. But as someone who has spent much of the last year “living” in 19th century Sidmouth as I wrote The Sisters of Sea View, Book One in a new series, On Devonshire Shores, I cannot tell you how many times I squealed “that looks like Sidmouth!” to my long-suffering husband as we began watching the new season.

Sidmouth from on high (left) vs. fictional Sanditon from on high (right).

The show’s colorful new seafront setting with a promenade seemed so much like Sidmouth’s promenade or esplanade.

Sanditon seafront vs. 19th century Sidmouth.

Also, one of the buildings shown with a balcony, reminded me of Sidmouth’s York Hotel.

Sanditon Seafront building and York Hotel today.

I was interested to read that much of season 2 was filmed inside an airport hangar near Bristol with the sea being added later with CGI (computer-generated imagery). But I happily entered a willing suspension of disbelief to enjoy the show. I was also happy to see one of my favorite actresses join the cast, Lark Rise to Candleford’s Sandy McDade.

Sandy McDade as spinster sister to the vicar.

While many viewers are upset that Season 1’s romantic lead, actor Theo James will not return, we have all had much notice of this fact and I was excited to see who Charlotte’s new romantic interests might be.  Some have said they will no longer watch, since they did not receive the happy “Jane Austen ending” they expected with Charlotte marrying the first man she fell in love with, Sydney Parker.

Yet while the two ending up together would have been more typical, this is not the first time a Jane Austen heroine did not receive her “first choice” of love. Consider Marianne Dashwood, who thought she would die without Willoughby only to find true and lasting happiness with Colonel Brandon. Even Elizabeth Bennet first admired Mr. Wickham, only to later realize that Mr. Darcy was the true love of her life. Let us hope that Charlotte Heywood  will similarly find true love the second time around.

Have you started watching Season 2 of Sanditon? If yes, what do you think so far?