Becky Wade's Blog, page 104

Be careful what you wish for

Meet Gary Garrison, a good friend, who once asked me to put him in one of my books. Since we’re such good friends, of course, I said YES!

Gary’s first preference, he stated, was to be a cover model, shirt ripped opened and chest bared. Hairy chest or not, was negotiable. He said we could Photoshop that as desired. And he wanted his long, thick mane flowing behind him in the wind. I told him that last request could prove to be a problem. However, there are wigs and extensions, so that hurdle, too, could be scaled.

But I needed to find the perfect character for him. I mean, he’s a good friend! As I was writing the Belle Meade series, that perfect opportunity presented itself. Gary was made for this role!

But first, some quick backstory…

Gary is a professor at Belmont University here in Nashville where he teaches with my husband Joe. That’s Joe photo bombing our picture.

A while back, due to a foreign clerical error, Gary’s name was listed in a publication as Gray Garrison instead of Gary. Well, of course, once his colleagues got a hold of that, Gray became the preferred moniker. And the nickname stuck.

That’s when the character of Old Gray was born.

Here are some of Old Gray’s most powerful scenes in the Belle Meade novels:

Yep, Old Gray is a broken down old gelding, sway-backed, and knock-kneed. ; )

And my personal favorite….

When To Whisper Her Name, book 1, released, Gary said he feverishly scanned the novel looking for his name, but couldn’t find it. Perplexed, he reached out. I told him to check more carefully—and look for the name Old Gray. : )

Gary is such a kidder (if you can’t tell by that gleam in his eyes) and we’ve had fun with this through the years. But do be careful when you ask an author to include you in her book. You never know what you might end up being!

READ MORE ABOUT THE BELLE MEADE NOVELS

Do you enjoy learning about “behind the scenes” details in novels? Has anyone in your life ever given you a nickname that’s inadvertently stuck?

Blessings from my corner of Nashville, friends,

Tammy

FEBRUARY’S GIVEAWAY

ENTER TODAY

In a town battered and bruised by war, one woman embarks upon an impossible search – and one man must face the past in the very place that almost destroyed him.

Happy Valentine’s Giveaway

Wishing a very happy Valentine’s Day to all our wonderful readers of Inspired by Life…and Fiction.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, and to celebrate, I’d love to send one of our readers these two journals from Raney Day Press. To be entered for the drawing, simply leave a comment on this post. I’ll name a winner tomorrow morning here on this post.

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.

A Passion Project

Back in 2009, I started posting weekly prayers for writers in an email group. After a few years, one of the leaders in the group suggested I keep those prayers and think about publishing them one day. About two or three years ago, I moved the prayers out of my email program and into a Scrivener document, thinking I would finally get around to organizing them.

And there they sat.

Not long ago, I was on a Zoom chat with a couple of writer friends, and one of them mentioned a book about all the different kinds of things people choose to write about. And I said how I’d been meaning to put my prayers for writers into book form.

As soon as that chat ended, I opened the Scrivener document to look at the collection of prayers. Twelve years gave me a lot to choose from, and suddenly, it became a passion-project for me. Going through those prayers, reliving some of the circumstances they brought to mind, was such a blessing for me. These are prayers for writers and readers. These are prayers for anyone who loves Jesus and wants to serve Him. They are prayers that I needed to say for myself as well as for others. Above all, they are prayers from my heart.

I’m excited to announce the release of Words Matter: Prayers from a Writer’s Heart. The paperback edition is available already, and the Kindle ebook will release on Monday, February 14, 2022. (Valentine’s Day just happens to be my born-again birthday, so it feels like an appropriate day for this book of prayers to release.)

Father God, remind us today how very important words are. You spoke this world into existence. And in Your image, we can speak life into those around us. Help us to be intentional in the words we speak. Help us to build up and not tear down.

Do the same with the words we write, with the stories we tell. There are plenty of books out there that can depress and darken the lives of readers. Help us to write stories that will give hope, stories that will offer truth and light.

Put a guard over our mouths (and our pens) when silence is the best response of all.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

Here’s what a couple of writers you know from Inspired by Life and Fiction had to say about Words Matter:

What an eloquent collection of prayers for writers—or for anyone who bears the image of our Creator God. (In other words, everyone!) I especially like the way the prayers are indexed to be used for specific needs, various holidays and other occasions. This is a collection I will turn to again and again for comfort and inspiration. – Deborah Raney, author of Bridges and the Chandler Sisters Novels

As a writer, there are days when I stare at the computer screen and the words do not come. Even when I pray, all I can say is, “Lord, give me words.” Robin Lee Hatcher has given me words for days when I have none, and for that I am supremely grateful. – Angela Hunt

I pray that this little book will offer encouragement to many.

And now it’s back to my fictional worlds. Until next time,

~robin

The Cover Types Readers Love Best (and a Valentine’s Day Giveaway!)

The last time I blogged, I shared the responses readers gave when I asked what inspires them to try a new author. You seemed to enjoy that data and since I’m a data-loving girl, I’m back with the results of a few polls I recently ran concerning cover preferences!

You may have noticed in recent years that contemporary romances as well as some historical romances published in the wider “general” market now have illustrated covers. That style of cover has done tremendously well in that market so I was curious to see how my core group of Christian fiction readers liked illustrated covers.

I showed them the two cover examples pictured below and asked which style they preferred for a Christian contemporary romance. A photo? Or illustrated?

On Facebook, 69% preferred photos, 18% preferred illustrated. A third of both those groups indicated they’d read either type. 13% didn’t have a preference.

On Instagram, the number who preferred photos was even more decisive. 78%.

So then I ran another poll. I showed them the below two cover examples of photo covers and asked which style they preferred for a Christian contemporary romance. With people? Or without people?

This result was much closer!

38% preferred a photo of people. 38% were happy with both types. 24% preferred no people.

In reading all the comments, it became clear that almost across the board readers hate it when the cover people do not resemble the characters described in the book.

Other interesting patterns that emerged…. Quite a few readers who prefer covers with people don’t want to see their faces. Some commented (and I agree) that covers with people are more likely to go wrong than covers of scenery. They don’t love covers that are “too busy”. But they do enjoy covers that give a feel for the setting and/or symbolize some aspect of the story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the above! What are your cover preferences?

My friend Courtney Walsh and I are currently running a Valentine’s giveaway! Two winners will each win print copies of both of our upcoming books — What Matters Most and Turn to Me. One winner will also win a box of chocolates. And the other winner will receive a nail polish set. Enter via the box below! USA only, please.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Beckya Rafflecopter giveaway

Snow Days and Giveaways

Last week we were in the middle of what I shall light heartedly call snowmaggedon. It started Wednesday morning with rain as I drove to campus at 7:30. By 8:05 as I walked to my class, it was sleeting and by 9:30 at a break we had an inch of snow. When I walked back to my building at 11, it looked like this:

I spent Thursday and Friday working from home. The ring light and Zoom became my “friends” as I taught four classes and had four meetings on Thursday followed by a full afternoon of meetings on Friday. I’ve got to tell you, I’m grateful for technology that allowed me to keep teaching my students rather than cancelling classes as the university closed to in-person classes through the snow. Closing for weather is very rare, so you know it was intense.

And here’s why. The side of town I live on got between 16 and 19 inches in two days. That’s more than we usually get in two winters. It was beautiful, but the roads in our neighborhood were still a mess on Tuesday. So. Much. Snow. (And I know those of you from New York, Colorado, and other spots are thinking, “You think that’s snow?!”

It really was lovely to watch it collect. And I’ve very glad the kids’ schools were proactive to cancel even if it means we have to add three days to the end of the semester. Snow Days, School Days. Oy! We eventuallly had to shovel a path across our patio so our pup could get out of the house to do her thing. That’s a lot of snow for us!

I’ve always loved snow. There’s something so pure and beautiful about trees laced with snow. The branches dark compared to the brightness. It reminds me of Jesus washing our sins as white as snow. It’s so white. So pure.

Now for a the giveaways…Y’all, there are exciting bookish things burbling, the kind the feel like the end of a drought and the beginning of something fun and new. I’d love for you to stay in the know. Did you know that when you follow me (and all of my friends here on the blog) on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads, you get alerts from them when I have new books coming out or bookish deals? It’s a great way to stay up to date!

I’m putting everyone’s name in a virtual hat to be entered to win either a copy of Toni Shiloh’s latest novel In Search of a Prince or one of my novels (Stars in the Night or Lethal Intent). I may add a $10 Starbucks e-giftcard. Act quickly! The pop-up closes shop on February 14th! If you have already followed and subscribed on these platforms, thank you! Please feel free to enter, too.

Note: This giveaway is for US residents only, but please be on the lookout for giveaways that will be open internationally!

Then a funny thing happened in the mail this week. I got two copies of Sarah Sundin’s next novel from Baker Bookhouse. I love that store’s preorder deals. I also love Sarah’s books. So much that I preordered it in June and then again in November. Oops! But this is a mistake that will bless one of you. I’m keeping one copy to read, but will give away a copy to one lucky reader. All you have to do is in use the second form to enter for a copy of Sarah’s book.

So here’s the first giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here’s the bonus:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Challenge and Giveaway

Hi friends,

Happy Wednesday! I have a fun challenge and a special giveaway to share with you today.

I shared about this challenge in my FB reader group, The Suspense Squad, but I wanted to enlist your fabulous help too. I saw this reading challenge floating around social media, and since my goal is to read one novel a month in 2022, I thought it was a perfect opportunity! I’ll have January to catch up on, but reading an extra novel is always a plus.

Drop a comment with your suggestions and I’ll go through all the recommendations I receive and choose one for each month. I’ll share what I’ve chosen in my next blog post. I can’t wait to see your recommendations and to start diving into some great reads!

In case you’re wondering, I love a variety of genres. Romantic suspense (naturally), contemporary romance, historical romance, and YA are among my favorites. But I’m definitely open to any genre if it’s a great story. And I love finding new-to-me-authors.

In December, I shared my favorite covers of 2021, and just recently fellow Inspired by blogger, Bethany House author, and sweet friend, Becky Wade, shared her favorite covers of 2021 as well. If you missed her post, you really ought to check it out. She featured some beautiful ones. I love that we both picked Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund. It really is breathtaking.

Speaking of covers, I wanted to be sure to share about my special Cover Love Giveaway which launched this week. In gratitude to Paul at Bethany House for designing yet another exquisite cover for me, I’m giving away a copy of the first two books in my Coastal Guardian series, a handmade book cozy, The Killing Tide button pin, The Crushing Depth’s Pura Vida bracelet, an Amazon gift card, and a Starbuck’s one—because everything is better with coffee. Be sure to check out my social media platforms for all the rules and the entry link. (Hint: it posted on February 7th on my author FB page and on my IG account).

Reader Question: Remember to share your book recommendations for my Reading Challenge 2022. Can’t wait to see what you share!

Have a blessed day!

~ Dani

WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU CAN’T GO TO BRITAIN: 15 Places in the U.S. to get your Brit-Fix

If you are longing to go to Britain like I am, but can’t (or aren’t ready) to travel abroad yet, here are 15 places in the U.S. that might tide you over until we can all travel again safely:

Elfreth’s Alley and Carlyle HouseWilliamsburg. Credit: TE RenichUnsurprisingly, New England tops the list, with all of its beautiful, historical cities originally settled by the British. For example, walking the cobbled streets of Boston’s historic section could easily make you think of England.Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philly—at least its “Olde City”—has a strong Georgian influence and many beautiful homes.The historic seaport of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.An old seaside resort like The Seaside Inn in Kennebunkport Maine (run by the same family for nine generations) or Cape May, New Jersey—America’s first seashore resort since 1761.Alexandria, Virginia: Home of Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant and (ca. 1785), The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Carlyle House, and nearby Mount Vernon.Colonial Williamsburg will transport you to the Georgian period with taverns, craftsmen, shops, and reenactors in period dress.Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA are two of the best-preserved historic towns in the South. The first settlers were British-born, many of them highly-educated and refined ladies and gentlemen. While you’re there, you can also take a side trip to the Charleston Tea Garden where they actually grow and harvest tea.The Cheshire Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri is designed to feel like a British inn with a traditional pub. The Robert Louis Stevenson room looks amazing!Pendarvis is a reconstructed Cornish mining camp in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where they hold a Cornish Festival each September.Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where you can see the relocated London Bridge, dismantled in London and rebuilt in the U.S.The Great Christmas Dickens Fair in San Francisco, California. Grass Valley, CA has been named the most Cornish town in America and features mining and pasties from Cornwall, England.  They also hold a Cornish Christmas street fair.Carmel-by-Sea, California has streets that look remarkably European, along with many quaint shops and restaurants.Live near Seattle? The oldest independently-owned tea room in America is there. Another favorite place is The Crumpet Shop, near Pike Place Market. Both provide a sweet place to stop and savor a delicious Brit-fix.Have kids? Harry Potter world in Universal may not be historic but it is decidedly British. Or, if you are on the West Coast, the Enchanted Forest in Salem has a European Village sure to please young and old alike.Carmel-by-Sea, California

BONUS outside the U.S.:  Victoria, just across the U.S. border on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. There you can enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel, tea shops, pubs, double decker buses, horse-drawn carriage rides, traditional red telephone boxes and more.  No wonder the Jane Austen Society of North America is having their 2022 conference in Victoria!

Victoria, B.C.

. What have I missed? Please comment with any places you would add to this list!

Stay Open to Adventure

Whenever I am at a party where I have to make small talk, this introvert would really rather slip into the kitchen and help serve or mop the floor. Truly.

But when slipping away is not possible, I can always count on one story to ease the pain of small talk: the day my husband and I flew to New York to be on Regis and Kelly . . . with our dog.

The story begins in 2001, not long after 9/11. I was watching Regis and Kelly, as I usually did in the mornings, and Regis happened to mention that it was “Dog Week.” And on Friday, they were going to have Hercules, the Guiness World Record holder for largest dog, as a guest on the show.

I knew all about Hercules because he was an English mastiff, and I LOVE English mastiffs. To date, we have had nine, but we only have them two at a time. In 2001, we had Sadie, who was a bit anti-social, and Justus, a 275-pound lovable hunk.

So because it was dog week, I took a moment to print out a picture of Justus, then I composed the stupidest poem in history: “This is Justus/ He’s really sweet./ He likes his treats./ He has big feet.

Then I added, “I don’t know how much Hercules weighs these days, but Justus weighs 275 pounds.” Then I faxed my picture and poem to Regis and Kelly. I thought maybe they would hold the picture up to the camera and we’d have a laugh.

Imagine my surprise the next day when a producer called. “Is this true?” she asked. “Your dog weighs 275 pounds?”

“Of course it’s true.”

“If you can have your vet verify the dog’s weight, we want to bring you and your dog to New York on Friday.”

“That won’t work.” I laughed. “Justus won’t fit into even the largest dog crate.”

“No problem,” the producer said. “We’ll get him a VIP ticket, and he can ride in the plane with you.”

Well!

I took Jussy to the vet and, after laughing, the vet called the producer and verified my dog’s weight. Then the producer said it was official–they wanted us to be on Friday’s show.

“There’s one problem,” I said. “Friday morning and Saturday I’m teaching young writers in New Jersey. So my husband will need to come with me so he can fly home with Justus.”

“No problem,” the producer said. “We’ll fly you both up.”

When the hubby came home, I gave him the news. He lifted a brow. “And WHY do we want to do this?”

“Because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” I answered. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

So he agreed. We told our friends to be sure to watch Regis on Friday, and they said they would. The school where my husband volunteered even said they’d show it to the middle schoolers.

So Thursday afternoon, we packed a bag and dog biscuits and went to the Tampa airport. People gave us strange looks, but they parted like the Red Sea when we approached the ticket counter. Sure enough, there was such a thing as a VIP pet ticket, and we were warmly greeted when we explained that we were going to be on Regis.

Now, you have to understand–this was only a few weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The airports were a mess, people were tense, and the security lines were long and disorganized. But when we walked up to security, all those tense faces melted into smiles. People surrounded Justus, petting him, and he was an instant star. Fortunately, his personality was –imagine that cartoon character who always said, “Uh, Gee, Tennessee–” know the one I mean? Laid back and a little dopey.

So we got onto the plane, and the flight attendants figured we’d have the most room sitting behind the bulkhead. That way Justus could spread out, which he did. The flight attendant wasn’t able to get the cart past him, but they had more than one.

As the plane got ready to take off, the pilot came on the intercom and said, “Welcome aboard, ladies and gentlemen. You’ll be happy to know we have JUSTUS on board this plane!” Given the tense mood of the era, everyone burst into applause.

Fast forward to the morning of the TV appearance. When we walked into the studio, I saw that they had set up a huge teeter totter on the stage. Gelman was there, so I asked, “Do you really expect my dog to get on that?”

“Why don’t we try it?” he said. So I had Justus climb the steps onto the (supported) teeter totter, and then Gelman kicked out the support. The teeter totter shuddered and fell, and Justus decided he didn’t like it.

We went into the green room, where we met Hercules (who’d been on a diet), and several little tea cup dogs–chihuahuas and the like–who looked at my dog and shivered. Their owners cooed and comforted the wind-up dogs, while I tried to keep Justus happy. He was still pretty laid back, happily munching on snacks from the caterer’s table.

We watched the show on the TV, then it was our turn. Hercules went first, and climbed up onto the teeter totter with no problem. Then we went out, and since I’d been slipping Justus treats, he was pretty wet-mouthed. Kelly made a big deal about the big drool, then we walked over to get onto the teeter totter.

The camera stayed on Kelly and Regis as they explained they wanted to have a “weigh-off”–and the largest dog would win a year’s supply of dog food. Then Regis pointed to us and said, “Gelman, shoot this–we have drama over here.”

What had happened? Quite simply, Justus decided he didn’t want to do the teeter totter again. So my poor husband was at Justus’s rear, pushing with all his might, while I stood in front of the teeter totter, holding up food I’d taken from the table in the green room–croissants, bagels, anything to motivate that mountain of dog. Justus was drooling–a veritable river–but he wasn’t budging. No way. And if a 275-pound dog doesn’t want to move . . .

Finally, Hercules’ owner came over and gave Gary a hand, and together they got Justus on the see-saw. The scale tipped in Justus’ direction, and he was the winner . . . until they brought in a ringer. Moose, from New Jersey. That dog was so big he broke the scale at his veterinarian’s office. Had to be 300 pounds.

So Moose won the title of “Heaviest dog” and earned a year’s supply of dog food (which he really didn’t need). Then we all crowded the stage–all the little dogs and the big dogs–and we waved goodbye as the show went off the air. Then I rushed off to go teach in New Jersey (which, thank the Lord, is right next to NYC), and Gary flew home with Justus.

He was a celebrity at the airport. He gave autographs and Justus gave pawtographs, and Joan Rivers walked by and called out a greeting to them. Justus slept all the way home.

For about a week after our trip, we experienced our 15 minutes of fame. We were invited to bring the dog onto a radio show, and we were in the paper, but my favorite outing was when we were invited to a special class at a school. The students were elementary age, and most were blind or deaf. Justus walked into the room and lay down with the kids, and they surrounded him, feeling his head, his ears, petting his huge body . . . while hubby and I stood in the back of the room and wiped away tears.

Maybe it all happened because of those few moments . . . so Justus could be a blessing to those kids.

Justus is now in heaven, and we’ve never had another dog quite like him. Mastiffs are wonderful with kids and generally friendly, but we’ve never had another one laid back enough to able to handle the plane ride, the crowds, and the teeter totter. So I know it was a God thing.

He works in unexpected ways . . . so keep your eyes and ears open!

If you want to watch the segment for yourself, here it is:

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.