Becky Wade's Blog, page 11

We Shopped at Piggly Wiggly

One of the things I did on my recent research trip to Saint Simons and Jekyll Islands was visit local grocery stores. Yes, we needed groceries for our camper, but those trips were also pure research. After all, my characters will need groceries and if I write a scene set in a grocery store, I’ll need to know what store that would be on this island in the South, what that store looks like on the inside, how the checkout system works, etc. If I were to put my character in an H.E.B. store, it would call my research into question since there is no such store on the island!

So, in the name of research, we shopped at…

Winn-Dixie…

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Harris Teeter…

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Publix…

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and Piggly Wiggly.

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Not only did I learn a lot about each of those local stores, but it’s fun to shop in new stores with different brands that we’ve never tried. We found a delicious maple granola and bought some local coffee. Even the store-brand tissue boxes have unique, pretty designs that are different than what we can buy in our stores.

But this isn’t just about groceries. Grocery stores are social places where people interact with each other, friends or strangers. My characters just might have a significant meeting in a grocery store.

Speaking of grocery stores, Piggly Wiggly has a special place in my heart. In fact, my first published piece (cowritten with my three sisters and our brother) mentions Piggly Wiggly. My sisters came across this newspaper clipping going through some boxes at my Dad’s place. Don’t judge…we were young. Also, please forgive the typos in my grandparents’ small-town newspaper.

I still feel the same about “home, sweet home” and it’s great to be back from our research trip.

What local grocery chains are in your area? Do you have a favorite? Why?

Happy Mother’s Day!

The authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction wish a very happy and blessed Mother’s Day to those of you who wear the badge of “Mom” or have filled the role of mother or grandmother in the lives you touch. 

#LiftMyStack Challenge!

Yesterday, I posted this video to Instagram…

The responses that have come in so far have me smiling!

Here’s Joy at @dareyoutoread on Instagram, proving that her stack of Becky Wade books is substantially larger (and heavier to lift) than my own collection.

Here’s Mimi at @books.n.blossoms on Instagram depicting the most frequent answer to my, “Can you lift your TBR stack?” question. Most readers have said, “Are you crazy? I have whole bookcases FULL of books to be read!”

Here’s Paige at @xxonemorechapterxx on Instagram, as she attempts to lift two large stacks and several books go tumbling down.

Kailey on Facebook said, “Here’s what happened when I tried to lift part of my TBR.” Ha ha ha!

What about you? If you’re a reader, could you lift your TBR stack? If you’re an author, could you lift a stack of the books you’ve written?

What’s pulling you down?

Spring has been odd in Indiana this year. We’ll have days of hitting 70 degrees followed by days in the 40s. My flowers are confused as are the trees. My lilac is just about to bloom, and my irises are beginning to hint that blooms might be on the way. It all feels out of order and confused. My spring and summer clothes are packed away still, while my winter clothes and sweaters can’t be put away because Sunday, the temperature didn’t get above 50.

It feels like there is a lot about life that is out of control right now. Or more accurately out of my control. We all want to feel control over our worlds. That we know what’s happening and what the end result will be.

Maybe that’s one reason I like writing.

I have control over my characters and books.

Sort of.

Last week I attended a reader event at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids. One of the panels asked us how our stories come to us. Each author will have a slightly different answer — or very divergent answer.

Mine is it depends on the book. But I do have some control over my story and where it’s going and whether I will go along with it or fight the direction.

The same could be said of my life. I can choose to move or stay in position. To flex or be rigid. But I also have to acknowledge that there is so much outside my control. I don’t have to like it, but I do have to acknowledge it. You may have seen lists that contain two columns: one is filled with items I control and the other with those things I don’t. Where’s the column where I control it all like some Marvel warlord or superhero?

But that type of power is reserved for God alone. Instead, I need to keep my focus on the fact that I can only effect how I respond to situations. Maybe that’s why the quote below is one I’m drawn to. It shifts the focus from the results to being faithful in doing the work.

In addition to The Accused releasing last month (I’m so grateful for all the reviews and readers!), I have a book in the Justice collection that released May 2nd. It’s the third book in a series that I wrote years ago for Love Inspired Suspense. I had so much fun writing the third book that I’d imagined YEARS ago. Be sure to check it out.

The Cheer Squad

This story started months ago. My daughter had several friends from church running a half marathon in Maine in May. She decided she wanted to try it, despite never running in her life! 

My sister, who ran a couple of half marathons in her 20s, decided she wanted to do it with my daughter. 

My daughter-in-law, who is a strength and conditioning coach and has run several half marathons herself, wrote them a training plan as well as consulted on nutrition during workouts and race day. 

But then the most amazing thing happened a few months ago—my daughter invited me to come cheer them on! Of course, I knew my daughter-in-law wanted to be there, too, so thanks to Jeff’s massive bank of airline miles, we formed the cheer squad and booked the trip! 

Elizabeth (my daughter) picked us up at the Boston airport and we headed off to a small town in Maine. 

Race day—Saturday morning, was cool but not cold. And after about two minute of spitting rain at the start, the day cleared and was absolutely gorgeous! Bailei (my daughter-in-law) and I traveled to different points along the route to cheer them on. Then we boarded a shuttle to the finish line. 

At first, we weren’t sure we’d get there before they did, but the traffic cleared and we were in place when they rounded the final bend. 

They did it! I am so proud of them both, but especially my girl who trained through a Massachusetts winter and her dog’s surgery, as well as her normally crazy work schedule. Her perseverance knows no bounds! 

It was also fun to have lunch on the beach with some of her friends that afternoon. 

That night, the reward was, of course, lobster rolls for dinner! Bailei helped them stretch out that evening and then if was off again on Sunday morning, back to the airport in Boston and then home. 

We all finished the weekend exhausted but happy. Elizabeth and Dawn (my sister) were proud of their accomplishment. And hearing them tell us how much it meant to them to have their cheer squad show up along the way and at the end made all the early morning travel worthwhile. What great memories we take away from our time togther! 

Are you a runner? Have you done a long race? Where? Or have you cheered on family members who have? 

Do Animals Understand Death?

I read a fascinating article this morning about if and how animals understand death. I’ve always wondered about it, especially since I’ve heard so many stories about how animals often seem to understand things we don’t.

For instance–a group of elephants made a 12 hour trek to visit a dying man who had saved them. And now, years after his death, they continue to visit his home and hold a vigil for him.

When I was writing my book Unspoken, about a gorilla who speaks sign language, I was fascinated by the subject of animal emotions–how much do they feel, how deep are their bonds, etc. I made sure that the gorilla in my story didn’t do anything that Koko, the real gorilla who spoke sign language, hadn’t been capable of doing. I remember one man teasing me and saying that animals don’t have emotions, but boy, do I beg to differ. All you have to do is look at a dog when you chastise him, and you know he’s feeling sorry. He may not know WHY you’re chastising him (I don’t think dogs speak fluent English, though they certainly know many words), but he knows he’s supposed to feel bad.

When it comes to animals and their understanding of death, Susana Monsó proposes that “only two components suffice for what she calls a ‘minimal concept of death’: irreversibility and non-functionality. To recognize that an animal no longer does what they used to, and realize that this state is permanent, is the essence of understanding death. It is at once simple and profound, and the cognitive requirements are basic.” So yes, animals can understand when one of their own has died. And death has repercussions in animal and human life.  

Many of us have seen dogs mourn a missing owner. Watch the film Hachiko, if you doubt it (based on a true story). And geese and swans, who mate for life, grieve their missing partners.

Elephants have even been known to bury their dead. Before reading this article, I had heard of elephant graveyards, but the following startled me: “Five accounts of elephant calves found buried in tea plantation irrigation ditches, with their legs above ground and pointed toward the sky. The soil around them was patted level. Footsteps and dung deposits showed that the burials were performed by the calves’ herds.

“The burials took place at night. Nearby villagers heard loud trumpeting but none witnessed the events. Later autopsies showed the calves were in poor health and died of natural causes, not from drowning in the ditches. Bruise patterns on their bodies suggested they were carried long distances by their legs and trunks. A camera trap snapped a picture of two elephants walking together, one dragging the tiny figure of a calf by her trunk across a plantation’s red earth.”

I believe animals understand far more than we give them credit for understanding . . . because we are at the top of the created earthly kingdom. But even the Bible says,

“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
    Let the fish in the sea speak to you.” (Job 12:7-8).

Humans have a deeper understanding of death than animals–we consider its permanence, the afterlife, and so many things that animals probably don’t consider. But they do grasp the concept. And one day, when we interact with the animals in heaven (of course they’ll be there! Jesus comes back on a white horse, remember?) we may understand exactly how much more they knew . . .

Blessings on your week! Give your animal pals a hug today!

Angie

Karen’s Favorites

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We hope you are enjoying these weekly feature posts from the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We’re sharing some of our favorite things to help you get to know us a little better—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.

Favorite Beverage (whether hot or cold): Hot, black tea sweetened with honey. I import my tea from a shop my daughter and I discovered in Victoria, BC that has been open since 1894. My favorite blends are their signature 1894 Blend, the Queen Victoria Blend, Publisher’s Blend, and Editor’s Blend. And yes, the names add to the charm. I’ve included a photo of the tea table in my office that includes my Jane Eyre teapot and several bookish mugs.

Favorite Color (and why): Purple! My children’s K-12 school colors were purple and gold, then they all went to ACU (my husband and I are both alumni and employees of ACU as well), where the colors are purple and white. So our closets contain lots of purple. I also wore purple to both of my sons’ weddings.

Favorite Thing You Collect: I love collecting Willow Tree figurines. I probably have over 30 different items. I thought I’d share a few that highlight my love of books, tea, and romance.

Peanut Butter and . . . What?

My latest release is From This Moment On: Two Kings Meadow Novellas. One of the stories is set in 1932, the other in 2015. While writing the first novella, Bible and a .44, I came across one really interesting food choice that was served during the Great Depression. See if it stands out to you in this post. (There’s a hint in my title.)

In the mountains of Idaho during the Great Depression, asking “What’s for lunch?” often brought a creative and resourceful response. Life was challenging, but in small towns like Kings Meadow that were surrounded by farms and cattle ranches, residents relied on ingenuity and the bounty from their own land to nourish their families.

Most meals centered around simplicity and frugality, staples harvested from gardens, preserved foods, and whatever livestock could provide. Potatoes (Idaho is famous for its potatoes or so say our license plates) became a cornerstone of nearly every meal. From hearty potato soups seasoned with wild herbs to simple potato pancakes fried in homemade lard, these versatile vegetables offered both comfort and sustenance.

Bread was another crucial staple, baked fresh at home and often stretched further through resourceful recipes. Sandwiches provided convenient midday meals and sometimes featured unusual but calorie-rich combinations. One such sandwich was peanut butter and mayonnaise. While it might sound odd today, peanut butter was valued for its protein, and mayonnaise added crucial fats and calories necessary for hard-working farmers and ranchers. Many locals, initially skeptical, grew fond of the creamy, savory-sweet combination.

Meat, when available, was typically used sparingly. Families often depended on small game like rabbits or squirrels, hunted by skilled family members, turning simple meats into stews, pies, and casseroles stretched with vegetables and grains. Occasionally, a rancher might share beef, transforming tougher cuts into nourishing soups and stews, cooked slowly over hours to tenderize the meat. Wild foods, too, became essential, with families foraging for berries, mushrooms, and edible greens like dandelions and nettles to supplement their diets. Wild blackberries and huckleberries picked in late summer were treasures, turned into preserves that brightened meals throughout colder months.

Today, looking back at those Depression-era lunches in small towns offers more than a historical snapshot—it reveals powerful lessons in resilience, creativity, and the enduring value of community. And yes, it even makes us reconsider the humble peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich with newfound respect.

~robin

This blog post was originally part of the spring 2025 Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt.

Spring Reading Bouquet

If you were to put together a bouquet of books that you either have read or plan to read this spring, and each genre is a different flower type, how eclectic would your bouquet be?

Bouquets of a dozen roses can be dramatic and beautiful, while bouquets of a dozen different flowers can be cheerful and fun, so there are no wrong answers.

My bouquet fits in a small vase since I don’t have much reading time, and it is mostly composed of historical romance lilies, though I have an orchid and a couple carnations thrown in for variety.

Historical Romance – LilyContemporary Romance – TulipMystery – OrchidRomantic Suspense – RoseRom Com – CarnationFantasy – SnapdragonThriller – HydrangeasChildren’s Book – Baby’s BreathNonfiction – Peonies

What flowers are in your spring reading bouquet?

Research Trip

As you read this, Ken and I are waking up six hours from home in a campground in Alabama. We are on our way to Saint Simons Island on a research trip for the novel I’m working on.

I mentioned the upcoming trip in THIS post back in January.

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Time has flown since then, and we are headed to Saint Simons Island (and Jekyll Island) in Georgia where my new novel, Who Stirs Up the Sea, is set. We’re taking several days to get there though, and last night, we had a beautiful campsite in Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama overlooking Wheeler Lake.

The weather was perfect for opening up the camper, pulling down the screens, enjoying the views, getting started on our next book club novel, (and taking a lazy Sunday afternoon nap!)

One of the things I’ll be researching is what flowers grow on Saint Simons, and which ones are blooming this time of year. Does anyone know what these pretty wildflowers are? A garden app I have says maybe Crimson Clover?

Research isn’t usually one of my favorite parts of the writing life, but when it involves walks on the beach, researching flowers, trying area restaurants and coffee shops, and time spent with my best friend (and ace camper), I’m in!