Becky Wade's Blog, page 113

My Favorite Mysteries

I’m currently working on a mystery novel for an upcoming Guideposts series, so I’ve been thinking a lot about mysteries lately. The truth is I love mystery stories. I love reading them and watching them. But before now, I was scared to tackle writing one! And yet here I am. It’s been a learning curve, for sure, but it’s been fun to figure out how to set up the clues and the tension and them make it all come together—with a twist at the end, of course!

So while I’m deep in revising this story, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite mystery series, both print and video. Let’s go with TV series first:

Foyle’s War—WWII England, mysteries on the home front.

Vera—present day England police detective inspector

Love the continuation of character in all these series. Endeavor is Morse’s backstory as a young detective in the 1960s, then Lewis arrives in the Morse series as a young detective and continues on in his own series.

As for books:

I’ve long loved the Victorian mystery series by Anne Perry, both the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries and the William Monk mysteries. And now she’s writing the next generation with the Daniel Pitt mysteries, Charlotte and Thomas’s son!

A new to me mystery series writer: Anna Huber. I’ve enjoyed the first couple of books in both the Lady Darby and the Verity Kent series. Two different time periods, both series set in England, both enjoyable reads. I’ll eventually make my way back to these series!

And of course who doesn’t love Agatha Christie novels in both their book and movie/tv show forms? Miss Marple and Hurcule Poirot as favorites around our house.

Hm. See a theme? Yep, these are either British TV shows, authors or settings. So I guess my love of mystery rose out of my love of all things United Kingdom. Or maybe it was the other way around?

Of course many other books I enjoy have a mystery element to them, but they do not technically fall in the mystery genre. And while most of these I’ve suggested to you involve a murder of some kind, I’m writing a mystery about an object, not a murder.

I’ve always been a bit in awe of mystery writers. And I still am. It is no easy feat to set up and solve a mystery for the reader without being too obvious or having too much of a pull-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat solution.

I don’t know if I’ll write another mystery-heavy novel again, but it sure has been fun figuring it out and realizing I can do it, even if it has taken a bit more effort for this seat-of-the-pants writer!

What is your favorite mystery book or tv series?

Virginia Royal Writers Virtual Conference (Nov. 5-6)

Calling all fellow writers!

If you’re a writer eager to grow in your craft, please consider joining me for the Virginia Royal Writers Virtual Conference this weekend, November 5 – 6.

Writing conferences are a fabulous way to grow as a writer, but they’re often so expensive to attend. The registration fee for ACFW Royal Writers Conference is far more affordable at $35 and…no travel costs. Unless you count walking from your bedroom to your den in your jammies. : )

But registration is about to close!

REGISTER TODAY

I’m giving two keynote sessions, sharing about my own writing journey and what I’ve learned—Writing Real History in a Cancel Culture World and Marketing, Do I Have To?

Robin Lee Hatcher (waving to you, Sweet Robin!), Sarah Sundun, Roseanna White, Heidi Chiavaroli, Hallee Bridgeman, JP Robinson, Rachel McMillan and more are presenting two full days of writing instruction that will take your skills to new levels. Check out all the ways to hone your craft.

$35 conference registration includes:

Live Conference access via Zoom
2 classes to choose from each hour
Keynote by Tamera Alexander
Ask the Experts Panel
Worship and devotion time
90 day video access for all classes
Agent, Editor, and Mentor Appointment opportunities
Giveaways

*Registration ends November 3rd

REGISTER TODAY

I hope you’ll consider joining us this weekend! It’s going to be a fun time of learning and chatting about writing.

So tell me…

What’s the last conference you’ve attended? Either in person or virtually? And are you currently writing a novel (or wanting to learn how to)?

Much love from Nashville,

Tammy

Need a boost in your daily walk with God?

This week’s livestream from Paige Brown’s class in Romans will give it to you! I’ve already listened to this week’s video three times as I’ve been running here and there, or cleaning, etc…  Watch/Listen with me—and be blessed!

This video is available until Tuesday night (11/2), then will disappear.

Week 8 will livestream on Wednesday morning (11/3) at 10AM CT.

#MalcolmCam

On Sunday my son Kurt and his wife Kellie texted us this picture (above) of their sweet dog Malcolm (a rambunctious and oh-so-lovable double doodle) dressed up for Trick-or-Treaters! I responded with the following picture of Murphy and Bailey dressed up as two dogs going for a walk. ; )

A 1951 Christmas

Good news! Only 58 days until Christmas! And if you’re looking for books to give as gifts or to get you in the holiday spirit, my first-ever Christmas novella, “The Wish Book Christmas” is now available.

If you’ve read my WWII novel, “If I Were You,” you’ll recognize the main characters, Eve Dawson and Audrey Barnett, who come to America with their young sons as British war brides. In this mini-sequel, you’ll get to read the next chapter in their lives and see what they’ve been up to since the first book ended. How are they faring in America? And did either of them ever find love again?

But I think you’ll still enjoy the Christmas novella even if you haven’t read the first book. It takes place in 1951 and starts, as the title suggests, when two kindergarten-age boys discover the Sears Christmas catalogue. They begin obsessing over this “Wish Book,” choosing dozens of toys that they want Santa to bring for Christmas. Their worried moms decide to search for ways to teach their sons the true meaning of the holiday. I know that many parents share their concern, so I hope my story will offer a few ideas to try this Christmas.

I had a lot of fun researching and writing this book. It brought back so many memories of Christmas when I was growing up. Like the boys in the novella, my two sisters and I spent many hours studying the Wish Book and choosing toys. The real catalogue from 1951 is available on the internet, and it’s still fun to peruse the pages. The cover from 1951 looks a lot like the cover of my book, don’t you think?

Here are some of the actual pages. The prices seem super-cheap:

Remember when Christmas trees looked like this, with glittery tinsel dangling down? My sisters and I would drape piles of it on the tree, but I seem to recall Mom complaining that she would still be finding tinsel months layer.

Then there were those pesky strings of colored lights where if one blew out, the entire string would go out. Dad would have to test each light, one at a time, until he found the offender. And remember bubble lights?

The mothers in “The Christmas Wish Book” encourage their sons to give presents to the special people in their lives. In order to buy them, they have to earn extra money doing chores. This is something that my own parents also encouraged. We would save ten or twenty cents from our allowance each week and deposit it in a Christmas Club account at the bank. Shortly before Christmas, we would shop for presents for our parents, grandparents, and for each other using the money we’d saved.

One of the gifts that the boys in the novella want for Christmas is a dog. You’ll have to read the story to see if Santa actually brings them one. Each year, there was always one special present that I would wish for, and it would be the first thing I would search for beneath the tree. One year I wished for a doll that drank water from a bottle and then wet her diaper. I loved that doll! I kept her very well hydrated—which meant lots of wet diapers.

But my parents made sure that the story of Jesus’s birth was always the central focus of Christmas. We took part in pageants at school and Sunday school, sang favorite carols, and always went to the candlelight service at church. A manger scene took center stage beside our Christmas tree, and Mom read the Bible story aloud to us year after year. When my children were young, we held birthday parties for Jesus with a cake, candles and ice cream so they would know that Christmas was a celebration of His birth.

Do you remember the Christmas Wish Book from when you were a child? Was there a special gift that you wished for? I would love to hear some of your memories.

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.

Christmas is Coming…Giveaway

It feels like fall has barely arrived but as we near November, I’ve been thinking about my favorite Christmas movies and books. The Hallmark channel is already filled with new and old Christmas movies…I’ve been seeing the images fill my social media feeds.

Honestly, it’s rather startling to think that in two months Christmas will already be behind us. This year has flown by and ready or not, the Christmas books are releasing. Several have dropped on my Kindle this month, and I thought I’d share some of them with you in today in case you’re ready to start sliding into holiday cheer through a good book or novella collection.

Is reading Christmas books one way that you get ready for the season? If so, then you’ll enjoy these!

Be sure to read to the end to enter for a paper copy of Christmas in Mistletoe Square!

In It’s a wonderful Christmas, five authors have come together to reimagine their favorite Chirstmas movies.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! To celebrate, five bestselling authors have joined together to create this enchanting set of holiday novellas.

Nothing jump-starts Christmas nostalgia quite like the movies. With stirring images of snow-covered hills, crackling fireplaces, and happy families gathered around the decorated tree, these silver-screen tales capture all the magic and wonder of the season. Inspired by some of their favorite holiday films, each of these novelists has paid homage to the classic stories we all love, crafting an eclectic collection that delivers something for everyone.

My friend Ashley Clark has created a novella that ties to her popular novels in Christmas at the Inn.

Fairhope, Alabama. 1952. Take a trip to Millie’s Boardinghouse this Christmas…

When Walter and Violet fake a relationship for the sake of their families, they find themselves in a surprising situation under the mistletoe thanks to Millie, the inn’s owner.

But just as sparks begin to fly and Walter prepares to confess his feelings, he gets news from his family that will have both he and Violet reevaluating what they really want this Christmas… and for their future.

Fans of The Dress Shop on King Street will enjoy this sweet, historical romance set during Millie’s first Christmas as a mother.

Unpacking Christmas releases November 1 from my friend Beth Vogt. She returns to the Thatcher Sisters from her latest series and has crafted a story that will grab your heart. As Johanna, Jillian, and Payton look forward to celebrating the Christmas holidays with their families, they’re not prepared for an announcement that changes everything they’ve grown to love and cherish.

Their parents are selling their long-time family home. One change seems to lead to another, with Payton and Zach announcing their own decision to move, while Jillian and Geoff tackle the challenge of starting a family. The only ones maintaining the status quo are Johanna and Beckett—but romantic limbo is no place to be. Then their dad’s sudden health crisis spins life further out of control.

Instead of putting up holiday lights and decorating the family Christmas tree, the Thatcher sisters are helping pack up their childhood home. Along the way, they share treasured memories, try to hold onto valued traditions, discovering the struggles they’ve endured pale in comparison to the love they share with each other.

This Christmas, Johanna, Jillian, and Payton will laugh and cry together as they realize the true magic of Christmas isn’t found in gifts or decorations, but in the love of family.

Christmas in Mistletoe Square is the collection I’m a part of. It was such fun to write…and the other three authors are so talented. Christmas is in the air in Kedgewick Creek, North Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Will romance find four couples in the month of December or will the pressure to keep the festivities Mistletoe Square is known for keep these couples apart? Find out in this collection of four novellas from inspirational authors Pepper Basham, Cara Putman, Janine Rosche, and Teresa Tysinger.

Now’s your chance to receive a copy of Christmas in Mistletoe Square. Just use the form below and I’ll randomly select a winner to receive a paper copy! What Christmas book do you love to read?

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Inspired by Classics

Every reader has books that really inspired their love of the written word. While I’ve loved reading since I was a kid—particularly mysteries from a young age, I believe my deep love for reading really developed the first time I read Classic novels for my high school English class. Novels like A Tale of Two Cities, The Great Gatsby, and The Count of Monte Cristo. Ever since then I’ve loved the Classics.

I believe this love stemmed from my love history in which the Classics are set. Loving history and the written word, I was a Classics major and English minor student in college—totally different from the period of Classic literature I’m talking about, but my love for history and literature really grew from there. While I focused on Ancient Rome and particularly Ancient Greece for my major, I also devoured my English and Western Civilization classes.  

Today, I still read and enjoy the Classics. I’m currently reading Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. It’s a beautiful story and has one of my favorite romantic lines in literature:

I absolutely love that quote, and it inspires me as I write the romance part of my romantic suspense novels.

You might be wondering if I love history so much, why don’t I write historical romance. I did play with that genre when I first started learning how to write books, but I learned that wasn’t my voice or the path God had for me. I took a year off writing as I didn’t know the path He had for me, only that He’d put the love of writing in my soul.

During that year, I prayed a lot and read a lot, going back to the Classics I loved so much. But, on my birthday that year, my friend gave me The Protector by Dee Henderson. I read it in one sitting. I’d never read Christian fiction before. I had no idea it even existed. I went on to devour the entire O’Malley series, and it remains my favorite romantic suspense series of all time. I believe God used Dee’s books to show me the path He was leading me on. My early love of mysteries, and my later love of romance combined into the romantic suspense novels I write today.

I think it’s fascinating how God weaves different novels and even genres through our lives at different times to speak to us and inspired our love of reading, and for writers, their love of penning novels.

Reader question: What type of books really inspire you and your love of reading?

All Hallows’ Eve or Allantide

I am not a big fan of Halloween (except for the candy and cute kids) but since the day is fast approaching, I thought I would share a little about how it was observed in early 19th century Cornwall, the setting of my novel, A Castaway in Cornwall. Here’s a brief excerpt:

As you may know, All Hallows’ Eve (often contracted as Halloween), is the eve of All Saints’ Day, which, in many Christian traditions, is a day to honor saints of the church, or the faithful departed.

I always like learning about local traditions and weaving them into novels when I can. On October 31st, when others observed All Hallows’ Eve, many Cornish people celebrated Allan-night or Allantide, the feast day of local saint, St. Allan.

Some carved jack-o’-lanterns from large turnips instead of pumpkins. Creepy, right?

Others hosted parties with bonfires and music. They might sing sea shanties while someone played a hurdy gurdy or wheel fiddle. (If you’d like to hear what the instrument sounds like, visit here or here.)

And many people gave shiny red “Allan apples” to family and friends as tokens of good luck and good health for the coming year. A related Allantide tradition called for girls to sleep with an Allan apple under their pillow to dream of their future spouse.

Then the next day, All Saints’ Day, the faithful attended church.

What about you? Do you celebrate Halloween or All Saints’ Day in some form? If so, how?

Wealth of the Wilderness by Rebekah Joy

In 2019 friend Rebekah Joy and I traveled to Israel together along with 30+ other women, and that trip changed my life forever. The Wilderness of Zin was one of my favorite places we visited.

Wilderness of Zin
(with Rebekah Joy (upper left), Kristi McLelland (lower left), and Kristy Chowning (far right)

There’s something about the vastness of the wilderness, the rugged beauty, the unforgiving terrain that gets inside of you, and lingers. Especially once you’ve studied the Israelites in the desert.

Rebekah lived in Israel for a while and has traveled the land extensively over the past decade. So when she wrote a book entitled The Wealth of the Wilderness, I made a beeline to read it. And oh, it’s so rich with wisdom from the Word of God.

I’m giving away TWO COPIES OF THIS BOOK, so keep reading!

In Wealth of the Wilderness, Rebekah offers a cultural lens adjustment and helps readers see the wilderness through a Middle Eastern lens so we can better grasp its function. When we learn to embrace the becoming that wilderness seasons offer—and we’ve all had those seasons in life—we’re better positioned to inherit desert deposits and shed unnecessary baggage so we can better weather the seasons. And not just to weather them, but with God’s help…to thrive in them!

If you’re a student of studying the Bible through a Middle Easterns lens, then Wealth of the Wilderness is a must. It helped me through a particularly painful season in 2020, and I think it will be a great encouragement to you too!

Download a sample and begin reading today

Here’s the group of women I traveled to Israel with in 2019…

At Masada (in the Judaean Desert)

Oh how I wish I could take that journey with them again! Thank you, Lord, for sisters growing closer together and to you in the Land.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m giving away TWO Kindle copies of Wealth of the Wilderness this month on my website giveaway. Enter to win before November 1st (by clicking the Rafflecopter box above and following the instructions).

What books have you read that offer deeper insights into the Bible through a Middle Eastern Lens?

Blessings on your Monday, which isn’t my usual day to post, I know. But that rascaly ol’ Deb Raney asked me to switch with her. And since she’s pretty sweet, most of the time, I agreed. : )

Tammy

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.

Cover Reveal for Turn to Me (and a giveaway)!

I’m so excited to reveal the cover of Turn to Me today!

Here’s a peek at the book’s plot. . . .

Guilt has defined Luke Dempsey’s life. But it was self-destructiveness that landed him in prison. When his friend and fellow inmate lays dying shortly before Luke’s release, the older man reveals he’s left a string of clues for his daughter Finley that will lead her to the treasure he’s hidden. Worried that she won’t be the only one pursuing the treasure, he begs Luke to protect her, and Luke promises he will.

Finley Sutherland, owner of an animal rescue center and dogged defender of lost causes, accepts Luke’s help with the treasure hunt while secretly planning to help him in return — by coaxing him to embrace the forgiveness he’s long denied himself.

As they draw closer to the mysterious cache, their reasons for resisting one another begin to crumble and Luke realizes his promise will be harder to keep than he’d anticipated. He’ll do his best to shield Finley from unseen threats. But who’s going to shield him from losing his heart?

I was inspired to write a treasure hunt plot thanks to the fun treasure hunts my mom created for my sisters and me when we were small. And also the hunts I created for my kids when they were small. I asked myself those two words that begin every story idea…. What if? What if a father sets up a treasure hunt for his adult daughter? What if that treasure is of great worth? What if he leaves the first clue for her in his will?

Turn to Me sprang from those initial questions.

Here are the inspiration photos of Luke and Finley I submitted to my publisher way back when they began planning the cover.

Luke has his master’s degree in Computer Science and so, while he and Finley work on the treasure hunt, he accepts a temporary job overhauling the technology at her animal rescue center. He’s blunt, intense, skilled at restoring classic cars, closed-off. He’s built walls of protection around himself to hide the fact that his basic desire is to be loved and his greatest fear is his own worthlessness.

Finley’s hopeful, compassionate, principled. She’s made a career out of rehabilitating wounded animals, so she takes one look at Luke at determines to implement the same five step plan for The Restoration of Luke that she’s implemented so successfully with canines. Her BoHo appearance and cheerful demeanor mask strength and determination as strong as steel.

I fell in love with these two characters separately but I especially love them together. They’re so different — a prickly ex-con and a idealistic activist — yet they clicked! They made me smile. They made me cheer for them and long for their best.

Here’s the cover of their novel….

I love it! The colors are dreamy and the pose is so romantic! Best of all, these two look very much like the characters of my imagination.

Turn to Me is already up at Goodreads, in case you’d like to add it to your “Want to Read” shelf there.

What do you think of the cover?

In celebration of cover reveal day, I’ve put together this giveaway for USA residents! One winner will win a few of my favorites — gray Essie nail polish, peony Burt’s Bees lip shimmer, and a 1oz. hand cream from L’Occitane (just the right size for your purse).

Everyone who enters will receive a single email from me, letting you know when Turn to Me becomes available for pre-order. That’s it! Receiving that email is the only entry requirement. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Before you go, I wanted to let you know that the ebook of Stay with Me is currently on sale for $1.99. Great deal!