Becky Wade's Blog, page 131

Good Friday

Good Friday is a revered holy day that marks the death of Christ.

It’s easy for us to throw around the word GOOD when it relates to Christ’s death, isn’t it? We know his death was for our GOOD. And we can be happy and grateful for his sacrifice.

But it’s NOT easy to use the word GOOD when we talk about the difficulties and death of anyone else. In fact, the word death usually evokes deep sorrow, tears, and despondency. Thinking of difficulties and death as GOOD is very foreign, even absurd, right? No one wishes difficulties and death upon themselves or anyone.

I’ve recently been reading a book by Larry Crabb called, When God’s Ways Make No Sense.  He tackles the difficult subject of God’s goodness when bad things happen.

Crabb discusses how we often project our culture’s ideas of goodness onto God. After all, we live in an entitled world that desires comfort, possessions, safety, health, and wealth. Often we believe if God is good, he’ll surely bless us with all those things.

But the Bible actually gives us a much different picture of what God’s goodness entails. He’s never promised to make us happy and wealthy and secure in this life. In fact, the New Testament is full of verses that restate what Christ said: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33).

What I’m learning through all of my trials and sorrows is that GOOD can come from and through them in ways I never expected. I’m realizing God’s GOODNESS is NOT in tangible things. Instead, his GOODNESS is in the life he resurrects inside me every time I experience loss or difficulties.

I let brokenness slip through my fingers (broken relationships, broken dreams, broken desires, broken health, broken hearts). In the letting go, I make room for him to quietly breathe in his GOODNESS, the very breath of his life. Every time I die to myself, he brings to life new love, new peace, new joy, new contentment.

As we take a moment to think about Christ’s death today on Good Friday, may we rethink our definition of what is GOOD. If Christ’s death was GOOD, maybe death and difficulties truly can produce GOOD in us as well.

Have a blessed Good Friday!

Antique Quilts

A couple weeks ago, my daughter and I got together for a Girls’ Getaway Weekend in Waco, TX. Now that Bethany is pursuing her PhD At Texas A&M, I miss seeing her on a regular basis. So we’ve made a pact to get together for one weekend each semester. And because she’s the one family member who is as big of a history nerd as I am, we always find a way to work in historical places to stay and visit.

This time, we stayed at an Air BnB place that used to be an old cotton gin. The owners gutted the building and created a wonderful space. Since it was just the two of us, we didn’t stay in the main house. We rented the guest house which actually used to be the office for the gin. (I just love living in history!) They decorated with modern amenities but had classic items like these sliding barn wood doors that really added character. There was even a nice little creek running along the edge of the property.

Now, Bethany and I aren’t that into shopping, so we skipped the Magnolia Silos, opting for the historical sites instead. We toured two historic homes built in the mid-1800s, walked across an historic bridge on the Brazos, and spent the afternoon at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

One of my favorite things to see in the historic homes were the antique quilts.

This first one is a gorgeous whitework quilt that is in amazing condition considering that it is over 150 years old.

All of the bedrooms were made up with quilts from the Victorian era.

But my favorite were the two crazy quilts we saw. These were made from silks and velvets from fancy dresses after they had worn out along with the usual calico cotton we are more accustomed to seeing. I was amazed at the embroidery. All of those flowers were stitched by hand when the block was pieced. Not only that, but look at the detail work of the stitches covering each of the seams. Each design is so unique and different.

This one is even more special. I took three close-up photos so you could see the treasure within the stitching. This friendship quilt carries the name of each lady who created a block. What a treasure to give to a friend or new bride as she leaves home. She can take her friends with her and sleep beneath the treasured memories of the love that went into the quilt. I just might have to work a friendship quilt into a story one of these days.

I’ve only made one quilt in my life, and it was a simple log cabin style done on the machine, but I admire the time and skill devoted to quilts, both today and those of yesteryear.

Are you a quilter?
Do you have any quilts or other needle craft items handed down in your family?

I hope that my cross stitch work will be passed down in my family one day after I’m gone.

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.

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

I spent last week in New Orleans! While we were there, one of our tour guides mentioned the phrase laissez le bon temps rouler — let the good times roll — which captures the flavor of New Orleans well.

We kicked off our time in New Orleans with a food walking tour of the French Quarter. I’m the trip planner in our family and I’ve had excellent luck finding vacation activities via TripAdvisor’s “Things To Do” section and also AirBnB’s “Experiences” section. Our walking tour turned out to be a great mix of history, sight-seeing, and food. The French MarketMuffaletta sandwichOur college girl didn’t have a spring break this year. (Apparently her university didn’t want all the kids going on trips and bringing Covid home as a souvenir.) And our 17 year old son stayed home to play basketball. So it was just me, His Highness, and our 11 year old in New Orleans. She’s the youngest and didn’t mind the undivided attention in the least.We saw three alligators in the wild on our Honey Island Swamp tour! We also saw snakes, wild boars, lots of birds. And got pelted in the face with rain (which motivated a storm of giggles) as we raced back to the dock.We were able to spend the better part of a day with reader and writer Rebekah Millet, her husband, and son. It was so kind of them to take time out of their schedule to visit with us. Check out those stunning live oaks! Our cemetery and Garden District bike tour introduced us to New Orlean’s distinctive cemeteries filled with above-ground tombs as well as a gorgeous neighborhood of old homes.Shrimp boil! Musicians played jazz for us while we ate.Animal lover.St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square.No visit to New Orleans would be complete without sampling the famous beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde. They lived up to the hype! In fact, we found them so delicious, we went back for a second round.Lighthouse on enormous Lake Pontchartrain

I’m glad I set aside a whole week for our trip! Because we took our time, we were able to explore numerous facets of the city. The history, the food, the music, the architecture, and the melting pot of cultures make New Orleans one of the most unique and intriguing places I’ve ever visited.

Have you been to New Orleans? If so, what sticks out in your memory? Will you be traveling this spring?

When the Headline doesn’t disappear + Giveaway

One thing that I learned early in my writing process is that I have to find an idea I can fall in love with for two years. Yep, you read that right. Two years. It takes roughly two years to go from building the proposal to writing and editing the book then through marketing the book as it releases. I knew I had to find an idea with Beyond Justice that could carry me through that space of time.

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It started with a headline. The United States was experiencing a flood of unaccompanied minor illegal aliens. Then I saw the photo of the Syrian refuge toddler who drowned while fleeing with his family. Both really made me think. What would it take to make a mother believe that her child was better off taking the horrific risks both journeys involved to reach the freedom offered by another country. And what if a child died while in custody of the United States at a detention facility. That became the genesis of Beyond Justice. I added in a feisty heroine, a strong hero, and layers of problems. But the germ of the book came from those headlines.

As an author, I expect that when I hit those magic “the end”, that book will settle into the back of my consciousness and I’ll move on to the next topic. I certainly expected that to be the case when I wrote Beyond Justice. I was excited to launch the Hidden Justice series with the book, but I was also eager to dive into the next book. When I wrote Beyond Justice, I thought the issue was one that would go away. At least that was my hope. I wrote it after seeing articles about unaccompanied minors at the border. Now it is back in the headlines. My heart breaks as I look at photos, like those here or here. In fact, as I was typing this post, I saw a headline from the Wall Street Journal calling this the largest crisis in 20 years.

It can be easy to see the headline and ignore the individual stories behind it.

This is why fiction matters.

It’s through fiction that these headlines become a story that our emotions engage with. We start asking ourselves questions. What would it take for me to send my child unaccompanied on a journey to another country that may not welcome them? Is it really so bad here, that this is the best option? 

Right now, the ebook for the Hidden Justice collection is on sale for $3.99. It’s a great time to pick up Beyond Justice, Imperfect Justice, and Delayed Justice. I realized as I participated in a bookclub last month that protecting children from various threats is at the heart of my legal thrillers. There’s something about these stories that demands that kids be protected. In Beyond Justice, the kids are new immigrants. In Imperfect Justice, it’s a story about protecting a child caught in a domestic abuse situation. For Delayed Justice it shifted to protecting kids from sexual abuse. And in Flight Risk it’s a little lighter, but still about protecting a child from bullying at school. Then in Lethal Intent, it’s about finding cures for those who are terminally ill and what lengths we’ll go to do that.

Yesterday, I was putting books on my bookshelf and realized I have two copies of Beyond Justice that are slightly battered on the spine because they weren’t shipped well. I’d like to give those away. Just use the form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Springtime Adventures

Hi friends,

Always happy to spend a day with you. It’s springtime, and I’m thrilled! Minus spring allergies, of course. But it’s staying light until after 7pm, flowers are starting to bloom (hence allergies), and the days are warming up! One of my favorite things about spring is getting to spend time outside without freezing. Here are just a few of the activities we enjoy!

Hiking. We’re fortunate to live in an area with so many hiking trails! We’ve hiked since our girls were super young, and now we get to enjoy hiking with the grandkids too. Somehow Little Dude always manages to find a large stick he wants to bring home, while Little Man is performing parkour feats on the boulders, trees and across the water.

Boating. So excited the kids bought one this year. I sense a summer full of adventure! Little Dude has pronounced himself Captain, and Little Man is Commodore.

Day trips. We’re fortunate to live in an area with a ton of fun places to go for the day. Some of our favorites include doing a cheesesteak run to Philly, taking in a Phillies game, visiting the National Zoo, or, my personal favorite, visiting Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, PA.

And, of course, visiting the beach.

One of my new favorite things to do outside is to write. Last year we got an outdoor sectional sofa, and I write out there all the time when it’s warm. I love listening to the birds and seeing the cardinals land on our bird house or feeder. Every now and then we even catch sight of an oriole. There’s something so relaxing and invigorating about being outside.

This year we’re planning to expand it to include a hammock swing, outdoor rug and hanging lanterns. It’s my spring project. I’ve had so much fun playing on Pinterest for inspiration. Here are few pics that I found super inspiring, just to give you an idea:

Picture attribution: https://onekindesign.com/
Check out their Pinterest page. It’s fabulous!

Question for you:

How about you? Do you have any fun spring projects in the works? What’s your favorite way to spend a warm spring day?

Giveaway: To kick off spring, I’m giving away a $20 Amazon Gift card.

To enter, all you have to do is comment below. The winner will be chosen Friday, announced in the comments section and contacted via email. Best of luck to you all!

Best of luck,

Dani

Cornwall’s Enduring Appeal

My newest release, A Castaway in Cornwall, is about a young woman who is transplanted to rugged, remote North Cornwall after her parents die under mysterious circumstances. Laura lives there with distant relatives but never feels like she belongs. One night, Laura helps rescue a shipwreck victim and tends his wounds, though there is something odd about the man’s injuries and accent. Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be, but he also might be her only chance to discover her parents’ fate, so she helps him, facing danger and a growing attraction for the handsome castaway.

(If you’re interested, you can order A Castaway in Cornwall from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book, or your local bookstore.)

Really, it’s not surprising that Laura struggles to fit in, as Cornwall is something of a world set apart from the rest of Britain even today, with its own culture, traditions, and a language they are working to revive. It’s a place many people (and many authors before me) have found fascinating and beautiful.

Located in the southwest tip of Great Britain, there’s just something about the wild, windswept Cornish coast: the cliffs, the waves, the charming villages, and the colorful boats bobbing in the harbours. Perhaps you love Cornwall, too. If so, you’re in good company.

Popular Travel Destination

Cornwall has long been a popular holiday destination, both for people from other parts of the UK, and for international visitors too. The last group trip I hosted (2019) visited Cornwall and it was a favorite with everyone. We hope to return one day. In the meantime, thankfully there are other ways to experience this appealing place.

Novels Set in Cornwall

If you read Winston Graham’s Poldark novels, you are already familiar with their Cornish setting. Or if you’re a Daphne Du Maurier reader, you know several of her books were set in Cornwall as well. And one of my previous novels, The Tutor’s Daughter, takes place in North Cornwall. Traveling via the pages of books is always a good idea!

Cornwall on Screen

Cornwall is also a popular filming location for both television shows and movies. Here are just a few. Have you seen them?

Cornish Music

And finally, for another perspective on Cornish culture, watch the charming movie, Fisherman’s Friends, inspired by the true story of a group of Cornish fishermen who land a recording contract. Sea Shanties are enjoying renewed popularity and are said to be “taking over the internet.” My husband and I have bought a few of the group’s CDs. We love listening to the toe-tapping, uplifting tunes. I recommend them to you!

Thanks for visiting. I hope this bit of “armchair travel” helps tide you over until we can travel again.

Hope for Times Like These (two giveaways!)

I wanted to let you know about a great giveaway that’s happening between now and Easter, featuring wonderful authors like Elizabeth Musser, Sharon Garlough Brown, Mesu Andrews, Roseanna White, Michelle Massaro, and many others. I’ll be giving away two copies of my new novel, Bridges.

Author Christine Dillon heads up the giveaway saying, “This time last year we were entering a time of real uncertainty and this year that uncertainty continues. These are good times to remind ourselves to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” I couldn’t agree more! The one certainty we have in this life is Jesus and the great hope He offers to all who call on His name.

Click on the image above, or HERE, to get all the details and enter the drawing to win these books—28 books in all, each offering a message of hope for times like those we are living in!

And before you go, I have a gift to offer you! For a limited time, my novel, Leaving November, Book 2 in the Clayburn Novels series, is free in ebook format. I hope you’ll grab your copy before the giveaway ends! And of course, while you’re there, I hope you’ll pick up the other two books in the series.

I hope Spring is beginning to show itself where you live, and that this season heading into the celebration of Easter is a very blessed one for you and yours.

Happy Monday!

Deb~

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.

Four Tips for Crafting the Mood of a Scene

Over the past decade, my five children have all moved into the teen years. Needless to say, we’ve had drama. And quite a bit of it. Moods swing high. And they swing low. Sometimes in a matter of minutes.

All the moodiness in my house reminds me of the need for creating moods in our stories. But all too often, manipulating the mood falls to the bottom of our list of writing to-do’s.

When we’re talking about moods in our stories, we’re not just talking about how our character feels. We’re not simply putting our character on a roller coaster ride of emotions. In fact, if we gave our character as many mood swings as a teenager, we’d probably annoy readers.

Rather, when talking about moods, we’re referring to the atmosphere or tone that we establish in scenes so that we can enhance the plot as well as engage the reader’s emotions on a deeper level.

Mood is one way to glue together all the elements of a scene–to combine the plot, characterization, and setting so that they work together to deliver a more powerful punch to the reading experience. In other words, there are techniques writers can use to increase the level of spookiness, joy, sadness, or fear.

As I thought about some of the ways I try to set the mood or tone of scenes, here are several methods I employ:

1. Pick setting details carefully.

Often we choose what setting details to include in a scene based on the POV character–what that specific person would see due to their personality, history, etc. Other times we include setting details for foreshadowing or symbolic purposes.

But another way to decide what to include when we’re grounding readers in the setting is by establishing the mood. For example, if we’re trying to instill fear, we might show the sharp knife on the counter, the dirty crack in the window pane, or the jagged rip in the curtain.

If we’re trying to set happier tone, perhaps we’d bring attention to more cheerful aspects in the setting that our character notices like the basket of fresh picked apples (next to the knife), the way the crack in the window is shaped like a cross, or the cheerful yellow of the ripped curtain.

2. Use internal narration and corresponding actions.

Internal narration gives our readers a glimpse into the minds of our characters. We take them deeper into the thoughts and motivations that drive our character’s actions.

On the one hand, we can use our character’s internal narration to reflect a positive mood. While she’s picking her hundredth hill of potatoes for the day, she hardly feels the shovel in her blistered hands because inside in her internal narration she’s overflowing with gratefulness for the harvest that will help her family through the winter. She hums or whistles while she works.

But if she’s unhappy at the end of the day of picking potatoes, then she’ll think about every ache in her back, notice the dirt caked under fingernails, and long for a cool dipper of water to pour over her itchy scalp. She may jerk her shovel into the rocky soil and mutter with every breath.

We can also use the character’s internal narration to establish a dichotomy of mood. For example, our POV characters can be content and grateful at the end of the day picking potatoes, but she only briefly notices the smoke spiraling in the distance and the animals stampeding to the river signaling the forest fire drawing nearer.

3.  Speed up or slow down the pace.

Varying the pacing is a technique we often use when plotting. But we can also establish the mood in a similar fashion. When we’re trying to create a tense or fearful mood, we would create choppy dialogue, shorter sentences, and less internal narration.

When we’re in the middle of a romantic kiss or pleasant moment, we can slow down the pacing, draw out the moment, move the camera lens languidly over what’s happening to enhance the sensual or romantic mood.

4. Make use of the five senses.

In the same way that we pick our setting details to establish mood, we can also carefully bring in the five sense to help enhance the mood.

Perhaps our character is grieving the loss of a child and so we’ll have the sun be too bright and hot, the hardtack is bland, the grit of dust coats her tongue, the scent of horseflesh is overpowering, and the buzz of flies incessant.

The senses of sight, taste, texture, smell, and sound can all add to the atmosphere of the scene and make the reading experience more vivid for our readers.

My Summary: When we regularly look for ways to strengthen the mood, we’re better able to breathe life into our stories so that they jump off the page and into the hearts of our readers.

How about you? Have you ever dealt with moody teens? And how are you doing in establishing the mood of your story?