Becky Wade's Blog, page 140

Book Pairings

In my opinion, a book makes a wonderful present in and of itself. But I also love the idea of “book parings”. In other words, a book paired with a gift that corresponds to the novel.

Recently, eighteen romance author friends and I who are all members of the A Most Storied Romance Facebook group (which we’d love for you to join) created a Holiday Gift Guide of book pairings. I was so charmed by the pairings that I thought I’d share a few of them with you today in case this provides inspiration for gifts to give the booklovers in your life or inspiration for your own Christmas wish list. You can find the full Holiday Gift Guide of pairings here!

Courtney Walsh’s A Match Made at Christmas pairs with this gourmet cocoa set, because her story is set in Nantucket at Christmas.



Karen Witemeyer’s At Love’s Command pairs with decorative cowboy bookends, because her novel takes place in 1890’s Texas.



Janine Rosche’s This Wandering Heart pairs with a watercolor print that says “All good things are wild and free” because her heroine is a travel blogger who loves to take trips to wild places.



Carrie Turansky’s The Governess of Highland Hall pairs with this Royal Holiday Tea Set because her novel is set in Edwardian England.



My Stay with Me pairs with with apple-themed throw pillows because the hero lives on an historic farm and grows apples in his orchard.



Regina Jenning’s Courting Misfortune pairs with this notebook because her heroine is an undercover agent and this notebook is perfect for jotting down undercover agent observations.



Cara Putman’s Flight Risk pairs with headphones because her novel is suspense and goodness knows we all need noise-cancelling headphones while reading suspense.



Susan Tuttle’s Love You, Truly pairs with Godiva Holiday Truffles because chocolate should be a guilt-free treat — which is something the hero helps the heroine learn during the course of the story.



Personally, I tend to pair books with bubble bath, coffee, tea, chocolate, a bedside reading light, and bookmarks. What’s your favorite thing to pair with a book?

The ebook of my romantic Christmas novella, Because of You, will be on sale for 99 cents for the rest of December! In this one, a bookish professor and a chocolate shop manager team up to bring Christmas to a single mom. For a list of the novella’s online retailers, click here or on the image below.

A Free eBook!

Today would have been my sweet mom’s 88th birthday—she’s celebrating this one in heaven—and I’m celebrating here on earth with a free eBook for my readers.

A Vow to Cherish was my very first novel. It has been through many, many variations, was made into a movie, was my first mass market-size book, has been translated into Dutch, Swedish, German, and several other languages, and has had more covers than I can remember! (The most recent in the images above were designed by my talented husband, Ken Raney.)

I hope you’ll get the free ebook, and while you’re there, maybe grab a copy of the sequel, Within This Circle, or the audiobook, or a print copy, too.

I’ll leave you with this precious photo of my parents, taken in 1951 when they were teenagers. My parents met when they were 8 years old and my dad was sitting on a fence rail showing off. It was love at first sight and love “till death do us part.” This picture makes me smile big, thinking how they had no idea when the photo was snapped that their love would turn into a family of five children, twelve grandchildren, and at least twice that many great-grandchildren (I’ve lost count!) Happy birthday in Heaven, Mothe.

Inspired by Christmas

Hi friends,

Is it just me or does it feel like Christmas came on so fast this year? It just doesn’t feel like it’s Christmastime yet. It’s probably because, thanks to the sweet kindness of a friend, my family got to spend two weeks in the Outerbanks and enjoy Thanksgiving there. It could be because I’m working hard on a book and I haven’t wrapped a single present, or because I came down with a virus or Covid symptoms this weekend and had to be tested yesterday. So the tree itself is up with lights, but no ornaments yet. However, none of that truly has anything to do with Christmas.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. It’s about God coming to live among us in the person of His Son, our Savior, for those who believe. My writing group, who I’ve hosted at a mentoring retreat two years in a row, has dubbed themselves Dani’s Darlings. I love it. Together, we are studying Emmanuel—a Lifeway Women’s Bible study. I’ve been sitting down daily to spend time reflecting on how God has always been with His people, from the Garden of Eden, to the leading the Israelites in the desert, all the way through Christ’s birth. Emmanuel—God with us.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel: An Advent Study by Lifeway Women

In addition, to ring in the Christmas spirit, the wonderful Julie Klassen has come out with her first Christmas novella, An Ivy Hill Christmas, and I can’t wait for my copy to get here!

Julie is a sweet friend and this picture reminds me of some wintery fun we had several years ago, but not in Minnesota as you’d imagine. This was on the east coast when Julie and a group of author friends joined me in Lancaster, PA.

Looking at this picture makes me want to curl up in front of the fireplace with An Ivy Hill Christmas and enjoy a steaming cup of cocoa. But I’m not going to save the goodies all for myself. For everyone who comments below, one winner will randomly be chosen. I’ll announce the winner on Friday in the comment’s section below, and you’ll receive a copy of An Ivy Hill Christmas and some yummy cocoa to go with it.

And, to add to the fun, hop on over to yesterday’s post by Julie and get a yummy recipe based on a UK Christmas recipe.

Reader Question: What Christmas book are you planning to read or movie are you planning to watch?

Blessings,

Dani

Cookies & Christmas

Photo credit: Megan Scott, Faery Tales Are Real blog

In my first-ever Christmas novella, we included a recipe for a cookie (“biscuit” in the UK) based on a British recipe featuring honey (in honor of Honeycroft cottage in the novel) and adapted to US measurements.

The recipe as made by my friend, Tiffany.

The cookie reminds me of a spicy Snickerdoodle in taste, but the addition of colored sugar makes it more festive.

Photo credit: Mimi Noble, books.n.blossoms

I have been so delighted to hear how much people are enjoying An Ivy Hill Christmas, and I hope you will enjoy it as well—perhaps with tea and biscuits!

Recipe from the book.

Have you started baking for Christmas yet?

Meatloaf Ministry

This past November was the seventeenth anniversary of my sister Bonnie’s death from cancer. As I was trolling through files on my computer recently, I found this article I wrote in 2003. Since Covid-19 has eliminated many of the church’s visible ministries and programs, I thought my reflections might be reassuring to all of the church’s “invisible” workers.

The minivan halted in my sister Bonnie’s driveway. I helped the driver carry warm, foil-covered pans into the kitchen. The food smelled heavenly—as well it should, for this was manna from heaven, a gift from God, delivered by one of His messengers. “Please tell Bonnie we’re praying for her,” she said before driving away.

The simple, unheralded task, bringing a meal to a fellow church member undergoing chemotherapy, was probably one of a dozen items on her to-do list. Compared to more visible ministries, her contribution may have seemed paltry to her. Perhaps she promised herself that she would do more for the kingdom of God someday, when her busy life settled down. I would like to tell her and all the other behind-the-scenes laborers how your humble meatloaf, offered in Christ’s name, ministered to my sister, to her family, and to me.

Bonnie’s cancer had robbed her of her job as well as her health. Chemotherapy caused hair and weight losses, and left her too weak to climb the stairs, let alone to be a wife and mother. As she grieved these losses, she clung to her faith in God like a lifeboat. I lived 700 miles away and felt helpless. “Don’t let her feel abandoned,” I prayed. “Let her see Your unfailing love.” When I finally was able to visit, I saw how God had been answering my prayers. For weeks, the women in Bonnie’s church had provided meals, demonstrating God’s concern, allowing her to feel the warmth of His love. These meals served as daily reminders of His presence.

Having meals delivered gave me the gift of time to spend with my sister. And when my brother-in-law returned home from work, a hot, home-cooked meal revived his spirits. The loss of income, coupled with mounting medical debts, clearly worried him. But for the weeks that the food continued, his food bills were lowered. With his prayer for “daily bread” answered, he was able to trust God for his other worries.

 My nephew was angry with God, unable understand why He would allow his mom to suffer. One night, I tempted him with a homemade apple pie that had arrived, warmed in the microwave. As we sat and talked, I said, “I think I finally understand the verse that says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’” He smiled, and for a wonderful moment, as he helped himself to seconds, a hurting son glimpsed God’s goodness in a warm slice of apple pie.

His younger brother longed to have a friend over to play video games. The many gifts of food made that invitation possible. His friend wasn’t from a Christian home. He and his stressed-out single mom rarely sat down to a meal. “I starve when I go to his house,” my nephew told me. But on game night, the bounty of food had multiplied in our refrigerator like loaves and fishes. I re-heated a week’s worth of leftovers, spreading everything out on the table like a potluck supper. Desserts overflowed onto the kitchen counter. My nephew’s friend surveyed the bounty, wide-eyed. “Did you have a party or something?” he asked. “Where’d all this food come from?”

“The people at our church keep bringing it,” my nephew explained—somewhat wide-eyed himself. The Lord had prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemy, cancer. Indeed, our cup overflowed. The boys heaped their plates with food. Our anonymous chefs had displayed the love of the Body of Christ in all its beauty to a hungry boy without a church family.

One young mother delivered a meal with two preschoolers in tow. “I helped make dessert,” the older girl said. The cake was slightly lopsided, the candy sprinkles unevenly dumped by a pair of small hands. Life can be overwhelming for a young mother with endless diapers and midnight feedings, and I recognized this woman’s gift as a true sacrifice. If anyone could be excused from preparing an extra meal, it would be her. But instead of wallowing in her own weariness, she chose to serve others. She also took a few minutes to pray with Bonnie. As I watched the children fold their hands and pray, I saw that this mother was giving a gift to her daughters, too, by her own quiet example.

One sunny afternoon a young man in his mid-twenties pulled up in his SUV bearing a loaf of garlic bread, pasta, and a pot of fresh spaghetti sauce. “I’m just learning to cook,” he explained. “All I can make is spaghetti sauce, so here it is.” He’d prepared it from scratch, simmering it in his slow cooker for two days. I thought of the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers” (1 Tim 4:12).

A middle-aged woman, suffering from Multiple Sclerosis needed help carrying her gift of pot roast and potatoes. She explained that her illness didn’t give her very many good days, and she was often unable to cook for her own family. “But I prayed for strength to do this when I signed up at church and God answered my prayer,” she said. She also gave Bonnie the gift of her time, sharing what God had taught her through her own illness, offering much-needed hope as she testified of His goodness.

After returning home, I volunteered to prepare a meal for a family from my own church. I sliced, simmered and sautéed with a sense of reverence, aware that God might use my humble offering for His glory. He’d taught me not to discount the small, unsung tasks done in His name, or to say I have no ministry simply because it isn’t visible. “Anyone who gives even a cup of cold water in my name,” Jesus said, “will certainly not lose his reward.” And I’m very sure He’ll say the same to those who’ve offered a lopsided cake and a simple meatloaf.

What ways have you found to minister to others during these unusual times?

Inspired by Scripture

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The Difference Between Influencing and Reviewing

One of the major ways I prepare for every book’s release is by forming a Release Crew made up of influencers. In the publishing world, influencer is often used to refer to a reader who signs up to help in the promotion of a book in exchange for a free copy of that book.

An influencer doesn’t just agree to write a review of the book. Although reviews are a big part of influencing, influencers do SO much more than review. They share their enthusiasm about the book in countless ways (by recommending the book to their libraries, posting pictures of the book to Instagram, taking pictures of themselves with the book, passing out bookmarks, etc., etc., etc.)

We all know how powerful word-of-mouth can be in marketing a book. Influencers are strategic in getting the “talk” going and can help the marketing efforts at the time of a book’s release.

As I form my Release Crew for each book release, I always ask those who are interested to commit to completing at least 5 influential actions from a list of suggestions I give them. Then once they complete their actions, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire and let me know what they’ve done (usually within a month of the book’s release). I’ve found that this kind of accountability helps keep everyone on my release crew on the same page and working in a timely manner.

However, inevitably not everyone who joins my Release Crew will end up liking my book. Obviously, readers can’t predict whether they’ll like a book when they sign up and agree to be a team member. So for those who read the book and decide it’s not their cup of tea, I ask that they do two things: 1. Give their copy of the book to someone they think might enjoy it.  2. Share at least one other positive review or blog posts regarding the book.

Influencers who don’t like my book don’t have to gush and pretend to be enthusiastic. Usually they just opt not to say anything at all rather than hurt the author’s marketing efforts. I ask them to follow the old adage taught to them by their mother: “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.“

That saying is THE key difference between influencers and book reviewers.

Many book reviewers also get a free copy of the book (either through Net Galley or the publisher’s book review program). Unlike my Release Crew which I control, I have no say in who gets a review copy of my book.

A book reviewer may or may not be a fan of the author. Most often their intention is to provide a helpful review for other readers. They are NOT agreeing to promote the book or author, although indirectly that can happen, particularly if they really liked the book and get excited about it. They may write a stellar review and recommend the book to others.

But a book reviewer can also rip the book to shreds if they don’t like it. Their job is to provide a helpful and honest review. They’re often asked to share that review in a number of different places (online bookstores, a blog, Goodreads, etc.).

In other words, a book reviewer’s goal is to help the READER make wise reading choices. An influencer’s goal is to help the AUTHOR with promotion.

As I draw near to the release of another book, A Cowboy For Keeps (Jan. 5, 2021), I’m once again in the process of putting together a Release Crew.

If you’re interested in joining my team (for this or future books), head over and join my Facebook Reader Room where I post sign-ups. Please note, I have limited places available on my Release Crew and am not able to take everyone who applies. But I do always appreciate readers who continue to influence even when they aren’t officially a part of the crew!

Which do you prefer, being an influencer or reviewer? Why?

Living History

Last month, I met my daughter in Brenham, TX for a girls getaway weekend. We rented a cute little one-room house (over 200 years old!) in nearby Chappell Hill. We watched movies and relaxed a lot (Bethany just started a PhD program at Texas A&M, so relaxation was high on her to-do list), but we also spent Saturday afternoon exploring.

Our cute rental house with original 200-year-old wood floors!

One of the places we visited was Washington on the Brazos, an historic park just a few miles down the road. We saw the site where Texas declared its independence from Mexico and became its own nation. Super cool! If you are interested in seeing pictures and learning more, I blogged about it here.

In the same park, we found Barrington Farm. Here, they have the historic home of Dr. Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. The home was a dogtrot style house with an open breezeway down the center to help keep it cool with two rooms on each side. On the left were two bedrooms, and on the right were a parlor and dining room. The kitchen was a separate building behind the house. This was a prosperous family with four children, yet the house was tiny compared to most houses today.

My favorite part of the experience, however, was meeting all the living history reenactors who were there. We were fortunate enough to visit on a weekend when they had artisans demonstrating crafts from the 1850s. My favorite, of course, was the blacksmith. The fellow I talked to wasn’t exactly Levi (my hero in To Win Her Heart), but he knew his business and had a shy, competent manner that I found quite appealing. We also got to meet a chandler (candle maker) who was named . . . Chandler! Too fun. They had a potter and a kiln, a brick maker and tanner, and someone making tin soldiers. Closer to the house was the separate kitchen building, the laundry, and smokehouse. And over in the orchard was a surveyor who got quite excited about trigonometry, which made my math nerd daughter super happy.

Have you ever visited a living history museum or park?

Which of the artisans pictured above would you most like to talk to?

Bonus!

The first book in my Hanger’s Horsemen series, At Love’s Command is on sale today through December 6 for only $1.99. Hooray. Treat yourself to an early stocking stuffer or surprise a friend with an e-book gift!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

Forging Our New Path, part 1

I promised I’d let you know where we landed after our whirlwind departure from Austin. But since our furniture has yet to arrive, I’ll do this in two parts.

We returned to the place where we (mostly) raised our kids. Where my sisters both live. Where my parents are as well. My two married couple kids (and grand baby!) are both much closer as well.

Here’s the fun part: when we were dreaming about empty nesting, long before the Austin job appeared, we dreamed about being able to live in an adorable new neighborhood in our town. It was near the historic district, and all the new homes being built in that neighborhood had a more historic feel. But we knew it would mean downsizing quite a bit, and we weren’t quite sure how we felt about that. Besides, we would likely have to build because houses in that neighborhood very rarely hit the market. And they didn’t sit unsold for long.

Fast forward to October. Again we dreamed of living in this neighborhood. And now the smaller square footage seemed enormous to us after our tiny condo. Then there was the actual house for sale, which seemed like it would fit us to a T. Only just as we knew we were, indeed, returning, the house went off the market! My response: I guess that wasn’t our house. (Said with a heavy sigh.)

Long story short, it wasn’t off the market because it wasn’t our house. I believe it went off the market because the Lord was saving it for us! The Friday before Thanksgiving, we closed and moved in. We had a bed, 2 barstools, and a futon sofa to sit on. We had clothes, a few kitchen things, a TV. Not even wifi! But we settled in easily in spite of all that. And we discovered what a wonderful neighborhood this really is!

So I’ll start with some of my joys outside of our new home.

First, we have a tree that changes color in the fall! Isn’t it lovely?

Second, a side and back view of no houses! Behind us is the alley and a tree line. Beside us is a path that leads to the clubhouse and pool or down to some winding back trails through the neighborhood. It also has a tire swing ready for some old-fashioned fun. Quite a change from the city scape that has been our view for a few years.

Third, we figured walking the sidewalks would be great, but then we discovered these lovely back trails! And the green spaces built into the neighborhood, too. Add in the large city park across the street from the development and you have your choice of outdoor walking spaces.

Finally, it just makes me smile when I drive or walk down the street and see homes in the style of a different era. It is a tight-knit community as well, very friendly and sociable people, many in our same stage of life.

Add to all of that the wrap around porch in front and the porch/deck in back, and there you have it! A neighborhood above and beyond even our high expectations!

The house itself? I think it’s a dream! But you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for part two!

What is your favorite part of your neighborhood?

A surreal blessing . . . unwrapped

There are moments in your life that give you pause. Some are bitter, some are sweet. I received my Christy Award Hall of Fame award in the mail last week, which was definitely a sweet one!

I opened the package, then the box and, for a moment, I simply stared, letting what still feels like a fairly surreal blessing sink in.

My thoughts quickly turned back to 2008 when I won my first Christy Award for Remembered. Dad and Mom were with me that night in Orlando for the Christy Award gala, which made the joy of winning so much sweeter since I got to share the experience with them.

But that day also holds another vivid memory. That was the first day we suspected that Dad was having more serious memory issues than simply those of “growing older.”

He and Mom were staying at a nearby Marriott and, as was his daily custom, he went out for a walk that afternoon before we were scheduled to meet for the awards ceremony. Not long after he left the hotel, he called Mom, panicked, scarcely able to breathe, she said, saying he didn’t know where he was or how he’d gotten there.

It was a wake up call for them, for our whole family. And little did we know then that that was only the beginning. Because seven months later Mom would be diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, then would be safely Home with Jesus six months following, in August 2009. Dad followed her a decade later, almost to the day, after a long journey with dementia.

But God knew. He saw. And he faithfully provided, faithfully walked those roads with us.

He’s so good to give us the bitter moments of life that, in his mercy, keep us dependent on him, that remind us that this earth is not a believer’s home, that so much “better” awaits us in every way.

And he gives us the sweet moments to encourage us in our sanctification journey, to give us a taste of the eternal, of his goodness. He gives us both because he knows what we need better than we know ourselves. And his timing is always perfect. And aren’t we grateful?

Here are a couple more pictures from the Christy Awards gala that year (2008). You’ll recognize these pretty smiles . . .

Me with our own sweet Deb Raney, along with DiAnn Mills, grabbing a pic with our medallions



Me with Shelly Beach and our own dear Lynn Austin, who was the very first inductee to the Christy Hall of Fame. In fact, it was only after Lynn garnered eight—8!—Christy Awards in the historical novel category that the Christy Hall of Fame came into being. I think the Christy powers-that-be figured if they didn’t get Lynn out of the way, no one else would ever win! : )

Here’s the award on our sofa table. Isn’t it pretty? Especially with the sunlight shining through?

The award didn’t stay there, however. Bailey, our youngest Australian terrier, found it much too enticing. The little scamp . . .



Learn more about the Christy Award Hall of Fame and the current inductees

As I said in my acceptance speech on November 12 during the online Christy Awards webcast, I’m so grateful to the gifted editors I’ve worked with through the years. Especially Karen Schurrer.

Karen and I have written nine books together, including my first three Christy wins. Karen is a jewel of a person—and one fabulous editor!

Remembered (2008), From a Distance (2009), A Note Yet Unsung (2017), With This Pledge (2019)



Steven James was inducted into the Hall of Fame that evening too. If you haven’t read Steven’s books yet, treat yourself! Here’s his latest Christy winner, E very Wicked Man.

It’s an honor to receive this award, for sure. But when I look at it, I don’t so much see “the wins” through the years. I see relationships.

Relationships with writer buddies who I dearly love and without whom I wouldn’t be writing (and having such fun as I do!). I see the many wonderful editors I’ve worked with who have made my writing SO much better than it would have been on my own. I see my parents who were Jesus in the flesh to me in this life. I see my family and friends who have repeatedly encouraged me in my writing career (especially Joe, Kelsey, and Kurt). And I see readers who are one of the biggest blessings in this journey—sharing our experiences and taking steps closer to Christ together.

In closing, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. We were able to be with extended family and, especially after this past year, it was such an incredible blessing!

I’m so grateful for the honors and affirmations God gives us in our earthly walk, and I’m thankful for this particular award, for sure. But far more, I’m so grateful for all the relationships God has blessed my life with. And the best part?

Earthly awards and affirmations will fade, but these relationships—relationships formed and rooted in Christ—will last forever. This is only the beginning. Talk about encouraging!

And another upcoming BLESSING…

We have a wedding this weekend! Our son Kurt is marrying the girl of his dreams on Sunday! So if God brings us to mind, I’d sure appreciate your prayers for this family gathering and celebration. Pics to come next time!

Kurt and Kellie (Fuselier, but soon to be Alexander!)

Much love, friends, and I’d love to hear about some of your own bitter and sweet moments that have drawn you closer to the Lord.

Tamera