Becky Wade's Blog, page 144

A New Cover & a New Genre!

Today I’m super excited to reveal the cover of Come Back to Me, a time-crossing novel releasing in June of 2021 through Revell Publishers.

This book has my trademark sizzling romance but interweaves it with a blend of contemporary and historical with an element of fantasy. (If you’ve read Outlander by Gabaldon or The Rose Garden by Kearsley, then you’ll understand a little bit about what’s in store!)

I’ve written over thirty novels in the historical genre, so you might be asking what in the world made me decide to write a time-crossing novel?

I’ve always loved reading time-crossing books, but in recent years realized how few there are to choose from. In fact, in CBA (Christian Book Association), I can count on one hand the number of time-crossing books I’ve read.

After devouring the few books I could find in both the CBA and general markets, I decided maybe I should just write one for myself. I happened to have a free block of time in my schedule between projects, and so I gave myself the fun treat of writing one.

Come Back to Me uses a gentler, less sci-fi approach to time traveling. There are no time machines or stone hedges or strange disappearances. Instead, this time-crossing involves ancient holy water that is connected to the Tree of Life once found in the Garden of Eden.

In the Middle Ages, holy water was bottled and sold at Canterbury Cathedral to pilgrims and was known to heal diseases. In fact if you go to the cathedral today you’ll see stained glass windows bearing testimony to the healings.

In Come Back to Me, research scientist Marian Creighton, thinks her father’s quest to find the holy water is crazy, even if it stems from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. When her father finds and drinks a vial of ancient holy water and falls into a coma, Marian finds clues that suggest he’s crossed back in time. At first she thinks he’s insane, until she tests his theories and finds herself smack dab in the middle of the bloody Peasant Revolt of 1381.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian’s rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Without further ado, here’s the cover!

I truly hope you’ll find this story a fun escape! If you’ve enjoyed my medieval stories, I especially think this book will be right up your alley!  To add it to your GoodReads bookshelf go HERE. To pre-order on Amazon go HERE. (Other retailers will have it for pre-order soon!)

Speaking of medieval books, Beguiled, the second book in my Fairest Maidens series released this week. To find out more about it, head to my website HERE.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” That’s hard to do, isn’t it? How much of a role does a cover have in whether you’ll pick up and read a book?

So Many Books + Giveaway

So many fantastics books have come out lately. I’ve been reading as my to be read pile comtinues to grow. There’s something about the temperatures turning cooler (and the grading piling up!) that makes me want to curl up with books. Today I thought I’d share a few of my recent favorites. I’d love to know what you’re reading and will have a giveaway at the end.

Yesterday was the release day for Denise Hunter’s latest novel, Autumn Skies. The third in her Bluebell Inn series, I couldn’t wait to read Grace’s story and see how the other siblings were doing. What I didn’t expect, but loved!, was the way that Denise brought in past history of the home that had been hinted at in prior books and made it front and center for this one. The hero is a Secret Service officer who is sent off to get his head on straight. To do that he returns home. What he doesn’t know, and Grace can’t anticipate, is how they’re darkest moments and deepest wounds are intersected. The romance is so sweet, but the masterful part of this book is how the hero and heroine have to confront their past to step into the future. Each of the siblings also has to confront what they really want for their futures. A perfect ending. One I savored on each page.

It’s a good thing words don’t automatically add to our waistlines, because The Key to Love is filled with macaroons and petit-fours. Bri has big dreams of following in her mother’s footsteps. That can be by keeping the bakery her mom worked for in Story, Kansas, in business and following her mom’s footsteps to Paris. Gerard just wants to write his magazine story and leave. This is not his idea of a great feature article. But the two collide over bitter coffee and slowly come to see what the other has to offer. It’s a sweet romance set in small town Kansas. It’s about unfulfilled dreams and the courage to go. It’s about the courage to face the truth about the past. And the courage to step into the risk that is love. A truly enjoyable read.

Y’all, I adore Jen’s books. They are so witty and the characters just out there enough to be pure fun. To Steal a Heart did not disappoint at all! This book was such fun to read. Set in New York City near the turn of the century, Gabriella was a thief as a child, who was then abandoned to an orphanage. Now she is a seamstress who has to use her thieving skills to help a friend who’s been falsely accused of a crime. With the “help” of her roommates at a boarding house, she tries to solve the crimes, but isn’t prepared to have to work with the man who she believes abandoned her as a child. This story is filled with humor, romance, and the hint of more stories to come. I loved it!

Now for six books I am very excited to read soon:

Amy Green’s debut novel Things We Didn’t Say is set during WWII at a Prisoner of War camp, so I cannot wait to dig in. When I wrote Captive Dreams, it was set in a Prisoner of War camp in Nebraska, which opened my eyes to a chapter of WWII history I hadn’t been aware of. I’m eager to see what she does with that idea.

Jaime is one of my favorite author peeps. She is so giving and so talented. The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus is one of those books that I have loved from the moment I saw the cover. Can’t wait to open and settle into the pages and story.

These four have arrived in the last week, and are calling to me. First i must grade. Then I’ll have to choose one of these six to read first. Clearly I need to take a month off just to read these wonderful books! Which one of these would you pick to read first? And what are you currently reading? Use the form below to enter the giveaway for Jaime Jo Wright’s The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus.

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Change is the Only Constant in Life

I like sameness. And routine. But of course life doesn’t let you continue on in your same path indefinitely. In this life, we encounter changes in age, marital status, and parenting. We change homes, cities, and jobs. We even change friends and churches, on occasion. All these seems to prove the truth stated by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus:

My husband and I are currently in the midst of some big changes in our life. We shouldn’t have been surprised, but we were. At least by the agent of the change. We knew it would come, but we thought it would be a smoother transition, and one of our own making. Instead, our life was thrown into chaos in an instant.

But as I was trying to calm the panic inside me last week, I found myself grateful for the fact that my God never changes even when so much in my life does.

Four and a half years ago, we embarked on a season of constant and crazy change. As I started to make a list, I realized it was even more than I’d imagined! In less than five years:

Our location/living situation changed.

We moved to a new city (with all that entails—new doctors, new post office, new directions to learn, new church, new friends, etc, etc.).

We moved downtown instead of to a suburb.

We moved from a 2700 sq ft house to a 1300 sq ft apartment to a 750 sq ft condo in a high-rise, which required not only a reduction in stuff but also meant we had no room for visitors.

We went from 2 cars to 1, relying on Uber when our schedules collided.

We walked more than we drove.

Our professional situations changed.

I no longer had a traditional publishing contract and instead learned indie publishing through 2 novellas.

My husband took a job with much greater responsibility in overseeing work, employees, and a very large budget. He also had situations requiring his attention that would pop up at any given moment outside of work hours.

My husband travelled often for work and I often accompanied him.

Our family situation changed.

Our youngest child graduated from college.

Our boys got married within 11 months of each other, giving us 2 new daughters.

Our first grand baby was born!

Our daughter got her Masters, then her Ph.D., and moved from Philadelphia to Texas to Boston.

All that is a ton of change in itself, but then we added the biggest change of all: the COVID pandemic.

Truthfully, we’d finally settled into all that change. We were enjoying our “empty nest adventure” as we’d deemed it. But as the pandemic elongated, we suddenly found ourselves longing for a little more living space, to be closer to family–including our kids and granddaughter–and a less stressful job for my husband.

And then the old job was done in the space of a heartbeat, and the new one (which was the original old one!) slid right into place. Once again, we are caught in the whirlwind of change.

God was clearly with us in the all the change in our lives of these past 4 1/2 years, and I know He is with us in this new season of change. When the chaos dies down, I’ll let you know where we’ve landed, but for now I’m holding on to two truths—Heraclitus’s statement that change is the only constant in life, and the truth that God’s love and care for us will never change.

So tell me, do you enjoy change or sameness? What is the biggest change you’ve had to walk through (beside COVID changes!)?

Bakers Gotta Bake—and a GIVEAWAY!

We’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, and I’m already looking forward to being with family, to playing games, and to preparing (and eating) those delicious foods associated with the holidays. Which means I’m already thinking about food! What’s new, huh?

Are you a “traditional Thanksgiving dinner” family? Or do you cook something different? Like Mexican food? Or steaks with potatoes? Or Beef Burgundy?

We’re a “traditional dinner” kind of family (at least most years), and this year we’ll have turkey with cornbread dressing and all the fixings. Each family will bring their favorite dishes to share.

I’ll prep some old favorites like Mammy’s Fruit Salad, Aunt Lyda’s Sweet Potato Souffle, and Mimi’s Delicious Biscuits (Mimi was my Mom), and also her yummy Chocolate Cake!

I still remember the weekend years ago when we were living in Abilene, Texas, and I packed up Kelsey (Kurt wasn’t born yet) and drove to Wellington (Texas) to stay with Joe’s grandmother Tillie (everyone called her Mammy) to learn how to make some of her recipes. Her potato salad, her fruit salad, and her tuna salad. She was a great cook!



I love this recipe I got from mom who got it from my dear Aunt Ethel (who just departed for her forever Home this year).



The recipes written in Mom’s own handwriting are especially precious to me now. In fact, I’ve been intending to frame several of them for safekeeping and haven’t done that yet.

I actually keep my favorite recipes (especially the oldies from family members that are on recipe cards) in a picture file on my iPhone so that, if I’m at the store and need to be reminded of the recipes, the recipes are handy! Does anyone else do that?

When my daughter Kelsey was young, she used to love helping me while I baked. With “help” being a relative term . . .

Kelsey loved stacking and restacking all the baking pans. But one particular Sunday afternoon, I’d made a cake for community group at church that night only to come into the kitchen and find her helping herself! Sheesh, that girl! Who needs a fork, huh?

I love to cook. But I really love to bake. Baking is relaxing for me. Sometimes when I’m writing and I get stumped as to where to go next, I’ll head to the kitchen to bake up something sweet and yummy. And Keto, of course, in keeping with our lifestyle choice.

There’s just something comforting about preparing foods of your heritage, foods you’ve enjoyed with family and friends through the years. Especially now that the years are flying by and so many of those loved ones are gathered Home with Christ.

Maybe that’s why I include so many recipes in my historical novels. Recipes from the past. I LOVE it when friends send pictures of recipes they’ve made from one of my novels. Recipes like Mam’s Irish Butterscotch Pie from Colors of Truth, a Carnton novel that just released. Thanks, Jan!

Read more about Colors of Truth

So tell me, are you a traditional Thanksgiving dinner family (Turkey and dressing, etc…)? Or do you break the mold with something new and different? What are some of your favorite family recipes to make during the holidays (and who passed them down to you)?

Much love, friends, and I look forward to hearing from you. I love our community here at Inspired By Life & Fiction!

Tamera

GIVEAWAY TODAY HERE ON INSPIRED BY LIFE & FICTION

I’m giving away two fabulous hardback cookbooks today—here on this blog post. Cookbooks filled with yummy sweet desserts to get you started thinking about your holiday baking!

Simply leave a comment below and your name will be added to the hat. (If you’re not interested in winning one of the books, just add a quick comment stating that in your post.)

GIVEAWAY ENDS at 8PM tonight when I’ll draw two names at random and post the winners here by 9PM. Due to postage costs, winners must have U.S. mailing addresses, please.

A Sneak Peek . . .

One of the most exciting moments for me as an author is when I first get to see the cover design for my newest novel. There have been some that I have loved, some that were so-so, and a few that I’ve really disliked. My publisher asks for my input and ideas, of course, but I never know what the final outcome will be. It’s up to the design team to choose an image and a “look” that best fits the characters, the story, the novel’s tone, and its theme. Not an easy thing to do! How do you capture the essence of a complex, 400-page novel with multiple characters and story lines in a single, compelling picture?

They say “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” but I’m not sure that’s true. I find myself doing it all the time. Some covers are so off-putting for a variety of reasons, that I’m not even tempted to read the back-cover copy to see what the book is about. Other covers look like books I’ve seen a hundred times before, making me wonder if the story is also one I’ve read a hundred times before. But then there are those very special covers that are so arresting that I want to turn to the first page of the book and start reading as quickly as I can. That’s the kind of cover I always want for my books!

Well, I may be slightly biased, but I think the design team at Tyndale House did an extraordinary job with the cover for my newest novel, “Chasing Shadows.” The book will be released next June, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peek, just for you . . .

What do you think? Do you spot any clues that tell you what the book is about, or when and where it takes place? The windmill and flat landscape will probably tell you the novel’s setting. And the three airplanes flying in formation across a stormy sky offer a hint of when it takes place. But what I love the most about this cover is the sense of movement and tension it portrays. This young woman looks like she has been on the move, and now something off to the side has captured her attention. She seems alert and perhaps a little uneasy, yet determined to push down on that pedal and continue her journey. I want to know her story, don’t you?

If you guessed that the novel is set in the Netherlands during World War II, you’re right. The young woman’s name is Ans DeVries, and when the Nazis invade and occupy her nation, her life will change drastically. Along with Ans, there are two other extraordinary women of faith and courage in this story, Lena and Miriam, who also will be forced to make life-and-death decisions. I won’t give away any more of the plot, for now, but you can read a preview of it on the final pages of my last novel, “If I Were You.”

In the meantime, I would love to hear your opinion of the cover of “Chasing Shadows”—and of book covers in general. Are there things you like seeing on the cover—the main character’s face, for instance? Or would you rather that her appearance be left to your imagination? Are there elements of a cover design that make you want to read the book? And anything that makes you decide to pass? I would love to know what you think about the saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashEntertainment.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 (and a giveaway!)

Oh, happy day! It’s time to reveal the cover for Let It Be Me, book #2 in my Misty River Romance series!

My Misty River Romance series is tied together by a group of middle school kids who were trapped underground by an earthquake while on a mission trip to El Salvador. The media broadcast their story, and for eight days Christians pleaded with God for their safety.

When a rescue team dismantled the building that had buried the kids, no engineer or architect could explain why the diagonal wall above the children held in place. According to the laws of science, the wall should have crushed them. Instead, it protected them. Believers the world over knew that God had heard their prayers and intervened. Thus the kids were dubbed the “Miracle Five”.

They’re all adults now, bound together and marked in irrefutable ways by the tragedy they survived.

There’s Natasha, married mother of two and inexpert knitter.

Genevieve, Natasha’s sister, famous Bible study author and speaker.

Sebastian, foster kid turned doctor with a chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust.

Ben, a high school science teacher who’s as easy-going as he is loyal.

Luke, convicted felon, who blames himself for his brother’s death in the earthquake.

Novel #1, Stay with Me, focused on Genevieve. In novel #2, Let It Be Me, I have the pleasure of telling Sebastian’s story.

Here’s a peek at the plot…

Former foster kid Sebastian Grant has leveraged his intelligence and hard work to become a pediatric heart surgeon. Even so, his career success has failed to fill the hole within him. When he meets high school teacher Leah Montgomery, his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. He wants a chance with her, but then learns that his best friend has long had feelings for Leah, and realizes he’s not going to get that chance.

Leah’s a math prodigy who’s only ever had one big dream — to achieve a PhD. She willingly put that dream on hold to raise her brother, but now that he’s on the verge of going to college, she’s determined to avoid any obstacles in her path. Especially romance.

After Leah receives surprising results from the DNA test she submitted to a genealogy site, she asks Sebastian to help her comb through hospital records in order to uncover the secrets of her history. The more powerfully they’re drawn to one other, the more strongly Sebastian must resist, and the more Leah must admit that some things in life — like love — can’t be explained with numbers.

Here’s Let It Be Me’s cover…

Let It Be Me will release on May 4th, but you can already pre-order the paperback at Amazon or place it on your “Want to Read” shelf at Goodreads!

To express my gratitude to you for supporting my writing and following my blog posts, I’m offering a cover reveal giveaway! One winner will win a “Home Sweet Home 2020” ornament (which seems like the most optimistic way possible to commemorate this challenging year), a set of magnetic bookmarks, and a pair of “so many books so little time” socks. USA only, please.

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What do you think of Let It Be Me’s cover?

Free Short Story & A Giveaway

My latest novella collection, The Kissing Tree released this week, and I have to say that I think this is my favorite novella I’ve ever written. I had so much fun with the characters. Phoebe with her dreamy, romantic nature and Barnabas with his stodgy practicality and internal wit. They were both definitely Inn for a Surprise when cupid’s arrow struck.

The historical models I used for Phoebe and Barnabas. Only Phoebe ended up with glasses, but the perfection of this fellow’s hair is pure Barnabas.

Before Phoebe built the inn that she and Barnabas are forced to collaborate on, she wrote a column for Lippincott’s literary magazine called Tales from the Kissing Tree. The initials carved in her beloved Kissing Tree served as the inspiration for her successful series. I thought it would be fun to share one of her tales with you.

Click here to read the free prequel short story – The Keepsake.

Facebook Party
If you would like the chance to learn more about The Kissing Tree collection, chat with the authors, play games, and win prizes – I’d love to invite you to join us for a Facebook event tomorrow evening – Friday, October 16. Working with Regina, Amanda, and Nicole was an absolute delight, and we are excited to share some of the fun with you. Click here to RSVP.

Giveaway
I have two copies of The Kissing Tree to give away today.

To enter – Leave a comment about a time you were surprised by a romantic gesture or describe a special keepsake that holds tender memories for you.

Giveaway valid for US addresses only.

Time Well or Poorly Spent

Hi friends,

I always look forward to spending time with you all. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to spend a little of it with me. I’ve been looking at my priorities lately. Particularly as I deal with continued and increasing health issues. It is times like this that it makes you sit back and really think the best way to invest your time.

I took the last few weeks and kept track of how I actually spent my time. Not what was in my calendar or what I hoped to achieve, but how that time was spent. I realized several things:

I’m overcommitted, which makes me overwhelmed. This is where stress and anxiety take over and I struggle to be still and know He is God. It detrimentally affects my health, my family, my peace, my faith, and my ability to write the strongest story I can.I’m spending time on things I should have said no to. I seriously want to hear how you say no. I don’t think of myself as a people-pleaser, but that factors into my inability to say no the majority of the time. If you are able to keep good boundaries around your priorities and don’t sweat profusely when saying ‘no,’ I want to hear from you!I’m having to work later to finish up what needs to be done. Which takes time away from my family, from relaxing, and doesn’t allow me to give my best to the things that deserve the best because I’m so tired.

I miss seeing my grandbabies more. Life is busy for my daughter and her family and I know I can’t be at everything they do, but if I managed my time better, I probably could see them a bit more.

I miss time with good friends—phone calls, voxes, Zoom chats, coffee outside, etc.

I miss a peaceful, cozy house. Okay, those who know me will laugh at this because my house has always been ‘organized chaos.’ I have a framed picture in my kitchen that says, “I don’t have ducks. Or a row. I have squirrels. And they’re at a rave.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m noticing a pattern, particularly on the last three. I’m missing my priorities—faith, family, friends, my health and my writing, which blesses me more than I can say. So, I’m readjusting how I not only schedule, but how I actually spend my time.

Reader Question: I’d love to hear from you. What areas do you struggle in? What areas do you excel in? How do you say ‘no’ without feeling guilty?

Can’t wait to hear your feedback!

Best, Dani

Teatime (with a side of Gratitude)

I have posted in years past about the pleasures of visiting one of my favorite groups of women, the Tantalizing Ladies Tea book club. (These are the women I fictionalized as the “Ladies Tea and Knitting Society” in my Tales From Ivy Hill series.)

Teresa, Judy, Kristine, Beverly, Shari, Phyllis, Tiffany, and Emily.

But in the stressful, isolating year of 2020, this recent visit was even sweeter, especially because author-friends Michelle Griep and Erica Vetsch were there, too. The three of us showed our shiny new Christmas releases and gifts were shared all around. It was like Christmas in…October.

Congratulations to Erica (as well as Carolyn and Amanda). Today is their release day!



Beautiful autumn coasters and decorated pumpkin—just a few of the thoughtful gifts we received.

The tea (Earl Grey) and the food were delicious and the fellowship sweet.

Aren’t these adorable? Delicious, too!

And this year, more than any other, we moved past teatime politeness and shared some of our real struggles as well as joys. It was a lovely day of sisterhood and laughter, commiseration and celebration.

I am so blessed to have these women in my life. Who are you grateful for today?