Becky Wade's Blog, page 15
March 23, 2025
Robin’s Favorites
We hope you are enjoying these weekly feature posts from the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We’re sharing some of our favorite things to help you get to know us a little better—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.
Favorite Beverage (whether hot or cold): I drink decaf coffee with Italian Sweet Cream creamer every morning, but my favorite beverage is hot chocolate. Too high in sugar/calories to drink every day. But I would if I could. Bonus answer: in the summer, lemonade is my favorite.
Favorite Color (and why): Pinks in all its various shades. My former home was heavy on mauve and teal (which is my second favorite color). I love to wear pink but I don’t decorate with it.
Favorite Thing You Collect: I try not to collect any more. As I age, I just think of my daughters having to get rid of things they don’t want. The collection I’ve kept hold of are the Cherished Teddies. The collection started when I wrote the Coming To America series featuring heroines from England, Sweden, and Ireland. Those nationalities just happen to be what make up my DNA. I purchased the teddies that represent those three countries, and the collection grew from there, including teddies for various holidays and one with the characters from the Wizard of Oz.
March 21, 2025
Piecing It Together
One of my favorite things to do (although this isn’t a Sunday post) is to put together jigsaw puzzles. I especially love to work jigsaw puzzles during the fall and winter seasons, when the days are shorter and the darkness comes earlier.
I treated myself to a puzzle board a couple of Christmases ago, when Princess Pinky was still with me. There is nothing like a cat to cause a person to lose puzzle pieces! The board I got swivels 360 degrees and has four drawers and a cover to protect it when the human is away and a cat is at large. Pinky crossed the rainbow bridge last October (I still miss her), so the cover doesn’t get used now. But the board continues to see lots of action.
Puzzle and board on my dining room tableI love that I can just walk up to the table, poke through random pieces, and find one or two to put into place before I return to writing. At other times, I’ll have a very focused session with the puzzle. About half an hour is my max. Or whenever my back starts to hurt from bending over the table. Although I try to sit, I seem to do better when standing.
My favorite puzzles come from Ravensburger. I’ve tried others and been disappointed. I always get the Large Piece format, easier for older eyes and fingers. The largest size my puzzle board can handle is the 750 large piece puzzles, but that’s about the perfect size for me. Takes me long enough to complete without it being so long I get frustrated.
Spring is almost here. Very soon, I will put the puzzle board away and let it rest until fall arrives again. But here are a few photos from the puzzles I’ve completed this winter.
This is my favorite puzzle from winter 2024/2025
I’ve completed this puzzle twice. Who doesn’t love a library full of books?
I love dogs so this one was fun.
This one was trickier than I expected.
The photo for this puzzle was off by about a half inch, so completing the left edge was tricky because it was completely “blind.”
I really loved finishing this puzzle within a puzzle.Do you like to work jigsaw puzzles? What’s your favorite puzzle maker?
~robin
March 20, 2025
Inside a Writer’s Brain
I thought it might be fun to take you inside a writer’s mind. Readers often ask me, “Where do you get your ideas?” That’s a hard answer to give because ideas come from so many different places. A research tidbit I ran across years ago. A place I visited. A book I read. A television show I watched. A Bible verse. The fact that I wanted something to explode. All of those have been sources of inspiration for my books.
A writer’s most powerful inspiration comes from the question, “What if?” That question opens the door of the imagination.
Here’s an example. Last month the reading challenge I oversee had the theme of reading books with the word Bride in the title. So I created this image of a bride reading. However, the more I look at this image the more I begin to wonder who she is and why she is reading alone in a library in her wedding dress.
Here is a sample of the questions that began running through my head:
If you were to create story with this image as your inspiration, where would your imagination take you?
Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to read them!
PRIZE:
One person who shares will win an audiobook code for If the Boot Fits!
March 19, 2025
The Unseen TBR pile
When physical books were my go-to, my TBR (To Be Read, in case you aren’t familiar with the lingo!) pile sat on my nightstand. It started with one or two books as a young, busy mom. It morphed into half a dozen as the kids spent time at school. Beyond that, I had to find a new place to stash them. I’ve moved those TBR books around over the years, but while living in the condo in Austin, we found a leaning bookshelf that became our spot for books waiting to be read.
When we moved into this house, that shelf went into our bedroom along with another small bookshelf—one for his TBR pile, one for mine. (Yep, mine is the big one above.) Then, suddenly, I ran out of space! What to do? I cleaned out one side of the cabinet along the wall next to my bookshelf and gained two more shelves! Hooray! Now I can tell myself I don’t look as addicted to books as I actually am.
But here’s the thing. Ebooks came on the scene. From the beginning, I had so many books I’d downloaded to my Kindle that I had to make a folder called Next to dump the new books into so I wouldn’t forget to read them!
Thus began my unseen TBR pile—those on my Kindle waiting to be read (vs. those on my wishlist waiting to be purchased).
In the beginning, this folder sat consistently around half a dozen titles. One day, I realized it had morphed to twenty or more. And it continued to grow.
Here is the current state of my Next folder.
What??? Clearly, my reading pace isn’t keeping up with my book buying in the electronic realm any more than in the physical realm! My only consolation is that my Kindle TBR pile remains unseen by most, meaning the evidence of my addiction is not readily on display for all to see.
Perhaps I should have given up buying books for Lent. Sigh.
Do you have an out-of-control TBR pile or are you better than me about buying a book, reading it, then buying another one?
March 18, 2025
My last D was in QBA!
The last D I made was in college in QBA—Quantitative Business Analysis, and even then I think my Harding University professor (Dr. Priest) had mercy on me after so many hours of private tutoring. Math and I have never been fast friends. Which makes it so funny that our son Kurt majored in Mathematics (with minors in Chemistry and Christian Ethics) and loves trig and calculus. Shoot me now. He definitely takes more after his father in that regard. 
But last week… I earned my latest D.
The wonderful Thomas Umstattd—and there’s not a whit of sarcasm in that, honest, despite what’s coming, LOL—graded the websites of six Christian historical romance authors, and he included mine.
You may recognize some of the names…
Misty M. Beller, Abbey Downey, Linda Ford, Aurora Hanson, Lacy Williams, and moi
[image error]He graded them from A-F as you can see in his chart. Do you see me yet? Look closely. A little closer…
Yep, that’s me…
[image error]For starters, my SEO and H1s and titles and home page rankings are AWOL. Not to mention the format just needs a major overhaul.
But a funny thing, I just now noticed as I’m writing this post that while the other authors got Recommended Tools & Episodes, I didn’t. Apparently my website is even past recommendations and tools. Oy. Which, in all fairness, my site is old. I know that. I need a major redesign. I know that, too. I’ve been meaning to do it for a long time.
And I will this summer. AFTER I turn this current book into Tyndale.
All that to say…
Thank you, Thomas Umstattd, for that kind and very detailed nudge in your Author Media video. It really is informative. You get to see what different authors are doing on their sites, what plug-ins and options they’re using, plus we all benefitted from your expert advice. I took lots of notes!
So tell me…
What author website did you last visit? What took you there? What did you like most about it? What did you not like? Anything you’d like to share is something I’d love to know. And you know why… 
Happy Tuesday, my friends! This post is late going up because I pulled a near all-nighter last night working to finish this book. I got 3-4 hours of sleep before the grands came for the day. So it’s off to the races again. #GramTamDay
But one last God thing before you go…
Something happened to me this past weekend that’s never happened before…
After majorly struggling with (and praying about) the ending of this current book for a while now, this weekend, in a flash, scene after scene after scene just “downloaded” into my brain. In an instant, I knew every last scene, in detail, I could see it all so vividly. It took my breath away. Still does.
These are the moments of writing I treasure most. Because it reminds me yet again that it’s not about me. It’s about Him. This was a gift from God for this writer’s thirsty soul, and I’m so grateful. And to be clear, the struggle has also been a “gift.” Just of a different kind.
More on this book (releasing in 2026) soon, but it’s an extra special one to me for many reasons. A new historical setting/place in Tennessee. Lots of real history. Lots of real people who impacted history—and my life—in a big way.
Hugs from my corner of Nashville!
A somewhat sleepy, but oh so grateful, Gram Tam
Watch the Author Media Video on YouTubeMarch 17, 2025
I Feel an Imprecatory Prayer Comin’ On . . .
Growing up, I never heard anyone mention imprecatory prayers, which are mostly found in the Psalms. What are they? Imprecatory prayers are prayers in which you ask God to send calamity or hardship upon someone else.
David was a man of great passion–he rejoiced with all his heart, and he prayed with all his heart. Like this: “Lead me, Adonai, in Your righteousness, because of my enemies. Make Your path straight before me. For nothing upright is in their mouth. Inside them is a ruin–their throat an open grave. They flatter with their tongue. Declare them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own schemes. Banish them because of their many transgressions–for they have rebelled against You” (Psalm 5: 9-11).
Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, but did He say we should pray that their way would be easy? No. Sometimes, for our enemies and our loved ones, we need to pray that the Lord would make their way hard; that they would learn not to trust in worldly wisdom or drugs or false friends. But most of all, we need to pray that God would have His way in peoples’ lives.
Without going into too many details, there is a situation in my life where an evil, lying someone is making life difficult for people I love. And every time I learn of yet another lie, another situation of abuse, anger and venom rise within me. With David, I could pray those verses above . . . but as someone raised on “love your enemies,” something inside me feels guilty when I feel this kind of rage. What should I feel in this situation?
I ran across a great article on imprecatory prayers–here’s the link, if you want to read all the details. There is a time and place for imprecatory prayers. Using Scripture, the author points out several principles:
By asking God to execute vengeance, we are dealing with the desire we might feel to take retribution into our own hands. Paul wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil . . . for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ saith the Lord.” Allowing God to do the punishing means it will be executed with precision and perfect love. Imprecatory psalms recognize it is God’s good hand steering the story of redemption. These psalms acknowledge that God is sovereign, and the only One with the right to bring judgment. We set aside our anger and give Him His rightful place to judge the evildoer. Should we rejoice when God pours out wrath on evildoers? Proverbs 24 says: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased . . .”Yet–the Israelites rejoiced when the Egyptians drowned, and Miriam wrote a song about it, praising God. Time after time in the Old Testament, the Israelites rejoiced when their enemies were defeated. At the messianic synagogue I attend, we’re going to have a Purim party to celebrate Esther’s victory over Haman, and it’s supposed to be the happiest party of the year! But we’re not celebrating Haman’s downfall, we’re rejoicing in God’s victory.
We do not rejoice because our enemy suffers, we rejoice when God executes His righteous judgment–because it is good. Even when He chastises us.
I was dumbstruck when I heard about the Hamas terrorists who strangled the Bibas baby and his young brother, and killed their mother. I was horrified when I heard about even more gruesome atrocities committed on October 7th–I won’t describe them. My human nature would like those terrorists to be found, tortured, and killed just as their victims were.
But my spiritual nature reminds me that God alone is the righteous Judge. He knows who will repent and who will not. Some evildoers repent and are saved; some do not. So it is not my place to decide or judge; I must–I will–leave judgment and vengeance to God, who sees and knows the future. I must not hate my enemies; I must pray for them and leave them in God’s hands.
A couple of weeks ago, fifty Christians in the Congo where herded into a church and beheaded. The new leader of Syria has just executed thousands of Christians. And the war continues in Israel.
Pull out your Bible and pray Psalm 94 aloud. It ends with this:
Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?
They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.
Amen.
~~Angie
March 16, 2025
Tammy’s Favorites
We hope you are enjoying these weekly feature posts from the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We’re sharing some of our favorite things to help you get to know us a little better—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.
Favorite Beverage (whether hot or cold): Espresso (or coffee). Hot (and I mean really hot, as in I nuke it a good 20 seconds post brewing). Then I use a heated mug to help keep it piping! But I also love cold. Or frozen, as in coffee ice cream. Pretty much just love espresso/coffee.
[image error]Favorite Color (and why): My current favorite color is a certain shade of green. It all started when I chose Sherwin-William’s Mountain Road paint as an exterior accent color on our house. I love the calmness of the shade. I’ve got it in the bedroom now, the chairs in the great room are that color. I’m drawn to it everywhere I go. My Aunt Jean even crocheted me an afghan that’s very close to that color.
Sherwin-Williams describes Mountain Road as “a rugged and refreshing green-gray neutral that will have you sniffing the air for a cool, pine-scented breeze. Create a calmer space with this muted hue.” Whatever… I just love the color!
Favorite Thing You Collect: While I don’t officially collect anything, I do enjoy dish towels and will often grab one while on a trip as a small memento. But they’re not just for show. I use them until their life is done, then I thank God again for the trip or experience they remind me of—and toss! I’m becoming more of a minimalist as I get older. Clutter makes me nervous. 
So tell me, what are your favorites? : )
March 13, 2025
These are a few of my favorite things…
I find myself racing against deadlines again—something that seems to be a frequent occurrence lately! In this entry, I’d like to share some of my favorite books that I’ve read, as well as a few from my to-be-read (TBR) pile. I spent quite a bit of time creating this grid. I had too much fun playing with it. If you click on any of the images, you’ll be directed to Amazon, where you can learn more about each book. I’ve reviewed three books that I’ve read and absolutely loved below. Currently, I am reading *Fiancé Finale*, *Serial Burn*, and *An Overdue Match*. I can’t wait to dive into the others. Which one would you choose to read?
I’ve also interviewed many of these authors on Book Talk. You can find links to their episodes here.
Of Gold and Shadows: This was such an enjoyable read! Ami Dalton lives in 1888 Victorian England and defies all the expectations. She wants to be known as an Egyptologist — but really she wants to make her father proud. On the road to doing that she sometimes steps into the shadows to save relics that are threatened with destruction. Edmund Price has reluctantly returned to Oxford from India on a mission of his own to save a family from the destruction that new tariffs will bring. Ami and Edmund’s paths collide over a shipment of Egyptian artifacts he has brought with him to sell. Along the pages there’s romance, intrigue and good fun. I throughly enjoyed this novel and give it 4.5 *. It will delight readers who love stories that thrust them into a time period and give them a plot that is filled with twists and turns.
Whispers of Fortune: I don’t know how she keeps doing it, but Mary Connealy has created another compelling Western romance with threads of intrigue and mystery. In Whispers of Fortune, Brody travels to California in 1875 in search of his younger brothers. Those two are searching for a rumored family treasure, and he just wants to get back East to launch his career. Instead, what he finds is his family and the hope of something more. There are threads filled with adversaries and trying to keep his brothers from disappearing one too many times. At the same time, Ellie Hart, the woman who has helped keep his brothers safe, is capturing Brody’s heart. This book is one that pulled me in from the first page with its rich characters and whispers of something more. Add in a story that keeps God at the heart of it and it left me completely satisfied at the end. Mary just gets better with each book.
And here’s a bonus: Ambush by Colleen Coble. Ambush was my first book of 2025 and I loved it! There is an intensity to everything that is happening to Paradise and Blake. Both have returned to Pelican Bay because they have to, and now they wonder if they might have a second chance at love. First they have to survive everything going wrong at the sanctuary for exotic animals that Blake and his mom runs much is happening, but this redemptive story will keep you coming back for more. I highly recommend it!
My upcoming book, The Accused, will be released on April 15th. You can preorder it from your favorite bookstore now. I personally enjoy preordering books from Baker Book House. They often partner with authors for some pretty nice preorder goodies.
Speaking of Baker Book House, plan now to join me and these amazing authors at Baker for an author event on Friday, May 2, from 1-9 p.m. You can learn more here, and I’d love to have you join us for a day of bookish fun!
March 12, 2025
Favorite Reads
There are a plethora of books out there. Sometimes it’s tough to know where to begin and which books to choose. As a writer, my time for reading is limited. I don’t read fiction while I write. It’s a weird quirk but I’m terrified of osmosis. So, when I wrap up a book, I go on a reading binge. Choosing the best books to read during that time can be overwhelming. There are so many wonderful books and authors out there. So how do I choose? I go to writer and reader recommendations so today I’m going to share those recommendations with you in case you’re looking for a good read.
“Gabrielle Meyer’s Timeline series is so unique. It has multiple timelines but they’re not really time travel, so I like that. The same characters live in two distinct timelines.”
~ Author Kelly Goshorn
Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet. “Rebekah does an amazing job of balancing humor, romance, and faith all with a fantastic setting in New Orleans!
~Reader extraordinaire Crissy L.
“My all-time favorite book is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I love WWII books and this one kept me glued to my couch while I devoured it. It had twists I didn’t expect.”
~Professional Reader Joy T.
“I’m reading Lynn Blackburn’s Break My Fall. This new series centers on three cousins who live in tiny houses on family land in a town divided by a family feud. It’s terribly clever and has great world-building. I hope you enjoy it too.”
~Writer, Reviewer, and Speaker Debb Hackett
Hope you’ll enjoy these books! I got so many wonderful recommendations; I’m going to share more next post. I’d love to know what book you’re reading and what you love about it or what your favorite book is and why it’s your favorite.
Hope you have a blessed day!
~Dani
March 10, 2025
From Bar Harbor to San Diego
In two month-long trips over the past five months, Ken and I have traveled this country kitty-corner from the eastern coast of New England and into Canada, to the farthest west coast and border between California and Mexico! That’s a lot of miles—3,448 to be exact—yet we’ve driven most of those miles traveling only 3 or 4 hours a day. (I’m sure there is a life lesson there: How do you eat an elephant? One mile at a time! How do you write a novel? One word at a time.)
[image error]We’ve seen a lot of glorious views of God’s creation, we’ve had some frustrating moments when things in the camper or campgrounds didn’t work right, but most of all, we’ve made some sweet memories together, and our love for this beautiful country has never been stronger.
I shared photos of our New England trip in this post, but thought I’d share just a few of the highlights of our most recent trip below (not counting time with our Texas grandkids, Ken’s dear family, and the inspiring retreat in Phoenix with fellow writers that I wrote about HERE)
[image error]No, it’s not snow! It’s the spectacular White Sands National Park in New Mexico! Truly one of the most astounding sights I’ve seen in all our travels![image error]City of Rocks near Deming and Silver City, New Mexico is one of the favorite campgrounds we’ve ever stayed in. We parked right amidst the rocks and had a gorgeous sunset, a pretty sunrise and the most incredible night sky in between![image error]Joshua Tree National Park near 29 Palms, California has long been on Ken’s bucket list. We camped in the park and had beautiful views and another stunning night sky.[image error]Monterey Bay, Big Sur, and the Bixby Creek Bridge on the California coast were my very favorite sights of the whole trip. The sky was dramatic and the ocean was unfathomable and seeing the green and the colorful flowers blooming was a breath of fresh air after all the desert miles we’d traveled.[image error]Morro Bay State Park in California was another colorful stop with nice camping and beautiful morning views. We watched otters swim and seagulls swoop near Morro Rock.[image error]Lovely Sedona, Arizona is unforgettable! Between the shopping and galleries in town and the breath-taking scenery on the winding roads nearby, we were both delighted and would go back again.As wonderful as the trip has been, there is nothing on God’s green earth that makes my heart as happy as the words, home, sweet home. And that is where we are now—back in Missouri! (At least for a little while.)
