Becky Wade's Blog, page 18

Seven Ways to Bless an Author

Hello everyone. I recently came across a list I’d written while listening to a talk given by the talented and lovely Shannon Hargreaves (librarian and creator at The Cozy Bookery on Instagram). This was at the fabulous Mississippi River Readers Retreat over a year ago (which is coming up again this summer!) I liked the ideas she shared, so I’ve kept the note but never shared it. At the risk of seeming self-serving, I’ll share it with you now.

So you don’t have to try to read my messy handwriting, I’ll retype the list for you here.

7 Ways to Bless Authors:

Read their booksPost reviews online Request their books from the librarySign up for their newslettersEmail authors (with encouragement or suggestions)Follow them on social mediaPray for them

If you’re a reader who has done any, some, or all of these things, THANK YOU! If you are an author, what might you add to this list?

Deb’s Ode to Amazon

Angie and Tammy made me laugh so hard with their odes to amazon purchases, so I thought I’d add my own starting with this silly poem (before I share some serious favorite amazon finds!)

[image error]

And now, here are some of my favorite amazon purchases (with links, in case amazon tempts you too!)

[image error]

This keyboard protector has been a computer-saver for me! I have worn off more letters on my keyboard than I can count, but with this easy, plastic overlay, my keys are protected from wear and tear, from crumbs and splashes—and they look so pretty too! (There are many different patterns to choose from, including plain colors, in case you’re a hunt-and-peck typist like my husband. )

I’ve been wearing this Covergirl Outlast All-Day Lip Color for almost twenty years now and it is still the one makeup item I wouldn’t want to be without. I changed from a darker maroon color to this pretty lighter mauve tone a few years ago, but I’ve never found anything that lasts longer or stays on better than this. And the lip gloss that comes with it is the best!

I’ve really enjoyed having these colorful paper straws on our coffee bar. The grandkids love them for drinks, and they make good stir sticks for coffee drinks too. (They are especially good to have in my ice water when I’m doing an interview or on a Zoom call. Too often, without a straw, I’ve taken what I thought was a sip and ended up with a whole ice cube in my mouth just when I need to speak intelligibly!)

[image error]

Another favorite amazon purchase is this 6-pack of reading glasses. Not only do they keep me from getting eye strain while I’m on my laptop all day, but they offer blue light protection too. And aren’t the color combos fun?

[image error]

These lazy susan turntables have made me feel like I have twice as much space in my cupboards! No more digging in the back of the cupboard to find the spice I want. Now, they are all at my fingertips with a whirl of the spinner.

Oh, my, there are so many other great amazon finds, but that is probably enough for today. How about you? Are you an amazon junkie? I’d love to know your favorite things you’ve discovered on amazon.

Deb’s Favorites

[image error]

The authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction are offering a new weekly post featuring some of our favorite things. We hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about us—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.

Favorite Holiday: Valentine’s Day. It’s been my favorite since I was a little girl, and I’ve started leaving our Christmas tree up with a pink heart theme until after Valentine’s Day.

Favorite Vacation Spot: St. Simons and Jekyll Islands. I’m setting my next novel there and can’t wait to go on a research trip!

Favorite Dessert: Cream Puff Dessert. I’m always a fan of creamy, pudding-type desserts, and this one is super easy to make. The recipe is HERE.

[image error]

This and That

Can you believe it? One-twelfth of 2025 is already behind us.

It was a busy start of the year for me, writing- and book-wise, so I thought I’d share the craziness with you in my post today.

First, starting in December, I refreshed my website. I installed a new framework and theme. I tweaked colors. I tweaked them again and again. Finally, just last week, I created a new logo. I love the new logo and my refreshed site.

If you haven’t visited robinleehatcher.com in a while (or ever), I hope you’ll do so. My website was born in the mid 1990s so there’s a lot of “stuff” there, including blog posts going back to 2002.

The refresh of my site is finished just in time for the release of my 93rd book, To Capture a Mountain Man (February 10, 2025). I am so excited to share this story with readers. I absolutely love Isaiah and Amanda as a couple, and it’s been a delight to receive feedback from readers and other authors about this book. One of my favorite quotes comes from author Trish Perry when she wrote: “The flow of Hatcher’s story will pull you along as swiftly as the Yellowstone river that triggers this adventure in the first place.”

When I came up with the idea for The British Are Coming series, I hadn’t dreamed up Isaiah Coltrane yet. He surprised me as he rode into my imagination, accompanied by his trusty black and white collie. In fact, there were a lot of surprises waiting for me as I wrote the book. To tell you the truth, that’s one of the things I love about writing. I get to be surprised by the stories my character live out in my imagination.

The paperback of To Capture a Mountain Man is already available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and the Kindle version releases on the 10th.

Preorder the Kindle edition

Have I shared about the writing sprints I’ve been part of since last August? Three mornings a week, I host a Zoom room where the participants write in sprints of 25 minutes each. There are usually about 15 to 25 writers in attendance on any given day. These sprints have reenergized my writing and, even better, made me love the process afresh. Another great benefit? The sprints have kept me ahead of schedule instead of falling behind.

Speaking of being ahead of schedule, after I sent To Capture a Mountain Man to my editor last fall, I realized I had a little extra time, enough to write a novella. In early 2024, my publisher granted me the right to republish I Hope You Dance (a contemporary novella set in Kings Meadow) as long as I did so in a collection with a new novella, also written by me. What I couldn’t decide for a long while was whether to write another contemporary story that takes place after I Hope You Dance or whether I should fall back in time to look at some Kings Meadow history. Finally, inspired by a country song (Bible and a .44), a story set during the Great Depression came to life in my imagination.

In January I wrapped up the editing of the two-novella collection, formatted it for paperback and ebook, had the cover created, and wrote the back cover copy. Now I’m counting down the days until From This Moment On releases (April 7, 2025). If you enjoyed the Kings Meadow Romance series, I think you’ll enjoy this peek into the past.

Now I’m at work on the fourth British Are Coming novel, To Reveal a Reckless Love. This is Roger’s story. Roger is an artist from England, and he is taking readers back into Yellowstone where he meets the ever-practical Victoria from Boston. What on earth is going to happen to them? I can’t wait to find out, and if all goes well, I will be able to share their story with readers by June/July.

And such was my January. Writing. Web design. Cover design. Cover copy. Promotion. Not to mention the start of the college class I’m taking called Writing in the Age of AI. But that is a different blog post.

So how was your January?

~robin

Cover Reveal + Book Goodies

Covers are such an important marketing tool for a book. They make a first impression on a reader before any of our words can. I’ve been blessed with some lovely covers, and when I decided to publish a book independently, I worried about finding a designer that would be able to match the work done by my traditional publisher’s art department.

This book cover had the extra pressure of continuing the look of my Texas Ever After series. I’m continuing with my fairy tale retellings for my indie book, and wanted the cover to capture the same look as the books that had come before.

Here are the Bethany House covers (which I adore!) . . .

And here is the new cover for my Beauty & the Beast retelling . . .

As a book lover, I adore all the books. And the blue quill is super fun and a nice splash of color. The style is very similar to the books that came before, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

What do you think?

The e-book of To Love a Beast is available for preorder now. The print and audio versions will be added closer to the June 10, 2025 release day.

Preorder here.

Valentine Giveaway

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’ve joined five other fabulous authors to offer a romantic reads giveaway. Nothing better than enjoying a swoon-worthy read . . . or six!

Enter Giveaway Here

Burns Night Supper

So my husband and I did a thing we never in a million years thought we’d do. 

We hosted a dinner party for twenty in our home. 

And not just any dinner party, mind you. No, we had a full-on Burns Night Supper! 

Do you know what a Burns Night Supper is? Well, let me enlighten you if you don’t! 

Every year on January 25, Scots all over the world—and especially in Scotland—celebrate the birthday of Robert Burns, or Rabbie Burns, as he is informally known. If you still are scratching your head, Robert Burns was an eighteenth-century Scottish poet. He died young but wrote a ton of poetry. You’d recognize many of them, I promise, but perhaps the most well-known is “Auld Lang Syne,” you know, the song you sing on New Year’s Eve as the ball drops. 

Anyway, ever since our trip to Scotland a couple of years ago and discovering through Ancestry DNA testing that we both have a high percentage of Scottish genes, Jeff has wanted to host a Burns Night. And when he realized January 25th was on a Saturday night this year, he decided it was time. 

Ok, so a little bit about us. We are not party people. We are both introverts, although he plays an extrovert sometimes at work. We certainly not “let’s throw a party” people. At. All. But once Jeff latches onto an idea, he is all in. 

The first decision was invitations. Yep, we sent them through the mail. But guess what? He designed and ordered them! Of course, it helps that all those sites have examples of every kind of invitation, even Burns Night. He ordered twelve. 

“Twelve couples?” I tried not to sound panicked. “You know that’s twenty-six people including us.” 

“They won’t all say yes,” he said. “We’ll have two or three couples, max. It will be fine.

We ended up sending eleven invitations. Nine couples said yes. 

So . . . food. Jeff wanted to go traditional, so he found a Scottish bakery in Michigan that ships. He ordered haggis, sausage rolls, neeps and tatties, and shortbread. We filled in with oatcakes from another online store, clotted cream, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salmon, and (thank you, Costco) shepherd’s pie. 

For dessert, he made ice cream to go with the shortbread (some servings of ice cream may have had whisky stirred in) and cranachan, a traditional Scottish dessert that is basically whipped cream and raspberry layers, with some toasted oats and whisky thrown in the whipped cream! 

Let’s just say no one went hungry! Or thirsty. Along with the traditional whisky, we also bought some of the second best-selling drink in Scotland—a soft drink called Irn Bru for our guests to try. We had plenty of Scotch and Irn Bru left over after everyone who wanted to try it did. Side note: Jeff and I went to the liquor store for the first time in our lives to buy it. We had no idea what to get, so we bought the bottle with a picture of Robert Burns on it, lol! 

Finally, Jeff was determined to bring a traditional Scottish feel to the night. He had a playlist of bagpipe music for “piping in the guests” and “piping in the haggis.” He had a playlist of Scottish folk music for dinner music. He picked out several Burns poems to read. 

He bought—and wore!—a kilt! (Yes, I bought some plaid pants, but they were on clearance and I’ve been wanting some to wear to Christmas parties for a while now!) He also got us Burns Night t-shirts to complete the outfits. 

Our guests joined in the fun. Several people wore plaid clothing. They also took their turns reading a Burns poem—some even attempting an accent. One of our friends played a traditional hornpipe song on his violin. When it came time to do the traditional “Toast to the Lassies” and the “Lassies reply,” Chat GPT joined the party! Of course, I think this part is where the Scots have an advantage after consuming so much whisky prior to the festivities, but I think our crew had a great time without being tipsy. 

Lots of poems.

Lots of toasts. 

Lots of laughter. 

It was a very fun night, but we were exhausted when it was all done! Thankfully, my sister and brother-in-law insisted on staying and helping us put our house back together before we headed to bed. 

My husband declared this the “first annual.” Me? I still a bit wary of trying this again. Partly because I know that the guest list will get bigger. But I’ll cross that bridge next December, when he brings it up again. 

Have you ever hosted a large dinner party at your house? Have you ever heard of or participated in a Burns Night Supper? Have you ever tried haggis?

Ode to My Latest Amazon Finds

I got so tickled at Angie’s post yesterday when she wrote about her velveteen pants from Amazon. If you didn’t read her Ode to My Stretchy Velveteen Pants, please do! It’ll make you smile.

Now to continue the Amazon thread…

While I don’t own a pair of stretchy Velveteen Pants—yet!—I do have some favorite Amazon items I’ve ordered (and reordered) recently.

#1

Do we have any candle fans? I LOVE candles—but not burning them. So this candle warmer lamp is a new BFF. Plus my candles last sooo much longer.

[image error] CLICK to learn more

#2

Next is a book that our grandson, Leo, simply ADORES…

[image error] CLICK to learn more

Roger Priddy’s children books are the BEST—and usually reasonably priced, especially for board books. If you have a truck-loving child in your life, they’ll love this.

#3

I know this item may seem really random, especially during winter, but if you have kids and need some indoor fun…beachballs! Leo and Ari have such fun with these. And they’re a fabulous price right now. Plus the weather’s been so mild lately, we took them into the backyard and had a free-for-all!

[image error] CLICK to learn more

#4

Lastly, socks! I know, not very exciting, but these socks are fabulous! My daughter-in-law, Kellie, borrowed a pair the other day—and raved. So I ordered another package and split them between her and my daughter, Kelsey.

[image error] CLICK to learn more

So there we are—a lamp, a book, a ball, and socks. That’s the culmination of my exciting Amazon orders lately. But hey, it’s the small things, right? : )

And in honor of Angie…

I love my lamp, I love my book, I love my ball, and socks.
But while on deadline, pulling out my hair, rhyming gives me the pox.

So tell me…
What fabulous finds have you discovered on Amazon lately?

Hugs from Nashville—and back to editing this book that releases next year,

Tammy

Ode to My Stretchy Velveteen Pants

A couple of years ago, I lost a lot of weight. I ruthlessly culled my closet and got rid of lots of too-big clothes, including three pairs of stretchy velveteen pants: red, black, and navy. (We don’t wear velvet much in Florida).

But the pounds came back, and winter arrived, and I desperately wanted some more stretchy velveteen pants. So I ordered three more pairs from Amazon–thank the Lord for Amazon!

For the month of January–when I caught the dreaded Influenza type A–I have been living in said pants. I have them in three colors–black, dark green, and blue.

And now–a moment for bad poetry:

Ode to Stretchy Velveteen Pants

Oh, stretchy pants of velveteen,
So soft, so smooth, so downright keen!
You hug my legs, but not too tight,
A cloud of comfort, pure delight.

With waistbands made of magic thread,
Expanding freely as I’m fed,
No buttons, zippers—none of that,
Just pull you on, and off I scat!

In ruby red or midnight blue,
A garden green, a violet hue,
Your colors shine, both bold and bright,
Or subtle shades in soft moonlight.

You dress me up with polished grace,
Or lounge with me in my own space.
To work, to play, to dance, to dream—
You suit each mood and every scheme!

And when the winter winds do wail,
You keep me warm through frost and gale.
Yet even in my slumber deep,
You’re snug enough to wear to sleep!

Oh, velveteen, you treat me well,
For just a modest price, do tell!
A treasure grand, yet widely found,
A cozy joy that knows no bounds.

So here’s my ode, my grand applause,
To pants that bend no fashion laws.
For all you do, I’ll take my stance—
I love my velvet stretchy pants!

Hope you have some cozy stretchy pants of your own!

~~Angie

D’Ann’s Favorites

[image error][image error]

The authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction are offering a new weekly post featuring some of our favorite things. We hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about us—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.

Favorite Holiday: I love everything about the Christmas season!

Favorite Vacation Spot: Ever? Scotland, hands down. We rarely vacation at the same spot twice. Too many places in the world to see!

Favorite Dessert: I love a good bread pudding—but nothing with raisins!

Movies I Watch (Almost) Every Year

I know many people watch a lot of movies over the holidays (both Christmas movies and other types as well). With my annual manuscript deadline falling in January, most of my movie-watching occurs after the holiday season traditionally ends. But once I reach that deadline, I reward myself with a few movies that have become treasured old friends.

Here are five of my go-to movies I like to watch every year—movies I never tire of and that inspire me and uplift my soul.

Babette’s Feast, Enchanted April, Persuasion (1995), The Last Holiday, and It’s a Wonderful Life

How many of these have you seen? Do we share any favorites? Do you have a different beloved movie to recommend?