Becky Wade's Blog, page 25

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

Cover Reveal!

I’m excited to share my next book’s cover and title! :::DRUM ROLL:::

Uneasy Street, the third and final book in the Sons of Scandal series, will release on Valentine’s Day. My good friend, author Courtney Walsh, designed all three covers and I’m delighted with how they turned out. Look how pretty the covers look side-by-side!

You can read Uneasy Street’s back cover copy HERE. And it’s available for pre-order at the following places. FYI, right now the paperback is only up for pre-order via my website bookstore but it will be at Amazon and B&N down the road. And the audiobook will be available at all audiobook outlets eventually.

My Website Bookstore

Amazon

Apple

Barnes & Noble

If you’re someone who enjoys tracking your reading via Goodreads, you can add Uneasy Street to your…

“Want to Read” Shelf

The swag boxes I offered for Memory Lane and Rocky Road were a hit with a lot of readers. And I thoroughly enjoyed creating them and sending them. So I’ve also added three swag box pre-order options to my website bookstore for Uneasy Street.

This particular swag box is the one that contains the most items. There are only three of these left!

Uneasy Street has already received its final professional line edit/copy edit. This week, I’m reading through it one last time. Officially, to approve the changes my editor made. But, in actuality, the final read-through has more significance for me than that. This is my opportunity to rejoice in what the Lord accomplished through this novel. To experience the satisfaction that comes from completing the thing God called me to do. And to say good-bye to this setting and these characters.

I LOVE this phase!

After this, the book will first go to beta readers who have volunteered to hunt for typos. Then, Reba Buhr and Ryan Hudson (the terrific narrators of Rocky Road) will begin recording Uneasy Street’s audiobook at the beginning of December. This story is making its way through the publishing pipeline en route to landing in your hands!

Before I go… This is the time of year when we organize a “Merry Christbook” exchange in my Facebook reader group, The Cheer Squad. Each participant gives a book and gets a book. It’s a festive way to support Christian fiction and celebrate our shared love of reading. I invite you to take part! To do so, join the group HERE, then look for the book exchange post pinned to the top for details on how to participate.

What do you think of Uneasy Street’s cover?

How Faith Meets Dreams

I’m pleased to introduce you to Andrea Renee Cox. She and her mother have both written stories for the Novelists in November anthoogy, and she’s here with us today to tell us more about this project.

Does your faith meet your dreams?

Early in my life, I dreamed of being married and having kids. In my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with singleness and the frustration of never meeting the right guy. Yet when I set down those perfectly honorable goals at God’s feet, He showed me that He had even greater dreams in mind for me.

One of those dreams was tutoring middle schoolers. This one has turned out to be a great way to spend time with kids and helping them learn things that will assist them in school and in life. And they’ve taught me a lot, too. It’s been a beautiful journey.

Another dream God gave me was writing books. This one has been two decades in the making (hard to believe it’s been that long already!), and I’m now seeing the fruit of all the labor of learning how this writing gig works and practicing to improve my skills. A couple years ago, my first short story was published, and this year, my fourth story is coming out.

Putting my faith in God’s dreams for me was the best thing I could have done because His dreams are so much bigger and brighter than the ones I had planned for myself. Will I ever get married and have kids? That’s yet to be known and completely in God’s hands—right where those dreams belong.

The same could be said of my newest leading lady’s dreams. In my Novelists in November short story, Melting-Pot Thanksgiving, Sarah Jones struggles to convince her mother that she’s placed her dreams into the hands of God and experienced blessings as a result. It’s hard for her mother to see that Sarah’s life has gone differently than Mama planned for her, and that conflict is truly at the heart of the story. It was great fun exploring their relationship and the things they needed to learn about one another before their issues could be resolved.

Novelists in November also includes a story written by my mother, Faith D. Cox. I love that God has inspired us both (and my dad and sister) to have writing dreams. It’s fun that Mom and I have now been published together twice (our first collaboration is now out of print). Mom’s Novelists story features an Olympics-hopeful swimmer, which feels very timely with the Summer Olympics having taken place this past summer. If you’re missing the Olympics, you’ll definitely want to give my mom’s story a read!

About the Book

Novelists in November
a Wild Blue Wonder Press anthology

Novelists in November is a Christian short story collection featuring eleven emotional tales of authors finding their calling in Christ and pursuing hope, joy, and inspiration. This anthology

contains touching stories from contemporary and historical fiction authors with a mix of romance, women’s fiction, and mystery!

.

About the Cox Ladies’ Stories

Melting-Pot Thanksgiving by Andrea Renee Cox

Can she create the Imperfect Perfect Thanksgiving?

Sarah Jones has many responsibilities on her plate, but Thanksgiving wasn’t supposed to be one of them. When asked to host the holiday, she can’t push aside the task, even if it means dealing with her mother’s interference. As Sarah juggles meal preparations, a tight writing deadline, and guiding her two foster children through difficult life events, she must also find the courage to buck high expectations and family traditions.

Will the trials of strained communication, disappointment, heartache, and altered plans strengthen Sarah’s God-given novelist dreams? Will this imperfect yet dutiful daughter find a way to craft the perfect Thanksgiving dinner?

My Heart Still Sings by Faith D. Cox

Seventeen-year-old Kaylee McKenzie has her heart set on winning a Summer Olympics gold medal—not creating a fake protagonist for a writing contest with a bunch of geeks. However, during an afternoon adventure, her lifelong swimming dream is ripped away. As she struggles with physical limitations and grief, will her friends remain by her side? Will she become a swimmer-turned-novelist or hide in her wheelchair as the world passes her by?

Preorder Goodies + Giveaway

Novelists in November comes out on November 19, 2024, so there’s still time to sneak in some preorders. Everyone who preorders a copy of the book (ebook or paperback) may claim digital preorder goodies PLUS an entry into an exclusive giveaway that is only for the folks who preorder the book.

More information and the form to fill out to claim preorder goodies and a giveaway entry may be found here: https://wildbluewonderpress.com/preorders/

Purchase here:

Amazon
Wild Blue Wonder Press Shop

Andrea’s Website

Faith’s Website

What are some of your favorite November activities?

Our Gracious God

Earlier this year, I read about Dani Pettrey’s Writers at the Well retreat in Texas, and my spirit stirred. My prayer for 2024 has been to establish myself in the writing community again. To renew old relationships and make new ones. I had already signed up for the ACFW Conference, but this was a more intimate setting, something usually better for me as an introvert. 

However, committing to the retreat also had a downside (as an introvert)—I knew no one else who was going! 

No. One. 

I knew I’d have to gird up my courage to go into a small group without knowing anyone except Dani, who, honestly, I haven’t seen in ages. But I was willing because I wanted to be obedient to the Lord’s direction.

Yet isn’t it amazing how God works out details in our lives, often when we least expect it? 

I can’t remember exactly how it came about, but I found out quite unexpectedly that a writer who lives in the town next to mine had also signed up for the retreat! We’d met a couple of times but hadn’t pursued a possible friendship due to busyness. Yet she also attended ACFW this year. While there, she introduced me to two more ladies who would be at the retreat! This was especially helpful since Dani could not attend in person after the hurricanes. And our other friends, Karen Witemeyer and Becky Wade, also decided to give their workshops via Zoom. 

Me, Renee Gentry, and Teresa Wells

As the time finally came to go, Teresa and I decided to ride together since we lived so close to one another. And we agreed to pick up another attendee at the airport. Because of that, we spent several hours pre-retreat hanging out with and getting to know Renee. 

So by the time we arrived at a lovely spot on the Brazos River in Rainbow, Texas, I knew four of the ten people in attendance! 

We each stayed in these darling casitas!

Isn’t God good? 

I would have gone knowing no one, and it would have turned out fine. But God’s gracious gift was putting people in my path beforehand. My anxiety wasn’t as unruly, which allowed me to enter into new relationships more quickly. 

Yummy meals togetherLearning timeThe Brazos RiverJust before heading home

What a gracious gift God gave me this past weekend. New friends. Writing encouragement and information. And a reminder that God knows what I need and makes a way for me when I walk in obedience to Him. 

Have you experienced a gift from God while walking in uncomfortable obedience lately? Please share! 

Tips for a great Election Day

Always remember and never forget…

If Christ is Lord of your life, be super clear on whose power resides in you now…

And finally, no matter who becomes our president in coming days or weeks…

Love y’all dearly—and if you haven’t yet voted, for the love, what are you waiting for?!

DO IT! ; )

Tammy

The Summer of 2024 . . . a wild ride

I’m typing this in mid-October, and Hurricane Milton is still on every Floridian’s mind . . . much the same as Hurricane Helene is still the talk of North Carolina. Helene hit us hard, too, but most of its damage was to the beach homes along the western coast. Those of us who were inland during Helene chalked it up as a windy thunderstorm, but those along the beach literally had to dig tons of sands from their homes and roads. Even my messianic synagogue, which is inland, sits across from Tampa Bay, and had a foot of water in the building. We have no flood insurance, so we’re having to rely on the prayers and kindness of strangers to put things to rights.

Milton was a different story. Apparently if a storm comes in NORTH of us, we get storm surge (seawater and sand). If it comes in SOUTH, we get tons of rain. Milton came in south, and the weather casters predicted that it would rain from Sunday evening until the storm’s landfall sometime on Thursday. It didn’t start raining until Thursday, thank the Lord, but we ended up getting 14 inches.

God blessed us. The category five storm had “calmed” to a cat three by the time it came ashore in the Sarasota area, but we still got lots of wind and rain–just not the rip-your-roof-off kind (I’m not complaining.) People along the beach and in mobile homes were required to evacuate, and the governor kept saying, “If you’re in a well-built home and not in an evacuation area, stay put.” We are not in an evacuation area, but we are in a flood zone, and I wasn’t sure our house could qualify for “well-built.” It’s older, wooden, and quirky.

But my hubby wanted to stay, and I didn’t want to leave our dogs, so we stayed. By Wednesday afternoon the winds had picked up, and they had barely begun to blow when we heard a loud noise. We ran into our bedroom and saw that a HUGE oak branch had fallen, pierced our interlocking polycarbonate panels, and actually touched the glass on my four-sided glass garden window . . . but the glass didn’t break. But the water was rising, and our vinyl floor began to sweat–because outside, the water had come up as high as the plywood floor over the crawlspace.

So, since we were surrounded by trees and rising water, we decided to sleep under the dining room table. Our three dogs sat and stared down at us, unable to figure out what kind of weird game we were playing. At about 10:30, Jazzy decided that she HAD to go outside, so i let her out and she prowled the deck, whining. She doesn’t like water, and the water was as high as our deck, but finally she decided to jump into an elevated flower bed. While she went potty, I watched the trees bend and dance and flail while little bunches of leaves rained down on me. A strange aqua-blue lightning kept lighting the sky–never have seen anything like it before, but afterward, I saw it in a video a reporter made during the storm.

Finally Jazzy came back into the house (after wading through chest-deep water), and we actually went to sleep.

The next morning, I was SURE there would be water in our garage and my office, but those places were dry. Our driveway had been washed clean by water running downhill to the creek behind our house, and so much debris had washed down that our fence was knocked over by the weight of it all.

We’ve spent the last two weeks cleaning up. We had two trees down and all kinds of branches, but we had no other damage–God was so good. So many others were without power for days, and that’s not easy. We had power, but I didn’t have Internet, which reminds me of how dependent we become on the gadgets we use every day. Sometimes I wish we had more of that pioneer spirit . . . then I remember that in the last days, people will need that spirit just to survive.

Thank you for praying for those who were in the path of the storm. I was stiff and sore for a few days afterward (not used to all that bending and pulling and sawing and hauling), but that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? And God was faithful, in ways large and small. One tree fell and blocked our driveway (and the road!). But a policeman who was patrolling the area and assessing the damage drove by, got stuck in our neighbor’s wet lawn, and had to call for someone to pull him out. Because of that, the police cut up that tree and hauled it away first thing! And all that water surrounding our house was gone by sunrise.

So thank you for praying, and let’s remember to keep praying for those who lost everything in Helene and Milton. These things have a way of reminding us of what’s really important–God, life, and family. Everything else is just stuff.

~~Angie

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

When Discouragement Meets God’s Word

In October, I battled a bit of depression in general and discouragement over my career as an author in particular. A number of things played into those negative feelings, including having to put my almost 14-year-old cat to sleep. I got Pinky as part of my breast cancer recovery (I wanted some “new life” in the house during treatment so got a kitten). Losing her hurt, especially since it was sudden.

I have a cup-half-full personality, so any down feelings tend to catch me by surprise.

On top of everything else, it didn’t seem like I was seeing any answers to my prayers. So I told God how I was feeling, and soon after it “just so happened” that my daily Bible reading took me to John 11. I’ve been using the same study Bible for over 25 years. The words are highlighted and underlined, and there are notes in the margins throughout those two-thousand-plus pages. That was true in John 11, too.

In verse 22, Martha, speaking to Jesus after the death of Lazarus, says, “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You.” On 1/8/2015, I wrote in the margin, Even when it seems too late, it’s too soon to give up. Keep praying!

Let me repeat that: EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS TOO LATE, IT IS TOO SOON TO GIVE UP!! It is too soon to give up on those situations in our lives that are wearing us down. It is too soon to give up because resurrection may be just moments away.

A few days later, “it just so happened” that the first verse in my daily reading was Luke 18:1 which says, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged” (emphasis mine). I couldn’t help smiling when I read that. Because God was definitely speaking to my exact need. And how do we keep from becoming discouraged? Praise Him. Praise Him often—morning, noon, and night.

Finally, the Sunday sermon that same week was in Judges 7. This is where God has Gideon pare down his army, from about 32,000 to a mere 300. Then the enemy is defeated because they fight among themselves, leaving little for the 300 to do. There were many points in the sermon, of course, but the one that I knew God meant for me was this: God knows more ways to win battles than I do.

Ah, yes. The battle is the Lord’s. My part is to pray and not become discouraged because the answer (resurrection) may be just moments away. It is too soon to give up! Praise God!

Perhaps these three words I received from the Lord will be as encouraging to you as they were to me.

~robin

PS  My new book, Wishing for Mistletoe, releases in just five more days. You can preorder the Kindle ebook for only $3.99 (regular price will be $4.99). The paperback is already available on Amazon and is coming to B&N and other retailers. The audiobook is ready to release on the 6th on B&N and is coming soon to Audible.

Camping at Walmart

Last time I told you about the beautiful sites and wonderful adventures we’ve had on our month-long tour of the New England states. This time, I’m going to share the not-so-fun parts of our trip—just so nobody thinks that traveling in a camper is always fun and games and joy, joy, joy.

I’ll start by telling you that we woke up in a Walmart parking lot on Saturday morning. Boondocking in a Walmart has been on our bucket list, but it was not on the schedule this time. I haven’t wanted to share our woes from this trip because: A. We really have had a wonderful time despite numerous camper issues. B. Given all the problems in the world, and especially dear friends who are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricanes, our problems are minor by comparison. C. Camper issues are boring compared to the beauty we’ve seen on our travels.

See us way off to the right-middle of the photo?

However, we’ve spent most of this trip showering in shower houses, flushing with a jug of water, washing dishes without running water, and wondering what will go wrong next. I started a list of the issues we’ve had and gave up at #11. Everything from waterline leaks to propane issues to a hook falling off the wall. And more! (Turns out nearly all of our issues were due to a bad install of our Aqua-Hot water heater and furnace. Well, not the hook falling off the wall. )

There were days we prayed, “Lord, are you trying to tell us to turn around and go home?” But we always felt He was saying, “No, keep going.” We were glad. We especially didn’t want to miss a meet-up with our friends, Wayne and Melanie, in New York that we hadn’t seen for three years!

We did get to see them and had a fantastic time. Wayne’s brother even fixed our leaky waterline and refused to let us pay him! But after we left NY, yet another issue reared its head and we spent a couple of chilly nights without heat (except for a little electric heater that kept us alive. )

Finally, Ken called a reputable RV repair guy in Pennsylvania who’d been highly recommended. Alas, he was totally booked. Ken asked if he’d please call if by chance he had a cancellation. Wonder of wonders, he did—and on just the right day that we could spend the night plugged in behind his shop, get the camper in the next morning, and not mess up the rest of our campground reservations! (Thank you, Jesus!)

A couple from Illinois just happened to be spending the night there too for the same reason. We visited around Mike and Diane’s little Solo stove in the parking lot that night and spent 12 hours in the waiting room with them on Friday. By the time we both left with working vans, we were friends.

Huge kudos to Nick and crew at Northeast RV in Beavertown, PA! They were awesome! Our next campground reservation was four hours away and we didn’t want to check in after dark, so we drove 30 miles, camped at Walmart, and by Saturday night, we were back on schedule—and showering in the camper.

Sunday morning we made hot drinks for the road and left Shenandoah National Park before sunrise. We drove the stunning Skyline Drive until the sun began to peek over the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Then we pulled in to an overlook, opened the doors of the camper, cooked oatmeal, toasted English muffins, and watched a breathtaking Sunday morning sunrise. Thank you again, Jesus! I think we’re back on track.

If I always had a view like this, I’d never complain about doing dishes!

Thanks for coming along on our travels, even when things aren’t going so well.

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.