Becky Wade's Blog, page 29

Shhhh…. The “real” acceptance speech

In Deb’s post last week, she shared the story behind her accepting the Carol Award for my novel A Million Little Choices at this year’s ACFW Conference.

But have you seen the video of her reading that acceptance speech?

If you didn’t read Deb’s post, here’s a quick recap of events:
* Earlier this summer, I’m notified I’m a finalist for a Carol Award and ask Deb if she’ll accept the award for me since she’s attending the ACFW conference (where she is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award!), and I’m not going due to deadlines and obligations.
* Deb agrees to accept the award
* Deb forgets she’s agreed to accept the award
* Deb is sitting at her table during the awards program (which I’m streaming from home) when it occurs to her, “I wonder who is accepting Tammy’s award?”
* So she texts me asking that question, to which I text back YOU!
* Texts start flying
* I text, “Didn’t you get my speech I sent you?” (having never sent her one—I sent the real speech to her husband Ken two weeks earlier, and Ken agreed to print it out and have it ready in case my name is called)
* More texts fly
* Deb asks (with several exclamation points) for my speech again
* Having such fun with this, I text her a “fake” speech
* Texts stop flying
* Minutes later, they announce the winner for Best Contemporary Novel…and it’s A MILLION LITTLE CHOICES!

* As Deb is getting up from the table, her husband Ken hands her a piece of paper and says, “Read this one. This is the real speech.”
* And so she does…
* And the contagious laughter you hear in the background belongs to none other than writing buddy Tricia Goyer who recorded the video (thanks, Tricia!)

It was such a fun experience, both winning the Carol (from afar) and honoring Deb and her Lifetime Achievement Award. : )

Deb’s gorgeous Lifetime Achievement Award and my lovely Carol Award for A Million Little Choices

The kicker is, Deb would have never read those things about herself had she known what was coming. So I really had no choice. : )

When’s the last time you’ve been really surprised by something? What was the occasion (if you’re willing to share). And do you even like surprises?

Much love from Nashville,

Tammy

Check out the new cover for FROM A DISTANCE,
Timber Ridge Reflections, book 1

More about From a Distance
$2.99 ebook
Now on Kindled Unlimited (KU)

Theology by Kids

I found this in a file and thought you might enjoy it as much as I did.

  Judeo-Christian Theology As Explained By Children
 

The following are answers given by students from Williamston
  Presbyterian Church, So. Carolina, to test questions on the Bible as
  printed in the 12/31/95 issue of “National Review”:
 
  

The first book of the Bible is Guinness’s, in which Adam and Eve were
  created from an apple tree.
 
  

Noah’s wife was called Joan of Ark.
 
 

 Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night.
 


  Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the apostles.
 
 

 Unleavened bread is bread made without ingredients.
 
  

Moses went to the top of Mt. Cyanide to get the 10 commandments.
 
 

 The seventh commandment is “thou shalt not admit adultery.”
 
 

 Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
 
  

David fought with the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in 
Biblical times.
 


  Solomon had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
 


  Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
 


  The people who followed Jesus was called the 12 decibels.
 


  The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
 
  

One of the opossums was St. Matthew.
 
 

 Paul preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
 


  A Christian should have only one wife.  This is called monotony.
  

Enjoy! 

~~Angie 

P.S. I asked AI to create an image to go with this post. First I asked for “a group of children in church listening to a woman teach the Bible.” Result? A group of children who looked as somber as Puritans.

Then I asked for a “group of happy children” etc. And got images like the one below. Every single child was golden and glowing.

Then I asked for a “diverse group of happy children” etc. and got more of the same.

Then I asked for a racially mixed group of happy children and got images where every child was black.

Then I asked for a “group of happy black and white children” and got images of black children . . . in black and white, not color.

I learned one thing: AI refuses to believe that black and white children could go to church together. Isn’t that sad?

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.

A Carol Award for Memory Lane (and a giveaway!)

This past Saturday night, my book Memory Lane received a Carol Award in the romance category! That particular award is organized by American Christian Fiction Writers and judged by writers.

Immediately before the dinner and awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans. L to R: Reader Staci Scott, me, my agent and writer friend Kristy Cambron, Staci’s daughter Gretchen The image that flashed up on the giant screens when they announced my category (!!)The beautiful award

This recognition means a lot to me. Memory Lane is the first novel I independently published. I hired my editor, I collaborated on the cover, I hand-picked the audiobook narrators, I formatted the interior of the print and ebook, I uploaded the novel to all the places. It’s a huge encouragement to know that this story has connected with so many readers.

Thinking back down my own personal memory lane with this book, here are a few of the moments I cherish…

Taking a trip to Maine with my husband to research (and enjoy) the setting of this series.Launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the audiobook. Readers showed up in a big way and the successful campaign covered the full cost of creating the audiobook.Holding the paperback in my hands for the first timeMailing out all the “swag boxes” ordered by readers via the Kickstarter campaignMy mom with her swagJoy of joys–listening to the audiobook (with its male and female narrators) for the first time

Memory Lane released in February of 2023. In all of these photos I didn’t know that I’d be diagnosed with breast cancer on April 1st of the that year. There was a lot of hardship yet to come for me in 2023… scans, tests, waiting on results, surgery, more waiting on results, twenty sessions of radiation, sickness, more scans.

Here I am now, a year after completing radiation. When they announced the title of my book Saturday night, I was given the opportunity to say words of gratitude to the Lord, my editor, my agent, my reader and writer friends, and my family. I am thankful for God’s sustaining grace. For health. For this novel and all the novels He’s called me to write and continues to call me to write.

Two fun things for you before I go…

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, the ebook of Memory Lane is currently available to read for FREE via Prime reading. Simply visit its Amazon page HERE for access to it.

I’m offering a giveaway to celebrate this Carol Award! One grand prize winner will receive all the items pictured below: a signed copy of Memory Lane’s paperback, the audiobook, a book cozy and bookmark handmade by my friend Joy. The second-place winner will receive a signed copy of Memory Lane’s paperback and the audiobook.

I’m not requiring you to “do” anything to enter. Simply supply your email in the entry box below so that I can quickly contact you if you win. Winners will be selected randomly. USA only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThank you so much for supporting me and my writing journey! XO XO, Becky

2024 ACFW Recap

The 2024 ACFW conference took place last week in New Orleans. It was my first time, and I really enjoyed connecting with my writing friends and getting a teeny-tiny glimpse of the city. I didn’t make it to the French Quarter, because it rained four of the five days I was there, but I did slip out to the WWII Museum with my friend Tricia Goyer. I tend to be the person who attends everything when I’m at a conference, but I wasn’t teaching this year, and I was going to be so sad if I didn’t find my way the 3/4 of a mile to the museum. Still, I’m not sure I would have made the trek without her encouragement.

I am so glad I did! Before we even got inside the doors, I was seeing statutes that tied to my books. The photo below shows a soldier with his War Dog, and my novel Sandhill Dreams is set at Fort Robinson in the Sandhills of Nebraska where war dogs were trained. It only got better as we went inside. I need to go back and spend days there so I can spend the time to soak in the stories and oral histories to identify the sparks that will weave into possible future books.

Saturday night was the awards gala. It’s an excuse to dress up and celebrate with friends. I love the chance to celebrate as we award the Genesis for best-yet-to-be-published book and awards for Mentor-of-the-Year, Editor-of-the-Year, and Agent-of-the-Year. We also recognized author Deborah Raney with the Lifetime Achievement Award and two memebers with the Volunteer of the Year and Member Service Award.

Here are a few fun photos, and at the end is a list of the winners of the Carol Awards. These are for the best published books from last year. There are great books on the list.

With my dear writing friend and mentor Colleen Coble. I adore her books. I can’t wait for everyone to read the books she’s writing with another friend, Rick Acker, especially I Think I was Murdered. So twisty!

Sarah Sundin and I have worked together on Where Treetops Glisten. I love that collection. And I adore her award-winning, World War Two novels.

Jenny Erlingsson was on the podcast recently so it was a treat to meet her. I love her cover and her heart is amazing!

Ashley Clark is such a sweet spirit and writing friend. It’s always a joy to connect with her. I LOVE her books.

And such a joy to connect with Betsy St. Amant a couple times over the conference. I love her heart, and I cheered so loudly when she won a Carol Award. Such a perfect segue to this…

2024 Carol Award Winners

Contemporary: A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander

Historical: Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Wetzel Landsem

Historical Romance: The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson

Novella: Christmas Snowstorm Standoff by Sami A. Abrams

Romance: Memory Lane by Becky Wade

Romantic Suspense: Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn

Short Novel: Their Holiday Secret by Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Speculative: Of Sea and Smoke by Gillian Bronte Adams – Author

Young Adult: Sky of Seven Colors by Rachelle Nelson

Debut: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

If you’re looking for a book to read, any of those would be a great place to start!

A New Move

Hi friends, and happy Wednesday! 

I’m writing this from my new office in our new home in Florida.

Yep! We just made a big move from Maryland, where we’d lived for thirty-one years, to Florida. Let me tell you, you can accumulate A LOT of stuff being in the same house for thirty years. Yikes! 

We had a purging party, decluttered, and sent a ton to Goodwill and the Veterans Pick Up Service. Yet, we got here and realized we still brought too much, so we’re giving away another huge purge of items—books (so hard to part with), furniture, and décor. 

In some ways, it’s hard to part with certain items like the books I mentioned, but in other ways, it feels liberating to let go of things we don’t need, especially knowing they are going to people who need and can use them. 

I’m even thinning out my office and some research books. As an author, this is akin to giving away prize possessions. I’m sure you can relate to those books you haven’t read in years, but you know “one day” they’ll come in handy. So hard. 

But my office is coming together…slowly. I still have boxes everywhere and can’t tell you where my Sharpies, staples, or sticky notes are, but the main furniture pieces are in place, and my writing nook is set up, so I’m very happy. 

I’ve chosen the Florida room to set up my office in. It’s surrounded by glass, and outside is a wonderful row of foliage—palm trees and mature trees. I really feel like I’m sitting outside even when I’m in the nice cool of the room. I pray I’ll be able to write lots of new books from this office and, most likely, the chair in the above picture. 

It’ll take time to settle in, but the major pieces are in place—writing nook, bed, and, of course, coffee pot and espresso machine. A girl has got to have her necessities. LOL! 

Question for you: 

When was the last time you moved, and what did you set up first? 

If you haven’t moved, have you ever had to part with books? So hard, right? 

As always, thanks for joining me this week from the chaos of my new place. I’ll share more pics as the place comes together. I wish you a wonderful week filled with peace and the joy of the Lord. 

Best, 

Dani

Braced For Impact

As a writer, I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk. (I have the option to raise the platform my laptop sits on, but I concentrate better when sitting.) I’ve suffered from neck pain for many years, which long hours hunched over the keyboard don’t help!  I also experience some wrist pain after long writing sessions, and occasionally lower back pain as well. I know these are minor problems in the scheme of things, but  since so many of us spend time on PCs these days, I thought I’d share some of the products I use to “Brace Myself” for a day’s work. (Not getting any kick-back on these; just sharing what helps me.)

Wrist Brace

I’ve had other versions, but I really like how soft this one is. I regularly brace my right “mouse” hand and sometimes my left as well.

Neck Brace

My poor husband! Yes, I look like a dork wearing this but it keeps me for bending my neck too far forward or down while typing away. When my neck starts throbbing, I swallow my pride and reach for this.

Laptop Riser

I have used one like the above for years. The stand allows me to raise my laptop screen to a more ergonomically correct height.

Lumbar Support

 I’ve had a support like this attached to my office chair for years. Not this exact model, but close.

Back Brace /Posture corrector

Shoulders back! Chest up! My dear mother tried so hard to instill good posture in me, but I’ve never been disciplined enough to master it. I don’t wear this brace daily, but during long writing streaks it helps me keep my shoulders back and avoid pain.

Cold Pack

And finally, at the end of a long writing day, I use an cold pack like this to soothe my aching neck.

What about you? Have you found any tips or tools to help with your PC posture and stay pain-free?

ACFW 2024

Ken and I just returned from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in New Orleans a couple of hours ago and my heart is full. And the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction were very well-represented during the gala awards night at the conference!

Tammy and my awards on the table after I accepted hers. There’s a great story to go with that. Perhaps you saw it on our Facebook posts, but I’m too exhausted to tell it tonight. Maybe Tammy will share the details when it’s her turn to blog.Me posing with Tammy’s gorgeous (and well-deserved) award. It was such fun to call her after the ceremony and cheer for each other over the phone.

Angie, Becky, Cara, D’Ann, Karen and I were all in New Orleans, but Tammy and Dani won awards even though they weren’t able to be there in person. I wish we’d all been able to gather for a photo, but I’ll share a few of the photos I took and perhaps the others will share when it’s their turn to post.

Here is why we were cheering each other on:

• Tammy won the Carol Award in Contemporary for A Million Little Choices

• Becky won the Carol Award in Romance for Memory Lane

• Dani won Mentor of the Year.

• Deb won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but our bloggers have all been on those award lists one year or another. So proud to call them friends and so honored to cheer them on.

With Angie, Gayle Roper, and my pretty award and the gorgeous flowers Ken surprised me with the night of the gala.He’s a keeper! Left to right: Creston Mapes, Mark Mynheir, Angie, Gayle Roper, and me.Left to right: Me, my agent Steve Laube, Tricia Goyer, and Cara.Just a few scenes from our time in New Orleans. There’s D’Ann in the upper left corner, and Cara in the lower left with some Storyfest readers. I barely got to say hi to Karen as we passed in a buffet line, and I hugged Becky’s neck in the hallway. So glad for the moments we had but I wish I had pictures of them to share with you!

The conference was a wonderful time of teaching, learning, inspiration, and connecting with other writers (and readers at the connected Storyfest event). And now, I can barely keep my eyes open and tomorrow, it’s back to my desk. I have a book to finish!

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.

A Head Full of Characters … and Confusion

Writers who write and publish on a regular basis are often juggling more than one story at a time. 

One story is the manuscript they are writing now, adding new scenes or chapters every day. Another is the book in production; maybe the authors are doing revisions or line edits or reading page proofs.Finally there is one about to release or recently released, and the authors are doing interviews about it or writing marketing copy.And since books rarely go out of print these days, thanks to ebooks, it’s possible to be fielding questions or comments from readers about a book the author wrote ten or twenty or thirty years ago.

Readers may wonder why, when they say to an author, “I loved it when Character A did XYZ,” that the author stares back at them with a deer-in-the-headlights look. That’s because the author is searching desperately through the old memory bank for that book’s particular information. At least that is true for me.

And I’m kind of in that place at the moment.

Wishing for Mistletoe is preparing for release on November 7th, so there is marketing work to be done. I’m writing To Capture a Mountain Man; I’m after 25% finished with the first draft. And I’ve got my thinking cap on for a new Kings Meadow story, so I’ve been listening to the audiobooks of the five existing stories set in that location to get those creative juices flowing.

So if you and I happen to meet somewhere and you mention something you liked in one of my books, be sure to give me time to find that information in my brain. I’ll appreciate your patience a lot. 

~robin