Becky Wade's Blog, page 38

Happy News

I have two fun things to share with you today…

I learned earlier this week that Memory Lane is a finalist in the romance category of the Carol Awards, given by American Christian Fiction Writers. (!!!) Fellow writers read and score books for this award, so it means a lot to me that Memory Lane received this recognition from them. This came as a wonderful surprise and encouragement, especially considering that this was the first novel of mine that I independently published. Be sure to check out the complete list of Carol Award finalists (including our own Tamera Alexander) here.

Also this week, I placed Rocky Road in Kindle Unlimited. If you’re a KU member and haven’t read Jude and Gemma’s book yet–it’s now there for you!

“What is KU?” some of you might be asking. It’s a subscription program offered by Amazon that enables members to pay $12 a month and read all the ebooks available in KU that they want. At the moment, 8 of my 13 novels are available in KU.

My novels currently available in KU

Publishers can enroll an ebook in KU and make that ebook available at all other booksellers. But independently published authors must remove the ebook from all other booksellers in order to enroll it. Note: this does not apply to the paperback or audiobook, only the ebook.

Some of my independently published writer friends place their books in KU right when they release. This has worked out tremendously well for some, and I understand why. Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla of the publishing industry. To give you a sense of what I mean when I say that… Since January of 2023, around the time that Memory Lane released, 67% of my income has come from Amazon. For this reason, it’s in the best interests of most authors to find a way to befriend the gorilla.

In my case, I chose not to place the ebooks of Memory Lane and Rocky Road in KU right away because I was coming off of 11 traditionally published books that had been distributed widely. I wanted to distribute my newer books widely, too, making it as easy as possible for readers to find them in the places where they were accustomed to finding them. For example–in print at Barnes & Noble, at their library, on Apple Books, etc.

I waited 7 months after release to place Memory Lane in KU. I had initially planned to follow a similar timeline with Rocky Road. I changed my mind and waited just 3 months with Rocky Road. Why? Well, since I placed Memory Lane in KU, 70% of my income on that book has come from KU. Also, I’m running ads for Memory Lane and most of the people reading the book because of the ads are reading via KU. So, in order to increase my return on investment on advertising, it makes sense to allow KU readers to finish Memory Lane and seamlessly begin reading Rocky Road.

Is Kindle Unlimited the only game in town? No. There are two other avenues that are showing promise for authors lately.

Audiobooks. In March of this year, 45% of my income came from audiobook sales. Audible accounted for part of that, but most of that came from Findaway (which distributes to many audiobook outlets including libraries). I was delighted. I think this speaks to how many people are listening on Spotify, the Chirp deal I ran that month, and also how much audiobook listeners have enjoyed that I have both a male and female narrator for Memory Lane and Rocky Road.Bookstores on authors’ web sites. This enables authors to sell directly to their readers without a retailer keeping a percentage of the list price. I added a bookstore to my site years ago so that readers who wanted signed paperbacks would have an easy way to purchase those from me. Thanks to the support of readers, my bookstore has grown and expanded. I now sell other formats of my new books while continuing to fulfill orders for paperbacks, which remain my most popular item. Through my bookstore, I’ve shipped out almost 200 paperback copies of Rocky Road this year as well as pre-order swag boxes. I thoroughly enjoy being a “bookstore owner”.My bookstore

Thanks for allowing me to provide a snapshot of the writing life, taken from my corner of the world.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Fantastic Gift of Brainstorming Buddies and Beta Readers

Hi friends and happy Wednesday!

Writing can be very singular-focused. You’re the author, you wrote it, and often your eye sees what it expects to see, so you can miss typos or the use of the wrong word, but it goes much farther than that. Being so close to your own work, it’s often hard to step back and take a truly objective opinion. Being so tied into the romance and suspense threads (in romantic suspense novels), it’s hard to catch the small inaccuracies. 

Yes, there are your editors who are invaluable, copyeditors and proofreaders who look for inaccuracies and typos, grammar, etc. My publisher’s editorial team is outstanding. However, having a brainstorming buddy to work through the editorial feedback before the next round of revisions, to walk through it and brainstorm the best way to achieve the story I want, is such a blessing. Inspired by Life and Fiction’s own, Becky Wade has been my friend, prayer partner, and brainstorming buddy as far back as I can remember. We just got done brainstorming the second book (title reveal coming soon) in my Jeopardy Falls series and the story will be all the better for it. 

Having a brainstorming buddy whom you trust, who understands your voice and storytelling, and who you respect as an author is a gift. I hope you have one or God brings one into your life, as they add such amazing richness to the tapestry of story ideas. 

I’m also greatly blessed by my beta readers. What are beta readers? They are avid readers of my books who so graciously offer to read it at its various stages and provide feedback and suggestions. They get my writing, and being avid readers, they understand the conventions of the genre. Their feedback is a huge help in improving my drafts, and I know they have the best hearts for helping me tell the best story I can.  

I’ve been blessed by both brainstorming and beta readers on book number two. I can’t wait until its final draft is finished, and I can share Riley and Greyson’s story with you. 

Question for you: 

If you’re an author, do you brainstorm with a buddy and/or have beta readers? 

If you’re a reader, have you been a beta reader, or is that something that would interest you? 

As always, thanks for joining me this week 

Best, 

Dani

Tuesday is Gram Tam day

So this is my today in real time…

I usually start out at their place, and Baby Ari has just finished a bottle.Leo then spots her unfinished bottle…And makes it his own.Looks like a jailbreak!Asleep again, but never for long it seems…She doesn’t want her bottle—and let me know. So snuggles it is!

And now we are back at our place… Both are out for the count, so now’s the time to finally get this blog posted. LOL

And, Kellie, if you’re reading this, he got another bonk on his forehead. : ( Took an unanticipated nosedive into the sofa. He cried for a hot second, then a book and some puffs and maybe a cookie, and all was well. Don’t you wish life were really that simple? Love these little vibrating chairs! It’s like having an extra set of hands at times.

So that’s my Tuesday. So far. The rest is TBD…once they wake up.

So what are YOU doing today? Anyone else snuggling and loving on grand babies?

Love from my corner of Nashville,

Tammy

The SISTERS OF CORINTH–not exactly a Cinderella story

I’m excited because THE SISTERS OF CORINTH finally releases tomorrow–on the 21st!

For The Sisters of Corinth, the second book in the Emissaries series, I wanted to begin with a Cinderella-type proposition: after much primping and preparation, two step-sisters are invited to a banquet where one will be chosen to marry the governor’s handsome son.

 But the Emissaries series deals with first-century believers in the towns where Paul established churches, and Corinth was not exactly an enchanted kingdom. It was the Vegas of the Roman Empire, a place where wealthy Romans could attend the theater, gamble, invest gold and silver, and satisfy all their desires. What happened in Corinth, apparently, stayed in Corinth.

 Back to my sisters: one is a young believer in Yeshua, the other is thoroughly Roman and a devotee of Aphrodite, goddess of love and desire. One wants to please God; the other wants to please herself. One doesn’t want to marry the prince—er, the governor’s son, the other is determined to marry him. So guess which girl he chooses? Of course! Conflict is the heart of story.

 After writing The Jerusalem Road series, set in Judea and Jerusalem during the time of Christ, I was itching to tell the stories of the Gentiles who came to Christ in the first century. The Jews who followed Jesus knew about moral living and pleasing God. But the believing Gentiles of the Roman Empire did not know the first thing about what Adonai requires, and they were surrounded by pagans who lived to please themselves.

 Just as we are. As I wrote the three novels in the Emissaries series, I kept finding parallels between ancient Rome and our own culture: Disposable children. The worship of pleasure. The ambitious pursuit of wealth. Political corruption. Bloody spectacle passing as entertainment.

 The first century believers caused a stir when they boldly stood for righteousness, and today’s Christians are facing the same choice: are we willing to become slaves to Christ? To submit every area of our lives to His authority?

 The Romans understood slavery—their society would have collapsed without it. The idea of willingly becoming a slave, even to a God, was foreign to them, but thousands of Romans eagerly followed Adonai and His Son, often paying the ultimate price for their love of God.

 In learning about those first-century Christians, I’ve become convicted by their courage. So many times I’ve wanted to remain silent on social media when I know I need to speak out and stand for Truth. For righteousness. For God.

 I hope this book—and the others in the series—will resonate with contemporary readers and remind us that being a slave to Jesus has never been easy.

Have you ever been fascinated by ancient Rome? I hope you’ll check out these stories of baby believers who struggled to stand as Christians in a thoroughly anti-Christian society.

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.

National Idaho Day

Back on February 1st of this year, Karen Witemeyer posted about National Texas Day. She thought, since all her books are set in Texas, that it would make a great post. And it did. I loved reading her list of fun facts.

So I wondered if there was a National Idaho Day, especially since I set (almost) all my books in Idaho. I learned that not only was there a National Idaho Day but it fell on one of my regularly scheduled blogging days. How is that for “meant to be”?

I am a native Idahoan. I was born in a small town near the border with Oregon. I was raised in Boise. I grew up being able to walk in the ruts carved by wagons on the Oregon Trail not too far from my own home. I have climbed its mountains and I’ve descended into some ice caves. I’ve ridden my horses in the high desert that covers much of the southern part of the state. I’ve been swimming and gone waterskiing in its clear cold lakes (one that has a monster named Sharli, probably a sibling of the Loch Ness Monster). I’ve snow skied on its slopes (a long, long time ago), and I’ve stared at the western side of the Grand Tetons and marveled at the majestic world God created. From Idaho’s borders, I’ve crossed into all six states that surround us as well as into Canada.

Right around the time my first novel was released, I was employed as a Relocation Coordinator for a real estate firm. My job was to fly to corporations in other states and tell them all the reasons why they should move their businesses (and their employees) to Idaho. Thus, my head became filled with lots of fun facts about Idaho. Here are some of them.

FUN FACTS ABOUT IDAHO

Idaho’s state bird is the Mountain Bluebird. Its state horse is the Appaloosa. Its state fish is the Cutthroat Trout. Its state flower is the Syringa. Its state tree is the Western White Pine. And its state fruit is the Huckleberry. [Note: Oh, how I love huckleberry pancakes with huckleberry syrup; I spent a great deal of time through the years, filling buckets with huckleberries whenever we were camping in McCall.] The territory of Idaho was created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 (see fact about gold below). Idaho was admitted to the union as the 43rd state on May 17, 1890.Idaho’s highest point is Mt. Borah (12,622 ft). Lowest Point is Lewiston (738 ft).Port of Lewiston (Lewiston, Idaho) is the furthest inland seaport in all of the Pacific Northwest, with eight dams and locks to the Pacific.Idaho is 83,557 square miles, the 13th largest state in the US.The statehouse in Boise is geothermally heated from underground hot springs.Idaho’s Salmon River near Riggins is the longest free-flowing river that heads and flows within a single state. The state has 3,100 miles of rivers — more than any other state.Idaho is called the Gem State: It produces 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones.Gold was the principle factor in the establishment of many present day towns including Idaho City, located in what is called the Boise Basin. During the Civil War the Basin was the scene of the richest gold rush in American history. It is said to have produced more gold than all of Alaska.Shoshone Falls (212 feet), near Twin Falls, drops 52 feet further than Niagara Falls. The 1940 film “Northwest Passage” was filmed in McCall, Idaho.The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the largest in the lower 48 states — 2.3 million acres of backcountry. Idaho has more wilderness area than any other state except Alaska. 63% of Idaho is public land.The deepest river gorge in North America is Idaho’s Hells Canyon (7,900 ft deep).Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Canada.The Great Seal of Idaho was designed in 1890 by Mrs. Emma Edwards Green. It is the only Great Seal in the 50 states to be designed by a woman.

In celebration of the state I love on National Idaho Day, I’m giving away a paperback of one of my Idaho-set novels shown in the graphic to one US winner. Just leave a comment to enter.

Again taking a cue from Karen, here are my questions:

Have you ever lived in or visited Idaho?
What fun fact surprised you the most?

~robin

Three Celebrations in One Weekend

This past weekend was packed with family celebrations. I think it will take a week to recover, but they were such a blessing.

Event #1 – Graduation

My future daughter-in-law, Katy, graduated with her master’s degree in Economics from Texas A&M on Saturday night. She and Peter will marry in November. She’s worked so hard and has earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in only 4 years! We’re so proud of her. Now she can focus on planning the wedding.

My daughter, Bethany, also attends A&M as she works on her PhD. So Wes and I stayed with her in her little one-bedroom apartment. It was so fun to spend time with her and have her show us around campus (though my stiff back is telling me I’m getting too old for sleeping on an inflatable mattress).

She showed us the lab where she does the majority of her work. Then she took us across campus to visit the Century Tree. This giant oak tree in the heart of the A&M campus is over 100 years old and is known as the “sweetheart tree.” Tradition has it that if a couple walks together under the branches, they will marry, and if a proposal happens there, the marriage will last forever.

Of course, I had to get a photo with my sweetheart beneath the branches of this giant tree. Some of you may recall that a few years ago, I participated in a novella collection called The Kissing Tree. We used The Century Tree as our inspiration for the tree that connected all of our stories. So, in honor of that book . . .

Event #2 – Mother’s Day

Sunday arrived with a double blessing. It started with Mother’s Day. I think this is one of my favorite Mother’s Days in recent memory. Mainly because of my sneaky husband. With the graduation and my daughter’s birthday, I was fully prepared to take the backseat for Mother’s Day. It didn’t bother me in the slightest. I was spending it with the daughter who lived far away and one of my son’s and his fiance. I had all I could need. Then, as I was taking our bed in the living room, an orange envelope grabbed my attention. My daugther was still asleep and my husband was in the shower, so I had a quiet house to savor the moment.

Not only did he get me a sweet card, but he found a way to get all 3 kids to sign it, even the one back in Abilene. Not only was he stealthy enough to get signatures from everyone without me knowing, but he packed his computer bag, which he didn’t need, just because he knew that would be the one bag I wouldn’t open. I rarely cry over sentimental things, but I seariously teared up. I felt so loved and honored. Not only that, but when we finally got home Sunday evening, my Abilene son and his wife had left a vase of flowers on the kitchen counter for me to find. Such a joy!

Event #3 – Bethany’s Birthday

Not only was it Mother’s Day, but it was also my daughter’s birthday. I was ticked when I discovered a “photo booth” in the church building Sunday morning. I made Bethany take a photo with me. We went to one of her favorite brunch places after church then returned to her apartment with Peter and Katy in tow to open a few presents and wish her birthday blessings before Wes and I got back into the car after less than 24 hours for the 4 1/2 hour journey home.

When was the last time you traveled, or the last time someone traveled to see you? What was the occasion?

New Seasons of British TV

We are huge fans of British TV, mostly for the depth of character in the storytelling. And the accents. And the scenery. 

Anyway, a whole slew of our shows—almost all of them murder mysteries (which at this moment are not the intense police drama kind) are in new seasons so I thought I’d share. 

Note: we have both BritBox and AcornTV streaming services. Some of these shows might be found elsewhere but I’m not certain. 

Sister Boniface Mysteries

These mysteries, a spinoff of Father Brown (small town, 1960s England), have been so fun. Sister Boniface, a nun who dabbles in chemistry and biology, helps out on the pathology end of the murders and often finds the key to solving the crime.

Death in Paradise

This series has gone through so many cast changes in all its years, but so seamlessly that it never loses its appeal. There is always a quirky British detective inspector who leads his team of locals on a fictional Caribbean island. The scenery is always great and the cast of characters delightful.

Harry Wild

Jane Seymour (yes, that Jane Seymour!) plays a retired English professor who solves mysteries with her young sidekick—to the consternation of her police detective son. This fun one is set in Ireland. 

Beyond Paradise

This spin-off from Death in Paradise began last year. DI Humphrey Goodman, a former Death in Paradise detective, moves back to England with the woman he loves and solves crimes in Devon. His quirkiness is so endearing. 

The Brokenwood Mysteries

This murder mystery series is set in a small town (Brokenwood) in New Zealand. A great cast of characters and a lot of humor. 

And the one non-murder mystery show but perhaps the one we are currently anticipating most: 

Escape to the Country

This is basically House Hunters in the British countryside! Not only do you get to see some amazing houses, but you also learn about different areas of the country. We have put so many places on our travel wish list after watching this show! 

Finally, if you enjoy British shows as well as movies that tell a true story, I urge you to watch Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office on PBS. Such a well-written, well-acted, true (and still ongoing) story that will both tear your heart out and make you cheer. 

Do you enjoy British shows? Which ones are you currently watching?

The Love and Lore of the Seaside in Jane Austen’s Time

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of giving a talk to members of the Minnesota Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America. I shared highlights from my research into English seaside resorts and customs during the Georgian and Regency eras, from the rising popularity of resort towns, their social activities and amenities, bathing machines, bathing costumes, beliefs about the medicinal value of sea bathing—and even the drinking of sea water! This research provided the framework for the On Devonshire Shores series.

I shared historical perspectives, quotes about people’s views of the sea (for recreation as well as health), royal experiences with bathing machines and sea bathing, and more. Here are a few of the quotes I shared:

…no person could be really well…could be really in a state of secure and permanent health without spending at least six weeks by the sea every year. Nobody could catch cold by the sea; nobody wanted appetite by the sea; nobody wanted spirits; nobody wanted strength. Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing – fortifying and bracing….”

—Jane Austen, “The Brothers,” later renamed Sanditon

Ah! my dear, but Perry had many doubts about the sea doing her any good; and as to myself, I have been long perfectly convinced…that the sea is very rarely of use to anybody. I am sure it almost killed me once.”

—Jane Austen, Emma

Reader-friend Anna introduced me with a heartwarming and humorous introduction before I spoke.

During the talk, my friend and sister-author Erica Vetsch modeled a replica Regency-era bathing costume.

Erica Vetsch, Jane, and Julie

Afterward, I took audience questions—my favorite part of any talk.

JASNA friends Nancy, Anna, (Julie), and Ruth (My thanks to Ruth for sharing her photos with me.)

I enjoyed the morning and time with fellow Austen enthusiasts, many of whom have become friends. What about you? Do you belong to JASNA or some other organization? Tell us about it in the comments.

Practice Makes…Better

It’s been almost a year since I got my piano. (You can read that story here.) And I must say, my childhood piano teacher would be so proud of how diligently I’ve been practicing this past year. I’ve also been very pleased with how I’m learning to read music better.

In January, our youngest daughter challenged me to learn to play a pretty song she’d discovered, Handel/Halvorsen’s “Passacaglia.” It’s the hardest song I’ve ever learned and what I’m playing in the video below is a rather simplified version, but I’m getting better.

The piano continues to be such great entertainment, not just for me, but for our kids and grandkids too. It’s the first thing the kids run to when they arrive at our house.

Currently, I’m learning to play Beethoven’s “Minuet in G” from John Thompson’s Third Grade Book, which is where I left off from lessons as a kid. This was challenging too, but again, I’m getting better.

In case anyone is wondering why I only show the keyboard and my hands? Let’s just say that my “concentration face” is not very pretty to look at. I’m working on that, but for now, I’m just happy if my fingers land on the right keys at the right time.

In other news: I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that our oldest grandson graduated from high school last week! (The same week he and his brother qualified for the State track meet!) He is an amazing young man. He was asked to say the Invocation prayer at his graduation ceremony and did a beautiful job. Ken told me, “I was thinking about him graduating and it almost makes me cry.” I said, “It just makes me feel old.” Ken’s reply: “Yeah, that’s why I’m crying!” 

I would be sad that our grandson is growing up and going off to college, except that he plans to attend college close by and live even closer (MUCH closer) to us next fall. More on that later, but we can’t wait!