Becky Wade's Blog, page 45

Inspired by Scripture

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Q&A With My Male Narrator

The audiobooks of both Memory Lane and Rocky Road (which released last week!!!) have two narrators. A female narrator reading the scenes I wrote from my female characters point of view. And a male narrator reading the scenes I wrote from my male characters point of view. Ryan Hudson was my male narrator for both novels and that was extremely fortunate for me because I’M A HUGE FAN of his. I was so pleased when he agreed to answer the below questions . . . .

I’ve used this stock photo in the past to represent Ryan. I’m dusting it off and utilizing it again because he doesn’t share photos of himself. Yes–very mysterious!

BECKY: Can you tell us a little about the path that led you to narrating novels?

RYAN: I have always enjoyed reading. I’m eternally curious, so reading out loud was a very natural progression.  It also didn’t hurt that I’m an actor and voice artist . . . so all of this lined up really nicely for me. I hardly think of narrating as work. Haha.

BECKY: What do you enjoy about narration work? Is any aspect of it challenging?

RYAN: What’s great about narration is the wide range of books I get to read.  It’s also nice to get to read things that I might not necessarily seek out on my own. I also find the schedule to be relatively flexible so it melds into my schedule really well.  

As far as difficulty goes . . . when narrating a book with lots of characters, I always try hard to walk the line between creating a voice that is too distracting (especially when voicing female characters) and not distinguishing them enough. The only other real difficulty is just vocal strain from long, long sessions of narration. We don’t often think about speaking in a performative way as vocally stressful, but when you are sensitive to the quality of your voice . . . after a few hours . . . there is definitely some degradation in quality. At least for me.

BECKY: What is your routine during an average recording session?

RYAN: My process is usually very simple and straightforward. I like shorter sessions, it keeps my energy up and my voice strong. So when time permits, I’ll try to knock out an hour at a time, or I’ll schedule time by chapter or by emotional arc in the story. Frequently I’ll have a cup of tea, take my time . . . do an entire read-through of a chapter, then go back and clean up any edits. The one thing I don’t often do that many narrators do is read the book ahead of time. I’ll do a general “once over” just so I can have a top-down view of the book as a whole. But I like to discover it in real time, the same way whatever character I am narrating would. 

Here’s a link to Rocky Road on Spotify and here’s a link to Rocky Road on Audible. Both of those two sites offer audio samples of the novel. If you listen to audiobooks via other platforms, you should hopefully find Memory Lane and Rocky Road there, too. Here you’ll find a list of retailers that offer Rocky Road in paperback and ebook.

The moment when I get to launch a new book into the world is always a moment of celebration and gratitude to the Lord. Never has that been more true than with this book, which I wrote during my health struggles of 2023. I’m marveling at the Lord’s faithfulness and His ability to come through for us in strength when we are weakest.

Warmly, Becky p.s. If you’re an author interested in hiring Ryan, reach out to me and I’ll provide his email address.

Did anything about Ryan’s answers come as a surprise?

A Gift for You: Fun Bookmarks

Today I thought I would do something different as I race toward a book deadline on Monday. I thought you’d enjoy downloading and using these. One can never have enough bookmarks right? So I had fun creating these for you. You can copy and paste these into a Word document and print them to use in your next book as a reminder of all the reasons you love reading good books.

If you were to create a bookmark, what quote would you add to it? I hope you enjoy these! I’ve found I can never have enough bookmarks. Back to editing!

And if you’re looking for a book to read, don’t forget you can preorder The Vanished. It’s releasing in April, and I can’t wait for you to read it!

A Marathon of Kindess is available!

My final book in the Guideposts series Secrets from Grandma’s Attic has been released! In fact, the entire series is now drawing quickly to a close. What a fun experience it has been! But let me share with you a little about this final book of mind, A Marathon of Kindness. 

When looking for my last story, I was combing the history of St. Louis (the biggest city near the setting of Canton, MO) and came across the World’s Far in 1904. Honestly, a lot of that felt like it had been done before. But just as I was ready to look for another historical “anchor” for my story, I discovered that the Olympic Games were held in conjunction with the World’s Fair that year, so I started digging into that. 

If you follow me on social media, you might have seen this recently: 

But I needed something more specific to hang a story on than just the Olympic Games happening. And then I discovered the 1904 Olympic marathon. It’s truly the stuff of fiction! In short, the course was changed at the last minute and included quite a few inclines. And it turned out to be extremely hot that day. But beyond those uncontrollable aspects were things like . . . 

A participant getting a ride in a car part of the waySeveral participants having to be taken for medical attention due to heatA man from Cuba who arrived at the last minute and ran in cutoff pants

And on and on it goes. My favorite research book for getting things straight is a children’s book called The Wildest Race Ever. Not only did it contain good, detailed information, but the illustrations were fun, too! I look forward to sharing it with my granddaughters in a few years.

Then I had to figure out how to connect this race to Amy and Tracy’s family and what they might find (and where!) to send them down this research road. And this time, just to make myself crazy, I added a mystery in the contemporary story as well! 

I miss these characters already, but thankfully I’m behind in reading the other authors’ stories in this series, so I’ll get to return to them at least in my reading. 

You can purchase this book on the Guideposts website. (Not sure why the ebook link isn’t up yet, but the physical book is there.)

If you want a chance to win a copy, enter below!  

Have you read any of the Secrets from Grandma’s Attic books? Which one is your favorite?

Are you listening?

I typically listen to several audio books at once, and right now I’m listening to five. All of them very different…

Christians know what Jesus Christ has done — but who is he? What is his deepest heart for his people, weary and faltering on their journey toward heaven? Jesus said he is “gentle and lowly in heart.” This audiobook reflects on these words, opening up a neglected yet central truth about who he is for sinners and sufferers today.

Where to begin… I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Nothing short of transformational. Paul David Tripp says it so well when he shares, “I have read no book that more carefully, thoroughly, and tenderly displays Christ’s heart.” Amen.

Listen to a sample of GENTLE and LOWLY

The house cleaner of a famous author must carry out her employer’s shocking last wish.

I’m enjoying this novel. Interesting characters, and a primary character I definitely care about. That said, I’m having an easier time not coming back to it as often. However, I adore narrators with English accents so listening to this one is pure delight. I’m planning to finish it, only maybe not before some of these others.

Listen to a sample of The Messy Lives of BOOK PEOPLE

Based on his most popular sermon series, New York Times best-selling author Timothy Keller delivers an extraordinarily insightful look at the keys to happiness in marriage. The Meaning of Marriage showcases Keller’s vast understanding of the Bible and how it can not only be relevant to relationships today but also form the foundation of a modern, healthy, loving, and long- lasting marriage.

I’m listening to this book along with someone else, and we’re discussing it from time to time, which I’m really enjoying. Marriage was God’s idea and his invention, and yet the world has long sought to reframe that definition. And never more than in the last decade. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to marry or who needs to be reminded of the wisdom in God’s design for a man and woman in this covenant relationship.

Listen to a sample of The MEANING of MARRIAGE

Zero day: a software bug that allows a hacker to break into your devices and move around undetected. One of the most coveted tools in a spy’s arsenal, a zero day has the power to silently spy on your iPhone, dismantle the safety controls at a chemical plant, alter an election and shut down the electric grid (just ask Ukraine).

For decades, under cover of classification levels and non-disclosure agreements, the United States government became the world’s dominant hoarder of zero days. US government agents paid top dollar – first thousands and later millions of dollars – to hackers willing to sell their lock-picking code and their silence.

Then the United States lost control of its hoard and the market.

This is NOT a novel, but almost feels like one at times. I forget who recommended this to me, but I’m definitely enjoying it. Even though “enjoying” is not the right word. The Zero Day described in this book is real and more than a little disconcerting, but I’m being educated in world I know little about.

Listen to a sample of THIS IS HOW THEY TELL ME THE WORLD ENDS

A post-apocalyptic thriller of the after effects in the United States after a terrifying terrorist attack using electromagnetic pulse weapons (EMPs). In a small North Carolina town, one man struggles to save his family after America loses a war that will send it back to the Dark Ages.

Even though I’m not far into it, I am riveted by this story. And slightly terrified. I heard the author interviewed on THINQ and listened to the book sample, then dove in head first.

Listen to a sample of ONE SECOND AFTER

So which camp are you in?
1) I NEVER listen to audio books—and please, for the love, Tammy, don’t ever post about them again!!
2) I OCCASIONALLY listen to audio books, but still prefer a print book—pretty much like doughnuts over broccoli.
3) I ALWAYS listen to audio books, adore them, cannot live without them—bring ’em on! Just like Chick-fil-A nuggets and waffle fries!

And have you read any of these? Or do you have a recommendation?

Much love from Nashville, friends! So glad we’re in this together.

Tammy

Speaking of audio books…
Have you listened to any of these recent FOCUS ON THE FAMILY releases? : )

[image error][image error][image error]Listen to a sample of What a Wave Must Be by our own Angie HuntListen to a sample of Saving Grayson by Chris FabryListen to a sample of A Million Little Choices by moi

Come on, Get Happy!

The other day I was cleaning our Airbnb and I saw a video on YouTube about the Partridge Family–it was a movie about how the series was created. I turned it on (watching something always makes the cleaning go faster), and found myself going right back to the early seventies, when we’d gather around the TV and sing along to the songs.

I was still watching Partridge Family episodes long after I finished cleaning that apartment. There was something so wholesome about the show–and it was about values and family. And it didn’t hurt that David Cassidy was cute and Susan Day was beautiful and Shirley Jones seemed to be the perfect mom. (Did you know she turned down the role of the mom in THE BRADY BUNCH? But she loved the music in The Partridge Family. She was a singer, after all.)

If you have never watched the Partridge Family, check out some of the vids on YouTube. I think I’m going to show some to my grandkids to see if the show still resonates. Maybe it won’t, but it certainly won’t hurt them. It’s so much better than much of the stuff on TV these days.

So come on, get happy! Did you watch Shirley and her “kids” in the day? If you didn’t, just type “Partridge Family” into the Youtube search engine and take a walk down memory lane (or for the first time, if you’re younger!) It’s a little hokey (all those kids smiling at no one in the garage), but it’s fun!

~~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.

A Day That Matters Most

On Tuesday of this week, February 13, I celebrated the release of a new book (To Marry an English Lord). It is release #91 for me. That 100-books-published mark is getting closer and closer.

But that’s not the day I meant in the title. It matters but it doesn’t matter most.

Wednesday of this week matters, but not because of Valentine’s Day. I’m all for romance or I wouldn’t write so many books in that genre. I believe in expressions of love. Boy, do I believe in them. They are important. But Valentine’s Days come and go. So that’s not what I meant in the title either.

February 14 was also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent on the Christian calendar. That day is definitely important. It’s a day with eternal significance. It begins a season of reflection leading up to Resurrection Sunday. What Christ accomplished on the cross and by His resurrection is so much more than even His followers truly comprehend.

But that still isn’t what I meant in the title.

What makes last Wednesday a day that matters most to me is that it was my 48th born again birthday. On February 14, 1976, I became a child of God when I surrendered to the love of Jesus and became His disciple. Every other day in my life pales in comparison, even the most wonderful of days (and I’ve been blessed with many of those).

Some of my brothers and sister in Christ can’t point to a definite day and time. Some have just always known and belonged to Him since they were young children. But I can point to almost the exact minute because I lived without conscious knowledge of His hand on my life for too many years. So when I surrendered, I knew.

There’s a line from The Chosen which I love. I love it so much that I have it on both a sweatshirt and a t-shirt. In the show, it is spoken by Mary Magdalene when she is asked how she was set free of the demons that had possessed her. She says, “I was one way, and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.” That pretty much sums it up for me. I was one way (prior to February 14, 1976) and now I am another (from February 14, 1976 and on). And what happened in between was Jesus the Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Salvation takes a moment. Sanctification takes a lifetime. That’s the part of the journey I’ve been on for the past 48 years. And while 48 years as a believer might sound like a long time—and I am oh-so-very thankful for every single one of those years—in comparison with eternity in His presence, it is just a drop in the bucket. 

Here’s to the days that matter most.

~robin

Valentine Giveaway

What better time of year to celebrate romance stories that Valentine’s Week? Since I adore historical romance, I jumped at the chance to join ten other historical romance authors for this swoon-worthy giveaway.

First Place Prize: A copy of each of the books pictured above.
Second Place Prize: $50 Amazon gift card.

The winners will be selected on Monday, February 19, and I’ll be sure to leave a comment here on the blog as an announcement.

I’m giving away an autographed copy of Fairest of Heart my western Snow White retelling.

Family Fiction Magazine recently conducted a poll among their readers to determine their favorite romance sub-genres. I created a graph to show the results.

If you had to pick just one favorite romance sub-genre, which would you choose?

I’m historical all the way.

Alpha or Beta Heroes Or…?

Hi friends, and happy Wednesday. I’m so excited to be here with you today. My thirteenth novel, One Wrong Move, was released last week. In celebration, I’m giving away an autographed copy of One Wrong Move.

Just comment below to enter! 

One Wrong Move features hero Christian O’Brady.

I remember when I started out writing, I learned that heroes can be Alphas or Betas. 

Raven Romance defines an Alpha hero as: 

The Alpha Hero trope is a popular character archetype in romance novels, particularly in the sub-genres of paranormal, suspense, and military romance. These heroes are typically strong, dominant, and confident, with a commanding presence that demands respect and attention. They are often physically attractive and possess a set of skills that make them stand out from other characters in the story.

While they define a Beta Hero as:

Beta heroes, on the other hand, are typically more sensitive and emotional than alpha heroes. They are often described as being kind, caring, and nurturing, and they are usually the ones who listen to their partners and support them emotionally. Beta heroes are also known for being more in touch with their feelings, and they are often portrayed as being less concerned with material success than alpha heroes.

I don’t know about you, but I think characters are far more complex and nuanced than a set archetype. Yes, someone may be more confident and more in touch with their feelings, but I prefer a different kind of hero than a set archetype. However,  I enjoy reading them, and great characters are written that way. But I, personally, love to write gentlemanly heroes. Men who are fiercely loyal and protective of those they love. They are strong and brave. But they are also respectful of the heroine. They value her intelligence and opinions. They are kind and care about others. 

And I love to pair them with strong, intelligent heroines. Women who are brave, feisty, and can hold their own. However, they love and appreciate the hero’s multi-faceted personality. 

Reader Question: 

What kind of hero do you enjoy reading about the most? 

Thanks for taking time out of your day to spend a little time with me. Remember to comment below to be entered to win an autographed copy of One Wrong Move. 

Best, 

Dani