Becky Wade's Blog, page 5

On a Writing Lockdown

As I near “The End” with each novel, I seem to find it necessary to go under a self-imposed “lockdown” and just “get ‘er done!” As you read this, I’ve been on lockdown for almost four days and here’s what that looks like:

First of all, I need solitude when I’m on lockdown. In the past, I’ve checked in to Airbnbs (even one in our own town!) so there were no interruptions, no distractions, and no responsibilities. Two years ago, I kicked my husband out of the house for two weeks. Ken went on a trip to places I had no interest in and even though we missed each other desperately by the end of that time, it was a win/win. I finished my book and he had a great time and met up with some friends at the Grand Canyon.

So we did that again this year. Friday morning, Ken headed to Wichita to pick up his brother for a two-week trek to Glacier National Park and all kinds of sites between here and there. I know they will have an absolute blast and I’m glad they’re together to keep an eye on each other (although, remembering some of the mischief the four Raney brothers got into as kids, I probably should be more concerned! ) But they’re off on an adventure, and meanwhile, our college-age grandson, who spent the summer in Florida, is back for another school year living in our basement apartment. He has his own life and won’t bother me while I write, but it’s also nice to know I have a big, strong, brave spider- and snake-killer on call here while Ken is away.

This might sound crazy, but I get more projects and activities done while I’m on a writing lockdown alone (key word!) than any other time. You see, when Ken is home, if I leave my desk and start a project, he thinks that means I’m not writing so he can interrupt me. Au contraire! My very best writing happens when I’m immersed in a project! While I clean or craft or bake, my mind is working overtime, solving problems in my story, figuring out the plot, etc. Home alone, I’m free to move from laptop to craft project to organizing a closet to playing the piano to baking bread without skipping a beat in my writing process.

Already since Ken drove off, I’ve decoupaged a little stool that had water-damage on top, I hung several paintings to wrap a gallery wall around a corner of our bedroom, I’m working out an arrangement of “Beauty and the Beast” on the piano, I’ve cleaned out my side of the closet and gotten rid of at least 20 items of clothing that I no longer need or wear, and I’ve baked bread that will last me the whole two weeks since I only have to share it one time (with a friend who’s coming for a 5:30 a.m. breakfast and coffee tomorrow.)

Next weekend my daughters are coming for a sleepover and I’m babysitting grandkids for a few hours one morning. Those will be nice breaks in my lockdown, but other than that, my only responsibility (besides putting out the trash and recycling and watering flowers if it doesn’t rain) is to finish my book!

It’s going really well and I’m actually having a blast! I know I’ll start being homesick for Ken long before he gets home, but I also know that, like last year, we’ll have a new appreciation for each other by the time he comes home. And hopefully, by then, I’ll have written a final THE END on Who Stirs Up the Sea.

Karen’s Favorites

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We hope you are enjoying these weekly feature posts from the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We’re sharing some of our favorite things to help you get to know us a little better—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.

Favorite Candy: One of my favorite candies that I keep on hand for moments when I just need a little taste to keep me going through my day are Dove dark chocolates. I keep a secret stash in my office at work.

Favorite Sport: I’ve always enjoyed racket sports. I played junior varsity tennis one year in high school. I was never very good, but I had lots of fun. For a while I played racquetball with my husband. I couldn’t keep up with his skill, but I could out-hustle him.  My middle son played tennis for three years in high school, so that was fun, but not as fun as the year my husband bought me a backyard badminton set for my birthday. We had so much fun. Here’s my favorite short video from that day where my son managed to hit himself in the face with the birdie. We laughed so hard we couldn’t play for several minutes.

Favorite Verse: I have far too many favorites when it comes to Bible verses! I decided to share the one that I cross-stitched to hang on my office wall the year I returned to the day job after being a stay-at-home-mom for five years. It continues to inspire me today as I work and write, to always give my best because it’s not just a job, it’s an offering to the Lord.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man.” Colossians 3:23

Road Trip Highlights

In a prior post, I mentioned that I was about to head out on a family vacation to Utah and that I’d share highlights pictures when I returned. In this post, I’m doing just that!

Due to their work schedules, my husband and oldest daughter were only able to join us for the last three nights of the trip. My son, my youngest daughter, and I had a more flexible schedule and were able to spend more time traveling, so the three of us flew from Dallas to Las Vegas. We picked up our rental car, did some shopping, ate a great dinner, and saw Mystere (a jaw-dropping Cirque du Soleil show). Then after one night at the Bellagio, we hit the road.

Our first destination after leaving Nevada and entering Utah was Zion National Park. My sister–who lives in southern California–brought her three daughters and met up with us there!

We knew ahead of time that the midday heat would be brutal at Zion, so we stayed ahead of the hot temperatures (and the crowds) by hiking early, eating lunch in air conditioning, resting in our hotel room and/or the hotel pool during the afternoon, then returning to the park after dinner.My sister and I had a ball traveling together.

Our next stop–Bryce Canyon National Park.

This picture does not even begin to do Bryce Canyon justice. It’s incredibly distinctive, with its spires of rock called “hoodoos” and its palette of every shade of orange.The colors and rock formations inside the canyon are awe-inspiring

I was so proud of our national parks during this trip! Visiting Zion and Bryce reminded me of the astonishing beauty of the land protected within the boundaries of our parks. It was wonderful to hear people speaking an array of languages and to know they’d come to experience and enjoy our parks from far-off nations.

Our next stop–Park City.

As you can see, totally different geography in this northern part of Utah.Walking through this forest on a cool misty morning, with its wildflowers and aspen trees, felt like walking through a fairytaleAfter the climbing section of our hike, we were rewarded by the views at Blood LakeEveryone in my family of five eventually made it to Park City. Isn’t it crazy how grown my kids are now? (They’re 24, 21, and 16.)Our entire group (including my mom and dad) Have you visited any of these destinations? (If not, I recommend a trip there!)

Thinking about the Things that Matter

This morning I’m typing this actually in the afternoon in Copenhagen. It’s been a whirlwind week with a quick trip to Omaha for a family emergency, followed by one day at home, and then the overnight flight to Denmark for a conference. I’m weary … emotionally and physically.

Sometimes life is like that.

Last week, I hurried home to Nebraska Friday to be with my baby brother and his girls as he had to make some very hard decisions related to his wife. We prayed, and many of you joined us, for her complete healing, but that came in the form of her stepping into heaven on Sunday afternoon. It was way too early. She was only forty-one. But her body was worn out from a years-long battle with illness. That doesn’t make it any easier for us to say good-bye.

Eric and I have this commitment to living with no regrets. That means doing the inconvenient. Making the hard work of rearranging the calendars and showing up. That means that when the hard happens, we can look back and know that we did everything we could. We said everything we should have. And there are no regrets. I’d share photos of my sister-in-law, but being out of the country complicates everything.

This week I’m encouraging everyone to hug their kids. I’m enjoying every moment with mine and trying hard not to take for granted the moments I have with them. I’m also reminding myself and others that there is no timeline to grief. That this is part of the process.

So take a moment and let someone important to you know you love them today. We don’t do that often enough. Today’s a good day to do just that.

Summer Fun

Hi friends, 

Thanks so much for joining me today! It’s my first summer living in Florida. We moved last September and, yes, for all you amazingly kind folks out there—we are back in our house. I’ll be sharing pics and a full update soon. We’re so very grateful but experiencing our first summer in the state has been fabulous (minus breaking my foot but that’s another story). 

We love visiting all the quaint towns around us for weekly celebrations on Friday nights where shops stay open late, they play music, food trucks set up, vendors come in to sell arts, crafts and curiosities and they rope off Main Street. Each Friday is in a different small town. 

Another favorite is every night after work and writing, my hubby and I take off for our neighborhood beach. We bring something to snack on and watch the sunset. It’s breathtaking. 

But my favorite part is kicking back and reading a good book on the beach. 

What am I reading? Here are a few fun ones I recommend: 

She’s intent on investigating a sinister plot of revenge, and it will take all her courage to survive.

Air Marshal Kristine Duncan is not on duty when a hijacker attempts to seize control of the plane she and her friends are on as they head out on a much-needed vacation. Jumping into action and aided by FBI Special Agent Andrew Ross, Kristine thwarts the attack and the plane lands safely. But as the investigation into the incident gets underway, Kristine and Andrew are confused at every step. Nothing about the investigation goes as it should, and each layer they peel back just reveals another layer of perplexity.

As the two work together to navigate a web of deception, blame, and personal reckoning, they find there’s more to this story than meets the eye–and more to love and admire about each other. They’ll have to put their skills to the test–and their hearts on the line–to unravel the truth and ensure that justice prevails.

Maggie Reynolds is finally ready for love again—until the past shows up in the form of someone who may or may not be the late husband she thought she’d lost.

Five years after her husband’s death, Maggie is finally ready to let go of him and the dreams she had for their future. A summer at Seabrook, where she and Ethan first became childhood sweethearts, seems the perfect time and place to find closure. Plus, she gets to spend time with his family, the Reynoldses, whom she loves like her own.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, her brother-in-law, Josh Reynolds, has been in love with her since they first met all those years ago. But his brother ultimately won Maggie’s heart, and Josh’s unrequited love has ruined all his relationships. If Maggie is ready to move on, then Josh is ready to lay it all on the line and come clean about his true feelings for her.

But his plans soon get put on hold when, shortly after Maggie returns to Seabrook, she runs into a man who could pass for Ethan’s twin. But he disappears into the amusement park crowd before she can confront him.

The event rattles Maggie, stirs up impossible questions, and sends Josh and her on a quest to discover the man’s true identity. But their search ends up raising more questions than answers—and soon Maggie isn’t sure she wants those answers after all.

Reader Question : 

What are you reading now? 

Blessings, 

Dani

Favorite Bible Verses

I received a letter from a reader, asking if I would share a bit about my faith as well as my favorite Bible verses. I responded to her, and decided I would share the verses here as well, along with why each is important to me. I’ve probably shared at least a few of these here before, but I suppose God’s Word can never be repeated too often!

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” —Matthew 10:29-31 (One of the first Bible passages I actually heard and took to heart in my 20s. I grew up believing in God as a distant being, not as one who knew me personally and cared for me. This was an “aha!” moment for me.)

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:10 (I believe God has wired me to be creative and graciously allows me to write Christian fiction as a “good work.” I’m so thankful!)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5 (One I need to remind myself of often!)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6-7 (This one I have memorized and repeat often when worries arise.)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” —John 1:1-5 (As someone who loves and values words, I love that Jesus is the Word of God!)

Do we share any favorites?

More Research Tidbits

Today’s first tidbit involves the timeline of Jacob’s flight from Laban. Laban caught up with Jacob after about ten days, but there are YEARS between his flight and his eventual settlement at Hebron. I have always heard that Rachel did not rise for her father when he was searching for the family idols because she claimed to be menstruating, (Gen. 31:35) though she was actually pregnant with Benjamin. But when I began to formulate a timeline for this novel I realized that Rachel could NOT have been pregnant at that point.

Most of us think that Jacob’s journey from Haran to Beersheba (where he would live with Isaac) occurred quickly, but that doesn’t work due to the ages of his children. All of Jacob’s children, save Benjamin, were born in the second seven years of his stay in Haran—after his marriage, and before his six-year-period of being paid in livestock. By that reckoning, even Reuben, his firstborn, could be no older than twelve when the family left Haran. Simeon, Levi, and Judah would only be eleven, ten, and nine, respectively, and Dinah, Leah’s last child, would be about six.

If Jacob’s journey from Haran to Isaac’s home lasted only a few months, that would mean that an eleven- and ten-year old killed every man in the city of Shechem, and that Dinah, a six year old, had gone out exploring, alone, and been taken by the prince of Shechem. Not plausible.

It is more likely that when Jacob reached Shechem (after meeting Esau), he remained there several years—long enough for his sons to mature and his daughter to reach marriageable age. The Bible tells us that Jacob built a HOUSE for himself in Sukkot, so he and his company were not living in tents at that time. After the trouble in Shechem, however, Jacob had to move his family, so they returned to life in tents.

Though we have no way of knowing for sure—until heaven, at least—for my novel I had them spend seven years in Sukkot, which would have given Dinah and her brothers time to age so they could pull off the events in Genesis 34.

Finally, how long did Leah live? My research yielded several different opinions about the time of Leah’s death, from the relatively young age of fifty-one to much later. The Book of Jubilees claims that Leah died in the “fourth year of the second week of the forty-fifth jubilee (2167 after the creation), which would indicate that she and Jacob were married for forty-five years.

“And all her sons and his sons came to mourn over Leah his wife with him, and to comfort him regarding her, for he was lamenting her” (Jubilees 36:22). Moreover, a later death would mean that she was present for several traumatic events—the slaughter at Shechem, the supposed death of Joseph, and the deaths of Rebekah and Isaac. She would not have been alive, however, at the time when Jacob and his family went down to Egypt in response to Joseph’s invitation.

One thing is certain–the Bible tells us that Jacob buried her in the family burial plot at Machpelah, and Jubilees tells us that he mourned over her for many days. He did come to love her, because she was tender and pure in heart. Rachel might have been beautiful, but Leah was the wife he needed.

Thanks for reading my ruminations!

Oh–this book won’t be out for some time, but the first book in the Matriarchs series, RESCUED HEART: THE STORY OF SARAH, releases in October. You can preorder it here!

Until next time,

Angie

Becky’s Favorites

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We hope you are enjoying these weekly feature posts from the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We’re sharing some of our favorite things to help you get to know us a little better—and we’d love to hear your answers to these “favorites” questions in the comments below.

Favorite Candy: See’s chocolates is my all-time, hands-down favorite. I’m currently obsessed with their dark chocolate pecan buds which are described lyrically on their site as, “Clusters of premium plump pecans and buttery vanilla caramel coated by a waterfall of See’s decadent dark chocolate” I try not to buy them often because I mow through them so quickly when they’re in my pantry.

Favorite Sport (to watch or play): Basketball—specifically my son’s team. He’s a rising senior at Hendrix College in Arkansas and plays on their basketball team. (That’s him on the far right.) It’s a joy to watch his team play!

Favorite Scripture Verse: John 3:30 “He must become greater, I must become less.” Across all my years as an author, I’ve prayed this one countless times over my writing.

 

A few snaps from my life too

I loved Tammy’s post from Tuesday of this week, and I thought it would be fun to share something similar. So here are my seven recent photos from my camera roll.

My son-in-law with his two grandkids (my great grands) at a family BBQ at my home
Brooke & Boo — I was dog sitting Brooke while her humans were traveling
The arrival of a new book is always fun: Star of Wonder opens soon after the birth of Jesus and follows the story of Joseph’s cousin from Bethlehem to Egypt and back again in the years that follow
The honey locust tree in my front yard got trimmed, getting the branches away my roof, cutting off the lower limbs, etc. Had to get a picture of the result.
My great granddaughter Adaline at swim lessons
Swim lessons
Adaline and her grandma (my daughter) after swim class

Tammy ended her post asking about your last seven photos. Doubt I would get different answers just three days later. So instead, I’ll ask, in recent weeks what are your seven favorite photos in your camera roll?

~robin

Completion is a Wonderful Thing

When writing a book, nothing feels more satisfying than placing that last period at the end of the last sentence. Such a feeling of completion after months of work! I feel the same way when I finish a cross-stitch project after what is often years of work.

Back in September of 2021, I wrote a post about finally starting a cross-stitch project that I had owned for over 30 years. You can see that post here. Well, I’m excited to announce that the last stitch was placed a few weeks ago. WooHoo!

Fall 2021 to Summer 2025. Almost four years! Well, really only two and a half. I took 18 months off in 2023-24 to work on a design for my son’s wedding last November.

I took a few pictures of my work in progress along the way for my Sweethearts design. These are not the best quality, but I thought you might enjoy seeing the proression.

And here is the finished product after cleaning, ironing, and framing:

Purchased in 1988 or ’89, started in 2021, and finished in 2025. Whew! What a long journey. But that just makes the completion all the sweeter. It now hangs on my office wall above my writing desk. I find myself glancing up to enjoy it every now and then as I work. It always makes me smile.

Do you have long-term projects that felt amazing to finally finish?