Becky Wade's Blog, page 59

Inspired by Scripture

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Awesome European Readers

In this post, I detailed some of the highlights of the road trip my family and I took through Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands in late May-early June. In this post, I’m celebrating some of the awesome European readers that I was honored to meet along the way.

German reader Bettina (pictured above) sent me a lovely, encouraging email a few years back. My novels haven’t been translated into German, but Bettina speaks English so fluently that she reads my books in English. In her email, she said, “If you ever visit Germany, let me know.” I took her up on that! I’m so glad I did. We shared a fabulous dinner with Bettina and her husband, a pastor, and learned a lot about their country, their lives, and their ministries.

Dutch reader Christien followed the progress of our road trip on social media and sent me a message saying, “I think you’ll be driving past the town where I live!” It turns out that, yes. We were! So we pulled off the route for a pit stop at the stately white hotel pictured above, where we sat at an outdoor table with Christien and visited over appetizers. She brought a gift for me as well as a homemade butter cake for our family. [!!]

Her unbelievably delicious butter cake

I’m fortunate that almost all of my novels have been translated into Dutch by a publisher called Uitgeverij de Parel, which offers a wide selection of Christian fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books. Prior to the trip, I let my Dutch editor, Danielle, know that I would be in Amsterdam for three nights and would love to meet with readers and/or staff from the publishing house while I was there. She ended up planning a high tea for my visit. It was held on a weekday afternoon in a town about an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, so I figured maybe five people in addition to my daughters and me would attend.

When we showed up, we were met by Danielle with a professional photographer in tow. Then we entered the venue and saw that every seat was filled. I was astonished as were my daughters, who’ve never seen that many readers of their mom’s books in one place.

The woman standing to my left translated for me. I gave a brief talk about my writing, then answered questions. It was immediately clear that these women were very familiar with my novels and characters.The food was AMAZING.My Dutch publishing team! Els (on the left) carefully translates my novels from English to Dutch. In blue, my publisher. And on the right is my editor (who is also a terrific bookstagrammer), Danielle.Their community of avid booklovers is close-knit.My girlsThey had a selection of my books available for purchase, as well as book bags (containing the paperback of one of my novellas) for every attendee. They gave me a box filled with Dutch treats as a gift. [!!]Those who wanted signed books wrote their names out on paper so that I could make sure to spell them all correctly. A few of the women were readers AND writers, so we had lots in common.

I was blown away by the encouragement, generosity, and support that these European readers showed me. This experience hit home two truths. One, it’s astonishing what God can do with the tasks we dedicate to Him. I wrote my books in quiet and solitude at my house in Dallas, Texas. God took those novels to countries far from my own. Two, the power of story is without borders. I wasn’t raised in the same place with the same language as the readers I met. Yet it was incredibly easy to relate to them and connect with them. They love to read. They’re “my people” and what a joy it was to meet them face to face.

Readers, never underestimate the potential you have to spur authors forward!

The many choices an author makes

This week was the first week of classes at Purdue AND Acfw board meetings and conference in St. Louis. I also had Art of Deception release Tuesday in the Come What May suspense collection. To say it’s a bit of a blur is an understatement.

It’s also been filling for my soul.

I love teaching. And I love writing and being with my writing friends. But I’m also tired. So today I thought I’d share a bit about why I write what I write. Part of this comes from an interview that I just did for the book that releases next month — have I mentioned it’s an intense season right now?

People often ask why I write suspense. There are days if I’m honest that I wish I wrote straight romance since that seems to sell better. But my mind isn’t wired that way.

My mind moves fast, so I like to read books that have layers and twists and turns. I think that’s why I like to write those too. That’s been my approach from the earliest days I could read Trixie Beldon, Encyclopedia Brown, and Nancy Drew. Even Cherry Ames solved mysteries. So when I started writing, I knew many of my books would have mystery and/or layers of suspense. My World War II novels have varying degrees – it really depends on the book. I’d say this one has a layer of mystery alongside a layer of romance and a layer of history. It was so much fun to write, and I truly hope readers enjoy stepping back in time with characters that they can love.

Because I write in two genres, people often ask if one comes easier. The answer is it depends.

I didn’t set out to write historical, but I’ve always loved history, so it was natural to find myself writing novels set during World War II. There are so many inspiring true stories that we don’t know about if they aren’t encase in a novel. It also make those books challenging to write, because I know the average fiction reader won’t read the stack of nonfiction books I did to fact check and see what I got right or wrong. That means I really want to make sure I got it right so people can learn the history while enjoying a great story.

Contemporary novels can be easier to write, because they often don’t require the level of detailed research. However, I find I’m often embedding an issue of some sort in the story, which ends up requiring copious amounts of research. The saving grace in that situation is that I don’t have to research the day to day life details. Instead, I’m researching car-T Cells or legal details like the statute of limitations on an alleged crime.

But when I’m in the flow of the story, both come naturally.

For fun, here are some early reader comments on the novels in Come What May …

And here’s a look at two of the cover choices for the re-release of Shadowed by Grace. This novel won a major award and placed in a second when it came out. Since I now have my rights to it and it focuses on the Monuments Men like my novella that releases in September, I’m working to rerelease it this fall. Part of that process is working with a cover designer for a fresh cover. I love the direction Suzanne went. Which of these is your favorite?

Author Adventures

Hi friends and Happy Wednesday! 

Writing is a solitary profession. Writing your books can only be done by you. And, it means long hours in the chair, hands on the keyboard. Or, in my case, pen on paper. But it doesn’t have to be completely solitary. There’s the beauty and gift of writing friends. Friends who brainstorm with you, who help you out, who celebrate with you during the highs, and who commiserate with you during the lows. 

I’ve been blessed to have Zoom writing sessions with friends daily since Covid hit. That’s how it started, but it’s grown and become something we do daily. We do writing sprints and provide company. I also have the gift of Voxer where sweet writer friends leave me messages and weekly prayer check-ins. But we also, occasionally, get to break out and go on adventures  

I got away on a fun writing adventure a little over a week ago. I attended the AWSA conference (Advanced Writers and Speakers) and CPE (Christian Product Expo). And, I had the joy of attending with my sweet friend Jill Kemerer. 

AWSA was a time of prayer, encouragement, instruction, and a deepening of my hope in Christ. It was more ministry than conference and it was beautiful seeing so many ladies coming together in worship. It culminated with an awards banquet for the Golden Scroll awards and I’m honored to say I was blessed with third place in the Mystery category. 

CPE was wonderful. I got to attend a murder mystery dinner. My very first and I loved it, but I guessed wrong. As a suspense author, I feel bad about that. Mystery solving should be up my alley. But it was such a fun experience and the actors were amazing. I wish I’d taken pictures of it, but it was held at the Kentucky Castle which made a beautiful backdrop and was a great place for brunch the following day. 

And no castle is complete without tiaras. We didn’t buy them, but we didn’t rush to take them off. LOL! 

The best part of CPE was the time with Jill and our off-site adventures including this amazing ice cream shop. 

Meeting booksellers. We can’t sell books without them and I loved chatting with them all and learning about their stores. If you have an independent bookstore near you, support them.  

It was all around a fabulous adventure! 

Reader Question: 

How about you? What was the last adventure you were on? 

Thanks for joining me this week! 

Best, 

Dani 

Fleeing Distractions

After a stressful time that had somewhat drained my creativity and focus, I found myself behind on writing the first draft of next year’s book. (Don’t worry, this year’s novel, A Winter by the Sea (releasing December 2023) is written and edited and on its merry way through production. )

Hoping to flee distractions and get back on track, I went on a solo writing getaway for a few days. I stayed in a mini Getaway House less than two hours from my home. The cute cabin had a comfy bed, small table, kitchenette, and a nice bathroom inside, and a fire ring and chairs outside. Best of all, what didn’t it have?

Wifi.

This meant I couldn’t get on the internet to check emails on my laptop or to get lost down who-knows-how-many research rabbit holes. Unfortunately, however, I could still use data on my phone to check something or peek at social media.

Inside the cabin was a wooden box marked Cellphone Lock Box: For a true escape, forget your phone inside. When I first saw it, I inwardly scoffed a bit, thinking it was gimmicky. I could just leave my phone out of reach somewhere, couldn’t I? But within two hours, I had gotten up for that phone more times then I care to admit! So into the box it went. I still checked it now and again when I paused for meals or coffee, but there really is some truth to the phrase, “out of sight, out of mind.”

The impulse to reach for the thing—to do something easier, take a break, look at something entertaining—showed me how unknowingly addicted I’d let myself become to the smart phone. We’ve all witnessed or heard about how technology has hindered young people’s ability to focus, but it has impacted this old(er) *cough, cough* person’s ability as well.

Whatever your work or passion in life, focus is crucial. I know some people can focus in a busy environment, but many writers (like me) need a quiet place to work with minimum distractions.

Here are a few famous examples: Gustav Mahler composed in a stone hut, requiring distraction-free silence. Maya Angelou kept a shabby hotel room and wrote there daily. Charles Dickens had an extra door installed to his study to block out noise. And Anne Rice said, “What you have to do is clear all distraction. That’s the bottom line.”

That solo getaway cleared the distractions for me and I wrote many thousands of words. Now that I’m home, I’ve trying to maintain at least some of that momentum. I’m leaving that all-too-tempting smart phone outside my office door, where I can hear it ring in case of emergencies, but not be tempted to check it every five minutes. I’m also back to using the Freedom app while writing, which allows you to limit your access to distracting (or all) websites for whatever period of time you choose.

What about you? Have you found yourself distracted by your phone or the internet or something else? What tricks or practices have you learned to stay focused?

Cock-a-doodle Roo!

Four months ago, I hatched nine Silky chicks. They were/are adorable, and now they’re mature. I have them all in a separate coop, and it’s been fun to listen to the roosters learning to crow.

One of them sounds like one of those old “a-oooo-gah” cars–know what I mean? He’s really chesty and raspy and masculine.

Another sounds like he has asthma and can’t get his breath–or like he’s too intimidated to let ‘er rip in front of the others.

One of them does the “Get Smart” theme–“Er er errrrrrrrrrrrr er!” He really holds that third note. And a couple of them sound like regular roosters.

I will probably get rid of most of them, because you can’t have roosters with other roosters if there are hens in the same coop–you’d need about twenty hens to keep two roosters happy, and my coops aren’t that big. But you can have a rooster flock–as long as there’s no hen around, they’ll get along. (Are we surprised? I don’t think so!)

I still have a couple of Silkies in that coop that I can’t identify. Silkies are hard–they have long feathers, and some of them have “crinkled” feathers, so it’s hard to spot the telltale saddle feathers that roosters have. So every morning I go out there while they’re singing the Morning Song and try to figure out who’s who. And who’s what.

I know I have at least four roos, and I’ve already moved two definite hens to another coop. But until I can identify the others with certainty, I’ll keep listening and watching . . . and enjoying the song.

Have you ever raised chickens? Did you keep a rooster or two? How’d that go for you?

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.

Summer Reading

Well, I don’t have a major anniversary to share with you like Becky and Deb. Nor do I have an exciting story to relate like Tammy with her TWO totaled vehicles that were parked in front of her home.

My week has been spent primarily on the phone with support people at QuickBooks after making the decision to move my corporate accounting to a different version. Nothing ever goes exactly as it should. Right? And support call notes don’t make for scintillating blog posts.

Mostly I’ve got my nose to the grindstone, trying to finish another book. However, that’s not very exciting to read about either. “Sat in chair and wrote for hours and hours. P.S. Ate too much chocolate .”

So, let’s talk books. That’s something we all love.

Below is the list of books I’ve finished reading since the first of June. But first, here is my personal rating system to give my brief reviews context.d reading since the first of June:

5 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4 = Loved/enjoyed it. Will recommend to others. May read again.
3 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks. (Read for book club.)
3 – I wanted to love this novel more than I did. For an insider’s look at the making of a movie, this was fun. But it wasn’t the amazing novel I was hoping for.How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Grieg.
5 — I am so thankful that my church introduced me to Pete Greig and specifically to this book. God spoke to me through it time and time again. It is simple, yet profound. I will never read about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and see them the same way again.Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund. (Advance Reader Copy.)
4 — From the opening rescue scene covered in mud, through the slow-burn love story and the trials and disappointments of life in the mid-1800s, to that wonderful promise of HEA, Calling on the Matchmaker is an historical romance reader’s delight.Finding Messiah by Jennifer M. Rosner.
4.5 — One of the best things that happened in my walk with Jesus over the past 47+ years began over a decade ago when I started learning to read the Bible with a 1st century, Middle Eastern lens. Since then, so many authors have brought new insight as I seek to understand what Jesus—an observant Jew who loved God and loved the Torah (and who was, after all, the Messiah)—meant when He spoke to His followers. Jennifer M. Rosner has added another layer to my education, and I’m grateful.The Women in the Castle by Jennifer Shattuck. (Read for book club.)
3.75 — I loved this book, despite a few flaws, including the ending which gave us a POV character the reader hadn’t heard from before. That just felt odd to me. The story is heartbreaking in many ways. How could it be otherwise given the subject matter?Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
5 — There are only a few novels that I have read more than once. There is always something new to choose from. But Pride and Prejudice is among the few that I can reach for again and again. It’s a story filled with unforgettable characters. It is certainly a story that stands the test of time.When You Pray: a study of Six Prayers in the Bible by Kelly Minter, Jackie Hill Perry, Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Jada Edwards, and Kristi McLelland.
4 — This is a deep, rich Bible study. The six writers have different teaching styles, some that I liked better than others. But all of them had something important to share. The study covers The Lord’s Prayer; prayers of Petition and Thanksgiving; prayers of Adoration; prayers of Lament; prayers of Intercession; and prayers for Unity.Rain by Dana McNeely.
3.75 — This is a wonderful biblical story. It didn’t always go where I expected it to go, which is a good thing. I loved the moments of surprise, like when I understood which character was actually an unnamed but real person in the Bible. I’m looking forward to Whirlwind to learn more of what happens to some of the characters I met in this novel.Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon.
3.25 — I read this book partly for research for my British-American series that takes place in 1895, the year Almina married the earl, and partly because I adore Downton Abbey (the TV series and the two movies). I enjoyed it for the most part. Nothing to rave about but good enough that I plan to listen to the sequel about Almina’s son and his wife, even though that takes place long after the setting for the series I am writing.Yellowstone Summers by Jane Galloway Demaray.
3 — Read for research.  Great information for the series of novels I’m writing.Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer.
4 — What an enchanting retelling of Snow White. Penny is believably sweet, vulnerable, innocent, yet resilient. Texas Ranger Titus was just the right kind of Prince Charming. And the “wicked queen” was deliciously wicked, right to the bitter (for her) end. I’m looking forward to the next book in the Texas Ever After series.

As I write this post, I am almost finished with The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh, and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is in the wings to read next (a book club selection). In addition to those two, I will probably read one or two more books before August is over.

What books have you read this summer (June, July, & August-to-date)? And/or what are you reading now?

~robin

P.S.

Speaking of books, I’ve got a great deal running until the 20th. Three contemporary Christian romances for 99¢ (the collection is normally $8.99).

Get 99¢ Deal

Word Nerd

I’m not enough of a word nerd to sit around reading the dictionary in my spare time, but I do love learning the stories behind how certain words came about. As a historical author, there are many times when I will stop in order to look up a word I want to use to ensure it existed in the 1800s. I’ve learned that there are many words that sound vintage that didn’t come into existence until the 1920s or 1950s.

Sometimes these fact-checking missions turn up some interesting word history. I thought I’d share a couple fun ones I discovered this year.

Sideburns

Sideburns were originally called burnsides. This was in honor of American Civil War general Ambrose Burnside who was famous for his facial hairstyle. The term switched the syllables to form “sideburns” later in the 19th century. I guess this made more sense for hair focused on the “side” of one’s face.

Sideburns can stand alone or be joined by a mustache. I have to admit that I find 19th century facial hair quite fascinating. I’m not ready for my husband to attempt to replicate the styles, but I do enjoy working them into my stories every now and again.

Paraphernalia

From Merriam-Webster:

In current use, paraphernalia is typically encountered in its “equipment” sense, but the word hasn’t always been used in that way. Originally, paraphernalia was property that a married woman owned herself—as opposed to her husband’s property or the dowry she brought to the marriage. Paraphernalia came to English, via Medieval Latin, from Greek parapherna, meaning “bride’s property beyond her dowry” (from para-, meaning “beyond,” and phernē, meaning “dowry”).

I found this so interesting.

Do you enjoy learning the history of words?
If you are married, did you bring any paraphernalia to your marriage?

I brought some bedroom furniture and a pile of books.

Favorite Romance Heroes in 2023 (so far!)

I’ve read romance my whole life—along with a lot of other things. But even in my romance reading, I’ve never been the type to have “book boyfriends”. I enjoy the romance as a whole, and I very often feel a connection with the heroine in that. But rarely do I sigh and swoon over a hero after the book is closed. At least not since I was a teenager! (Maybe this is because, as Emma Woodhouse said, “I am so happily matched myself.”) 

However, then first half of 2023 has seen three romance heroes who have stolen my heart. Why? Because they are generally the overlooked men. They are sometimes quieter. Sometimes more bookish. Sometimes so guarded that no one can get close, so they quit trying. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love a larger-than-life Alpha Male hero in a romance as much as the next woman. But that isn’t my type in real life. As much as teenaged me wanted that to be true, in reality I gravitate toward the somewhat bookish, somewhat overlooked, somewhat guarded and hard to truly know.

So who are these book heroes who grabbed my heart? 

Jeb McAdams from The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham

Oh, Jeb! Quiet. Somewhat prickly. But he loves and cares for his family fiercely. I love his protectiveness. And I love the way Cora barges into his life and upends his almost hermit-like existence. And he comes to realize he doesn’t mind it as much as he thought he would. 

2. Ivo Beresford from Appointment in Bath by Mimi Matthews

Ivo is the middle child in the Beresford family. The bookish one. The one that isn’t currently living large. He is sweet and kind and, in his own way, ambitious. But he puts people ahead of his plans. Even people with whom his family does not associate. Such a quietly courageous man who loves without fanfare. 

3. Ethan Penn-Leith from One Kiss Alone by Nichole Van

Well, he’s Scottish, so that was a big plus from the beginning. But seriously, this gentle poet has a sweet and romantic soul he hides behind the persona he dons for the public. In a literal sense he is not overlooked. In fact, he’s famous. But he is lonely. An introvert playing an extrovert yet desiring only to be truly known, to belong somewhere. 

And when I write them all down like this, I see why each of them grabbed me. Taken together, they pretty much describe my husband! At least when I married him. I’ll admit I didn’t always appreciate these qualities then. But 36 years later I am so thankful for his steadiness, his quietness, his fierce love of me and our family, and his dedication to doing the right thing. I love him so, so much!

Who have been some of your favorite romance heroes lately?