Becky Wade's Blog, page 65

A Nature Walk & Tea at the Castle

This week, my husband Wes and I are on a vacation/book trip that will eventually lead us to Deadwood, SD, but we started our trip this past weekend by spending a day and a half in Colorado Springs.

We started our exploration in the Garden of the Gods being inspired by the glories of God’s creation.

After about two hours of hiking, we changed into slightly nicer clothes and drove 5 minutes down the road to Glen Erie castle. Wes and I had been on the castle grounds a couple decades before, so having the chance to come back played into the romance of remembering our younger years.

And what could be more romantic and lovely than having high tea in a castle? In the photo on the left above, do you see the set of three windows in the center next to the railing? Wes and I were seated directly behind those windows for our lovely Victorian tea.

Glen Erie was built in 1871 by William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs. The original building was a large clapboard house. However, in 1901, Palmer sold the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad for $6 million and decide to turn his home into a literal castle. The stone was quarried from his land, and the renovation was completed in 1903. It now boasted 60 rooms and more than 20 fireplaces.

Since 1953 Glen Eyrie has been the headquarters of the Navigators and the organization’s more recently established publishing arm, NavPress. The Navigators also operate the property as a Christian conference and retreat center.

If you could pick a fun place to have a tea party, where would you want to have tea?

What’s Next!

Hi friends and happy Wednesday! 

I shared a bit ago about my crazy deadline woes, but I’m happy to share today that I’m through the big launch of The Shifting Current as well as turning in book one of my upcoming Jeopardy Falls series. I’ll be announcing the title this week in my Facebook reader’s group The Suspense Squad first and revealing my cover there the following week. I would love it if you’d join me there! 

I had the best time launching The Shifting Current. It was a BIG setting change for me. I’ve always based my books near water. The Alaskan Courage series was based on a fictional island along the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The Chesapeake Valor series was based along the Chesapeake Bay here by me in Maryland and where I grew up in Northern Virginia. My Coastal Guardian series took place in Wilmington, NC. So why the change? 

I wanted to do something different. Why New Mexico? Because I lived there for seven years and met my hubby there. Funny thing—we grew up an hour apart on the east coast, but met in New Mexico at the University of New Mexico, when he was stationed there in the Navy of all things. 

We met, married, and lived there on a beautiful piece of land outside of Albuquerque and my hubby had a gorgeous horse named Wrangler—who just might make an appearance in The Shifting Current. In fact, there are numerous tidbits in the story that were part of our lives there before we moved back to Maryland, but New Mexico will always hold a special place in my heart so I decided not only to set The Shifting Current there but to set my new Jeopardy Falls series there as well. Emmy and Logan’s story is really a bridge between my Coastal Guardian series and my upcoming one setting-wise. 

I loved getting to share things in both books about my favorite aspects of living in New Mexico—ranches, open land, delicious food, glorious sunsets, watching the rain move in sheets across the mesa and the list goes on. 

I hope you’ll check out Emmy and Logan’s story and “visit” the Land of Enchantment with me and I hope you’ll check out my new series when it launches. But a little more about the new series and what’s next. The Jeopardy Falls series follows the adventures of the MacLeod family. They own a private investigation firm, MacLeod Investigation and Security, Inc. or MIS. I thought I’d share a little introduction to the siblings. 

I hope you’ll keep your eye out for their story to be released early next year. And…just as a sneak peek…there might be a sibling missing from the image. The question is why…. 

Reader Question: 

What state holds special memories for you? 

Thanks for joining me this week! 

Best, 

Dani

Honored and Hopeful

I recently learned that my latest novel, The Sisters of Sea View, is a semi-finalist in the Historical Romance category of American Christian Fiction Writer’s Carol Awards. Many other authors share this honor, so I do not expect to take home the prize. But if it is not vain to say it, someday I would really like to win a Carol Award. Why?

I have won other awards, and been a finalist in the Carol Awards, but have not yet won. The reason it would mean a lot to me is that I would love to have the opportunity to stand up and give a brief speech in honor of the woman the award is named for, Carol Johnson.

Carol Johnson, former VP of Editorial (Fiction) at Bethany House Publishers, is credited with pioneering and developing the Christian Fiction genre by acquiring novelist Janette Oke back in 1979.

Janette Oke and Carol Johnson

Carol also took me under her wing during my years with Bethany House Publishers. She was a mentor to me when I worked there as a young editor who secretly longed to write a novel one day. Here’s hoping I will one day be able to thank her in an acceptance speech, but in the meantime, I will thank her here. Thanks, Carol!

Other Inspired By Life and Fiction authors on the semi-finalist list include our own Robin Lee Hatcher, Deborah Raney, and Becky Wade. Well done, ladies!

A few other semi-finalists I have read and enjoyed include: Mollie Rushmeyer’s The Bookshop of Secrets, Hannah Linder’s Beneath His Silence, Sarah Brunsvold’s The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, Jody Hedlund’s Never Leave Me, and Sarah Sundin’s Until Leaves Fall in Paris.

How many of these have you read? Thanks for stopping by the blog today, friend!

Big Friendships & a Little Garage Sale-ing

As Tammy told you last Tuesday, Ken and I stopped in Nashville for a visit with Tammy and her husband, Joe, on our way home from a trip to North Carolina. My favorite part of the trip was getting to meet Tammy’s precious little grandson. I even got to give him a bottle and rock him to sleep. So sweet!

After a delicious taco dinner, we had so much fun playing games with Tammy’s whole family. As she said, we laughed and laughed and made some great memories.

The next morning, Tammy and I went garage sale-ing. We found a couple of neighborhood sales with some great deals and just had a blast!

Here are my treasures “before”:

And here’s what I did with those items.

My favorite find was this lamp for $2, complete with a working LED light bulb. I removed the ratty old shade, Ken spray painted the frame for me (with a can of red paint we found at a garage sale a while back) and I replaced the shade with pages from an old violin music book also found at a garage sale. I’m thrilled with how it turned out and I’ll be writing a post soon about where this lamp ends up in my house.

Keeping with the theme of red paint, this little red chair was only a dollar!! For now it’s in my office as a plant stand but it may be pulled into service when all the little grandkids are at our house.

This little $2 bird house seemed like it was just made for our screened porch.

Tammy and I both bought books for our grandkids for only 25 cents each. And Tammy dropped another quarter on this rubber ducky soap dish, which I’m told will make an appearance in another friend’s house, part of an ongoing prank involving rubber duckies. (But shhhh…don’t tell!)

A few more photos from our time together. Tammy was remembering garage sale-ing with a friend in her younger days and we talked about how we both saved so much money when our kids were small finding toys and clothes for a fraction of the price…and having fun in the process.

See that cookie with a candle in front of me in the lower right photo above? Tammy extended my birthday celebration with a big Happy Birthday banner and delicious chocolate chip coconut cookies! Everyone sang the Happy Birthday song in gorgeous harmony! Tammy’s daughter-in-law is a professional singer, and Tammy and her entire family have beautiful voices too.

Are you or have you ever been a garage sale-er? What is your favorite thing to search for at yard sales and flea markets?

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.

Pay Attention to the Cracks

On the outside, our house looks the best it has looked since we bought it 2 1/2 years ago. The landscaping I had done in the spring has blossomed—literally! I absolutely love the vibrant colors outside my cute house. 

As much as I love the outside this year, when we bought the house, the inside was what sold us. The perfect layout. Finishes that appealed to our tastes. So when we began noticing a few cracks in walls over the past year or so, we assumed they were simply the foundation shifting and settling, as so often happens in Texas. 

But then this one appeared, signaling, perhaps, something greater. An unseen issue. So my husband called a structural engineer to come have a look. 

This is where the second story meets the first story!

The young engineer took measurements and said, yes, there was an issue, but he kept reassuring me it was probably one which would be easily fixed. Until he opened the crawl space to our pier-and-beam foundation. It was so full of water that he couldn’t go under the house. 

And that began the saga we are living now. Water remediation. Two different plumbing companies. The engineers again. The gist is that every piece of wood under our house was saturated with water. There are also several plumbing leaks, apparently, besides the two that got fixed. And now we wait to hear back from our insurance, to know what they will cover and to begin to make a repair plan. 

It’s been stressful, to say the least! But as so often happens, the Lord reminded me that I’m living more than just a frustrating situation. I’m living a parable. 

How many times are our lives like my house? We look great on the outside—and the inside. A few cracks might appear in this situation or that, but no big deal. We’re human, right? Until a larger crack shows itself, revealing a hidden issue. A problem in the foundation of our lives. One that sometimes requires a complete overhaul of what is holding up our “house.” 

In Matthew 7, Jesus said if we hear His words and act on them, we will be like the man who built his house on the rock. When the rain and floods and wind came against that house, it stood firm. 

house on a rock

My literal house is not built on a rock. Granted, it’s not built on sand, either. More like clay. But clay shifts and sinks, expands and contracts. It reacts to the elements. My actual house might not fall completely, but there is significant damage in need of repair. 

So, too, is my life, even when I am walking with the Lord. Cracks occasionally appear—a loss of self-control, a shifting of my gaze from Jesus, a hardening of my heart toward a person. When they do, I can ignore them, or I can look deeper, see if the cracks signal a need for foundation repair.

I’m so glad I can run to Jesus. Confess. Receive grace and forgiveness. I’m so thankful I can hear His words once again and choose to act on them, adding solid rock to my foundation. As we repair the foundation of our literal house, I’ll be paying close attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit as well. For I know when I pray to see the places in my heart and mind that need realigned to His word, He is faithful to show me.

Big Friendships & Tiny Little Doughnuts

I always love it when Deb (Raney), a dear friend and my writing critique partner for 20+ years and counting, comes to visit, especially when she brings Ken! It was a quick visit—not even 24 hours but we packed in a lot of fun.

Friday night our kids joined us for a simple taco dinner (including Joe’s delicious guacamole), then we played Blockbuster, a game where you compete to discover who knows (or can remember!) the most about movies. Oh, the laughter and memorable lines that were quoted! I’m still chuckling to myself. And I highly recommend the game.

Saturday morning after breakfast, which included some of Deb’s delicious home-milled cinnamon and honey bread, so so sooo good…

… she and I squeezed in an hour or so of garage sale-ing. I used to garage sale big time years ago, and anyone who follows Deb on-line knows what a “master garage saler” she is. She came home with some really fun treasures, and I did too. But she’s going to post about those next week! So stay tuned.

But a highlight for me was taking her to Tiny Little Doughnuts in Franklin where they make the most delicious tiny little doughnuts in a vintage Airstream trailer.

Here are some views inside…

Deb asked if she could take a video, and they happily agreed. The employees are all so nice, and I’m sorry I didn’t get this cute little gal’s name. She’s a great spokesperson for #tinylittledonuts

Tiny Little Doughnuts currently has three locations in the Nashville area and one in Indiana…

So the next time you’re near a Tiny Little Doughnut Airstream, drop by and grab a box of these delectable little treasures! And take a dear friend with you when you do!

Here are our boxes of delicious tiny little doughnuts. And yes, they’re served warm from the fryer! Which is how I like them, but Deb prefers them more at room temp. Or even cold! Blasphemy! ; ) They’re served with the cutest little forks, too.

So, do share…

Deb and I ordered a generous dozen of both the TIMELESS GLAZED and FRESH LEMON GLAZED (which we did not consume by ourselves, mind you). Looking at the choices below, which flavor would you have ordered if you’d been with us?

Much love from my corner of Franklin,

Tammy

And just in case you haven’t heard,

A MILLION LITTLE CHOICES

is now available for pre-order

I so appreciate the generous endorsements my fellow writers gave this novel, these among them…

A nonbake cake for JUNE!

If you like to bake like I do, the thought of baking in June isn’t exactly appealing–it’s hot enough outside without turning on the oven.

But while watching Youtube the other day, I discovered a cake recipe that doesn’t require baking . . . so if you can make pancakes, you can make this. And to give proper credit, here’s a link to the video.

Here’s my translation of the recipe:

Cherry and cream cake 

For Pancakes: 

3 eggs 

a pinch of salt 

3-4 tablespoons of sugar 

200 grams of flour 

3 tablespoons cocoa added in parts 

400 ml milk, added in portions 

Mix above ingredients thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Then add  

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

And 200 ml boiling water 

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.  

Next, fry the pancakes: Brush the pan with some vegetable oil, then fry the pancakes on both sides. Don’t remove from heat until the pancake is firmly set. 

Make the filling: 

600 ml cold heavy cream (33-36%) 

100-120 g powdered sugar 

300 grams of cream cheese b

Beat with a mixer. The cream will be liquid at first, but will thicken as you beat it.  When it can hold peaks, you’re good. 

Now you will need 450 grams of pitted cherries, fresh or frozen. If using frozen, let them thaw and drain. 

Now—take a pancake and cover it with a nice layer of cream, all the way to the edges. Now line up a row of cherries on one side and roll the pancake into a roll. Place the rolled pancake against the inner edge of a springform pan lined with parchment paper.  

Repeat with the other pancakes (reserving one or two), lining the inside of the pan until you reach the center. As the pan fills, fit in the pancake rolls as best you can.   

Cover these pancakes with the remaining cream, then take the reserved one (or two) pancakes and place on top of the cake. If there’s any overhang, tuck the edges inside the springform pan. 

Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. 

Now, the final touch. Make ganache: 

85 g dark chocolate + 

80 g heavy cream 

Mix together in a saucepan and heat until the chocolate melts. Stir until smooth, then cover the entire cake with chocolate ganache. Place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to set, then keep it chilled until ready to serve. 

Isn’t it beautiful? Mine isn’t nearly as tidy as the one in the video, but I took it to the Oneg (after service food and fellowship) at my synagogue, and everyone loved it. A hit! Definitely one I will make again.

Inspired by Scripture

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Highs and Lows

The writing life (like every life) is full of highs and lows, ups and downs. One week a writer skips both showers and meals to try to make a deadline. The next she gets a great review that sets her world aright. One day a book is in major trouble. Another day it finals in a contest or receives an award.

On Tuesday of this week, I turned in a book to my editor. Now I wait with bated breath to see how much work will be involved to make it better. I am filled with doubt whenever I turn in a new book. I won’t breathe normally until I get the revision letter. That’s the rhythm of writing for me.

Last week I learned that three of my books are finalists in the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award (All She Ever Dreamed, short historical; Like the Wind, long contemporary; and I’ll Be Seeing You, women’s fiction). I have never had three books final in one contest in my entire career. Usually I wouldn’t even have three books in a year, let alone books that fit into three different categories. So getting the news about these entries was a “gobsmacked moment” for me. (I’ll Be Seeing You also reached the finals in the Selah Awards and the HOLT Medallion.)

Getting the calls and emails about I’ll Be Seeing You has been especially sweet because that book had such a bumpy journey. It was written in the midst of lockdowns and isolation. It also started with one editor and ended with another. Expectations from the publisher changed dramatically during the course of the writing. Talk about not breathing normally!

Highs and lows. They are always with us, and God is right there in the midst of them.

Now it’s time to begin another deadline stretch. If you’ve read To Enchant a Lady’s Heart, then you know what I’m working on, the first full-length novel (Book 2) in the British Are Coming series. I am so ready to watch Sebastian, the viscount, interact with the sister of his American friend in the Yellowstone area of Idaho.

What highs and lows are part of the rhythm of your life?

~robin