Becky Wade's Blog, page 72

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Kiss me, I’m Irish! 

I am, indeed, Irish. At least a little. That’s from my maternal grandmother’s side of the family. My great-grandmother’s maiden name was Mary Emeline Malone. Doesn’t the name roll off the tongue complete with an Irish accent? I love it so much that I named the heroine of In His Arms for her.

Mary Emeline Malone at age 15/16 | Cover of In His Arms (2001)

I’ve still got a couple of months to wait for the official release of To Enchant a Lady’s Heart, but if you want a chance to read an early copy of the paperback version of the book (actual book, not an ARC), be sure to enter the Goodreads Giveaway. The giveaway just became available yesterday and it will end on the 30th. A copy of the paperback will be mailed as soon as Goodreads sends me the name and address of the winner. You won’t have to wait until May 22nd to read it.

Enter Goodreads Giveaway

I need to share a screenshot of the interior of the paperback version of To Enchant a Lady’s Heart. I think it turned out so lovely. The beginning of each new chapter looks like the image below.

Chapter pages of To Enchant a Lady’s Heart

I am a big fan of audiobooks, and the majority of my reading is done that way. But I also love ebooks because I can have so many with me on an 8 oz device (that I can read in bed without a light on) and all of my notes and highlights can be copied to use elsewhere with a few simple clicks. Print comes in third for me, but only because I have issues with my wrists. Most books cause me pain when I hold them. Still holding a “pretty” book in my hands is very satisfying.

How about you? What is your first choice for reading? Print, ebook, or audio.

(FWIW, they are all “real” books. It’s just the format that is different.)

~robin

Doing the Deadline Dance

There is something so satisfying and invigorating about finishing a long-term project. After investing countless hours of hard work, creativity, and great deal of hair-pulling, seeing a whisper of a dream become reality is a joy like no other.

Maybe you’ve restored a battered antique to its former glory, or endured a kitchen remodel. Maybe you’ve quilted a family heirloom or prayed a child through college. The more time, effort, and love invested, the sweeter the moment of completion feels.

Yesterday, I experienced that sweetness when I turned in Book 2 in my Texas Ever After Series. This will be a Cinder-fella story set in Palo Pinto, TX in 1889. There’s a cattle king trying to marry off his daughter, a cowboy trying to protect his stepmother from being evicted, a secret villain willing to take deadly action to ensure his own happy ending, and a boot that goes missing at the cattleman’s ball.

I had so much fun playing with the classic Cinderella story. First with the names. Since this is a role reversal, I played with Cinderella options for our hero and decided on Asher Ellis. Asher plays on the Cinder metaphor as well as being a strong, biblical name, and Ellis is reminiscent of Ella. For our heroine, I wanted something to play on the “charming” motif without being too on-the-nose. I ended up selecting Samantha Dearing – Dearing like endearing or charming. Samantha is the feminine version of Samuel which comes into play in the story since her father’s name is Eli.

The other thing I really wanted to do in this retelling was to redeem the stepmother character. Fairy tales have painted stepmothers with a terribly dark brush, and I thought it only right to give loving and kind stepparents their moment to shine. So Mama Bess, as Asher calls his stepmother, is a loving, supportive, generous soul who adores her stepson as much as her own two boys. This brought an added benefit of leaving the villain in the shadows and readers guessing.

Recently, my publisher informed me that they’ve agreed to let me keep my working title for this book, which makes me super happy. I just couldn’t think of anything more perfect for a western Cinderfella story than a line Woody from Toy Story made famous.

If the Boot Fits won’t be out until March 2024, but Book 1 in the Texas Ever After series is coming in June. Preorder from Baker Book House for a 40% discount!

Baker Book House | Amazon | Christianbook.com

What large projects have you been working on
or recently completed?

Monarch of the Glen

Do you love Scotland? And BBC programs? Every since we returned from Scotland last summer we’ve been slowly making our way back through one of our favorite shows—Monarch of the Glen. 

We had to go old school to get back to it—DVDs. We already owned five of the seven seasons, and I added one of the missing ones when I stumbled on it at a used book store. I’m still missing the final season, but when we get there, I’ll get it. This is one of the reasons I still buy DVDs. Sometimes your favorites aren’t on any streaming platform, although you’ll be glad to know that I recently found it on Amazon Prime Video free with ads (see the preview below for link!).

One of the interesting things about this series is that while it is based on a book (most BBC shows are, that’s why, I contend, they are so much better than American shows!), the book was published in the 1940s. From what I can tell, they took some of the situations of the book and crafted a completely different story around them and put it in a contemporary setting. I really want to read the book and see the inspiration, but haven’t gotten to it yet! 

Here’s the general gist of the series: 

Archie Macdonald left the family home in Scotland’s Highlands nearly ten years ago and had no desire to go back. When news of a family crisis reaches him, however, he reluctantly heads up to crumbling Glenbogle Castle.

So why do we love this series from the early 2000s? It’s got everything! 

Scottish views—lochs and wildlife, castles and highland hills wrapped in mist. In every episode we feel transported back to Scotland. And the accents–did I mention the accents???Drama—the heir is called back to the castle when things are crumbling financially. It’s a plot that continues to add tension throughout, the funding of an estate and brining it into the 21st century. Romance—oh, so many romantic threads! But suffice it to the say the main character, Archie, the son and heir, is adorable, so even when he’s being stupid about love, I still like him.  Humor—whether it’s Archie’s eccentric parents or their equally eccentric neighbor Lord Killwillie (played by Julian Fellowes!), there is always something to make you laugh. 

Like so many BBC shows, some of the main characters come and go over the seasons, but I love how they make the changes logical and the show continues on without a hiccup. (How do so many BBC shows make that transition so well and American shows do it so terribly?) 

Even at over twenty years old, the stories, characters, and acting makes this an enjoyable watch again and again. 

Have you seen this series? Do you have a favorite, slightly obscure BBC program? 

Cover Reveal

You may have already seen the cover of my next book, thanks to the efforts of Austenprose and many talented bloggers and bookstagrammers. But just in case you haven’t seen it yet, I’m happy to share with you the cover of my 2023 release, A Winter by the Sea, Book Two in my On Devonshire Shores series, which will release in early December of this year.

Austenprose image

It was an interesting challenge to write a seaside novel set during wintertime (it was unusually cold and snowy the winter of 1819-1820). Because I live in frigid Minnesota, cold weather details and sensations were easy to imagine.

It was likely also a challenge to design a cover set on the English seaside during winter, but the cover designer and creative team at Bethany House Publishers did another outstanding job. The cover features an authentic Sidmouth backdrop (a town on the south coast of England and the setting for the series) as well as snow, a bathing machine, and the model’s historically-appropriate mantle and fur muff.

Image credit: The Clean Read Book Club

Here’s a description of the book:

When the Duke and Duchess of Kent rent neighboring Woolbrook Cottage for the winter, the Summers sisters are called upon to host three of the royal couple’s staff in their seaside house. But they soon realize they’ve invited secrets and the sweet possibility of romance into their home.

Meanwhile, Emily Summers longs to become a published author. The Duke of Kent’s handsome private secretary offers to help her and the two begin spending time together. But a surprise visitor from her past shows up at Sea View, leaving Emily torn between the desires she used to hold dear and her budding dreams for the future.

Image credit: Bookish Beach Babe

If you would like to pre-order the book, here are some links to do so:

Your local Bookstore

Amazon

Baker Books

Christian Book Distributors

Barnes and Noble

Books A Million

I love the cover and hope you do, too. Thank you so much for your interest in my books!

We had a GRAND Time!

The main reason Ken and I moved to Missouri three and a half years ago was to spend time with our grandkids here. We now have seven in Missouri and six in Texas (more on that at the end) and two of our Missouri boys are in high school now! So thankful we moved when we did because these two will be all grown up before we know it!

We spent a fun weekend in Memphis with our three oldest grandsons at a Memphis Grizzlies game! Here are just a few photos from our weekend:

It was full-on spring in Memphis, which was a special treat—even though it rained most of the time we were there.The three-hour drive to Memphis and back, plus the time spent at the Airbnb were my favorite parts of the trip. These guys kept us laughing and made us so proud!We were in the “nosebleed section” at the Fed-Ex Forum arena, but it was a great game and we had a blast seeing it through the boys’ eyes.I can’t remember the last time Ken and I stayed up so late or ordered pizza at 10:30 p.m.! But Aldo’s Pizza Pie was worth it! (And we had leftovers to take home.)We’d kind of forgotten what it’s like to feed three strapping teenage athletes! Bottomless pits! Hollow legs! But oh such fun! The Cupboard was near our Airbnb and a great breakfast place for three growing boys!

Ken ordered “Ben’s Breakfast” from the menu at The Cupboard, assuming Ben was the owner or maybe the chef. But when we asked our server about it, she told us that Ben was the owner’s black Labrador retriever who’d died about a year ago. Ben was a celebrity in the neighborhood and each day carried the restaurant’s bank bag six blocks to the bank and back. “Nobody ever messed with Ben,” our server assured us. We all loved that story! (AND our breakfast!)

Next week we’re headed to Texas to visit our sons’ families and our six grandkids there. We hope to make some great memories with them too.

If you’re a grandparent, what are some special memories you’ve made with your grandkids? Or with your own grandparents when you were a kid? I’d love to hear your stories!

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.

Inside Scoop on My Audiobook

I’m currently listening to Memory Lane’s audiobook before I make it available!

Here’s the timeline of how this audiobook came to be…

Mid-October – I emailed narrator Heather Masters to inquire if she’d be interested in narrating Memory Lane (slated to release mid-February). All of my prior novels were produced by Recorded Books after my publisher sold them the audiobook rights. I’ve only ever commissioned one other audiobook, Then Came You (an epistolary novella which released in 2018). I knew back then that Heather was the perfect narrator for that project because I’d listened to her fantastic work narrating my good friend KE Ganshert’s The Gifting trilogy. Happily, Heather said yes. At that point, I listened to voice samples for male narrators on ACX (an audiobook production platform) until one voice stopped me in my tracks. Ryan Hudson. He came on board for the novella and I was delighted with how that project turned out.

This past October, Heather told me that she’d be happy to narrate Memory Lane but that she only had one slot open in the next six months — February. I wished I’d thought to reach out to her earlier so that I might have been able to release the audiobook at the same time as the print book and ebook. Lesson learned. At that point, I could have switched gears and tried to find another narrator who could fit my book into their schedule sooner. But I didn’t. I earnestly wanted Heather to do Memory Lane. Not only is she crazy talented but she’s great to work with — friendly and professional.

Heather still had Ryan’s contact info from the last audiobook they’d done together for me. She reached out to him and he signed on, too! DREAM TEAM.

Mid-November – The narration contract was signed, which specified the timeline and the responsibilities of the parties involved.

January 5-15 – I ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to fund the audiobook. My awesome readers showed up in force and we exceeded my goal.

Mid-January – I paid the narrators a retainer.

January 22 – I sent the narrators a manuscript that specified which of them was to read which sections. Note: Memory Lane is written in third person and the hero and heroine’s point of view scenes are interspersed. On rare occasions, I even switch point of view mid-scene. My vision for this audiobook was always for Heather to read all the sections written from the female point of view and Ryan to handle the male point of view sections. At this stage, I also gave the narrators character information on the entire cast. Photos, personality traits, age, how I imagined the characters sounded, etc.

February 5 – I received audio samples from both narrators. I listened and got back to them with suggestions. (They pretty much nailed it from the start. I only had one small request for each of them.)

March 4 – I received the finished files. For the past several days, I’ve been listening to the entire novel so that I can request final edits before the audiobook goes out into the world. I can’t resist sharing another sneak peek of Ryan’s narration so you’ll understand why I’ve been swooning all week long.

I’ll finish listening soon. The narrators will make my requested adjustments. And then it will be available to you! Currently, you can pre-order the audiobook of Memory Lane via my web site bookstore. Once it releases it will be available at all your favorite audiobook platforms.

I can’t overstate enough how thrilled I am with this audiobook. It’s been so satisfying to experience a novel of mine in audio the way I’ve always wanted it to sound. I’m proud of this one! I love these characters and the way the narrators brought them to life. If you see me around Dallas over the next few days smiling while wearing earbuds, you’ll know why.

Before I go, I wanted to tell you about the wonderful giveaway I’m offering to celebrate Memory Lane! Click here or on the image below to enter!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on audiobook creation!

Audiobooks? A few ways to give them a try.

I loved reading Tammy’s audiobook post from earlier this week.

A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine listening to audiobooks for any length of time.

Partly this was because of cost. Partly it’s because I love the feel of a book. Partly because I don’t always love the narrators. But I reached a point where I wanted to redeem the time walking across campus, driving all over town. Audiobooks have been a way to do that and more. But…they can be quite costly. So here are a few tips for finding audiobooks at a low cost or for free through a library app.

CHIRP: Chirp is a sister to Bookbub. Each day I get an email alerting me to audiobooks that are $4.99 or less. Frankly that’s less than a drink at most coffee shops. I’ve been able to try several books that way and add many to my library to enjoy over and over. Click on the link and you’ll get 50% off your first purchase.

Hoopla: Hoopla is one of the apps that many libraries use. In fact, I’ve been able to add the audiobooks I’ve produced here so that they are easily accessible. This is a great site for ebooks, audiobooks, and movies. Each library system accesses a different portfolio. I’m fortunate that between Hoopla and Libby I can find just about any audiobook I’m interested in. You can also place holds, so if it’s not available that moment, you’ll get it eventually.

Libby: This is an app from Overdrive. One benefit to it is that the ebooks push to my Kindle making them more readable than on my phone. I don’t find that it has as extensive a collection as Hoopla, but in combination with it, I can find just about everything. It’s also synced up it’s borrowing time, so most can now be borrowed for 21 days like Hoopla.

ChristianAudio.com: I love the semiannual audiobook sale where books are $7.49. I have picked up a lot of great titles that way. Each month there are also other books that will be $5.00 or less. I’ve purchased many Christian living and fiction titles from ChristianAudio, and it’s been a great source to build a library of books that I own.

Amazon: My husband has had an Audible subscription in the past, but I never did. Instead, I’ve purchase audiobooks for $7.49 or less as an add-on when buying an ebook for free or a reduced rate. Then it can be a great way to add the book in that unique format.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, what sites do you use? And in honor of audiobooks, I’ll giveaway a copy of one of my Hidden Justice novels on audiobook or a code to download one of my others that I produced. Use the form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadline Disaster

Hi friends and Happy Wednesday!

Have you ever noticed when you really need life to go smoothly, it often turns upside-down? I was recently on a deadline. My final week was filled with sixteen-hour days, copious amounts of coffee, and truly frightening deadline hair as my family has fairly dubbed it. The tighter the deadline, the scarier the updo hair. It was during this week that the first of these incidents occurred. I’m using pictures from the most adorable notepads my daughter got for me to symbolize the emotions at each stage in the process.

First, I spilled scalding coffee on my lap and my laptop. Which did I move to save first? Being on deadline and the fear of losing my entire manuscript, I went for the computer first. In hindsight and with burns on my legs, that might not have been the wisest choice, but I reacted in panic. Clearly, I would never make it in the emergency services field.

My laptop was fried along with its power cord. I thankfully had the manuscript I was working on saved to the Cloud. It was literally the only doc I had saved on it. Praising God for that one. I managed to get my fried computer to run long enough to back it up on a hard drive. Meanwhile, the coffee literally percolated on the keyboard. Seriously. My laptop was brewing coffee. Only me.

Thankfully, my hubby had an older Mac I could use so to be a nice wife, I signed in as a guest user so I wouldn’t mess up any of his stuff. Little did I know that when you’re under a guest profile when you log off—nothing and I mean nothing is saved. All my revisions over the next two weeks—gone. But I had a zip drive where I saved everything or so I thought. My zip drive overheated and was destroyed. I kid you not. Now, I’m starting from scratch and have lost two weeks’ worth of work. And, to top it off, my printer went kaput today.

My hubby’s response:

Given all that’s happened, I can’t exactly blame him. I not only repel technology, I destroy it. So, here I am, starting afresh again. Praying for no more intermissions. But I have learned God’s still got this, and I strangely am not in panic mode about it. I know He’ll equip me with the words I need, and, on the bright side, I get to begin my new, organized document system from scratch that my awesome friend and fellow author, Jill Kemmerer taught me. Maybe starting over isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Reader Question:

How about you? For writers: any crazy deadline mishaps? For readers: has technology ever failed you?

Thanks for joining me this week!

Best,

Dani

Are you listening?

I love to read books but I also love listening to them, and I always have at least 3-4 books I’m listening to at once.

Customarily, it’s three or four non-fiction books and at least one or two novels, which is the case at the moment. The following are books I’ve either recently finished or am currently listening to.

First, non-fiction…

The Making of Biblical Woman by Beth Allison Barr

This book came highly recommended, and I quickly realized why. The author presents both well-known and little-known church history with detailed accuracy substantiated by research documents, numerous well-documented incidents, and extensive Biblical text. I ended up purchasing the book in print too because it’s a scholarly read, and I often go back and reread what I’ve listened to. If you’re at all interested in studying complementarianism versus egalitarianism, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. And Aimee Byrd is right, “Read this book and be challenged and encouraged.”

The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser

I was sad to hear that Michael Heiser died very recently from a longterm illness—even as I rejoice for him and that he’s Home! If you or someone you know are interested in learning more about the supernatural worldview of the Bible, this is the book!

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey

This is my second time through this book. It’s that good. You will never look at Jesus the same way again. The middle eastern lens changes everything!

My non-fiction list goes on forever. So much I want to learn about, to study. So much I want to better understand. Foremost about God’s Word, his nature and character. Then about history and also the world to come.

And now, fiction . . .

Count the Nights by Stars by Michelle Shocklee

I read a print copy of this for endorsement but…don’t care. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to listen to it, too. I highly recommend this dual timeline story by my buddy Michelle that’s set right here in Nashville!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (an oldie but a goodie!)

BEST AUDIO BOOK EVER!

I always keep The Help close at hand in my library just for creative inspiration. I’ve listened to it countless times. I don’t care if you’ve seen the movie and read the print book, the audio book is pure listening pleasure and not to be missed.

So are you an audio book lover? If yes, tell me the books you’re listening to. My to-be-listened-to stack is long but can always be longer. ; )

Much love from Nashville,

Tammy

March GIVEAWAY just started

Talk about energizing your Bible study! I use my Filament Bible and free app every day. If you need a gift idea for a woman or man in your life, consider getting this Bible. It comes in all sorts of covers and colors. But the one I’m giving away this month is pictured above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And lastly, just in case you need a good belly laugh today, here you go! I laughed until I cried! : )