Becky Wade's Blog, page 85

Where do your ideas come from?

This is a common question for writers. I often have this question myself when reading a historical novel, especially ones by author Elizabeth Camden, who tends to find the most unique historical backdrops for her stories! But I’ve been thinking about it in terms of my own work again as I stand at the beginning of a new project. And so as I look back to see where my stories have come from, I thought I would share a few of those with you. 

Wings of a Dream—This was my first novel, the one that had been in my head for 10 years (with many starts and stops!) before I actually wrote it. The germ of the story came from family history. Or maybe family legend. My dad comes from a family of storytellers, so sometimes fact and fiction get blurred. Anyway, I knew my grandmother’s mother died of Spanish flu while her husband was fighting WWI in France. She left behind four small children who needed to be cared for. I used the family version of the “end of the story” while most of the rest came from research and imagination. 

At Every Turn—This book is the one which garners the question most often since it’s a story about a woman who drives a race car in 1916. It might be one of the most fun books I’ve ever written. I think that’s because I knew absolutely nothing about the history attached to it! So how did that history end up in my story? My publisher had asked me to stay within the 1910-1920 decade to stay in keeping with Wings of a Dream. I had no idea what story to tell so I just started Googling by year then scrolling to the later search results. There I found a fascinating article about a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1916. The information was so intriguing I believed I could make it into a story. And since I immediately wanted the heroine to drive a race car incognito, I thought about the women in my life who would be brave enough to do such a thing. Two came to mind—my sister and my daughter. My sister was living in the Middle East at the time, so I added missions into the mix and poof! A story appeared.

Playing by Heart—I mashed up lots of family in this book. I took my grandmother’s story of being thrown into the role of girls basketball coach while teaching the in 1930s (different grandmother from the previous story!), my oldest son’s love of basketball, my younger son’s love of music, and my sister’s love of math. It ended up as something of an homage to all the teachers in my family, who I so admire. 

Time Will Tell—A few years ago I wanted to dip my toe into indie publishing so I wrote two historical novellas. This one happened after reading about The Toledo War, a border “war” between Ohio and Michigan in the 1835-36. Which of course just begged for a Romeo and Juliet, forbidden love story. The “war” didn’t amount to much as far as violence—just one slight skirmish—but it was a fun piece of history to explore. 

Hidden Riches—This is my book which comes out in November as part of the Secrets From Grandma’s Attic Series from Guideposts. The evolution of this story was most interesting! I started with wanting to include something about the WPA murals painted in post offices in the 1930s and ended up instead with two pieces of local history from the actual setting location—a dead body—a man with tattoos—washing ashore from the Mississippi River in 1933 and a young boy who died of tetanus after getting a splinter in his foot. Then I added a piece of medical history—the tetanus vaccine, first used during WWI—and the architectural boom of the 1950s. Want to know how they all fit together? Nope, no spoilers here.  

What has been your favorite unusual historical backdrop or information around which an author wove a good story? 

P.S. Thanks to everyone who entered my anniversary giveaway!

Celebrating Baby Leo!

People keep telling me I have no idea how wonderful it’s going to be to become a grandmother. And while I think I have a fairly good imagination, I know they’re right! Because when I was pregnant with our first child, I had no idea how deep and wide and all encompassing my love for my children would be.

Kurt, Kellie, Kelsey, me and Joe at the baby shower

This past weekend we had a baby shower for our son Kurt & daughter-in-law Kellie—and precious Baby Leo Joseph Alexander, whose expected arrival is December 16th. We were all excited beforehand, but seeing all the cute onesies and sleep sacks and toys and books and gowns, well… That made it even more real!

Here are a few pics from the party . . .

Kellie with her hostesses (L to R: Kellie’s mom Leslie , Kellie’s twin sister Kristen, our daughter Kelsey, me, and my dear friend Kim who hosted at her lovely home)

I had my first experience making a balloon arch—and it may be my last. LOL! Those things are time-consuming. And Leslie had already blown up most of the balloons!

Look at the adorable dessert table Kim created for the Wild Adventure/Jungle theme. Can you see the monkey on the side “climbing” the balloon tree? And notice the crocodile Daddy, Mommy and Baby cupcakes . . .

Croc up close . . .

Kellie’s only request for the shower was Dirt Cake with Gummy Worms. She loves it! And I’d forgotten how good it is—minus the worms for me. While I love Gummy Bears and DOTS candy, I’m not a gummy worm fan, for some reason. Are you?

Finally, we had pictures from Kellie and Kurt’s recent BabyMoon to Athens and Rome streaming on the TV. Honestly? I’d never heard of a BabyMoon until K2 (how we refer to Kurt and Kellie on our family text thread ) told us about it. They had a fabulous time and raved about the food!

Three more pics from the BabyMoon . . .

Finally, one of Kellie’s last Facebook posts about their trip (so grateful she’s our daughter now)—

Incidentally, my sweet friend Kim also hosted Kurt and Kellie’s wedding shower back in October 2020. Here’s a pic we snapped from that day . . .

Just for fun we attempted to recreate that picture after the baby shower this Saturday. Um, we didn’t quite make it! : } #understatement

QUESTION for you grandmothers—and young mothers—out there: What’s one of the best baby gifts you received when your first child was born? Maybe something you found really useful or that made a certain task easier. Or something you would never have bought for yourself but now you love it and can’t imagine life without it! ; )

Thanks for sharing this journey with me and my family!

Grateful in Nashville,

Soon-to-be Gram Tam

Power Supply

As I write this, we have just come through (or been passed over by) Hurricane Ian. We were fortunate, with damage limited to scattered fallen branches and a wee bit of rain, but others weren’t so lucky. We continue to pray for the devastated communities near Fort Myers, Florida.

But even though we suffered very little, many of our areas are still without power. My daughter’s family was at our house all day yesterday because they had no power and the grandkids were desperate for the Internet. (My daughter was desperate for air conditioning). My son, who lives nearby as well, was and still is worried about the tropical fish in his aquarium, which also holds his prized eel. We’re praying the eel makes it.

We lost power for about 18 hours, but we have a generator, so after thirty seconds it kicked in and we barely noticed the lack of power. And this morning, as I sat down to write this blog, I thought about how a generator is a lot like the Holy Spirit. In a world filled with darkness, when others are frantic with fear and uncertainty or desperate for connection, we who have Jesus also has the Spirit, who keeps us going with confidence and plenty of light. Darkness can be scary, but a single light bulb can chase away the deepest gloom.

Because those who believe have the Spirit and His light, we do not need to fear–ever. Anything. Death, cancer, darkness, uncertainty–I know we all have that dry-mouthed terror when we are first faced with these things, but always remember–you have a generator. Move past that all-too-human thirty seconds of terror and rest in the Spirit. God is always, ALWAYS, in control. He cannot be surprised. Your calamity is not beyond His power. His love and concern for you has not diminished in the least. Your home–and health–in heaven is as sure as the sunrise.

Your friends and family who do not believe do not have this assurance, so be patient with them . . . and when the time is right, share the Good News with them. The Spirit is available to anyone who surrenders their life to Jesus.

Warning

I used to say “believes in Jesus,” but that word has too many shades of meaning in English. So let’s go back to the Greek.

I “believe” in the president–in Greek, I noticia believe in him because I know he exists. I’ve seen photos. It’s an intellectual belief.

Depending on which year you ask, I might have assentia belief in the president, meaning I believed in him enough to vote for him. I agree with what he stands for.

But if I were taken hostage by a group of terrorists, do I have fiducia belief in the president? Do I believe he would send a SEAL team to save my life? Nope. I don’t have enough belief in the president to put my life in his hands. He doesn’t know me. He certainly doesn’t love me.

But Jesus? I noticia believe in Him; I know He existed. There’s a historical record.

I also assentia believe in Him; I agree with Him that I am a sinner and need His mercy and the salvation He provided on the cross.

And I fiducia believe in Him enough to surrender my life into His hands. He knows me . . . and despite knowing what a sinner I am, He loves me. That’s the belief that saves. That’s the belief that brings the Spirit of God, and generates the power to live a confident, secure life.

If you don’t already, you can have this power and this security. All you have to do is fiducia believe.

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.

Reading Challenges and Audiobooks

In 2013, I participated in my first Goodreads Reading Challenge. I set a goal of 30 books and I read 36. That was my first time to actually track the books I read in a single year. Off and on through the years, I’d tried keeping a notebook by my bed and writing down the books I read and maybe rating them. The habit never took. I kept forgetting the notebook was there.

But Goodreads has made it so easy for me to track, rate, and review, using both my phone and my computer. It has become a habit.

I haven’t set super high or unrealistic goals. Thirty-six to forty-eight books in a year (three to four books a month) feels reasonable to me for someone with a busy writing schedule and other focuses as well. The most number of books I’ve read in a previous year (since I began tracking) was 77 books. That was in 2020 when the world shut down for a time.

In 2022, my tenth Goodreads Reading Challenge, I once again set a goal of 36 books. But audiobooks and audiobook services (particularly Hoopla and Scribd) in addition to Audible changed things up in a big way for me. I’m able to listen to books in the car, while I dress in the morning, when I break to stretch or get another cup of coffee, etc. I listen in tiny snatches and in bigger blocks of time.

Last Saturday (9/24/22), I finished reading my 100th book of the year. Ninety (90%) of those books were audiobooks. The majority have been good to excellent reads. Seven of them earned a five-star rating from me. Two got only two stars. The rest got three to four stars.

It has been much easier for me to rate the books I read since I developed my own system. It firmed up in my mind what I mean by the number of stars I give. And I do use .25, .50, and .75 as well because, for instance, sometimes a book is more than a 3 but less than a 4. Here’s my rating system:

Robin’s Ratings
5 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4 = Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
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.

There are some readers out there who read a book a day, so my 100 reads may not seem like a lot to them. But I’m enjoying hitting the 100-book milestone this year.

It’s hard for me to believe that there was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when I didn’t think I would ever listen to audiobooks unless I was on a long trip. Boy, have reading habits changed for me. Audiobooks have allowed me to listen (read) far more books and authors than I thought possible.

How’s your reading year going?

~robin

Mentorship

Hi friends,

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about mentorship in the writing community, so I thought I’d share here. Let’s start off by the definition of mentorship.

When I started out writing with the hopes of publication someday, I knew I had a big learning curve ahead of me. I wasn’t in a hurry. I had lots of reading, writing, and studying to do. Much like a pianist first learns fingering, tempo, composition, melody and more, there is much to learn in the craft of writing and storytelling. Yes. I do believe writing and storytelling are two different things, but that will be my next post. For today, I’ll focus on mentoring.

I was a couple years into studying the craft and practicing by writing my attempt at a manuscript. It was a practice piece. Whatever aspect I was studying in the craft—be it pacing, characterization, structure, setting, etc.—I would focus on that element in my practice manuscript. By the end, you can imagine the mess of a manuscript I had, but I was able to see over time how my writing improved.

Though, the greatest improvement came when I started working with my mentor. She was my favorite author and I so wanted to write romantic suspense as well as she did. Not sure I’ll ever live up to that because she’s amazing, but she took me under her wing. She transformed my storytelling. We worked together on three manuscripts and for four years before that third story sold. But it was during the writing of stories that she taught me. She read my work and commented on it directly as I went. By the third manuscript, which ended up being Submerged, she’d put together a full-scale review of the complete story.

Had she not started out with comments throughout, with examples and with craft book suggestions and mini lessons on the craft elements I needed help on, I never would have gotten to the place where she’d read my stories as a whole. I’m honored to say she’s read parts (when I’m flailing on a certain aspect) or the complete manuscript of every novel since.

Not only did she teach me in the craft of writing, but in the publishing industry. Knowing how to submit to agents and editors was a huge part of the process. Knowing what to look for in my first contract, how to move forward as a published author, and how to continually go in the craft were all major lessons that have blessed me to this day.

Being mentored instilled in me the desire to mentor others. I’ve mentored three writers and I’m ecstatic to say they’re all agented today, and the one who was already published before we worked together, is soaring. It’s a joy to watch her fly. I’ve loved the process and the relationships of mentoring so much that I’ve started a mentoring service. If you’re a writer or know a writer who might be interested in mentoring, feel free to use the contact form on my website.

I’ve loved being back with you today!

Reader question: Who has been a mentor in your life? A parenting mentor, spiritual mentor, writing mentor…?

Blessings,

Dani

At Long Last…

In my novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey (December 2021), the Swanford Abbey Hotel is an ancient monastery turned grand hotel.

I wrote that mystery during lockdowns and was unable to visit in person. Swanford Abbey is a fictional place, inspired by past visits to the historic Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, England, as well as photos and floor plans of the Stanbrook Abbey Hotel in Worcestershire.

Stanbrook Abbey Hotel

My husband and I were finally able to visit the Stanbrook Abbey Hotel in September of this year.

Abbey library

Here are a few more photos of this wonderful place.

Have you read Shadows of Swanford Abbey? Either way, I hope you enjoy these inspirational setting photos!

Surprising St. Louis!

2022 was my first year in eighteen years to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference without the responsibility of being a board member! While I missed hanging out with the wonderful people who make up the executive board of ACFW for those day-long meetings immediately before and after the conference, it was also a delight to have a little free time to explore the city where the conference was held. Since we only live a couple of hours from St. Louis, Ken and I drove, arriving on Wednesday night before the conference began. We had dinner at Landry’s Seafood House in Union Station. The goldfish and koi were hilarious, begging to be fed. (They did not look like they were starving by any means!)

The conference was held at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch and even though our conference has been held at this same hotel several times, because of board meetings, I’d never gotten to really explore the beautiful National Park around the Gateway Arch.

Ken captured this beautiful image of the Arch reflected in one of the ponds in the park.There are acres of green and lovely paths to jog or stroll near the Arch.A statue commemorating explorers Lewis and Clark.

A huge highlight for me this year was riding up to the top of the Gateway Arch for the first time! (Ken had been up before on a business trip many years ago.) It wasn’t nearly as scary as I’d imagined, even though the little cars that take you to the top were plenty “cozy” with just the two of us—and they’re made to seat five!

Oh, but the views from the top were spectacular!

Busch Stadium is easy to spot from the vantage point of the top of the Arch!There is a wonderful museum at the base of the arch.Laclede’s Landing, the old town area near the Arch had charming shops and restaurants, cobblestone streets, and beautiful plantings.

The moon gave us a show, rising underneath the Arch one night. Just stunning!

Someone told us that if it’s windy, you can feel the Arch sway! Not sure I’d like that, but I certainly enjoyed the experience on a sunny, calm day! Have you been up in the Arch before or explored the beautiful city of St. Louis, Missouri? Ken and I stayed a couple of extra days after the conference and rode bikes through Forest Park, strolled and shopped in the Delmar Loop, visited Tower Grove Park, ate a wonderful lunch at Mama’s in Little Italy on The Hill, and toured the stunning Missouri Botanical Gardens. Those photos will have to wait for another day, but we were certainly impressed with all St. Louis has to offer and can’t wait to come back!

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.

Steal and Deals!

I’ve been fortunate because audiobooks have been created and made available for each of my novels. Here’s how that went down…. Bethany House bought the rights to the novels. Then they sold the subsidiary audiobook rights to Recorded books. Then Recorded Books produced the audiobooks by selecting the narrators, directing the recording, handling the sound editing, etc. Then Recorded Books released them.

Only one audiobook of mine is an exception to that process. I produced the audiobook for Then Came You (my romantic, epistolary novella) myself. I chose the male and female narrators. I was able to collaborate with them and make adjustments. I loved every part of the process and am especially proud of how Then Came You’s audiobook turned out. I still have a voice crush on professional fondness for the male narrator.

I’m blogging on this topic today because it’s on sale for 99 cents at Chrip until the end of September! Click here to snag the deal.

But that’s not all!

If you’re familiar with audiobooks, then you know they’re expensive. They retail for upwards of $25. Almost all of my novels are on sale at the moment for between 70-85% off.

Two of my Bradford Series novels (in audiobook form) are currently on sale at two different places — Audible and Audiobooks.com If you don’t want to join Audible’s subscription service, then Audiobooks.com is a great option.

Click here for $6.25 price at Audibooks.comClick here for $4.41 price at Audible
Click here for $6.25 price at Audiobooks.comClick here for $4.41 price at Audible
Click here for $6.25 price at Audiobooks.com

And most of the rest of my backlist titles (in audiobook form) are also enjoying amazing sale prices at Audible . . .

Click here for $3.92 price at AudibleClick here for $4.41 price at AudibleClick here for $3.92 price at AudibleClick here for $3.92 price at AudibleClick here for $3.92 price at AudibleClick here for $3.92 price on Audible
(As you can tell, this is the only book of mine that has an audiobook cover that doesn’t match the book cover. I’m not sure why Recorded Books went that route with this one!)I’ve become a huge fan of audiobooks. How do you feel about them? If a fan, what app do you use for listening? Have you listened to any of the above books?