6 Tips to being Genuine Online by Becky Wade | Guest Post

Striving to be genuine online? Here are 6 tips from author Becky Wade!

It's challenging to be genuine online, isn't it? When we interact via cyberspace, we're robbed of several aspects of face-to-face communication. We can't read the other person's body language and they can't read ours. We can't hear their tone and they can't hear ours. Often, we're not communicating in real time.

We can respond to the strangeness of online communication by saying nothing because we're too shy to put ourselves out there. We can post about the mundane because we have no idea what else to say. We can beautify our lives so much that the things we present via our feeds don't resemble our reality at all. Or we can make an effort to communicate our genuine selves and begin to establish real connections as a result.

I entered the world of social media in 2011. Since then I've observed (because I follow numerous people) and experienced firsthand (through my own posts) a few things that seem to lead to greater authenticity....

True to You by Becky Wade | New Novel News

True to You 
by Becky Wade

Published: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Bethany House
Purchase: True to You

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

Get to know Becky...

Favorite season? 
My favorite season is fall! Here in Texas, we endure, long HOT summers. I'm always thrilled when fall brings cooler temperatures and I get to wear jeans and boots, admire the colorful foliage, and spend more time outdoors. (I huddle inside in the air conditioning most of the summer.) Plus, fall offers awesome holidays.

What’s one thing you must have/do in the morning? 
I have to clean my kitchen and straighten the main rooms of our house. I can't write surrounded by mess! So I either chat with friends via the Voxer app or I catch up on news via the Today Show while I clean each morning. My efforts do no extend to my kids' rooms. I just close their doors.

@CreateExploreRead

If your main characters were animals, what would they be?
John, the hero of True to You, would be a boxer, because he's athletic and smart and not afraid to tackle huge challenges. Nora, the heroine of True to You, would be a russet colored cat. Russet-colored because she has red hair. A cat because she's a bookworm who loves tea. Cats are mellow enough to fit right in with books and tea!

Beth K. Vogt, Deb Kastner & Becky Wade | New Novel News

You Can't Hurry Love
by Beth K. Vogt

Published: May 3, 2016
From: Howard Books
Purchase: You Can't Hurry Love

What if your long wait for love brings you back to your first love? You Can’t Hurry Love is the second 99 cents e-novella in my destination wedding series. It’s the romance of Elisabeth Straker, the penultimate “always the bridesmaid never the bride,” who was also the best friend of Bellamy, the heroine in Can’t Buy Me Love, the first e-novella in my destination wedding series.
 
Get to know Beth...

What’s one thing you must do in the morning?
One thing? Oh gosh, these “one thing” questions are so challenging! All I know is my days go so much better when I walk with my writing buddy and close friend, Mary. We walk. We talk. We pray. By the time we’re done, we feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And we always finish the walks with one of us saying, “This is the day the Lord has made …” and then the other person says, “ …we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

What are the names of your pets?  
We have two dogs right now. Jo is my youngest daughter’s dog, and was a rescue puppy. Jo was found with her three sisters and a brother in an alley – no mama dog anywhere. The rescue shelter named them Meg, Jo, Amy, Beth, after the sisters in Little Women. The boy was named Chubbs. I don’t remember a “Chubbs” in Little Women. Then we also have Twister, our “grande dame” dachshund. She’s 14 years old, hard of hearing and she also can’t see very well anymore. She spends most of the day sleeping. When she’s awake, she’s cranky. But we love her.

Do you have a nickname? Care to share? 
If I shared my childhood nickname you would have to swear to be my friend forever – and also swear to never, ever reveal it. My husband calls me “girl,” and I call him “boy.” Weird, I know. Another thing about nicknames: All of my children have nicknames. And I love to give my close friends nicknames. I think nicknames are fun and a special term of endearment.

The Cowboy's Twins
by Deb Kastner

Published: April 19, 2016
From: Harlequin Love Inspiried
Purchase: The Cowboy's Twins

A Surprise Dad

Rancher Jax McKenna's gotten used to being on his own. Then surprise twin babies—daughters he never knew existed—arrive on his doorstep, and his world goes topsy-turvy. Strong, silent Jax has a way with horses. Not little girls! So when Texas newcomer Faith Duggan steps up to help, he's overwhelmed with gratitude. Faith's following her dream of buying a mustang rescue sanctuary. And she needs Jax, too. But after a tragic accident changed his life forever, Jax isn't used to letting anyone in. Could Faith be the exception…and the partner he's always searched for?

Get to know Deb...

Who is your favorite secondary character?
In my very first Serendipity, Texas novel Phoebe’s Groom (three series ago!) my heroine is encouraged to come to town by Jo Hawkins Spencer, the saucy, red-curled owner of the only restaurant in Serendipity, Cup O’ Jo’s Café. She wears unique and sometimes sarcastic t-shirts, is a second mother to most of the town and is the hub of Serendipity’s gossip mill. She’s appeared in every one of my Serendipity novels. I think everyone should have a Jo Spencer in their lives.

What’s one thing you must have/do in the morning?
Coffee. Coffee. Did I say coffee? I’m not a morning person at ALL. I’m not grumpy before my morning caffeine, just incoherent.

What are the names of your pets?
I’m a dog lover. I have a Cairn terrier/Westie mix named Missy and a Pit Bull/Shepherd cross named Sadie. I also have three grand-puppies. My middle daughter has a purebred Chihuahua named Paris and a purebred teacup Yorkie named Jack-Jack. My youngest daughter has a Chihuahua mix (and I do mean mix—sometimes I think of different animals, not just dog breeds) named Mea. Youngest was planning to get a boy dog and name him Romeo, but she fell in love with a female and named her “Romea.” Mea for short.

Her One and Only
by Becky Wade

Published: May 3, 2016
From: Bethany House
Purchase: Her One and Only

When NFL super star Gray Fowler is threatened by a stalker, his team hires a professional bodyguard to ensure his safety. But when Gray's "protection" turns out to be a woman half his size, he's indignant. Will Dru Porter--a former Marine and expert markswoman--prove herself worthy of the job? And meanwhile, who's going to guard Gray's heart?

Get to know Becky...

If you're main character celebrated Halloween, what would they dress up as?
Dru Porter from Her One and Only is fierce! The hero, Gray Porter, often likens her to a comic book super hero. Thus, I think Dru would dress as Cat Woman for Halloween. She'd feel completely at home in the black leather outfit and high heels.

Which of your characters do you secretly have a crush on?
Every hero I've ever written. Not only does the heroine get to fall in love and win the hero over the course of a romance novel, but so does the WRITER and so does the READER. That's why I so enjoy writing and reading love stories! I'm enamored of the heroes. Ah, the heroes.

If I had a knife I'd carve our initials into a tree. It would look something like, BW + MJ + BP + TP + JP + JB + WM + GF.

What are the names of your pets?
My dog is named Sam. He's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He snores, gazes at everyone with bulgy-eyed adoration, has a super mellow vibe, gobbles up his daily portion of food in under a minute, rides along for carpool, is a champion cuddler, and keeps me company when I'm writing. Here's a picture of him joining hand-to-paw with my youngest daughter to say grace before dinner.

Thanks for hosting me at Thinking Thoughts, Emilie! I truly appreciate it.

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Lorraine Beatty, Becky Wade & Janet Sketchley | New Novel News

 

Her Christmas Hero

by Lorraine Beatty

November 2015

Love Inspired

Purchase: Her Christmas Hero

Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform the fledgling Christmas celebrations in Dover, Mississippi, and bring visitors to the town. It’s also the single mom’s last chance to provide for her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma’s not the only one with something to prove. Linc Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he’ll go down swinging before he’ll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he’ll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he’s been searching for.



Get to know Lorraine...

Favorite dessert?
Bread pudding. With or without the rum. :)

Favorite season?
Spring. Wish it could be spring forever so the weather would be perfect and all the plants in bloom. I’m in the south so most of the flowers are toast by July and it’s hot! :)

What actress would play you if your life was a movie? 
A young Sally Field. I wanted to be her back when she was Gidget. Today, probably Candace Cameron Bure just because I admire her faith.

Love In The Details

by Becky Wade

October 27, 2015

Zondervan

Purchase: Love In The Details

Eight years have passed since Holly last saw her high school sweetheart, Josh. Now the wedding of Josh’s best friend has brought him back to Martinsburg, Texas. His duties as best man and Holly's as the church's volunteer wedding coordinator link them together. As they work behind the scenes to plan a beautiful November wedding for their friends, they're forced to confront painful reminders of what might have been.

Holly broke up with Josh all those years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. However, she never told him the true reason behind her actions and now must decide whether to keep her secret hidden. She's terrified of letting herself fall for him because she barely managed to piece her life back together after losing him the last time.

Not a day's gone by since Josh parted from Holly that he hasn't thought about her. The pain of the past eight years has been too much to bear and he doesn't want to make himself vulnerable to her again. But the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to deny the love he still has for her.

Will Josh and Holly risk their hearts on the hope that God's timing really can be best?

Get to know Becky...
What are the names of your pets?
My Cavalier King Charles spaniel is named Sam. He's as sweet as he is cute and he makes a great writing buddy. His snores are my creative soundtrack!

If you could live in a fantasy world, who’s would it be?
My own. Why? Because heroes like Josh, Jake Porter, and Gray Fowler (star of the upcoming Her One and Only) live and breathe in the world of my imagination. Also, the settings of my books tend to be very cute, charming towns featuring coffee shops, yummy desserts, sweet families. My fictional towns would make great places to live.

What's your favorite chore?
Laundry. I really dislike grocery shopping, cooking, and doing dishes. But I don't mind laundry. It gives me a sense of satisfaction to move dirty clothes through two machines, sort and fold them into piles while watching TV at night, and then deliver them the next morning. My laundry efforts put my family's clothes back to rights for a whole hour or so before the dirty clothes hampers begin filling again.

Without Proof
Janet Sketchley

November 1, 2015

Indie Published
Purchase: Without Proof

"Asking questions could cost your life."

Two years after the plane crash that killed her fiancé, Amy Silver has fallen for his best friend, artist Michael Stratton. When a local reporter claims the small aircraft may have been sabotaged, it reopens Amy's grief.

Anonymous warnings and threats are Amy's only proof that the tragedy was deliberate, and she has nowhere to turn. The authorities don't believe her, God is not an option, and Michael's protection is starting to feel like a cage.

Get to know Janet...

Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
We took a European river cruise last year, and it was awesome. Still, I think the place I've loved most is Scotland, the countryside more than the cities. We were there over 30 years ago... it's way past time to go back!

Coffee or tea?
Tea, to the point where we currently have a moratorium on buying any more until we finish some of the varieties on hand. Morning starts with a hot cup of "regular" tea. My favourite special teas are a chocolate mint and a maraschino cherry, but hey, it's the fall, and I'm drinking pumpkin chai. Believe me, there's enough to share!

If you were stranded on an island what are three things you couldn’t live without?
My Bible, my music (with infinite power supply) and something to write with. (I'm assuming food is a given.)

Love in the Details by Becky Wade | RE:View

Could lost love find itself again?

I jumped into Love in the Details not sure what to expect (as usual, I didn't read the book description). I was definitely pulled in right away wondering what was going to happen. Since it was a novella, I was able to find out pretty quickly and definitely enjoyed the journey.

Holly was easy to relate to for me since she is a writer and living in a small town. Both things I can identify with. I enjoyed seeing the side of her life that involved her writing, but also her routine's in the town. I would say her friend Sam was...interesting? I didn't agree with her advice to Holly most of the time, but Holly was strong enough to make her own decisions.

Josh, on the other hand, was a little harder to identify with. At times I was surprised by the motivation of some of his actions since we weren't able to get a look into how he made some of the decisions he did, but I understand time (and word count) is limited in a novella.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, though I would have liked to see more of Holly and Josh together on the page. What pulled me toward the end the most was the fact that they had more interaction and we could see the internal workings of their hearts. All those lovely things that make you swoon! That said, I still enjoyed the story a lot and could easily recommend it to lovers of romance and weddings.

This novella would be a perfect "take a break" read from the busyness of life.

Rating: 4*
Purchase: Love in the Details

 
Book Description
(from Becky's website)

Eight years have passed since Holly last saw her high school sweetheart Josh. Now the wedding of Josh’s best friend has brought Josh back to Martinsburg, Texas. His duties as best man and Holly's as the church's volunteer wedding coordinator link them together. As they work behind-the-scenes to plan a beautiful November wedding for their friends, they're forced to confront painful reminders of what might have been.

Holly broke up with Josh all those years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. However, she never told him the true reason behind her actions and now must decide whether to keep her secret hidden. She's terrified of letting herself fall for him because she barely managed to piece her life back together after losing him the last time.

Not a day's gone by since Josh parted from Holly that he hasn't thought about her. The pain of the past eight years has been too much to bear and he doesn't want to make himself vulnerable to her again. But the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to deny the love he still has for her.

 _______________

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.