Writer's Life: Becky Wade

Welcome to another edition of Writer's Life! Every Wednesday features a romance writer of inspirational or sweet romance novels. I'm excited to share some of my favorite authors and hope you'll find new books for your to-be-read pile!

Stalker Alert!!

Today we have the object of my author infatuation--the one I overly hugged two years ago, the one I gush about her books again and again--yes, I'm Becky Wade's super fan!! Can I tell you how much I love, love, love Becky's books? She writes contemporary romance novels for the Christian market, and I'm blown away--BLOWN AWAY--every time I pick up a new story of hers!

Meant to be Mine is her best yet. And, here's the thing, I thought her other two books were mocha frosting on a chocolate cupcake. She's outdone herself! You can read  my review later in this post.

Let's get to it!

1. What about writing makes your heart sing?

Dreaming up ideas!  If I had to put my finger on what I love most about writing -- it truly is the imagining.  It's so much fun to build my very own characters, places, and romances.  I fall asleep every night thinking about my story people.

2. What is the biggest hurdle you're facing right now as a writer?

Procrastination.  I can easily waste two full hours messing around with household chores, browsing social media, or dredging chocolate out of my pantry when I should be working.

3. What do you do to fill your creative well?

Movies, TV shows, books, and writer's meetings all help me fill my well.  As do occasional vacations from writing.  But my very best well-filler happens every Sunday morning. 

Several years ago, my husband convinced me to attend the contemporary service at our church.  At the start, I didn't much like the rocking praise music.  But over time, I've become a huge fan of it. Huge! I listen to worship music in my car and at home now.

God meets me every single Sunday in that contemporary service.  He renews my inspiration to write for Him.  And He also fills me with fresh ideas.  Sometimes, I have to jot down notes, just to keep up with all the writing-related thoughts that occur to me during the songs and the sermon.

4. What are you working on next?

Undeniably Yours and Meant to Be Mine are the first two books of my contemporary, Texas-set series about the Porter family.  I'm currently working on the third book in that series.  It stars Jake Porter, the dark and brooding brother.  Let me tell you, Jake's heroine has her work cut out for her! 

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Becky, I can't wait to read Jake's story! He's got such a tough shell around his heart--I'm looking forward to getting to know the special lady who can dissolve it! 

I love dreaming up ideas too! I had to leave my idea notebook next to the bed because so many things hit me before dozing off. :) 

Procrastination is an ugly beast. I'm guilty. Always guilty! Your words on church made me smile. I love how energized you are, and I totally get it. Our pastor played piano for two hymns this week, and it was so incredibly beautiful, it filled me up!

Thank you SO much for being my guest today!!

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MEANT TO BE MINE (linked to Amazon)~

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school--irresistible. When their paths cross again after college-- still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia's ready to be Ty's wife, but Ty's not ready to be her husband. He’s a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he’s long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he’s known since childhood.

Five and a half years pass. Celia's buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty's achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn't forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.

How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia’s trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

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Becky Wade ~ 

Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and one adoring (and adored) cavalier spaniel. Her CBA debut, My Stubborn Heart, was a finalist in both the RITA and INSPY awards.  Undeniably Yours kicked off her Texas-set Porter Family series.  Her newest contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine, has just hit shelves!

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My Review!! 5 Stars!!!

One thing I love about Becky Wade's books? They're all heart. She takes characters who mess up spectacularly and somehow makes me fall in love with them immediately! How does she do it? I have no idea. I'm convinced she's a genius. Meant to be Mine is laugh-out-loud hysterical and bring-you-to-tears emotional. I related to Celia's struggles and over-protectiveness to her daughter. And I flat out loved Ty, but then, I'm a fan of alpha cowboys! The secondary characters (especially Danny and Donetta) had me hollering in laughter, and the spiritual thread in particular resonated with me. I can't recommend this book enough! Go buy it!

**I received an advanced reader copy of this book with no obligation to review it. All opinions are my own.**

***

Spill it--do you enjoy reading stories with cowboys? Why or why not?

Have a terrific day!!

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Researching Publishers

Publishers.

One word. Three syllables. Simple, right?

Sigh.

The word "publishers" encompasses an entire book's worth of material. Have you physically picked up a Writer's Market lately? The book's got to weigh five pounds! Don't worry, I'm not asking you to read it, although it's a fabulous resource.



Do you know the publisher best suited for you?

Before you can answer, you need to know the genre book you write. Take a field trip to a major book store and browse the aisles. Take notes on the publishers who release books similar to yours. Still aren't sure which genre you write? Start studying. There are blogs, articles in magazines such as The Writer, and books devoted to help you determine this.

Now that you know what genre your book fits into, you can start researching publishers. Consider the following questions.

-Is your dream to be published through a large, established publisher?

-Are you willing to break in with a smaller, newer publisher?

-Do you want a traditional relationship where the publisher pays you an advance followed by royalties?

-Do you want to see your book in print, or are you comfortable with it in e-form?

-Do you want to self-publish?


To understand the differences between self-publishers and traditional publishers, read the linked article from Writer's Digest, "What Can Your Publisher Do For You?"

When I say I want to get published, I mean I want my books to be published in print form by a traditional publisher, and I want to get paid an advance and royalties for them. There are many reputable companies, large and small, who publish books in print or e-form. These publishers take on responsibilities such as editing, cover art, copyrights, printing the book, distributing the book, and marketing the book. They pay the author an advance and royalties. The author does not pay the publisher.
Then there are reputable companies who provide self-publishing services. In this instance, the author may be responsible for cover art, copyrights, distributing and marketing the book, depending on the publisher. The author pays these fees or pays for X amount of books up front and only gets paid when someone purchases the book.

Traditional publishers make money from book sales, and they have a vested interest in getting your books in bookstores. It can be difficult to get your book in bookstores if you use a self-publishing service, and the author will need to employ intense marketing strategies.

Please, be leery of legal publishers who prey on those wanting to get published by seeming to be a traditional publisher but who actually offer a form of self-publishing. I have no problem with self-publishing companies who are up front about their practices. If an author chooses to go that route, that's her decision. However, some of these companies mislead the author into believing the book will be treated the same as a traditional publisher would treat it, when in reality, the author must pay to have the book published.

When you have narrowed down what you want out of a publisher, compile a list of possible companies. Go to each publisher's website and print out their writer's guidelines. Before you submit to them, verify their submission policy.

Why are you doing all of this? Because a publisher who specializes in non-fiction will not publish your contemporary romance novel. Also, some publisher's do not accept unsolicited material. You must have an agent to submit to them.

It never hurts to check out Preditors and Editors. It's a site devoted to helping writers discern between legitimate publishers and scammers.

We have a responsibility to research the publishers we query. When we have the information in front of us, we can make informed decisions.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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