Author interview with Becky Wade

Becky’s a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas.  She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children.  When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction.  She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance!  She’s the Carol Award, INSPY Award, and Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, the Porter Familyseries, and the Bradford Sisters Romance series.

True to You (Bradford Sisters Romance #1): After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford 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 John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. However, when John, an adoptee, is diagnosed with an inherited condition, he’s forced to dig into the secrets of his ancestry.

John enlists Nora’s help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and as they work side-by-side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match.  But can their hope for a future survive their wounds from the past?

Becky, congratulations on your new novel, True to You, I read it last month and loved every word! Readers, I posted my review here. Thank you so much for joining us today amid your very busy schedule. Today we’re going to do something a little different, a rapid-fire interview, sound good? I’ll mix in a few lengthy questions, but I thought this format would be fun, so let’s go!

Housework or gardening? Housework.

Reading or watching tv? Reading.

Sweet or salty?  Both!

Aerobics class or running in the park?  Neither.  Yoga and walking are more my speed.

Favorite music to listen to? Contemporary worship music.

Can you tell us what inspired you to write about three sisters?

I’m the eldest of three sisters! I love having sisters. We did our share of fighting when we were growing up, but we’ve been a huge source of friendship, trust, comfort, and support to each other ever since we hit adulthood. We can talk for hours. We look alike. We all share the same sense of humor. My fondness for my sisters and for the bonds of sisterhood inspired me to pen a series based on sisters.

If you could decorate like someone on HGTV, who would it be? Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper.

I KNEW you'd say that, you know Baylor U and all that! What’s the coolest thing about your home? The 4 glass doors across the back of our den that overlook our backyard. I sit at the kitchen table, looking out those doors, when I write.  The view and the sunlight never fail to cheer me up.

Sounds lovely. If you had a super-power, what would it be?  Guessing upcoming plot points in books and movies before they happen.

Ha, good one! If you could invite anyone, dead or alive, to visit you for the weekend, who would you invite?  My grandmother.  She passed away in the 1990's and I'd love the chance to spend time with her again. She was outgoing, gentle, loving, and she never met a stranger.  She was convinced my sisters and I had hung the moon.

And we all give you a collective AWWWW with that answer! Moving on, Becky, how would you describe your writing style?

Romantic, humorous, heartwarming.  I’m interested in writing about imperfect, flawed people who are nonetheless loved by a perfect God.  Thus, my books all have a strong faith storyline.  I strive to write authentically.  I like to laugh.  I delight in writing about modern-day people and places.  At least one of my two main characters is always ‘larger than life’ in some way.  And my books are very romance heavy.  My readers can count on a hunky hero who’s going to fall madly in love with the heroine.

Favorite app? Voxer

Favorite website? Facebook.

Favorite tv show of all time?  BBC mini series of Pride and Prejudice.

Favorite movie in the last year? Hidden Figures.

Favorite food? Chocolate

Yum. Guess I didn't say it had to be healthy ;-) Least favorite food? The "fall casserole" my mom used to make when I was a kid.  It was full of vegetables (including leeks) and my sisters and I all dreaded it.

Okay, you must come over for our minestrone soup, it has leeks in it and is delicious! Back to writing though, what’s your advice for other writers?

I think it’s incredibly valuable to take time to learn the craft of writing via writer’s groups, non-fiction books on the topic, conferences.  While learning the craft, I recommend practice.  Write one manuscript through to the end.  Then another!  As you go, try out different sub-genres and cultivate your own unique voice.  In the end, it’s critically important that you take the knowledge you’ve gained, and write your book the way that you love it best.

Best way to decompress? Watch a movie.

Window seat or aisle seat? Window.

What do you like on your pizza? Pepperoni, black olives, onions, green peppers.

What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? Skiing.

I hear a story behind that, but we must move on. If you could offer your thirteen-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?  To base my confidence in my identity as the Father's daughter.

That is so wise. As I think of the young ladies I know who seem to have it together and aren't following the crowd, those are the ones on fire for Jesus. But I'm getting distracted again, back to your novel. What impact do you hope that True To You will have on readers?

Because I write romances, I always hope that readers will close the final page of my books with a happy sigh and a smile. In this particular case, the theme of True to You is truth. I’m praying the Lord will use this story to remind readers of the fact that their true identity is, was, and always will be, in Him.

Wow, in today’s fast paced world, those words about our identity just made me slow down! I really appreciate how much time you spend on each novel that you write. They are so deep, well-thought out, and always have a strong faith message for the readers. Becky, tell us what you are working on next?

I’m finishing book #2 in the Bradford Sisters Romance series.  Eldest sister Willow Bradford and NFL quarterback Corbin Stewart are the heroine and hero of the second novel.  Corbin’s confident and charming and funny, which makes him a lot of fun to write!

Sounds like another page-turner, Becky, can’t wait! Thanks for joining us today, it was fun!

Readers: we are doing a giveaway, so leave you email addy for an autographed paperback of True to You. US only.

Also, grab Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella for FREE on the kindle today!