Book Recommendation - Memory Lane

 

When in the mood for a fun contemporary romance novel that has wonderful character development and a fabulous story line (usually with a mystery involved), I know I can count on Becky Wade. Her latest release is the first book in her new series "Sons of Scandal". This one felt a bit more intense than some of her other books I've read, but it still had the great qualities I've come to know and love in Becky's books. 

Though she's been traditionally published for most of her career, she switched paths with this book and published this one independently. Due to that, I had better access to get some questions answered about the book! Here's how that conversation went:

* What inspired the story line for this book/series?

I had great fun writing romances about the Porter Brothers in my first
series. I haven't done brothers since and was eager to tackle another
trio of brothers. I was also eager to set a series in Maine because I
love that part of the country.

My inspiration for Memory Lane, in particular, was amnesia. I find
amnesia utterly fascinating! For research I read a non-fiction book
written by a woman who woke up one day having suddenly forgotten the
past fifteen years of her life. I was engrossed! So I asked muyself,
"What if?"

What if my heroine lives in a cottage on the tip of one of Maine's
remote islands? What if she sees a man overboard and rescues him? What
if he's injured and without any memories? I loved this novel's setup
because those questions led to story questions that I could sink my
teeth into. Namely -- "Who is he?" "What happened to him to land him in
the Atlantic Ocean?"

* Which character in this book (or series if that is easier) did you
enjoy writing the most? Which one do you best relate to?

I had a ball writing Remy Reed, the heroine. In part, because she's also
the one I related to best. She's an introvert and an artist, like I am.
Unlike me, she creates wood sculptures. She's quirky and passionate and
imaginative and absent-minded and feisty and funny. I paired her with a
hero who's very different from her, which created delightful "opposites
attract" sparks.

* What do you hope readers will glean from this story?

I hope they close the book with a renewed sense that love wins. Hope
wins. God's faithfulness is constant, even when it doesn't seem or feel
that way.

* Is there any fun behind-the-scenes trivia about this book or series
that you'd be interested in sharing with my readers?

Trivia #1: The town of Groomsport in the book was inspired by the
real-life town of Camden, Maine. Readers will notice, when making their
way through the novel, that I found a way to work "Camden" into the
story as a nod to the town. My husband and I spent time in Camden this
past summer and it couldn't be more picturesque!

Trivia #2: I tend to use fictional locations often because they grant me
more freedom. But the location of Maiden's Cliff in the novel (and the
tragic history of that spot that I share in the story) is absolutely
real. We hiked up to that spot and saw it for ourselves, like my
characters do in Memory Lane.

* What is coming next and when can we expect it?


Book two in the Sons of Scandal series is coming next and it stars Jude,
a character I introduce in Memory Lane. I'm hard at work on that
manuscript and expect to release it in early 2024.

Here's a little bit about the book:

After surviving a trauma several years back, Remy Reed relocated to a cottage on one of Maine’s most remote islands. She’s arranged her life just the way she wants it, spending her time working on her wood sculptures and soaking in the beauty of nature. It’s quiet and solitary—until the day she spots something bobbing in the ocean.

Her binoculars reveal the “something” to be a man, and he’s struggling to keep his head above water. She races out to save him and brings him into her home. He’s injured, which doesn’t detract from his handsomeness nor make him any easier to bear. He acts like a duke who’s misplaced his dukedom . . . expensive tastes, lazy charm, bossy ideas.

Remy would love nothing more than to return him to his people, but he has no recollection of his life prior to the moment she rescued him. Though she’s not interested in relationships other than the safe ones she’s already established, she begins to realize that he’s coming to depend on her.

Who is he? What happened that landed him in the Atlantic Ocean? And why is she drawn to him more and more as time goes by?

There’s no way to discover those answers except to walk beside him down memory lane.

About the author:

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas.  It was during her years abroad that Becky’s passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances for the general market, put her career on hold for many years to care for her kids, then eventually returned to writing. She loves penning sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her twelve novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.

When she’s not at her computer, you’ll find her power-walking her neighborhood, driving carpool, eating chocolate, doing yoga, or admiring her Cavalier spaniel.

This book releases February 14, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For some additional information, check out the following links:

Book Trailer for Memory Lane: https://youtu.be/Fiw8OfC81eM

Becky Wade's website: https://beckywade.com/home/

Becky Wade's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckywade

My full 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5247145527

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Recommendation - The Curse of Misty Wayfair

Image
My very first read of 2019 was this super-creepy dual timeline novel, The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright. I discovered Ms. Wright at the beginning of 2018 when I found her debut novel, The House on Foster Hill, and LOVED it. Later in the year, she released The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. Though this one spooked me the most (I had ghostly dreams a time or two while reading this one), I think this is the best one yet! This book goes back and forth between Thea in 1908 and Heidi in present day. Both are on a quest to find themselves and for both of them, their quest has brought them to the small town of Pleasant Valley, WI. There is a curse that supposedly haunts the woods, and both characters in their respective timelines are drawn into the curse and what it means for them. In their quests, both of them also come face to face with their Creator. Here's the back-cover blurb for those interested in learning more about the story line: ...
Read more

Book Recommendation - A Secret to Die For

Image
Lisa Harris's most recent novel was one of my most anticipated suspense novels this season. I was super excited to be selected as an influencer for this book. One of the aspects that had me intrigued was that the main character was a psychologist. For those that don't know, my undergrad degree is in Psychology, so I always find it fascinating to see things from their perspective. Ms. Harris did an excellent job of portraying her role.  Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret--one worth killing for. But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist wasn't simply suffering from paranoia. Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, and left him dealing with PTSD. His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan--and her life ...
Read more

Book Recommendation - A Perfect Weakness

Image
I recently had the pleasure of being a part of a launch team for a work of romantic historical fiction, which is a genre that is slowly growing on me (as long as the romance isn't super gushy). Jennifer Davids is a "new to me" author, so I was a bit hesitant. But I didn't need to be. The book was very well written and the characters were delightful. I was immediately drawn into the time of 1860s England, where we meet our heroine, Penelope Howard, at the grave of her uncle who had recently passed. He was the lord of Ashford hall in the village of Woodley. His heir is an American doctor who must be convinced to come to England and become a lord. Here we meet John Turner, who has given up medicine for a reason unknown to us at this time. He appreciates the opportunity to escape his troubles and find his way to England. He plans to settle the estate, hand the reigns to another, and hide away in England.  The story focuses on the lives of these 2 main characters, John and...
Read more