Author Interview | Getting to Know Becca Wierwille

I recently got to know Becca Wierwille on the Facebook group Fiction Full of Faith.

Please welcome Becca Wierwille to our blog. Becca writes for middle school aged children.

Can you introduce yourself to us?

My name is Becca Wierwille. I’m the award-winning author of the Road Trip Rescue series of faith-filled contemporary adventures for kids ages 8-12. I love writing stories that show kids they are wonderfully created for the unique adventures in their lives.

Born with only half of my right arm, I aim to help others find beauty in what makes them extraordinary.

I live in Pennsylvania with my family.

When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo was one of my favorite books as a child (and still is). The stories I read when I was younger really impacted me, which is part of the reason I enjoy writing for this age group now.

Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and to write?

I love writing realistic middle grade fiction, especially sweet friendship stories and adventures. I enjoy reading both contemporary and historical middle grade, though up to this point have only written contemporary stories.

Did you have any favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?

I mentioned Kate DiCamillo earlier, and I’ll mention her here again. I loved her stories and admired her storytelling ability, so she definitely influenced my desire to be an author.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I loved creating stories even before I learned how to write. In elementary school, I had a purple notebook that I filled with stories of talking teddy bears and islands made of candy. But as I grew older, I wasn’t sure being an author was a realistic goal—I just didn’t know many authors in my daily life.

Still, I never stopped writing stories. And after I got married, I started studying the publishing industry more intentionally, deciding this was actually a goal I wanted to pursue.

How did you go about becoming an author?

After I spent many years studying the industry, blogging, and deciding what genre I wanted to write, I found a literary agent. She retired a year after I started working with her, so I found another agent.

I loved working with this agent and learned a lot from her. However, we hadn’t yet sold one of my books to a publisher, and around that time, I started to learn more about independent publishing. I felt intrigued by the process and realized it actually aligned well with the goals I had for my writing.

My agent was very encouraging. We ended up parting ways, and I redirected all my research and learning into independent publishing. I built a business with my own publishing team and have loved the process.

If you were not a writer what would you like to be?

I used to teach kindergarten at a small Christian school and absolutely loved that job. I also think it would be fun to be a children’s librarian. Most importantly, though, I’m a mom—and I love being home with my daughter!

Outside reading and writing what do you like to do?

I enjoy hiking with my family, spending time outside, and traveling to new places.

What do you hope readers will take home out of your books?

I hope young readers will see that they are wonderfully created for the unique adventures God has for their lives, that they are not alone, and that they are loved.

If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why?

This is such a tough question! I feel like my answer would be different depending on the day. Three names that come to mind today are Bethany Hamilton, Max Lucado, and Francine Rivers.

Bethany Hamilton is a professional surfer and writer. When she was thirteen, she lost her arm in a shark attack. I remember feeling so inspired and encouraged by her story and always thought it would be amazing to meet her.

Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and author. He wrote the picture book You Are Special, which was one of the stories that impacted me most as a child and now. When I worked as a camp counselor, I’d read this book to the campers before bed, and as a kindergarten teacher, I gifted students this story at the end of the school year.

Finally, as a writer, I’d love to meet bestselling author Francine Rivers. I think it’s so neat that after a successful writing career in the general market, she gave heart to Christ, which changed the course of her stories. And now, I imagine so many people have felt God’s love through reading her books.

Finally can you tell us about your latest release. Where can buy the book and where can we find you on the web?

Right now, I’m still working on my first series: the Road Trip Rescue series. These contemporary adventures for kids ages 8-12 feature themes of faith, travel, family, friendship, and forgiveness. While characters overlap from one book to the next, the books in the Road Trip Rescue series can also be read as standalones. Reading them in order makes for the best experience!

There are three books planned for this series in total. Books 1 and 2, Road Trip Rescue and Road Trip Return, are available now. Road Trip Rescue is about a girl with one hand embarks on a wild road trip with her aunt to find her lost dog.

Road Trip Return is about a boy who embarks on an international adventure to save his brother from making a big mistake, and it just released in September!

You can find out more about the Road Trip Rescue series here. They are available online wherever you buy books.

More news about book 3 will be coming soon! Sign up for my email newsletter for updates and some free gifts. Learn more about me and all my writing at beccawierwille.com.