Tell us about yourself!
Hi, I’m Becca Wierwille. (My last name can be hard to pronounce, but here’s a trick: Ask me how my family was doing . . . we were well!)
Tell us about your books.
My debut novel, Road Trip Rescue, is a heartwarming contemporary adventure with themes of faith and friendship. It’s written for kids ages 8 to 12.
Road Trip Rescue is the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Kimmy who lost her dog, Bo, two years ago. When she stumbles across a magazine photo of a dog that looks just like Bo in upstate New York, she knows she has to find him.
She convinces her pink-haired Aunt Skylar to take her on a road trip to the Adirondacks. But Aunt Skylar’s idea of a road trip isn’t the rescue mission Kimmy had in mind, and Kimmy has some unexpected adventures along the way.
What kind of child are you trying to reach with your books?
My books are for kids ages 8 to 12, especially for those who love reading true-to-life adventures and friendship stories with quirky characters. My prayer is that readers who feel alone, isolated, insecure, or not sure how they fit into the world will find hope in the pages of my stories.
Road Trip Rescue is great for dog-lovers too!
Give us a little flavor of some great characters or the setting.
I love the main character of Road Trip Rescue, Kimmy—probably because we have a lot in common! I’ve never embarked on a road trip to find a long-lost dog, but we’ve both adventured to the Adirondacks, and we were both born missing half of our right arm. I also love Kimmy’s sense of humor and her determination.
I also had a lot of fun with the setting of this story. I had the idea for Road Trip Rescue before my family spent a week in the Adirondacks. So, on the drive from Pennsylvania to New York, I paid lots of attention (instead of sleeping through the trip like I normally would) in order to implement those details into the story later!
What inspired you to write this book?
My family spent a week in the Adirondacks in the summer of 2021. Before the trip, I was researching things we could do and discovered a photo online of a dog in an ice cream shop. Soon after, the idea for Road Trip Rescue came to me in a series of “What if” questions:
What if a girl lost her dog years ago and then sees a picture of that same dog eating an ice cream cone in another state?
What if the dog had been her best friend, and now she just has to bring him home?
What if her eccentric, unpredictable aunt is the one to take her on the trip? And what if things don’t go exactly as planned?
From there, the story began to unfold!
How did you know you wanted to be an author?
I’m one of those writers who has always loved words, ever since I started learning my alphabet. I remember scribbling stories about talking teddy bears and islands made of candy in a purple notebook while I waited for the late bus in the elementary school cafeteria. And typing away stories one letter at a time on our box-shaped computer with dial-up internet.
But becoming an author felt like a dream, and it wasn’t something I considered as a real career possibility until after college.
I tried writing in a lot of different genres, but then I realized that the books that have made the biggest impact on me are books I read as a child—mostly middle grade novels. Once I started writing for kids, I haven’t looked back!
What’s one middle grade book you always recommend?
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo will always be a favorite of mine.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Invite God into your process and pray that you would be drawn to write the stories he has for you.
Also, write lots of words, read lots of books, and make connections with other people who love stories.
What formats are your books available in?
- Paperback
- Hardback
- Ebook
- Audiobook
Find them here.
What’s next for your books?
Road Trip Rescue released on Amazon and other online retailers in October 2023. I am currently working on the second book of the series, which I aim to prelaunch through a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2024. I have plans for three books in the Road Trip Rescue series!
Supporting the book through Kickstarter will be a way to read the book early and to get access to some extra fun rewards—like getting your name in the book’s acknowledgments. I also prelaunched Road Trip Rescue through Kickstarter in summer 2023, and you can read more about that on my Road Trip Rescue campaign page here.
How can parents find you?
My website is beccawierwille.com. I’m also on most social media sites @beccawierwille.
You can purchase Road Trip Rescue on Amazon or from other online retailers.
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If you’re in the market for middle grade books, I’d love to share my series with you!
Power Pup is a Christian superhero adventure series for readers ages 9-13.
Calvin Quinn is a long way from the corn fields of Nebraska.
The rookie canine reporter dreams of bringing criminals to justice with his front page headlines, while working alongside famous investigative journalist team Mittens Meow and Alex Digger.
But Calvin has a secret:
He’s also a rookie superhero!
After months of training, Calvin Quinn is ready to hit the streets and defend the innocent as . . . Power Pup!