Staci
Stallings, todays featured {Writer Wednesday} author, is a #1 Best Selling Contemporary
Christian Romance author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author
Connection. I am so honored to have her on my blog this morning!
Staci also has a special surprise for you today ...
Her novel Cowboy is FREE on Kindle today! Make sure you head on over to Amazon *click HERE* to get your copy!
--Michelle Sutton, Amazon Top 1,000
Reviewer
Author Interview | Staci Stallings
You and Writing
Tell
us a little bit about yourself: How did
you start writing? What has kept you
writing?
I'm a
stay-at-home mom with a writing addiction. At least that's where it started. In
the last year that writing addiction has snowballed me onto the best sellers
list which is totally a dream come true.
However, it took 16 years to get here, so there was no "overnight
success" to it. Why did I write for
16 years with no guarantee of anything?
Because writing is like breathing to me.
I love it. It sustains me. It gives me something to think about other
than laundry and dishes and who has to be where when. It gives me sanity!
Do
you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
I
love them all for different reasons. The
one that's free right now, Cowboy, is really special to me. It was the 5th one I wrote (I've now written
31 full length novels), and the one I wrote right before I started pursuing
publishing. There is just something
about that story--the down-on-her luck waitress, the handsome country music
star who neglects to mention that part when they meet. It's one I could read again and again and
still get that really good feeling of a romance that changes two people for the
better.
If
published, what was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
I am a
self-published indie, which is cooler now than it used to be. I think the hardest thing about being indie
is just the sheer amount there is to do.
With 20+ books out now, it takes constant effort to keep all the balls
in the air--marketing, publishing, covers, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, writing,
editing... There's never a dull
moment. And maybe in a strange way
that's the best thing too. I tend to get
bored really easily, so having this massive amount helps keep me very focused
and out of trouble. :)
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what
you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
Right
now I'm actually editing the first book I ever wrote. A friend of mine wants to
read it, so I'm polishing it up and trying to decide if I want to put it
out. It's a really great story, but it's
funny now going back because when I wrote it in 1995, there was no such thing
as contemporary Christian romance. So
it's really interesting to see how I was trying to be who I was (a Christian
who loves romance) while writing what I thought I had to write to be even in
the realm of marketable with characters who think nothing of sex before
marriage. Now, with a following and
firmly planted in the Christian realm, I'm having to figure out how to rewrite
this story to keep the integrity of it but lose some of the less-than-perfect
Christian issues.
Do
you have a favorite character? If so,
why?
You
know, I love all of them, but I've had more people say that I'm a lot like Beth
in Cowboy. I think that's a great
compliment because she has such a kind and generous heart. She so wants to help this bedraggled stranger
who shows up in the middle of the night, seeking shelter from a storm. She is who I aspire to be.
What
is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
You
don't know. You don't know what someone
else is going through. You don't know
the whole story. You don't know how much
heartache they are carrying. You don't know how much they need someone to
believe in them. You just don't know...
And so treat everyone with great compassion and gentleness. Because you just don't know.
Writing
Where
do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure
imagination or both?
Most
of them come from dreams. That's where
Cowboy came from. I dreamt I was with
this country singer and although it felt like we knew each other, I could tell
how reticent I was about being there. It
was like I knew someone different rather than this guy who was sitting there
pouring his heart out to me. When I woke
up, I started asking questions about how we got there, how I knew him but
didn't really, and the rest of the story started dropping in like pieces in a
puzzle.
When
you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
To
tell the story God gives me to tell.
Honestly that is my only goal. I
didn't start out thinking these would be published. I started out wanting to capture the stories
that came to me in dreams, the ones that felt like they were glued to my heart
until they slipped off into oblivion because I couldn't remember them
anymore. As it progressed, I really
realized that these weren't just my stories, they were stories God was giving
me, showing me, and I determined that I would write them to the best of my
ability with Him guiding me.
For
the most part, I let the stories be what they are, and when I release them, I
believe God will work out who they are supposed to go to and how. He's done a great job of that so far.
What
advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
Write
from your heart. Write what God gives
you to write. When I first started,
there was no such thing as Contemporary Christian romance. It was ALL historical. But God had a plan. Had I tried to figure out what to write from
the world's perspective, I would have missed all God had in store for me. So write what's on your heart, and let God
work out the details after that.
What
is your favorite snack to eat when writing?
Unless
I'm in crazy-marketing mode and eat lunch in my office, I don't really snack
when I'm writing. My fingers are too
busy trying to keep up with my brain. :)
What
is your favorite Christmas song?
Silent
Night. No question. It speaks so eloquently to the quietly
earth-shattering miracle that happened that night so long ago.
What
is your favorite thing about the Christmas season?
Family. I just love being with my family--my husband,
my kids, and my extended families. Just
getting together, hanging out, laughing together, making memories... Now I'm
gonna cry... :)
THANKS FOR HAVING
ME! GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN THIS MOST
MIRACULOUS SEASON!
________________________________________________________
Thank you Staci for such an encouraging interview! I can tell that you love what you do and the best part is your commitment to do it for God's glory!
Want to connect with Staci?
And don't forget to head over to Amazon right now and get your copy of Cowboy!
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