Staci Stallings {Writer Wednesday}

A little bit about Staci...

A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, #1 Best Selling Christian author, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure!

How to connect with Staci...

Website: http://www.stacistallings.net
Blog: http://www.stacistallings.net/category/spirit-light-books/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Light-Author-Staci-Stallings/266593276699576?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaciStallings
Purchase Deep in the Heart [here]

Author Interview | Staci Stallings

You and Writing

Who is one of your favorite authors and why?
...I don’t read much fiction at all—only for friends who want me to read theirs. For myself, I read nonfiction—Christian psychology is my favorite genre. I want to read something that will lift me up and give me understanding to be able to help others. So my favorite authors are people like Jeff VanVonderen, Steve McVey, and John Ortberg. All three show how grace living really works, that it’s not too good to be true and it’s where God truly wants us to live. Then I take those lessons and translate them into the stories God writes through me.

Share a writing-related milestone with us?
...In April 2012, I put my book “Deep in the Heart” on Amazon Free and had 47,000 people download the book in 2 days. It hit and stayed at the #1 spot on the Free list for 36 hours and then went on to be the #1 Best Seller in Christian Romance and Christian fiction for a month after that. I have to say that was a pretty cool experience!
How do you balance your time between writing and other actives? Any helpful tips, tricks, or suggestions?
...I don’t. I don’t even try. If I did, it would literally make me insane. Right now, I own or co-own three businesses. I do the bookkeeping for all three. I have three kids, a husband, and a house to keep. I volunteer at my kids’ two different schools. I teach Sunday School. I have two very large, very active extended families—so birthday parties, anniversaries, etc. I have two very active writer’s groups online that I’m the founder of. I have 25 books published and another 20 waiting to be. I have 3 blogs that I manage or co-manage. I do major promotions for other Christian authors…

...Now saying “I” in all of these is very deceiving because “I” don’t really DO any of them. God does them. I’m just along for the ride! He is the best scheduling secretary EVER. Each morning I wake up and the day is in His hands. He gives me step-by-step throughout the day of what to do next. I have a list to remember everything, but He orders my steps through that list. What gets done was in His plan. What doesn’t is either for tomorrow to do or not something He wants done right now. Not only am I sane, but I am very much at peace even though if you look at my list, you would think that would be completely impossible!

Your Writing

Tell us a little bit about your book, Deep in the Heart.
...This is one of my favorites and not only because it’s hit #1. “Deep in the Heart” is the story of how to live love. Maggie literally comes from nothing. She’s got two dollars, a broken down car, and shoes that aren’t even hers. But she’s also got one thing that’s holding her together in the very midst of what should be hopelessness—FAITH. She trusts God for the next step. She believes His promises. And even when things look bleak, she trusts that He knows how this is all going to work out. That inspires me in my own life.

What was one trial you faced when writing it? One success? ...Honestly, I shouldn’t even have written it when I did. You know that list of to-do’s above? Well, add to that list serving on team for a major retreat. Thirteen weeks of meetings and additional tasks that I don’t normally have, not to even mention being the director of the plays for Vacation Bible School that year—and VBS ran almost simultaneously with the retreat. And I wrote a whole book in the midst of that? How?! I truly don’t know. So the trial was writing it at that time, and the success was writing it at that time.

Who is your favorite character and why?
...Maggie and Keith (the guy she falls for) are both wonderful for the different things they can teach. Maggie for just being love even when she gets knocked down and dragged through the emotional mud, and Keith for how miserable we can let ourselves get when we listen to the world instead of to our hearts and God. Different lessons but both very important.

What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...That no matter where you are, no matter what life is throwing at you or has thrown at you, if you hold onto God, love, and forgiveness, things can and will always get better.

You

If you could go anywhere in the world for one month (for free) where would it be and why? ...Give me my laptop charged, an Internet connection so I can look stuff up if I need to, warmth, food, and shelter, and I really wouldn’t care. I have thought about going to a hotel for a weekend and just hibernating to write and get some of these stories out of my head and my heart and onto the ether. In fact, you know what? The last three Spring Breaks have been the best vacations ever, and I didn’t even go anywhere. My husband took my three kids skiing (I can’t go to the mountains because of altitude sickness). So I was here, at my house, alone, with nowhere to go and nowhere to be for five days straight. On the first day I got enough Chinese food for the week and several movies. Then I sat and watched back-to-back-to-back movies for three days. Then I started writing and wrote 80 pages. Then my family came back, and it was 7 months before I wrote another word on a novel. *shrug* You’ve got to learn to be content where God puts you!

Thanks for the chance to get to meet you all! God bless!

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Thank you so much for returning to Thinking Thoughts Staci!  I loved hearing your perspective on balancing out your busy schedule with writing - what a great reminder that it's the Lord who truly directs our path. I also love how you are so content to write anywhere! I often dream wistfully about vacationing in Europe in a cottage and writing for a month *sigh*. It sounds really great, but in reality I'd probably get more done here at home under deadlines for other things ;) 

Thanks again for this interview and to my readers, make sure to check out Deep in the Heart - it's on sale on Amazon for .99 cents today!!

Giveaway Tomorrow

Hello, dear thinking thoughts... readers.  I'm back from my grandmas funeral and hope to be getting back on track with my writing.  It's a difficult time of year as well - the Christmas-busyness and traveling home for the holidays never make things easy (though I wouldn't have it any other way).

I just wanted to let you all know a few things.  First, how about we show some love to last weeks {Writer Wednesday} guest Staci Stallings and her latest release, Cowboy.  I definitely took advantage of it being free last week and downloaded it already.  If you missed it, I believe it's on sale on Amazon for only .99 cents right now - that's practically a steal so you definitely need to get over there and get it!!  If you missed her post last week, you can go HERE and check it out!

I also have another exciting announcement for tomorrow's {Writer Wednesday} guest!!  Her name is Emily Ann Benedict and, as a special treat for thinking thoughts... she is offering to give away a hard copy of her book Only Angels are Bullet Proof!!  How exciting is that!?   I mean, come on, who doesn't want to win a free book?

So, I want to make sure you all know about this great opportunity and how you can enter to win this giveaway.  Make sure and check out her interview tomorrow on the blog and leave a comment below with your email to be entered in for a chance to win.  I am extending the contest until 9pm Saturday December 15th (Pacific time) and I will announce the winner on Monday December 17th. 

Sounds like fun, right?  Well, make sure you stop by tomorrow then and check it out and enter for your chance to win a copy of this great book.  I have mine already and cannot wait to read it :) 

See you tomorrow...

{Writer Wednesday} with Staci Stallings

 

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!

  "One of the most gripping contemporary romances I've read in the past three years."  

--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.

You

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!

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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? 

Staci on Facebook

Follow Staci on Twitter

Check out her blog

And don't forget to head over to Amazon right now and get your copy of Cowboy! 

Free Book from Staci Stallings

 Timothy Ashton Raines is at the top of his game and the end of his rope until one night, he walks away from everything...

 

"One of the most gripping contemporary romances I've read in the past three years."  

--Michelle Sutton, Amazon Top 1,000 Reviewer

Tomorrow's guest post author Staci Stallings has a special treat for us today and tomorrow only!  

FREE ON KINDLE TWO DAYS ONLY!

December 4 and 5:

Cowboy

Available today as a free download from Amazon!

*Click the link above to be directed to Amazon and your copy of Cowboy*

I know I'm excited about this and will definitely be taking advantage of this free download!  Make sure you head over to Amazon for your copy.  Tomorrow we will hear from Staci for {Writer Wednesday} so make sure not to miss that!