Friday, August 26, 2011

Staci Stallings Interview

A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, 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!  That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading.  Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe every week with her various Internet endeavors.

Please make Staci feel at home on The Christian Bookmobile today by reading her responses to the questions below and sending in your comments and questions. Be sure and tell your friends to join us today for this interesting and uplifting interview.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

In second grade, I wrote a story about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and my teacher, who I adored, wrote, "You're a great writer!" at the top.  Well, that was all there was to it.  After all, she said it, and she knew everything!

Do you have formal education in writing? If so, please describe. If not, how did you learn?

Yes. In high school I was in Journalism contests in the Texas U.I.L.  I worked literally countless hours one-on-one with my writing teacher who had been a journalist herself before teaching.  I would write the story.  She would bleed on it and then go over it word-for-word with me.  Then I'd go write another, and the process would repeat.  I won the State Feature-writing contest my senior year.

In college, I majored in Journalism but quickly decided that life wasn't for me.  So I taught English three years before quitting to have my family.  That's when I went back to my first real love--writing stories. 

Please tell the readers about your latest book.

Coming Undone is the story of Ben Warren, a guy who has the "life every guy dreams of living."  Fast cars, plenty of money, a great apartment, and any woman he wants.  Then his father suffers a stroke, and Ben has to come to terms with the meaninglessness of how he's been living.  When Ben has to make the decision of whether or not to transfer his father to hospice, Ben's world falls apart until he meets Kathryn Walker, the hospice social worker. As she helps him through the life-and-death transition of his father, Ben comes to see in her that a fast life of no meaning is a very empty way to live.

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

I have had several very close relatives go through hospice, and the workers there are simply amazing.  The idea of facing death on a daily basis with such grace and kindness fascinated me.  It is how I wish we all chose to live each day--rather than waiting until someone is dying to think about what's really important in this life.

What do you want the reader to feel/learn/experience while reading this book?

Everybody is hurting.  Everybody has pain that we don't see from the outside looking in.  Learn to be compassionate and kind.  Learn to bring God with you into every situation. That much would go a long way to changing our whole world!

Please summarize other books you have published.
I just went into the Kindle and Nook markets.  Right now I have 9 books to choose from on each. You can see all of them at:  http://stacistallings.wordpress.com.

What would you tell someone who wants to write a novel?

Write.  Write as much as you can--whatever it is.  The more you write, the more you will learn to write.  Poems, songs, short stories, journals, blogs, novels.  Listen to what God's putting on your heart and write that!  Every time you do, it will be a piece you will need later on.  Trust me.  Get it down.  You can always revise it later.

What would you tell a new author about marketing his or her book?

It will make you crazy to chase sales.  So have fun with it.  Concentrate on connecting with readers not on making sales.

Please describe your hobbies and interests other than writing.

I love to read.  I play the guitar, the piano, and a little drums (very little and off-beat!)

What's the best way to reach you and buy your books?


Blogs:
Spirit Light Moments:  http://spiritlightmoments.com

On Facebook:  Spirit Light Author Staci Stallings
On Twitter:  @StaciStallings

14 comments:

  1. I liked your advice - "Write. Write as much as you can--whatever it is. The more you write, the more you will learn to write. Poems, songs, short stories, journals, blogs, novels."

    I think that kind of diversity can help. I write nonfiction, but I wrote my personal finance book in story form to make it appeal to people who hate personal finance books. I also included some poetry in that book in the form of riddles. Good for us creatives to keep pushing the bounds of our creativity.

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  2. Staci, I want to thank you for doing this interview. I've learned a lot about you from your answers and look forward to reading your blogs and books. BTW, recently spent the night in Amarillo driving back from Vail. Had some great Mexican food downtown across from the Courtyard Hotel.

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  3. Just received this email from my friend Betty who lives in Austin, Texas:

    great review...i will read this..

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  4. Ah, Mexican food. We have different Mexican food than they have in New Mexico. Ours isn't as hot. :) Hope your night and your meal were wonderful!

    As to writing, I write everything... plays for VBS, songs, poetry, FB posts, letters to friends, emails, articles, novels, Bible Studies, God HELP! books (you know, for when self-help isn't working!). I find the more I write, the less bogged down I get in trying to say things right. I find my voice and just let myself spill onto the page. I figure I can always go back and edit out what I've decided not to let anyone see! :)

    Thanks for having me, Sidney! It's been awesome!

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  5. Very nice interview. I really enjoy hearing about getting in touch with that God given talent children have inside. If more adolescents would do that, there would be a lot more success stories.

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  6. Tom, It is up to us to teach them how.

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  7. Staci, thanks for sharing your story with us. Your book sounds interesting. I went through facing death with both of my parents. There are so many emotions that people go through during these trying times. Thanks for your encouragement. Sid, thanks for sharing Staci's interview on your page!
    May God bless you both!

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  8. Tom, thank you for adding to the discussion.

    Thank you, Deborah, for your heartfelt comments.

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  9. Great interview.Thanks to you both. Loved what Staci said about marketing - connect with the readers, selling is secondary. I've been so convicted of that at book signings etc. God always gives me a divine appointment that makes me realize it's about more than just selling books. Blessings, Marcia

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  10. Hi Staci,
    This sounds like not only an interesting book, but a good way to juxtapose two extremes in our lives. We had a sermon this morning on compassion. Something we all need.

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  11. Just so you all know, Staci is one fabulous author. I love her books and I believe that several of them should be mandatory reading in every middle and high school. Especially, The Price of Silence and Dreams by Starlight.

    Staci taught me everything I know. It is because of her that I am published.

    Debra Ullrick

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  12. Good to hear from you, Gail. And thanks to you, Debra for adding your insight.

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  13. If we all could learn to practice compassion where our ambition is, we would get ahead in life further and faster than we could ever have imagined. I think that's why I love Coming Undone so much. Kathryn's ambition tells her she should do X, Y, Z to snag a man and get married, but it is her compassion rather than her agenda that actually so captivates Ben that he can't deny his attraction to her. She loves him... deeply, selflessly, and unconditionally... whether she's going to get anything out of that relationship or not.

    I wish we could all learn to do that.

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