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?

Staci's Bookshelf: http://stacistallings.wordpress.com

Blogs:

Spirit Light Books http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com

Spirit Light Moments:  http://spiritlightmoments.com

On Facebook:  Spirit Light Author Staci Stallings

On Twitter:  @StaciStallings