Upcoming author spotlights...

I'm so excited about beginning something new on this blog.  I'll be posting my usual things, but I'm going to add an "author spotlight" at least once a week (hopefully!).  I've already gotten some responses from some great Christian fiction authors who have agreed to be a part of it! 

If you read this blog often, I'm sure you've caught on that I love to read!  : )  I've been a big reader most of my life, but in my middle school/high school years, most of the books I read were secular and didn't honor the Lord.  Honestly, I didn't know much about Christian fiction and wasn't exposed to it.  There weren't any Christian fiction options in the library at school or much at the public library, so I read what I could have easy access to.  Plus I'll be honest...I was very drawn to the storylines of various romance and secular novels.  Now, looking back, I realize the negative effect these books had on my heart and mind.  I know for myself that these different stories caused me to struggle in my thought life and gave me false ideas about love and even marriage.  I knew these novels were fiction, but I'm sure that subconsciously I thought some of the things in this book could really happen.  That's why I'm SO thankful for Christian fiction.  Yes, there is romance in many of them, but it's told from a Christian perspective.  People come to a relationship with Christ in many of these novels.   I also like that aspect of accountability in Christian fiction: if you are in sin there is conviction if the character is a Christian...or becomes a Christian. 

My own little writing journey began when I was a young girl.  I went to a writing camp when I was in elementary school and have loved writing little stories here and there.  When I was 15 I entered an essay contest sponsored by our local newspaper.  To make a long story short, I won the contest!  The prize: a ten day, all expense paid trip to England with about 150 other kids from across the US.  It was the trip of a lifetime!  After that I just did your average writing things in school and didn't really write much for fun...unless you count journaling.  I LOVED to journal...and I've got stacks of them to prove it : ).  I haven't done as well with that since having a family, but I try to write down big events.  A little over a year ago a friend asked me to read through and critique a book she had written.  I really enjoyed doing this with her.  After I finished, she encouraged me to write something myself.  With my love for Christian fiction (CF) in mind, I started brainstorming and things just took off!!

In the midst of writing, I was also reading.  I read a CF novel and loved it.  At the end of the book I saw an email address where you could contact the author...so I did.  I told her how much I loved her book and even mentioned that I was dabbling in writing myself.  This author wrote me back and said she would love to help me in my writing journey!!  I couldn't believe it!  Over the next several months, with this author's help, I learned technical things about writing, got connected with a blog that featured some great authors and writing tips, and even got in to a writer's group.  I finished writing my first draft of my novel in just a few months and loved it.  The hard part for me has been editing my story.  I'm learning so many things about how to write a good book...and I've still got a lot to learn!  I was privileged enough to get some free critiques of what I had written and that helped me a lot.  I also entered a writing contest and fell in the middle of the entries that were sent.  I also got some feedback from three different authors.  Learning about the writing craft and seeing how complex it is was great for me mentally.  I love being a stay at home mom, but sometimes I just need something to keep my mind sharp and engaged.  I think it helps me to be a better mom when I do that. 

My current status is that I haven't touched my work in progress (WIP) in several months.  Being pregnant, homeschooling, and having a new baby...along with everything else we have going on...has put the writing on hold.  I'm ok with that, though.  I don't feel like it's going to be like that forever.  I just need to prioritize, focus on my family for a while, and then there will be plenty of time later to start writing again.  I know I won't regret investing time in my family.  But, in the meantime, I'm still reading!  A lot!  I've been able to make contact with several amazing authors through blogs, facebook, and other means.  I really appreciate how accessible many of these authors have been...and very generous with their communication!

My desire to help some of you get to know these authors and their books, which are honoring to God and great entertainment, led me to doing the author spotlights.  I am also asking each author to share their favorite recipe that I'll include on their spotlight.  I thought that would be fun!  : )  Look for the first one either this weekend or next week! 

God bless~Stacey