The Next Big Thing

by:  Staci Stallings

This is so fun!

In a few seconds I’m going to share with you my Next Big Thing, but first thanks to Gail Pallotta, who’s one of my writer friends on the ‘Net for tagging me in the Next Big Thing blog hop!  This is the Next Big Thing blog hop in which you get to hop back and forth through the posts to find new and exciting authors and books.  Some authors will share upcoming books, some will share already released books, others will give you a peek into their current work in progress!  So hop around and enjoy all of the excitement!

Now, I’m here now to answer…

10 Questions about My Next Big Thing

And then stick around at the end for a great opportunity and more fantastic blogs!

Hope you have fun…

What is the working title of your next book?

My next big thing will be coming out in February.  It’s called “Eternity.”

Freddie Prinze Jr. as Aaron Foster

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Many years ago I was on a message board for a show that was very popular at the time but the series was ending. There was one actor I just LOVED on the show.  He had an emotional depth that for a young man was astounding.  Then one night I went to a movie and there was a guy in the movie that just captivated me.  Back on the message board, I was expounding on how fantastic these two guys were, and someone said, “Someone should make a movie with the two of them in it.”

Well, I had already written 7 full-length novels to that point, and I WAS inspired.  30 days later, “Eternity” was finished.

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary Inspirational Fiction (great story, great message, not overtly Christian)

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Well, THAT’S easy!  The lead role of Aaron Foster is played by Freddie Prinze Jr. 

Rider Strong as Drew Easton

Aaron’s best friend, Drew Easton is played by Rider Strong.

And Mena Suvari is Harmony Jordan.

Mena Suvari as Harmony Jordan

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

He set her up with his best friend, then fell in love with her. Now what?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be published through Spirit Light Books as all of mine are.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

30 days.  Fastest one I ever wrote, and you will probably read it that fast as well.  It kind of grabs hold of you and won’t let go!
What is unique about this book?

This is the love triangle that will rip your heart out and stomp on it… in a good way.  You’ve got Aaron, the nice above-average, completely clueless guy.  You’ve got Harmony, the love-struck girl next door who Aaron sees as his best friend in the world but nothing more than that.  And then you’ve got Drew who you will absolutely fall in love with and then hate everyone else for what’s about to happen.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

They say that nice guys finish last, but what happens when you’ve got TWO nice guys, and only one can win the girl’s heart?

Do you have anything to keep us entertained while we wait?

I certainly do…

You have ONE DAY LEFT to get

COWBOY for FREE on KINDLE–Click here!

“Christian fiction at it’s best!”
Don’t miss out!
Click here!

Then visit the next five outstanding blogs in the Next Big Thing blog hop!

Mary Campagna Findley

Sharon Srock

Naty Matos

Precarious Yates

Edie Mahoney Melson

Enjoy!

FREE EBOOK! Two Days ONLY!

FREE ON KINDLE TWO DAYS ONLY!

August 15 & 16

Staci’s “Amazing!” novel:

To Protect & Serve

“Reading To Protect & Serve, I’m taken away to another world, a world I want to be a part of and never leave. Staci’s characters are real with real everyday problems. I love that.

Oh, and the firemen in this story, they’re smokin’ hot! Especially the hero!”

–Debra, Amazon Reviewer

When control freak Lisa Matheson falls for handsome but shy firefighter, Jeff Taylor, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff or the death wish he seems to have…

Available as a free download from Amazon!

Click here to get your Free Kindle Copy TODAY!

Click here to get a free Kindle App to read “To Protect & Serve” on your computer.

BE SURE TO TELL A FRIEND!

Coming Undone on FREE KINDLE!

February 1 & 2 ONLY!

FREE ON KINDLE!

Staci’s novel:

Coming Undone

“If you’ve ever searched for love, been afraid to love, or lost someone you love, you will love Coming Undone.”

Available as a free download from Amazon!

To get your free download starting Feb. 1,
CLICK HERE!

(If you do not have a Kindle,
Click here to get an App to read the book on your own computer.)

 

What are Readers saying?

Feel free to chime in if you’ve read any Staci Stallings’ book.  Just leave a comment about which book and what you thought!

Also, if you have an account at either Barnes & Noble or Amazon, I would appreciate a review over there as well.

Thanks.

From the mail bag:

Lee Franklin is reading Staci Stallings book, Cowboy. Loved it the first time I read it, and still love it this time round. Brilliant romantic read. 🙂

Mary Foster  I loved that book too. 🙂

Betty Aragon

Thank you Staci for another incredible book!! I just finished reading The Price of
Silence!! I read late into the night most nights but well worth it!!

Kenyan Moran

i love coming undone
and am sniffling
you got hankies?

Lisa Schulte I have several !!! Great inspirations!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jenny Verkamp I have read many also. Love them!

Julie K. Neusch I’ve read The Long Way Home. Very good — would like to read more of your books although I’m not an avid reader.

 

So join in the conversation… what Staci Stallings’ book have you read?  What did you think?  Be sure to tell the world too over at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Thanks, wonderful readers.  You all make this fun!

Coming Undone–Starts This Week!

By:  Staci Stallings

Check it out!  A new novel by Staci Stallings starts… NOW!

Coming Undone

Ben Warren has life all figured out.  At 35, he’s successful in his work and free as a bird everywhere else.  He has no desire to be tied down like some of his friends, and he sees no reason to change that.  Then the unthinkable happens and causes him to rethink everything about everything.

Kathryn Walker can’t figure out what she’s doing wrong in the dating department.  The rest of her life makes sense.  She’s compassionate, strong, honest, hard-working and still alone.  She wonders if she is doomed to spend forever single.  Little does she know that fate is taking a major turn in her life.  In fact, she doesn’t even see it happening until it has.  Can she ever get past the fact that Mr. Right didn’t show up in the way she thought he would?

http://spiritlightworks.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/coming-undone-opening/

Be sure to subscribe over at Spirit Light Works to get the newest chapters.  I will only be posting an update or two over here about it, and you’re not going to want to miss this book.  It’s GOOOOOD!

New Chapters!

New Chapters for “If You Believed in Love” are up at Spirit Light Works!

http://wp.me/pW94N-w

Enjoy!

We’re back with Dennis Bates, author of “Under the Burr Oak Tree” and the newest release, “Sharon’s Song.”

What kinds of books do you read?  Why do those appeal to you?

I read all over the place just because I love to read. I read about history, about people’s lives, and any good story I can get my hands on. Of course, I read love stories, because that’s what I do and I want to see how other writer’s handle things. I want to know what they think is important enough to write about. Give me a good love story any day and I am happy. My wife likes mysteries so every now and then I try to build a mystery thread into my books, but I don’t really care so much about “Who done it;” I’d rather know who they done it with.

Your books have a definite old-style quality as they are more literary and less pop-fiction.  Is that by design?  Why or why not?

I was an English/Journalism major so I was exposed to the classics. Shakespeare, Dickens, Hemingway, and the like To me good writing is good writing. I personally don’t think a lot of pop-fiction is good writing, but I think the public has been numbed and dumbed down to accept it as the way things should be. So have a lot of writers for that matter, but I promise not to name names. As I said earlier, I love words. I love the way they sound, how you put them together and how they can be worth reading just for their own sake. Metaphor, allegory, simile: I love all of them. I think a lot of people do too if they are exposed to them and somebody takes the time to show them how much richness they can add to language. All that to say, yes it is definitely by design. It’s how I think writing should be. It’s like the English poet Robert Browning said, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?”  Writing should be about reaching beyond our grasp, not grabbing the low hanging fruit and consuming it as fast as possible. Writing should challenge, question and cause people to think because the end result is worth it and we are better for it. A lot of pop-fiction is entertaining and quite enjoyable, but so much more of it is just one more way to waste time, and pass our lives away without trying to better them. Sure it allows us to escape and get away from the trials and troubles of daily existence, but wouldn’t it be so much better to escape to heaven than purgatory? Yes, I am old school, and I can’t be any other way, nor do I want to be.

You spoke about challenging people and causing them to think.  What has made you think in your stories?  What story have you written that changed you?

I purposely allow my characters to get themselves into trouble and compromising situations, and then I try to imagine how real people might respond. Sometimes they respond irresponsibly and do the wrong thing, at least according to the text book answers. Sometimes they don’t; they get it right. It doesn’t really matter to me sometimes what the characters do or decide, because all I really want the reader to do is think about what they should do and then ask themselves why. We assume far too many times that there is only one answer that is always right no matter what the situation. I think that stifles our growth. Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t. I do believe that there are some absolutes, Jesus Christ being one of them, but I also believe that a lot of our answers are driven by easy, overly simplistic dogma. We at least ought to examine that dogma to make sure it is valid. One example, and I hope it doesn’t ruin the scene, is in Burr Oak. I have a scene where my major heroine is standing in her bedroom wearing nothing but a blue dress shirt when the man she has fallen in love with walks by her open door. He stops and looks at her standing there and she unbuttons one or two buttons. The question I always ask people about that scene is simple: did they or didn’t they. I never say in the book, but everybody I ask has a definite opinion, and I find that to be so much fun because it tells me a lot about how they understood the book and that scene in particular.

What story changed me? All of them. I go through the stories with the characters and always end up different at the end in some way. The story that probably changed me the most will never be published in the original form. You know what it is because you are one of the only people that ever read it. Use this answer or don’t; it doesn’t matter to me. However, I suspect a lot of writers have a story tucked away somewhere that they wrote for themselves instead of for publication. I know I do.

If you went back in time to Dennis before writing and could tell him something, what would it be? Why?

I have always written to some degree since I can remember. However, if you are talking about my current efforts, I would ask Dennis, “What are you waiting for? Just do it.” It’s just too much fun to  miss.

Thanks, Dennis!  This has been awesome!

Be sure to check out Dennis’s new book “Sharon’s Song” at:  http://www.lulu.com/spirit-light

Second Calling Author Talks to Spirit Light

By:  Staci Stallings

For today’s blog, we’re going to do something a little different.  I interviewed Dennis Bates, one of the Spirit Light authors.  The second half of the interview will be posted on Thursday.  Enjoy meeting Dennis!

What is the absolute coolest thing about writing?  Why?

There are a lot. For one thing, I love words and I love to bring them to life, but I would say the absolute coolest thing is that you get to take people places they might never go; see things they might never see; and do things they would never do, even if it’s just a momentary fantasy. You can persuade them, allow them to cry, make them laugh and hopefully, in my case, teach them to love. Why is that cool? The answer is like the answer to the question, what is jazz? If you have to ask, you aren’t ever going to understand. I don’t mean that to be condescending because there are a lot of things I don’t ask about because I wouldn’t understand them. But for me, writing gives me an outlet for all the stories that are currently stuck inside me, and that is cool.

Okay.  What is jazz?  (No, seriously.  I want an answer–and not a definition either!)

Jazz is a style of music that features improvisation and rhythm that varies each time you play it. It is meant to be felt almost as much as it is to be heard. It can start with a melody and play off its chords or it can just come from the musician’s gut. If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, explaining it doesn’t help all that much.

If you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?

Easy, I’d be thinking about writing. I always did and it wasn’t nearly as satisfying,

Describe your stories in a general sense.  What do you write about, and why do you write about that?

Some people say I write romance; some people say I write about love and some say I always write about sex. Guilty, guilty and guilty. I write about all of those things, trying to see them from all points of view, young, old, male, and female. I love stories about relationships. Why do I write about these things? There are two reasons: everything is a love story to me; I just like them. Second, and more important, these are the things He gives me to write about. How can I say no?

Being a Christian romance writer is tough enough, what are some of the quirks you’ve found being a man writing in that genre?

One of the most interesting comments I’ve heard about the first two books is that if the reader didn’t know me, they would think for sure that the stories were written by a woman. One person even said she was surprised to know that men even thought “that way.” I take those comments as supreme compliments and slight put downs at the same time. I think they are meant as compliments, but they show me there is still a long road ahead. Men need to get romance and love. We just do because society as a whole bombards us with messages that we don’t get real love and we don’t give it. I do love it when I hear women say, “I never knew men thought that way.” Other quirks are I’ve found that I have to be very careful how I describe things, because people think you are writing about them, and that isn’t always a good thing especially when your wife is one of them. When she looks at me and asks, “Is that really the way you feel about me?” I don’t  try to explain what fiction is anymore; I just run for cover.

What was your most memorable scene or character and why?

My most memorable scene is the one I’m working on right now. However, if I had to pick one or two from “Under the Burr Oak Tree” and “Sharon’s Song”, I would pick the ending four or five scenes from Sharon’s Song, and the scene from Burr Oak where William proposes to Candy. That scene even makes me cry, which is embarrassing since I wrote it. That scene and the Amazing Grace scene at the end still get to me because all I did was provide the fingers for the Holy Spirit. As you [Staci] know, we did very little editing to either of those scenes. That still gives me chills.

What has writing taught you about life?

That you never give up.  Money is not everything, or really much of anything unless you are doing something you love to do. I absolutely love what I am doing now, there are not enough hours in the day for me to write and think about where my next scenes are going. That is so exciting. I can’t wait to get up now so I can write. Every moment is precious. I retired from my day job, but instead of winding down, writing has got me winding up!

Check out “Sharon’s Song” — the newest release by Dennis Bates at Spirit Light Books… http://www.lulu.com/content/4605056

Announcement

By:  Staci Stallings

It is my honor to announce the formal release of a new book by a new author with Spirit Light Books!

Deja Vu Bride, by Debra Ullrick.  Furious with God, Olivia Roseman vows to never trust Him again. Why should she? Once again her prayers have gone unanswered, and once again another loved one has been ripped from her. With no job and only a few dollars, Olivia makes a choice to start over again. Without God and without love. However, her handsome new boss isn’t going to make forgetting God or keeping her vow to never love again very easy. Erik Cole questions the sanity of his moving from Swamper City, Alabama to Charity, West Virginia. That is, until he hires airbrush designer Olivia Roseman to paint his monster truck. When he senses that she’s a gal who is down on her luck, he vows to do whatever he can to help her. Only problem is, the little beauty creates more challenges than one. As his feelings toward her deepen, all Erik can do is hope and pray that one day Olivia will open up her heart to Christ—and to him.

 

A personal note from Staci… This book helped me so much.  Anger at losing someone very special can wreak havoc on your faith and on your heart.  Deja Vu Bride was instrumental in healing many tender places in me after the death of my brother.  Yes, bad things happen in this life, but Deja Vu Bride reminds us all that even in the midst of awful, we have the choice to remember that what Satan meant to harm us, God can take and make something good.

Check out Deja Vu Bride at:  http://www.lulu.com/content/3970924