by: Staci Stallings
It was 20 years ago that I pulled something I always loved to do out of the mothballs and dusted it off. At the time, I was a 20-something with a one-year-old and a whole bunch of time on my hands.
You see, prior to that, my life had pretty much been lived in one continuous string of hair-on-fire busyness culminating in three lightning fast years of teaching six subjects a day to around 100+ kids. Then, in January of 1995, I found out I was going to have a little bundle of joy and honoring my promise to my husband, I quit teaching in June to have our baby.
That child showed up super early in July 1995, weighing only 2 pounds. Suffice it to say that between her early birth and us building a house, I didn’t really “wake up” again until 1996. That’s when I found myself now living in our new house with a one-year-old and nothing to do!
Now, I was not used to having nothing to do! At the time there was no Internet, no texting (no cell phones even—GASP!). It was long distance to call my mom or my sister just to talk. (If you don’t know what long distance is, you have my permission to go ask your grandmother!) My husband left for work around 6 a.m. and often didn’t come home until 8 or 9 p.m. Worse, there were four, count them FOUR working channels on the television, and during the day, I had the scintillating choice of Letter Lion or Days of Our Lives.
To say I was bored out of my mind would be a VAST understatement. So one day as my daughter and I were killing time walking around Venture, I found a book called, “Awaken the Giant Within.” Now, I’ve always been kind of a motivational junkie. Plus, the book was like 384 pages long, which I figured might keep me busy for at least a couple of days, so I got it.
The one thing that book hammered home again and again was, “You’ve got to figure out what you love to do, and do that!”
So I asked myself, “What do I love to do?”
Back in high school, I had once written a novel (long hand! And if you don’t know what that is, go ask your grandmother!). It wasn’t very good, but I figured I could try that. Better yet, now I had a computer and I could type! (YAY me!)
I started one book, and true to what would eventually become my pattern, I awoke one morning with the idea for another book. As I asked questions about what I had seen in the dream, the story started coming to me. I got up and wrote out in outline form what I knew of the book. Two days later, I started that book.
It was in the writing of that book, “Flight 259” that many things about my destiny and career path were set. You see, at that time, there was no such thing as “Contemporary Christian Romance.” It was either HISTORICAL Christian Romance or just plain romance. In fact, I got laughed at when I would tell people I wrote Contemporary Christian Romance. No one had ever heard of such a thing!
However, when you have a character in the water, fighting for her life, it seemed to me the only logical way to write that is to have her PRAY!
And lo and behold, within the next six years, others began to agree with me. But that’s where it started for me.
So it truly is remarkable to me that “Flight 259,” my very first Christian Romance is being published nearly 20 years after I first wrote THE END. This book has gone through so many changes over the years, I can’t count them all, and there were many of those years I thought it would probably never find its way to more readers than those first few who read it out of the notebooks I had it printed in at Kinkos.
But here we are 20 years later, and “Flight 259” will be released in the “Whispers of Love” book collection with 11 other Contemporary Christian Romances. Somehow that’s fitting for this book for it proves what I knew even back then… Christian love isn’t a thing of the past at all. It’s right here and right now real.
It just took 20 years for other people to realize it. Then again, to be really honest, to me, 20 years is not nearly as long as it sometimes seems!
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by Staci Stallings
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What a great story, Staci. “You’ve got to figure out what you love to do, and do that!” So true!
I remember when there were only four channels…lol!
Staci- loved reading this, wow 20 years and now it is being released! Talk about patience and persistence. It is hard to imagine not having contemporary Christian romance books to read, how funny that the it took so long for this market to open up. Thanks for writing and being a pioneer of contemporary Christian fiction:)
Thanks, Staci for sharing your journey as a writer. I too remember having only 3 channels on TV and long distance phone calls. As a avid reader, trying to make a book last a week. Did not have a library at my finger tips. A simpler life in many ways, but not sure I want to go back. Looking forward to reading Flight 259 and the other contemporary romances in Whispers of Love (mine is preordered).
What a fun story! I’ve pre-ordered and am looking forward to reading your book and all the other ones! Contemporary Christian Romance (along with clean Regency) is my favorite genre.
Wow am currently writing my first book, I don’t know if it will ever get published but the act of writing it is fulfilling.
Staci…thanks for telling us about the back story of the first book you wrote which will be finally be published 20 years later. I preordered Whispers of Love awhile back so I am looking forward to reading this book.
I so remember not having Internet and only a few channels on the TV and not even having a remote control. My oldest daughter celebrated her 20th high school reunion last year. It’s amazing to think of all of the changes just in the 20 years she has been out of high school.
You continue to be one of my favorite authors. The first book I read of yours was Cowboy which I loved and was hooked on your writing from there on out.
Staci, I loved your story. I also wrote a book in high school in long hand, but it took me nearly 20 years to decide to write something else.
Thank you for sharing your story and your writing. As an avid reader I’m pretty happy with contemporary Christian romance stories out there. I’m looking forward to Whispers of Love.
Oh what memories. I think we are about the same age based on your post. I was a stay at home mom too. I used to read a lot more then than I do now–correction, I still read, just a lot of time is spent reading blog posts, FB posts, etc… :) Congratulations on your book!
Great story, Staci. Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant With–what a classic! I didn’t even have to ask my grandma to understand your post. :)
Can’t wait to read it! Have Whispers of Love pre-ordered! Thanks for sharing a little of your writing journey! Congrats on the book!
Ah, yes. The good ol’ days!
I tend to get tasked with chopping through forests other people thought were impossible. :)
YAY! I sure hope you love all 12 books!
So thankful for all those who have pre-ordered! Don’t miss out. Get your copy today: https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Love-Christian-Romance-Novels-ebook/dp/B01DMH1FME (HAHA! In case you missed it the first five times!
Cassandra, I’ve learned… take the step God is asking you to take when He asks you to take it. Just do that faithfully and what He has in store will blow you away! :)
Still love “Cowboy”! One of my very favorites (just don’t tell the others!). Sure hope you enjoy Flight as well. And I remember when my brother was the remote control. HAHHAHA!
Typing. THE best skill I ever learned! And so glad you eventually decided to write something else!
We hope you LOVE it!
I read all the time, but I can’t read fiction anymore. I just find myself wanting to change it into my voice or being mad that they didn’t go the direction I would have… :) Thanks for visiting, Kimberly!
No comment, Lee. HAHAHHAHAHAH!
Thanks so much, Julie! I really hope you love the book!