Giveaway! Deep in the Heart by Staci Stallings

Welcome to Writing for Christ Staci Stallings, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

I graduated Valedictorian of my class in 1988.  Impressive, right?  Well, maybe the fact that there were only 23 kids in my whole class might have been a mitigating factor! :)

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Reading-wise I love Christian non-fiction and most anything that deals with very practical spiritual-psychology.  Favorite authors include:  Steve McVey, Jeff VanVonderan, and John Ortberg.

Writing-wise, I love to write great stories that dig into why people do what they do.  I've found that 90% of our behavior is grounded in the "below the surface" part of the "iceberg" that we can't see.  If you've ever seen the picture of the iceberg where it shows the top and the bottom, you know that the small part on top that you do see is dwarfed by the huge part on the bottom that you don't.  I believe that people try to make the top 10% all impressive while desperately trying to hide the 90%.  I further believe that in a Christian relationship, what most connects us is when we are willing to be our 90% selves with someone else.  I further believe that the more we learn to do that with everyone, the happier and more at peace we are.  I hope that through the books and stories God gives me to tell, people learn to let just a little more of that 90% to show.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Trust God.  As a Christian writer, I'm so much more free because I know I don't have to have all the answers.  I simply trust that the Holy Spirit will give me the right piece of the puzzle at the right time.  Sometimes that can get frustrating because my tendency can be to rush, push, and force. That's why the Holy Spirit has been working with me to get me to relax in life as well as in writing, so I can rest in Him and write what He tells me to write when He tells me to write it.  And in life I can walk with confidence through the doors He opens and stop banging on the ones He has closed.

5 things you love?

My husband

My kids

My family

Sitting up 'til all hours telling funny old stories or watching old sitcoms

And of course, my God Who has saved me from the pit of me trying to accomplish everything on my own strength!

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Connecting.  I love talking with readers and other writers, showing them how to relax and trust God, showing them how much He loves them. It is truly one of the biggest honors of my life--that God would allow me to be part of the conversation He wants to have with others.

Right up there with that one is just learning how COOL God is!  He AMAZES me on a daily basis!

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Contemporary Christian Romance Novels by Staci Stallings http://ebookromancestories.com

Christian Living Blog:  http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com

All of my books:  http://stacistallings.wordpress.com

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks so much for having me, Casey!  God bless you and all of your readers!

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Hey readers! Here is your chance to win Staci's latest novel. PLEASE TAKE NOTE: this is an ebook contest.This particular novel is only available in Kindle format. If you win and don't have a Kindle or Kindle app, Staci has informed me she would be happy to give another one of her books away.

Please leave an email adddress! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is open internationally and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on May 4th.

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com