Author Spotlight: Stacey Weeks
By Stacey Weeks
Stacey Weeks is a multitasking, homeschooling mother of three. Usually it’s great, especially when it comes to juggling writing deadlines, story plotting, ministry demands, and marking homework. However, this multitasking ability occasionally results in burnt dinner and laundry hanging overnight on the line. Stacey is a runner, a reader, and music lover. She loves home décor projects and paints everything. Really. Everything.
Upcoming Events
Stacey has a book-signing coming up in Chatham, Ontario at the Gospel Text Book Store. She will be the keynote speaker at a Ladies Retreat on March 25, 2017 at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Chatham. She is working on a new project tentatively titled The Long Run, which will be about training for righteousness through the pursuit of spiritual disciplines. She is also working on a third novel.
Find out more:
Website: www.glorioussurrender.com or www.staceyweeks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks
Twitter: @writerSWeeks
Questions and Answers
Q: Why do you write and what inspired you to write Glorious Surrender? *
A: I initially wrote Glorious Surrender as a way to work through significant changes and disappointments in my life. I found myself asking difficult questions. Was I really pursuing God, or just pursuing blessings? Do I really love Him, or do I only love what He can do for me? If He stripped His blessings away, would I continue to serve Him, pray to Him, and praise Him with joy because He is the gift? Would I grumble that my prayers for health or wealth went seemingly unanswered? Glorious Surrender isn’t just about the first surrender, the first time I knew the Lord was calling me to repent of my sins and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness. This is deeper surrender. It is what I believe the Lord calls us all to do: yield every part of our life to Him for His glory.
Q: Who is the intended audience of Glorious Surrender?
A: The book will resonate with any woman who longs for peace in the midst of trials, contentment that doesn’t hinge on healed wounds or removed hardships, and joy in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty. It’s for the woman who wonders if she can trust God with the things that matter most to her, the woman who fears surrender because it feels like losing control. It’s for the woman who knows there must be more to this Christian life but doesn’t know where to start. *
Q: If you could ensure that readers take away one specific point from your book, what would it be?
A: I hope that readers will realize that life isn’t really about them. We often perceive that our life, ministry, and talents are about us. How God must ache at such self-importance and pride. He gives our lives purpose. Trials. Triumphs. Passions. Sorrows. Ministries. Talents. They all exist to bring Him glory.
Q: What is your biggest fear about publishing a book and how did you overcome it?
A: I feared trying my best and it still not being good enough. Then, when I signed my first contract, I feared that no one would read my book, or worse, read it and give it a bad review. I wasn’t sure if I could handle criticism of my work. Now that I have a few books out, I fear promotion. How can I, a believer committed to the pursuit of making less of me and more of God, do something as self-promoting as talk about my book? Fear comes with every new rung on the ladder of publishing.
I had to learn that not all negative feedback is really negative. I needed to learn how to weed through it, apply the truth, and discard the rest. And most recently, I’ve had to realize that I’m not promoting me. I’m promoting a message that I believe can help someone else and ultimately draw them closer to the Lord.
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: I often find inspiration for my novels in the news. The closing scene of In Too Deep (releasing in 2017) sprang from a daring water rescue reported in the news. In my non-fiction work, I write about what the Lord is teaching me right now. We should all be ready to tell others how we are being stretched in our faith, challenged by the Word, and stepping out of our comfort zone for God. *
Q: What do you think a successful writing career looks like?
A: For me, a successful writing career is having the freedom to write as a hobby. I love writing and teaching, but ultimately the greatest calling on my life is supporting and serving my husband. I want to free him to provide for the church and God’s people. Second, I am called to parent my children in such a way that they will grow to know and desire to serve our Lord and Saviour. A successful career allows me to fulfill those primary roles without distraction.
Q: Can you talk about your writing process?
A: As a homeschooling mom, my early mornings are for the Lord and late mornings and early afternoons are spent teaching the children. If the evening permits, I’ll write after the kids are in bed or busy playing.
I also enjoy trading fiction projects with non-fiction. The intensity and emotional investment for each are different, providing a sweet mental break.
I’m always thinking about my story or project. I have a huge dry erase board in our TV room and jot notes to myself nonstop throughout the day. I also use the voice recorder on my phone to record inspiration as it hits. Oftentimes, the best ideas come while jogging when I have time to think and organize my thoughts.
Q: Do you have any advice for new writers?
A: Search your heart and ask the Lord to reveal the motive behind your desire to write. Ask Him to weed out any selfish motives rooted in pride or a desire for recognition. Make it your desire to glorify Him in every word. Then don’t let fear stop you. Every writer fights fear, and every writer improves by writing.
Connect with other writers. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Some of the best advice I’ve received and the best friendships I’ve formed came after I reached out to another writer more advanced than myself for advice and direction.
Finally, learn to differentiate between criticism of your writing and criticism of you. Comments are often not as personal as we make them. *
About this Contributor:
Stacey is the author of inspirational romance (The Builder’s Reluctant Bride, Pelican Book Group, 2016) and inspirational romantic suspense (In Too Deep, Pelican Book Group, coming soon). Glorious Surrender is her first non-fiction book. Stacey lives in Ontario with her husband and children where they serve in full-time ministry and homeschool their three children.