It’s finally here! Mistletoe Movie Star’s cover is beautiful, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s always a little nerve-wracking waiting for a cover design. What if I don’t like it? What if my vision for the book is different from the publisher’s vision for the book?
Thankfully, the people at Pelican Ventures produce top quality covers, and I have loved every single one.
Without any more delay, ta da! Book three in Mistletoe Meadows.
Mistletoe Meadows is built around the magic of Christmas. As jingling sleighs cart rosy-cheeked lovers around the Mistletoe Mile, Charlene’s holiday dream is more complicated than photoshopped perfection. She proposes a compassion ministry initiative called the Gingerbread House but struggles to convince the town that their need for a homeless shelter is real.
Famous for his made for television holiday movies, Jonas longs for a happily-ever-after that isn’t as neat and tidy as his unrealistic films. Partnering with Char to champion her ministry invigorates him with a new purpose and provides an excuse to spend time with the girl he never forgot. But when they embrace three young sisters fighting to stay together while living on the streets, their project becomes deeply personal.
Together, they prove to a town reluctant to see anything other than holiday perfection that the greatest gift of the season isn’t found under a tree.
I hope you love the cover as much as I do. Mistletoe Movie Star releases Dec 1, 2020. Do you agree that the three novellas in this series look wonderful together?
Book two
While her relationships always end up doomed, Emily Colt is still determined to create happily-ever-afters through her wedding and event planning business. In hopes of expanding her business, she enters her latest project–staging the Christmas wedding of the year–into a town-wide contest. But between crossing paths with the first man to break her heart and dodging a saboteur, she doubts even career success is within her grasp.
Jilted pastor, Luca Wilson, fled to the mission field to escape a broken heart. All the hurt rushes back when he returns home to officiate his cousin’s wedding, and he finds Emily. The girl to whom he once promised forever is organizing the celebration. Despite his lost faith in love, their unforeseen reunion rekindles a spark, and Luca vows to help her save her struggling business. But to succeed, they will have to learn what it means to trust each other and believe in the God of Christmas miracles.
Book one
Former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. She’s not sure her heart will ever sing again.
Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death. But the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and Melody’s score into a holiday love song that will last for Christmases to come.
Today is my birthday. As I begin my 46th year, I can’t help but count my blessings. I serve a wonderful, merciful God who perfectly loves me just as I am while shaping me into who He wants me to become. I have a supportive family, an opportunity to attend seminary, and I’m living the dream of writing books. I have the privilege of homeschooling our kids, meaning that we get TONS of time together to make memories. I love my current season of life.
September also marks another birthday. A half birthday. September is the six-month birthday of Chasing Holiness. Initially, Chasing Holiness was set to release in August 2020. But for reasons unknown to me, the publishers launched it in March—one week before the world shut down.
I don’t usually celebrate half birthdays, but this one is pretty special. Had I been in control, I would have waited to release Chasing Holiness. I like schedules, and even more, I like sticking to schedules . But it was not up to me.
The change of dates ensured that I spent the months before COVID-19 saturated in the Word of God as I worked through final edits for this book. It burned deep into my mind truths that I needed to remember during the shutdown. It challenged me to live out what I just challenged my readers to do: allow the Lord and His Word to overwhelm me more than the world and circumstances.
So on this ‘half-birthday’ book birthday, I’m celebrating that perhaps the person who needed to read Chasing Holiness the most was me. I thank God for His perfect timing, and I thank you – my wonderfully encouraging readers – for your private messages and social media comments about the impact Chasing Holiness has had on your life. It is truly a privilege to run this race together.
I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of the phrase, “don’t waste your quarantine.” Some of us might have been super productive during the global pause, and others might have felt like they were barely hanging onto their sanity. I fell somewhere in the middle.
I had calm days where I enjoyed the quiet time at home with family, and I had super lonely days where I longed for a little more interaction with those I loved “outside my immediate bubble.” One of my coping strategies was to live a little bit each day in a world where I created and controlled the happily-ever-after.
That time resulted in completing my fourth Christmas novella. I’ve set this unnamed title in a lodge on a snowy mountainside. This winter tale will be ready sometime in 2021. In the meantime, you can enjoy Mistletoe Movie Star. This novella releases on December 1st, 2020!
I have good news for those of you who have been waiting FOREVER for a romantic suspense novel. I’ve crafted a solid synopsis for a full-length romantic suspense novel. It feels like this one has taken a very long time to come together, but now that it has, I LOVE IT! I drafted half the story from one character’s perspective, but it wasn’t working for me. So I reworked the scenes from a different character’s point of view, and wow, it changed everything! I cannot wait to start writing the story.
I’ve also completed the first draft of my third non-fiction book. This project is still untitled. I have loved every minute spent soaking in the Word of God for this text. Non-fiction always takes me the longest to write because I have to share that prep and study time to get ready for speaking engagements.
Speaking of speaking engagements, I have a few lined up now that the world has reopened. The first takes place online in November, so there is no fear of it being shut down should COVID rear its ugly head again. The next engagement is in January at a women’s event for a local church, and the last two are booked for the spring. You can stay up-to-date on all my speaking engagements by checking my website. If you happen to live in an area where I’ll be – I’d love to connect! Please shoot me a message at connect@staceyweeks.com. You can use that same email should you want to chat about booking me for your next event.
We are homeschooling the kids again this year. They are in grades 11, 8, and 7, and it keeps me busy! I also start another class at Heritage Seminary this month. I have really enjoyed the pre-course reading.
Finally, next week, I have the privilege of meeting with an agent for a little career advice. I am excited to discuss the next steps in my career. (I’m also hopeful that she might represent me!) I also have two whole days of writing seminars through the American Christian Fiction Writers online conference. I can’t wait to soak up the wisdom of those more experienced than me.
If you’ve ever rearranged a room or redesigned your living space, you know how much work it can be to create a fresh look in an old space. Well, that’s what I’ve been doing at StaceyWeeks.com. It was time for a new look, and I needed to upgrade my website to better utilize all the tools available to me as an author that ultimate benefit you, a reader.
I took a fantastic website-building course over at Author Media. They walked me through the process step by step, and even answered a few desperate emails when the technology didn’t work quite the way I expected. And the best part – the class is FREE. Yup, you read that right.
I’ve spent the last few months building a new website behind the scenes, and I finally launched it last week. I have to admit that it was pretty scary to hit that launch button. What if the new site didn’t work as it should? What if I messed up? The only thing holding me back was fear. I took a deep breath – – and launched!
If you poke around my site, you’ll notice that although things look slightly different, the message is the same. You can count on the same, reliable, God-glorifying content that you expect from StaceyWeeks.com.
You might notice the EXTRAS page is gone. I will still create excellent bonus material for all my subscribers, but that content will be built right into the emails you receive. The free-shorts page is still here. That’s the go-to spot for all the links and free downloads of stories and studies.
Right after the launch, I also switched email providers to serve you better, my wonderful reader friends. Some of you might have noticed a duplicate email go out not too long ago. I apologize. That was a glitch with the old provider and should not happen with the new provider. I dislike a cluttered and overwhelmed inbox, so I’ve designed a summary email of recent devotionals and blog posts to mail out once a month to limit the number of emails you receive from me. You are welcome to visit my blog page for up-to-date announcements and information anytime. Quarterly newsletters with bonus material and special book news will be sent separately.
That sums up the business side of things. On the creative writing side, I have exciting news coming your way, so stay tuned!
I’ve spent some time this past spring and summer guest-posting on various websites. Some posts are refreshed favourites and others are new. I hope you are blessed as you read them.
Press On, Sweet Sister
July 16, 2020
When my husband and I first entered full-time ministry, I was confident I knew how life would play out. But after five short years, we had packed our bags to leave, convinced we were unfit for the calling. Ministry has a funny way of turning our certainties on their heads.
We might both be involved in ministry, but your journey will be distinctive to you. You have brought your own set of expectations and certainties to this adventure. Your relationship with the Lord is uniquely yours, shaped by his sovereign hand to craft you into the image of himself. The edges he sands off of you might be vastly different from my sharp edges. The stretching you endure will be intimately tied to your needs and his will for your life. The only certainty I can claim that we share with 100% confidence is our need to remain before the cross in humble dependence upon God’s mercy, admitting our constant need for him.
Queen Esther’s character emerged when she, along with many other young women, were swept into a human-trafficking ring of sorts. Their custodial pimp, Hegai, spent 12 months beautifying them in a preparational harem, and then they competed for a prize that would make them little more than a sex slave with the title.
One by one, Hegai sent them to the King.
In the evening, she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the King’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines.”
Esther 2:14
These girls didn’t parade before the King twirling batons or displaying vocal talents; their audition was an overnight visit. Esther wins this twisted Old Testament beauty pageant and joins the King’s concubines.
“As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” (Psalm 84:6-7, ESV)
I love to run. Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say that I love how I feel when I run. I love how running clears my mind and quiets my soul. I love how strong my body becomes after running regularly. I register for races because I need the motivation of a goal, but after I register, I question my sanity. Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why did I commit to another grueling workout schedule? And most importantly, why did I join with a friend? Now, I can’t back out. I have to continually remind myself that the discomfort of training is worth the glory of finishing with a strong body and mind.
Race day dawns with excitement. The crowd cheers, the gun explodes, and thousands of feet hit the pavement, but soon that excitement fades. The crowd thins. I’m left in the race, just putting one foot in front of the other, looking for the finish line. I am tempted to quit, but my friend encourages me. She wants to stop, so I support her. And as we pass mile marker after mile marker, the strangest thing happens. Our strength and determination increase instead of decreasing. Every stride brings us closer to the finish. We are encouraged as we help one another overcome difficulty and exhaustion. We pump worship tunes through headphones, and the remaining distance to the finish line shrinks. Mental fatigue lessens. Soon, people are lining the streets again, cheering because we are close to the finish. We become invigorated. The prize is in sight.
… It’s in the difficult moments of uncertainty that the testing of my faith produces steadfastness, and I must let steadfastness complete its work in me because the trial ultimately leads me to hope (James 1:3-4). Romans 5:3-4 is clear, if I want hope, I must understand it comes from character. Character is produced by perseverance, and perseverance is birthed from suffering. Every leader must decide if it is worth fighting through suffering to find their hope and joy in the Lord.
Unshaken: How to Face Chaos and Danger Without Fear
March 23, 2020
There was a morning quite a few years ago when my children were small that the wind picked up. Three nearby trees went down and every boom and crack sent the neighborhood running into their backyards to investigate.
I watched out my window as our giant maple swayed like a hula dancer at the mercy of the wind. I felt a bit like the third little pig waiting to see if the huffing and puffing would blow our tree down onto our house of bricks.
Our children were at school 1KM down the street, so after a few more booms and the power failing, I walked out front and looked toward the school. In the distance, I could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles.
My husband has also visited the Fear Warrior blog, and he is giving away his book, Anxiety Attack. Visit the post below for information.
How Your Response to Problems can Conquer Anxiety
by Kevin Weeks
June 1, 2020
The date was April 1, 2018: Easter Sunday morning. I was only minutes away from preaching the first of two services, and I had major knots in my stomach. More than normal. Far more.
I couldn’t think straight. My brain slogged through a dense fog.
My emotions were all over the place. They had been for some time.
I wasn’t sure if I had the physical strength, the emotional strength, or the spiritual strength to stand up and preach again.
As this storm raged in me, I sank into a chair at the back of our Worship Centre. I cradled my head in my hands, occasionally looking up.People were walking past me, finding their seats, ready for the worship gathering to begin. I was trying to smile and say hi to people, but the smiles felt fake. I could barely maintain eye contact.
There I sat, alone in a room full of people, wondering what in the world was happening to me. Raw emotion smouldered, ready to burst through the surface in a blistering mess, and all I could manage to do was quietly quiver in my plastic chair and wonder to God why I was suddenly overcome by a fear that I couldn’t explain.
