SP: Your characters are so believable and well-developed. How do you get to know each character so fully?

Stacy: Some of my writer friends do full character sketches or bios before they begin to write a book so they’ll intimately know their characters. For me, drafting a simple outline about each character’s role in the novel seems to work. As I’m writing, I watch their personalities unfold. My creative “muse” takes over when I’m writing and I find myself sometimes surprised by what the characters do. At the heart of it all, however, I just try to write characters that are realistic, so readers can relate to them.

SP: What is the most challenging part of creating a novel for you?

Stacy: Hmm… I guess the most challenging part for me is the middle. I’ll be excited to start, but once I get to the middle, it’s easy to feel like you’ve done a lot of the work so you can take a day off, or allow yourself to get distracted by other responsibilities. Once I write through the middle and work out all of the plot twists and turns, I’m just as excited to write the last part of the novel as I hope readers are to get there.

SP: You dealt with several real-life issues in your first novel, as well as in the current, nothing but the right thing. How does this book help readers who find themselves in similar situations as your characters?

Stacy: Writing about real-life struggles, such as domestic violence, teen pregnancy or low self-esteem, in the pages of fiction gives people a non-threatening way to examine their own issues and in the process, to possibly find a way to resolve them.

SP: In Christian fiction we want to get the message of God’s love and forgiveness out, but how do we keep from beating readers over the head with that message?

Stacy: I try to do it by giving characters not only the same attributes, but also the same flaws as real people. No one is all good or all bad. Real people who love God still struggle with anger, fear, bitterness and a range of other issues, and that’s OK.  God knows we aren’t perfect and He loves us anyway. Each time we fall down and we remember to turn to Him, we get up a little bit stronger. That’s what I hope my books remind, or teach, readers.

SP: Stacy, thank you so much for spending time with us. We definitely look forward to your next novel! I know you love to hear from readers so before you leave, tell readers where they can contact you.

Stacy: It’s been wonderful to share with you, Mata, and I wish you all the best with your writing career.

I do love to hear from readers and I hope they’ll take time to visit me on the web. My web site address is www.stacyhawkinsadams.com. My email address is stacy@stacyhawkinsadams.com

Continued blessings to you, Mata!