Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31
Author Karen Malley’s book, Following the Sparrow, releases today. She is here to tell us about her new story and how those verses above connect to it. Welcome, Karen! First, please tell us more about you.
Karen: I’ve spent my whole life devouring books. I fell in love with Christian fiction several years ago, when I realized I could draw closer to God through the lives of the characters I read. Now I create those characters myself in hopes my readers will feel the same way. I’ve spent most of my life in Pennsylvania where I live with my husband and two sons. I spend my days working as a scientist, and my off hours trying new recipes, playing games with my family, reading, or writing!
Now, about those verses in Matthew. Why are they special to you?
Karen: God, the infinite Creator of the universe, knows us so intimately he has all our hairs numbered. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less, and even more amazingly, there’s nothing we can do to make Him love us more. In a fickle world where we can be unfriended, unfollowed, or laid off with no notice, it is such a source of comfort to rest in the knowledge our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally.
Have you worked these verses into your upcoming book?
Karen: Yes! This is part of the message of my debut novel Following the Sparrows. It is a story of people who either struggle with finding God’s will for their life or struggle with accepting that God even has use for them. Many of us fall into one of those two categories. I pray that if you’re in the latter category, you’ll fall into the former soon!
Ohh, that sounds wonderful! Tell me more about Following the Sparrows.
Karen: In Following the Sparrows, Kathryn Baker is trying to escape her past. After the tragic death of her husband, Kathryn throws herself into her scientific career. She hopes to right the wrongs of her past before they catch up to her. But when she runs into a handsome stranger, she discovers he just might hold the key to her future.
The handsome stranger – nice! Can you tell us more about him?
Karen: Adam Harrison is tired of running from his past. After losing everything he worked for in life, Adam is finally ready to follow the path God has for him. When a series of chance meetings brings him to Kathryn, he considers the possibility of loving again. But Kathryn is still on the run from God and from her past.
Can Adam convince Kathryn to stop running and trust him with her secrets, or will her fear make it impossible for them to have a future together?
That sounds fantastic. Can we read a snippet?
Karen: Sure, here is an excerpt.
“One of the officers who worked on the scene of Robert’s accident is a member of this church,” Mark said.
Kathryn’s pulse quickened. “Did they find out something more? Was it not an accident?”
“No, they are convinced it was an accident. Robert was on the phone, and was a little distracted, but the other driver ran the red light.”
“That’s what they told me, too. But what about the other driver? Did he hit Robert on purpose?”
Mark’s eyes narrowed. “Katie, it’s not normal to think someone would hit Robert on purpose. The other driver was a teenage boy. He simply didn’t have much driving experience.” His eyes bore into hers. “Why do you believe someone has a reason to hurt Robert?”
Kathryn paled. This conversation wasn’t going the way she expected. “I, I don’t…” she stammered. “I simply asked the officers why the wreck happened.”
“Does this have something to do with what happened in California?” Mark asked.
Kathryn’s head jolted up, her eyes wide. “How could you possibly know?” She clapped her hand over her mouth, willing the words back in, but it was too late.
Mark folded his arms across his chest. “Katie, I need you to tell me if there is a reason why you, Robert, or anyone else in my family might be in danger.”
Kathryn’s insides twisted into a knot. Guilt and dread filled her. She never thought about her connection to the Campbells. If anything happened to those kids because of her stupid mistake…
Mark put his hand on hers. “Katie, you can talk to me in complete confidence.”
Kathryn met his eyes, hers filling with hot tears.
“What do you know about California?” she asked.
“Only that Robert was worried about you. The last year you were out there, he said you grew distant, almost paranoid. He said he tried to ask you about it, but you always found a way to avoid the conversation. You were always away from home, spending all your time at the university. At first he thought there was another man, but later he thought there was more to it.”
Kathryn slumped against the chair as Mark continued.
“He confided in me because he needed someone to help him process it all. We talked about it a lot when you first moved back here, but he seemed to think it was no longer an issue since you moved. Now with the way you’ve reacted to the accident, I put two and two together and assumed it was related.”
Kathryn’s gaze fell to the table. Would she never be rid of this guilt and shame? She couldn’t handle the idea of Mark and Anne finding out what she’d done, but she needed to see if Charlie was still a threat to her.
“I was never involved with another man,” she said. “But something did happen out there that made me scared. I didn’t know what to do.”
Mark patted her hand and passed over a box of tissues. He was obviously not a stranger to having people break down in his office. Kathryn wasn’t about to lose it now, not after braving so much. She studied his face. She’d kept silent for so long. Mark was a pastor, after all. She could trust him…
But no, that was it. She didn’t want him to realize what a terrible person she was. She would handle it on her own, the same way she always did.
“I wanted to tell Robert, but I didn’t want him involved. I thought if I told him, they would go after him. I thought they finally found me and went after him anyway.”
Mark’s eyes were wide. He was visibly shaken. “Katie, if you’re afraid you’re in danger, you need to talk to the police.”
Her head jerked up, panic stricken. “No! I couldn’t do that.”
That is intriguing. And the cover is absolutely beautiful! Where can we learn more about this book? Are you active on social media?
You can find me at KarenMalley.com. and find short stories and devotionals on my blog. I’m also on Goodreads and Twitter. I love to connect with readers!
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!
