I have not yet met best-selling author Stephanie Grace Whitson in person, but have enjoyed getting to know her through email – and hope to meet face to face someday. She has walked an incredible journey along life’s path and the road to publication.

A native of southern Illinois, Stephanie has lived in Nebraska since 1975. She began what she calls “playing with imaginary friends” (writing fiction) when, as a result of teaching her four homeschooled children Nebraska history, she was personally encouraged and challenged by the lives of pioneer women in the West. Since her first book, Walks the Fire, was published in 1995, Stephanie’s fiction titles have appeared on the ECPA bestseller list and been finalists for the Christy Award, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year. Her first nonfiction work, How to Help a Grieving Friend, was released in 2005. In addition to serving in her local church and keeping up with two married children and three children in college, Stephanie enjoys motorcycle trips with her family and church friends. Her passionate interests in pioneer women’s history, antique quilts, and French, Italian, and Hawaiian language and culture provide endless story-telling possibilities.

Stephanie’s website lists 15 novels and one non-fiction title. Of those, her most recent novel is Jacob’s List published by Baker Publishing Group released in August 2007:

Jacob Nolan is a bright, talented college student with a bold list of things he hopes to accomplish before he “settles down.” Although he is unaware of any family problems, he is possibly the only reason his parents are still together. When the Nolans face the most difficult challenge of their lives, they come to realize that Jacob’s list is about a lot more than youthful adventure. Jacob’s List is a story of reconciliation. . . against all odds.

You can find Jacob’s List at these three online bookstores:

CBD, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

I asked Stephanie to give us some insight into how God is using her and her writing.

Jill: When and how did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Stephanie: I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. I was the weird kid in school who loved writing assignments. I had poetry published in a national anthology when I was in junior high. I loved writing letters home (back in the dark ages before computers). “Wanting to be a writer,” however, was not part of my career plan until Thomas Nelson Publishers surprised me by offering me a three book contract after seeing a partial manuscript back in 1994.

Jill: Can you share with me some of the highlights of your writing journey – something particularly memorable or humorous?

Stephanie: The most memorable: Coming home to a phone message that said “This is Lonnie Hull Dupont with Thomas Nelson Publishers. Call me back because I want to make you an offer I hope you won’t refuse.” Lonnie found me in her slush pile. I’d sent off a query letter honestly expecting a rejection letter that would be God telling me to get back to my other job which was running a home based inspirational gift company and home schooling four children.

Jill: Tell me a bit about what you write now and what you hope/plan to write in the future. Do you have a favorite genre?

Stephanie: After a dozen historical novels, many of them set in my home state of Nebraska, I took a turn into contemporary fiction for three novels, not because of any particular plan but rather because I had ideas I wanted to explore and places I wanted to write about (Paris & Florence). I was working on a fourth contemporary novel for Bethany House when I “met” a fascinating woman who’d traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in the early twentieth century. This woman’s scrap books are part of the archives at the Nebraska State Historical Society, and someone there mentioned her to me when I was in the archives doing research for a non-fiction quilt book I’ve been working on for years. When I spent a Monday morning immersed in this woman’s real life, the idea for another historical fiction series was born. When my agent told my publisher about it, we all decided to postpone the contemporary book I was working on and replace it with three historical fiction books inspired by some unique women I’ve “met” researching other books. Unbridled Dreams, about a trick rider with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, releases next year. While I’m fulfilling my promise to Bethany House for historicals, I’ll also be trying to finish my quilt-related non-fiction book and then there are those books I left unfinished because of the decision to write Unbridled Dreams instead. I’m just like every other writer I know. Too many ideas, not enough time.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre to write because I am never happier than when I’m learning about women’s history. Strangely enough, though, I rarely read historical fiction. When I’m reading for pleasure, I gravitate towards suspense. I think that is because it is difficult for me to check my “writer’s brain” and stop second-guessing where the plot is headed with historical fiction.

Jill: Do you consider your writing the work God has given you to do for a lifetime or for a season of your life? Can you see yourself pursuing something outside of writing for His glory?

Stephanie: I have no idea what God will have me doing five years from now. I hope I’m still writing, but I’m old enough at 55 to have learned to hold the things I treasure most in an open hand and let go when God guides me into a detour I hadn’t planned. I learned to do that with my first husband who died of cancer in 2001. I’ve learned to do it with my children as they’ve grown and left home. And I do my best to do it with everything I cherish. I’m the caretaker of the career, not the owner, and when God shows me another plan, I hope I’ll have the maturity and grace to accept it with joy and move on. I will always be a writer. Whether or not I am always writing books that are published, only God knows.

If you are talking about a paying job, there’s nothing I would rather do than write. Which is a good thing, since I have no other marketable skills :-). But I have many varied interests and will never be the kind of person who has trouble finding new things to “pursue,” I’m passionate about French, Italian, and Hawaiian language and culture. Paris is my favorite place in the world. After two weeks in Florence, Italy, a few years ago I want to become fluent in Italian. And go back to Florence. I adore the Big Island and would love to spend at least part of every year camping out on the shelf of black lava that juts out into the ocean at a favorite spot south of Captain Cook. I volunteer for the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’m learning to help with collections care which gets me “up close and personal” with some stunning antique quilts–and of course feeds my love of women’s history–and I also docent which means I get to take groups on tours. This afternoon I’ll be helping with something called “Quilt ID Day” where the public brings in family quilts and we tell them what we can about the quilt. This involves a knowledge of textile and quilt history, and over the years I’ve acquired a fair amount of knowledge in that area. I have shelves of books about old quilts and a fairly good-sized collection of older pieces that I use for a lecture I do called “Time Travel the Calico Trail” where I combine my love for antique quilts with my admiration for pioneer women. I also enjoy speaking at women’s retreats. So, my answer to “what else would I do” is “more of the same.” Then there’s my motorcycle. You don’t have room in this article for me to tell you all the places I’d like to ride Kitty!

Jill: Wow, Stephanie! You will never be bored, that’s for sure! As for a motorcycle named Kitty – I’d rather play with my real live kitties than ride one. I’ll happily leave that joy to you. :)

Are there people in your life who encouraged you, who are responsible for you becoming a published author?

Stephanie: I’m very private about my writing life when it comes to talking to friends about it. When I began my first novel, I wasn’t part of a local writing group and I’d never been to a writer’s conference, so from a professional standpoint, I was on my own. The first person who made me think I might try to get Beautiful in His Time published was one of my quilting buddies, Kate Laucomer. When I read a few scenes from the manuscript aloud to her, she encouraged me to finish it and to try to get it published. That became Walks the Fire. Lonnie Hull Dupont was the first writing professional who made me feel like I had something to offer the fiction world. Since I am not a trained writer in the traditional sense of having taken writing courses, majored in English, or some other “professional” route, I really felt like I was a fraud for a long, long, time. Lonnie understood the “fragile” nature of my situation and lovingly guided me through that first book, teaching me while at the same time protecting me. She was aware of my insecurities and she truly did “greenhouse” me. I really cannot say enough about how much her guidance has meant to me. Lonnie was God’s answer to prayers I wasn’t even smart enough to pray.

Jill: Can you share one struggle that entered your life as a result of writing and how God helped you to overcome it, to make you more like Christ? After so many books published, do you still have days where you question what you are doing or feel like you’ll never write another book?

Stephanie: The ever-present biggest struggle for me in writing is self discipline, and I haven’t overcome it yet. This struggle, however, is related to another struggle that God has helped me through, and that is handling the profession of writing and meeting deadlines when my personal life seems to be falling apart. In 1996, one year after Walks the Fire was published, my husband was diagnosed with an incurable form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. That same year my best friend died of breast cancer, my parents died within six weeks of each other, my daughter and I were hit head-on when another driver had a heart attack and crossed the center line, and my youngest daughter came down with a life-threatening illness that involved months of sickness and emotional problems before the diagnosis was made (she’s fine now). Over the next five and a half years, I had to make deadlines while dealing with my husband’s cancer and while home-schooling four children. When I think back on it, I see one big cloud that says GOD’S GRACE, because that’s the only way anything got done. Through all of that I learned that “when I can’t. . . God can.” I learned to depend on God more than ever before in my life, and I saw over and over again evidence that He does care about the details of my life. And I learned the reality of the verse that talks about God’s power being perfected in my weakness. Trials don’t stop. My husband died and I re-married. My new husband had a tumor and surgery. I’ve recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. Going through these new trials and still having professional deadlines to meet keeps me on my knees. Am I more like Christ now? I hope so. I think I do trust God more. I pray differently than I used to. And I don’t think there’s any danger of my thinking I’m “all that” when it comes to the publishing world because I know myself really really well. I’m not “all that.” I’m a walking talking poster-child for the grace of God in the midst of brokenness and the inability to do much beyond write an intelligent sentence once in a while.

As to days when I question? Every day. Every single day. I don’t question what I’m doing in the sense of wishing I were doing something else. But I question my ability every day. Just like part of being a mother is guilt over the things we didn’t do right, so part of being a writer is insecurity over our skill level. I have so very much to learn about the craft of words. But as long as there are contracts offered, I will continue to be obedient and to answer “yes” to God’s leading, because I am forever mindful of the incredible privilege it is to be published.

Jill: Indeed. I heartily agree.

Likewise, is there a particular joy in this writing business/ministry that God has used to remind you that He is, in fact, using your words to His glory?

Stephanie: Reader mail is a constant delight and encouragement. Good reviews are nice and I know publishers love to see those. Writing awards are nice too because they give us a little pat on the back from our peers. But when a reader tells me they’ve been encouraged to keep going through a trial because of something I’ve written, or they’ve begun to read their Bible more because of those verses in my books. . . . THAT is a gift that produces lasting joy.

Jill: Has writing opened opportunities for you to give your testimony and witness for Christ or minister to fellow believers? If so, can you give one example?

Stephanie:: I think every book I write shares my testimony and witnesses for Christ in one way or another. I know God uses the books that way because in His grace He has readers tell me so. When my books first came out I began to get requests from people to come and talk about my books. Eventually I developed several lectures so that now I speak a couple of times a month on topics ranging from writing to pioneer women and their quilts to handling trials to helping grieving friends. All my lectures are outgrowths of what I call my “patchwork life” and all of them, even the ones given to secular groups, provide opportunity to share Christ and encourage believers. This part of my writing life is something I never anticipated and once again, is an example of how God can use our weaknesses and what we might consider the worst times in our lives to show His enabling power and how He truly does make “all things beautiful in His time.”

Jill: He truly does. Thank you, Stephanie. You are a shining example of God’s amazing grace!

Coming in 2008 from Stephanie Grace Whitson is:

Unbridled Dreams. Seventeen-year-old Irmagard Friedrich wants to be a star, but making that dream come true means sacrificing more than she expected.

You can visit author Stephanie Grace Whitson and get to know her better by checking out her website.

Thanks Stephanie, for joining us this month on Spotlight!