Stacey Wilk - Ups, Downs, Laughter and Tears

From an early age, best-selling author Stacey Wilk told tales as a way to escape. At six she wrote short stories in composition notebooks, at twelve she wrote a novel on a typewriter, in high school biology she wrote rock star romances in her binder instead of paying attention. But it wasn’t until many years later, inspired by her children and a looming birthday, that she finally took her story-telling seriously. And published her first novel in 2013. Since then, she’s gone on to publish nineteen more so women everywhere could fall in love and find an escape of their own. She isn’t done telling stories. Not by a long shot. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Raising Winter.

Please give us a short introduction to what Raising Winter is about.

The last thing the man who has it all needs is to become the custodian of a ten-year-old girl. But Brad Wilde has, and he doesn't know how to handle this new role. Because his plans never included revealing his secret.

The prom queen has fallen off her throne and returns to Candlewood Falls with her tail between her legs. When Lyra Ryan starts a cleaning business because she doesn't want to be a therapist anymore, the only person willing to hire her is the arrogant and sexy Brad Wilde. 

Thrown together by chance, or maybe fate, Lyra and Brad must help each other follow their hearts and learn that love—in all its forms—shows up when you're least prepared to handle it. 

What inspired you to write about someone who becomes the custodian of a ten-year-old girl?

I needed Brad to have a big wound. Because he was already created in book one of the series as a secondary character, he had a good job and a good family. He’s attractive, has money, and is pretty much one of the most eligible bachelors in town. I thought the last thing a guy like him would want was to be saddled with a child. But I didn’t want to do the secret baby thing. Making him a guardian, was a nice change. And I put a twist on the secret baby trope for readers to find out.

Tell us more about Brad Wilde. What makes him tick?

Good question. He’s your typical rugged guy. He likes to get dirty. He loves all things outdoors. That’s because he was raised by his father who lives mostly off the grid. Brad and his sister grew up in a two room cabin their dad built. Brad is confident. That comes from the fact his family is ingrained in Candlewood Falls and owns a successful orchard that’s been there for generations. But under that rugged exterior, he’s a big softy. Which we get to see when he’s with Winter.

Why did you put Lyra at the head of a cleaning business?

Because that would be the very business that would aggravate her snotty mother. Ha! And Lyra thinks that cleaning is her only other skill besides being a therapist.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

Secret skills….I can twirl a baton.

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

I would have to say mostly, no. I’m a plotter. I do give space in my outline for things to evolve organically, but for the most part my characters do what I need them to. I don’t have time for tangents that won’t serve the story goals. I take that God of my own universe thing kind of seriously. LOL! Kidding.

Which character was the most challenging for you to create?

The most challenging character in Raising Winter might have been Brad. Like I said, I needed a good wound for him. Without that, there would be no character growth. No one wants to read a flat character that stays the same through out the book. I couldn’t allow my hero to be flat.

The book touches on some deep themes, like love and what it takes to be a parent. Why did you find it important to write about?

Great question. All my books have a theme of family in them. Every parent I know worries about how to be a good at that job. My characters are no different. That’s part of what makes them relatable to my readers. Lyra and Brad were faced with the dilemma of how to be the best parent they could. Lyra had uprooted her boys from their lives. She didn’t want to scar them with her choices. Brad had no experience with children. His own mother had left him when he was a young boy. He wasn’t sure how to handle the job given to him. Not much scares Brad. But becoming a parent sure did.

Everyone wants to find the place where they belong and feel loved. My characters search for the place where they belong. I write about love and finding family because I want my readers to have a chance to fall in love too.

What is your favorite motivational quote and why?

Oh boy. I have a few. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” “Keep F’ing going.” “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” And my all-time favorite is a long one, but here goes: “Faith whispered to the warrior, you cannot withstand the storm. And the warrior whispered back, I am the storm. (I wear that one on a bracelet.). Why do I like these? Because each one says don’t give up, work hard, you’ve got this. Don’t let anyone tell you no. Which is another quote and one I tell young people all the time.

This is book 2 of a series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Yes, it can be read as a standalone. I write all my books that way in case a reader finds me in the middle of a series. The first book in the series, Taking Root, is about Brad’s twin sister Brooklyn. Brad has a large roll in that book just like siblings often have a large roll in our real lives. Book three, Defining Chances, which releases April 6th, is about Brad’s best friend, Raf and Brad’s first cousin Ember. Raf makes a small appearance in book one and a bigger one in book two. So, of course, we see Brad and Lyra in book three. Plus, I answer a couple of questions left open in Brad’s book in book three too.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

Take a deep breath. LOL! I always build characters first.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I don’t think any of my habits are unique. But an average day for me is to sit at my desk by nine a.m. If I working on a first draft, then I write in the morning. Those are my best writing hours. Depending on what else is going on in my life that day, I might even start as early as 7:30. I used to get up at five to write when my kids were in school. But now they’re both in college, so my days are very different than when they were home. After I hit my daily word count, I move on to marketing. I write seven days a week.

What are you working on right now?

I am outlining and plotting book four in this series—Beginning Over. This one is about Petra Wilde (Brad’s other first cousin) and Mav Labraccio. Cooking will be involved.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I love interacting with my readers! It’s one of my favorite things about being a writer. Readers make my dreams come true, and I am eternally grateful for that. Please come hang out with me on my Facebook reader group. We have a lot of fun there. And I always tell my reader group news first.

www.facebook.com/groups/staceysnovelfamily
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My website is www.staceywilk.com