Meet the Exquisite Quill Authors


Saturday, July 5, 2014

Author Interview: Stacy Juba



EQ Welcomes Stacy Juba


EQ: Welcome to EQ! Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Stacy: I’ve been writing stories since elementary school and had my first book published when I was a teenager. Later, I worked as a journalist and a publicist for several years. Being an author was a lifelong goal and I’m excited to be able to share my books with readers. I’ve published adult mystery/romantic suspense novels, young adult books, and children’s picture books. I’m currently finishing up my first sweet romance/romantic comedy. All of my books feature characters at a crossroads, or fork in the road, which is why I have branded my website as Characters at a Crossroads.
       
EQ:Tell us a little bit about your most recent release.

Stacy: Sink or Swim is about Cassidy Novak, a former reality show contestant who attracts a stalker after returning to her normal life as a personal trainer. She's also being shadowed by Zach Gallagher, a good-looking photographer who is assigned to follow her around for a newspaper series. She wants to trust Zach, but he may be hiding something. It’s a blend of cozy mystery and romantic suspense and has a cast of quirky supporting characters. It’s available in e-book formats and is also an audiobook for Audible. The narrator, Funda Duval, does a fantastic job with the voices! It’s like listening to a movie without the visuals.

EQ: What has been the most exquisite moment of your life?

Stacy: That would have to be holding my babies for the first time. Those first precious moments with my children are almost surreal when I look back at them. It's such a powerful moment when you bring a new life into the world and you fully realize how dependant this small being is on you.

EQ: Describe how you came up with the plot of your novel.


Stacy: I was fascinated by the reality TV show craze and with how these ordinary people were becoming famous. If a TV sitcom or drama gets cancelled, often the actor will turn up in another show down the line, but some of these reality show contestants are just in one season of a show and that’s it. Then they go back to their lives and jobs. I wanted to explore what might happen if an obsessed fan couldn’t get his or her fix anymore of a favorite contestant. I didn’t want the entire book to take place during the taping of a reality show, however, because there are some readers who don’t like reality TV. I wanted the book to be a cozy mystery, set in a small town after the show ends.  The show is just the catalyst that sets the plot in motion.  

EQ: What kinds of female characters do you prefer to write?


Stacy: I like to write about strong female characters with a vulnerable side that they hide from others. I also want my characters to be flawed. They make mistakes and can be impulsive at times, but they have good hearts and are loyal to their friends and family.  My female protagonists experience significant growth by the end of the book. Cassidy from Sink or Swim needs to trust others, take chances, and find a balance between work and her relationships; Kris Langley from Twenty-Five Years Ago Today must find the compassion to forgive herself, release the past, and embark on a new life; and the teenage Dawn from my YA thriller Dark Before Dawn needs to learn that what others think of her isn’t as important as what she thinks of herself.
 
Find Stacy Juba at these places:
Website: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Juba/100155471301
Twitter https://twitter.com/stacyjuba
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2988212.Stacy_Juba
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/stacyjuba/
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Stacy-Juba/e/B002OXLSDE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Read these titles by Stacy Juba:
Adult Books:
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today
Sink or Swim
25 Years in the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look Back
Laundry Day (free short story)
Fooling Around With Cinderella (upcoming)

Young Adult:
Dark Before Dawn
Face-Off

Children’s Picture Books:
The Flag Keeper
The Teddy Bear Town Children’s Bundle
 

3 comments:

E. Ayers said...

Stacy, I think your newest book sounds like the perfect read. More of a cozy than an edge of the seat thriller. It's going into Kindle!
:-) Thanks for the great interview and letting us see a little more of what you write.

Jane Leopold Quinn said...

Sink or Swim sounds really interesting, Stacy. The premise of the after-show life of a reality show contestant is brilliant. I'm not into watching reality shows but the people in them fascinate me. Thanks for being here today.

Stacy Juba said...

Just getting back from vacation - thanks so much for hosting me and for the nice words! Sink or Swim was a fun book to write and I hope readers enjoy it on the beach this summer.