The Informal Scoop

How old are you?

Old…….er. I was born in 1952 in East St. Louis, Illinois. I remember the Beatles when they were new, the Vietnam war, black and white television, St. Louis before the Gateway Arch, and listening to the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series with players like Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver.

Where are you from?

Southern Illinois from 1952 until 1974 Chicago from 1974-1975 Nebraska from 1975 until now.

Where did you go to college?

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Class of 1973.

Where did you learn to write?

I don't know. I've always loved to write and my junior high and high school teachers seemed to think I had a "knack" for it. I have a B.A. in French and took one creative writing class after I moved to Nebraska.

What about the fiction writing?

I began "playing with imaginary friends" (writing fiction) when, as a result of teaching my four homeschooled children Nebraska history, I was personally encouraged and challenged by the lives of pioneer women in the West. I began writing scenes in the life of a Nebraska pioneer woman for my own entertainment. That story took on a "life of its own," and became my first book Walks the Fire which was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1995.

Do you have children?

Five. Two married, three singles (I am step-mom to one, although hopefully not an evil one.)

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Ride Kitty, travel, quilt (I have a red and white appliqué quilt in the frame), volunteer at church or the International Quilt Study Center, read read read about France, Italy, Hawaii, quilts, writing (yes, when I'm not writing I read about writing), savor good coffee,attend live music performances in small venues, and listen to Luciano Pavarotti, Keali'i Reichel, Josh Groban, Taj Mahal, Brooks Williams, Shannon LaBrie, Michael Card, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Schubert, Handel, Chopin, Danny Ho, Keb Mo, Vance Gilbert. . .so much music, so little time.

What are your core beliefs?

Every word of the Bible is true. Jesus Christ is alive. He walked this earth as a man without giving up His deity and died on a cross to close the gap between me and a holy and just God. He took my sins upon Himself on that cross and on the day I placed my faith in Him, God accepted his death on my behalf, thereby erasing my personal debt for my own sins and crediting Christ's righteousness to my account. Christ intercedes for me and because of what He did for me on the cross, I am a child of God, held in the everlasting arms, protected from all arbitrary harm, and promised eternal life. Death is only a temporary separation for those who know Christ and therefore I will someday see not only Jesus, but also many of my loved ones face to face. Heaven is a real place and I am going there. Hell is also a real place and those who do not know Christ are going there. "Graves are only doorways cut in sod," to quote Calvin Miller. What I do here on earth has consequences for time and all eternity and God works all things out for my eternal good and His eternal glory. It is my utmost duty to use my creative gifts to share the blessed hope of eternal life with those around me.

The Official Blurb

A native of southern Illinois, Stephanie Grace Whitson 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 numerous times 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, two college students, and a high school senior, 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.