Stacey Spangler became a writer in the most unusual of ways.
"I've always enjoyed writing, but being an author was never on my radar," says Spangler, who moved to Bentonville about three years ago. "I was actually going to school to be a veterinarian. But when I was 17, I was in a car accident that resulted in brain damage. Because of the injuries sustained in the accident, I wasn't able to complete the college courses. The main side-effect was a terrible short-term memory. Part of the physical therapy to improve my memory included writing things down. Everything. I had journal upon journal, and my bedroom and car were littered with Post-It Note reminders.
"This sparked my love of writing again," she marvels. "It wasn't my career, but I started writing articles and I launched my own blog. Eventually I wrote my first [Christian] novel, 'Road to Revelation,' which was based on the car accident experience. The sequel will be released in the fall of this year."
Spangler calls the day of the wreck "simultaneously the best day and the worst day of my life."
"At the time of the accident, I was in the throes of teenage angst," she remembers. "I constantly fluctuated between wanting to 'live right' but I had this equal pull to 'live fun.' There was a lot of internal dialogue, self-doubt and feelings of unrest.
"What I realized after the accident was that God loves me exactly as I am. I didn't need to pretend to be perfect to please Him, and I didn't need to compromise my beliefs to fit in. I could just 'be'."
That doesn't mean it's always easy, she's quick to point out.
"I am a hot mess. And I don't try to hide it," she says. "I wish I could say that since that moment, since waking up and having the realizations wash over me, that I have lived this revelation to the fullest each day. But the truth is, I haven't.
"I still stray and get caught up in who I think I should be, or who I think I need to be, and I forget that I am already exactly who God created me to be. He's allowed me to experience things, fail, and make certain choices so that I can be a source of authentic encouragement to others.
"But here's my biggest take-away," Spangler says. "No matter how far I wander (or drive away at full-speed trying to escape) as soon as I stop, God is always, always, always, right there. Joy, sadness, sin, praise, car wreck, motherhood, no matter my circumstances, He doesn't change. But I do, 100% of the time for the better, when I spend time with Him. I am thankful for such an intense wake-up call at a fairly young age that I can use as a centering point."
Spangler is the daughter of a preacher and was raised in church. "Yet, my faith isn't something that always comes easy to me," she admits, "and sometimes I feel like I have to fight for it.
"I think one of the Christian stereotypes is that if you go to church, then you have it all figured out. I don't. Not even close. I know what I believe, but sometimes I have a hard time putting it into action. I feel like I'm searching for purpose.
"As far as 'fitting in' in church, I don't," she adds. "I feel like an outsider. I wrote a blog series titled 'I'm Not Wired That Way,' and it outlines some of the different reasons I feel out of place in church settings. A couple off the top of my head; I hate small talk; I don't offer platitudes; I need to be real and I expect you to be too. Oh, and, you know, I write serial killer stories. That's not exactly church-bulletin material."
In addition to her Christian novels, Spangler also uses the pen name Elle Iverson for her thrillers, the next of which, "Remember...," will be released in March.
"I find people follow authors," she says. "Writing in two genres has allowed me to share my Christian writings with some readers who typically wouldn't dabble in 'religious' books, and I've found that a lot of my Christian writing fans are huge thriller readers.
"All of my books are written in the same tone: Fast-paced and character-driven. The content is wildly different, but the feel of the books are similar. I like to tell the story, so I don't use a lot of ink to go into great descriptions. I give enough for a general feel, but I let the reader's mind paint the picture.
"When someone reads one of my Christian novels I hope they feel encouraged. I like to offer humor and relatability in my characters and their situations," Spangler explains. "With my suspense novels (or serial killer stories, as I lovingly refer to them) I hope I've kept them entertained. I hope people close the book after reading it and think, 'that was a good story.' I hope they take a minute and run through the whole book in their mind and see all the pieces click together after reading the ending. I know that's what I do after I finish a good book. I like to sit on it for a few minutes and simply enjoy that story. I hope my readers do the same."
Spangler is also the author of a blog about parenting four children and their family walk with Christ.
"Our story, my story, is messy," she says. "It's not a straight line of conversion then walking each day in peace. It's a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Sometimes daily, sometimes for weeks on end. My blog is actually titled 'My Sacred Rollercoaster' because it highlights the highs and lows of my spiritual walk -- and motherhood, 'cause good golly, that's been a wild ride, too!"
NAN Religion on 02/15/2020