Stacy Monson
Shattered Image
Chain of Lakes series, Book 1
Kiera Simmons is done with life in the spotlight. After a failed public relationship nearly landed her in jail, she forges a quiet life helping teens understand their eternal value and significance in a world run by the distorted messages of social media. Peter Theisen is on the fast track to everything the celebrity life promises – fame, fortune and women. Every step of his meteoric rise in the world of pop music has been planned by his ambitious manager. Meeting Kiera complicates those plans and alters his focus. Their sweet, unexpected romance is threatened by her past and his future, a life-changing diagnosis, and financial devastation. As they struggle to find their way back to each other, and to the One who matters most, the allure of wealth and fame may jeopardize everything.
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Behind the Story
They say, "write what you know." I obviously gave that advice little attention as my very first book, Shattered Image was about an aspiring singer and a beautiful spokesmodel. I can barely carry a tune, and I'm hardly model material (even in my prime!), but I have a great imagination. I've often looked at "celebrities" and wondered what their lives are like beyond the spotlight. When so-and-so gets off the stage, is their spouse at home waiting for them to take the garbage out like they promised? Thanks to social media, we all know that famous people do NOT have it all together. They put their pants on one leg at a time. They get cranky at loved ones. They probably get bored with their job.
And then I wondered if they sometimes wished they'd made different choices or not actually reached the level of fame they achieved so they could just run to the grocery store without wearing makeup. If they're single, how do they meet someone and have a "normal" relationship? Have they lost relationships because of their fame?
What's it like to stand in an arena and perform for thousands of people? Especially if it's a particularly bad day? To walk a runway and be scrutinized for not being thin or pretty enough? I don't know any famous singers, but I did learn some things about what goes into making a recording. The expertise needed is astounding. And I do know someone who has modeled most of her life, so we sat down to chat about what that's like (I took copious notes!).
As I wrote Shattered Image, I hadn't thought of it being the first book in a series. It was just a fun story to write. But as ideas formed for Dance of Grace, I wanted to be able to use Peter and Kiera for potential plots, so I used the fictional Faith Community Church as the spoke of the wheel of these loosely related stories. Turned out, the beloved Pastor Joel became the character appearing the most in all three books! A wise man God used to guide the lost souls of the stories to a relationship with Christ. I loved including him in each storyline.
Once Shattered Image was completed, I jumped right into Dance of Grace. I was on a roll!
What Readers Are Saying
"An inspiring, grace-filled tome with complex, authentic characters. Monson's self-publishing debut is a sweet romance that shines light on the nonglamorous side of modeling and details the challenges Christians face in the entertainment industry. Monson crafts an inspiring, grace-filled tome with complex, authentic characters. Real conflicts with no simple answers will keep readers thinking about Monson's book long after the last page."
"A job well done by this amazing writer!"
"Shattered Image is a really sweet romance. I wasn't a fan of Christian romance, but Stacy Monson changed that for me. A clean romance with real, pure emotions and real conflicts you can relate to."