Staci Stallings Waits 20 Years to Share One of Her Best!

Finally on the plane, Jenna slipped the headphones over her ears and closed her eyes. She had never been a big fan of flying. That was why she and Jeff had gone to Colorado on their honeymoon. He had tried so hard to talk her into going to the Bahamas, but she wouldn’t budge—no flying, no way. The grudging compromise had been Colorado. However, she recalled with a smile, it wouldn’t have mattered where they were as they hadn’t seen much of anything for the week other than the inside of the cottage where they had stayed and each other. The opening strains of St. Elmo’s Fire poured over her like rain, and she settled in for the three-hour flight...
“Flight 259 to Newark, now boarding at Gate G-12.” Jenna gathered her things up once again, fighting the exhaustion with everything in her. One more flight and she would be in New Jersey—far, far away from Texas. If she could just get there, surely everything would be better. She glanced out the window once again, and apprehension rose in her. The cold January rain outside zigged and zagged down the windows in crazy patterns. This was something she hadn’t counted on. Flying was bad enough, but flying in the rain was worse. Thank goodness it wasn’t snow. Her courage was harder to gather up than her luggage. It was all she could do to keep her eyes from wandering back to that window—back to the dismal gray scene outside. “God, just get me to Newark…”
“Here.” With no further thought, Jenna jumped to her feet and yanked her purse up from the floor. “You can have my seat.” “Oh, no, we couldn’t.” The young man shook his head even as his eyes pleaded with her not to rescind the offer. “No, no, I insist.” She smiled kindly. “You two should sit together.” “Are you sure you don’t mind?” the young woman asked, her eyes spilling gratefulness everywhere. “No, of course not.” Jenna moved out into the aisle so they could slip in front of her. “We really appreciate this,” the young man said. “It’s her first time to fly...”
“Is this seat taken?” The man who sat by the window with his arm around the child looked up, and pools of clear blue gazed out from under the tumble of disheveled blond hair. “What? Oh. Uh. No. No.” Jenna wasted no time getting into the seat. She pushed her purse under the seat ahead of them. The flight attendant requested that seatbelts and tray tables be readied for take-off. But as Jenna reached for hers, there was an un-Godly scream from right next to her. Instinctively she put her hand out to sooth the child. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” she said without thinking. Suddenly she stopped and looked up in embarrassment. He was staring at her over the child’s head. Nothing moved. All she could see were the incredible blue eyes gazing right through her soul.

~~~

You might say Jenna was running away from home when she left for New Jersey, without even letting her friend know she was coming... She and her mother had still another fight and Jenna was angry enough to go ahead with her plans...

Even then she began to have "issues" getting a plane and moving on...It 's hard not to think of this story as a "God incident" while there were hundreds of other people who died in the crash of Flight 259. Still, it seemed like fate had a hand in ensuring that Jenna and Scott met on that flight... She had missed her first flight, had to change planes on an alternative flight and then willingly gave up her seat on 259 so that a honeymooning couple could sit together... She found the only seat available and sat down to meet Scott and his son... Scott later admits that it was love at first sight, but Jenna had gone through much just a short time ago and, initially, knew only that she was attracted to him, but that his little son gained the majority of her attention...

And then something hit the plane after they'd been flying for some time... But it had been time enough that, when, the plane was going down, all Jenna could think about was saving the little boy, Lane, and after she had passed him on to another rescuer, she once again went back to try to save Scott...

There was nothing that could have stopped her...Never again would she only watch in horror as loved ones were taken from her...This time, she was able to at least try to save both of her new friends...

And she did...

This is such a wonderful story of two strangers, who soon both loved a little boy who wanted nothing more than to be with those he loved...

This was Stallings first try at Christian contemporary romance and I believe, as do many other readers who could not forget the story, that it was meant to be told, to be shared... This is a book that once I started reading, I didn't want to stop, although finally, turning out the lights at 3 a.m. only to get up the next day to finish it. It's a page-turner, but a lovely story forces the need to move forward to see what happens...

Jenna had lost three beloved family members in a car accident. Since then she had been living with her mother who had grown dependent on her, wanting her to share her life, while at the same time, Jenna was 29, had never been that close to her mother who was, difficult, to say the least. And she knew it was time to try to move on. It would not happen while her mother was determined to dominate both of their lives...

Of the hundreds on Flight 259, less than 10 were saved. Scott and Lane would not have lived if it had not been for Jenna. Scott had been knocked out and also trapped but he was awake enough to seek Jenna's help to save his son... 

There is a delightful story of another survivor. But he had been on the bridge into which the plane had dropped... he had seen the plane coming and rammed his foot on the gas to clear the bridge before his car, too, would fall into the water... But once out of his car, the first thing he felt he had to do was jump into the river and swim out to find survivors. He had taken Lane out of Jenna's arms, thinking to give her more strength... When he saw her turn around to go back... Well, his life was changed from that moment...

The response to this story is emotion-packed. There is no way that readers do not begin to live through the lives of these three survivors as they come to heal after the accident, and get to know each other even more... The only sign of God is through Jenna's anger as she tries to understand the loss of her family...and then to come close to possibly losing the "potential" of a future as she struggled, dealing with her feelings of betrayal to the ones she had first committed her life to... 

When something goes wrong in our lives, many times we cry out in not being able to understand. Sometimes we become angry, even with God... But I have learned, as this story confirms, when one plan dissolves, perhaps one we chose for ourselves, if we open ourselves, there might just be another plan that He has faithfully arranged for those who seek him...

This is a wonderful story to read right now, as we watch and see the many lives being saved as nature has attacked those living in Texas this time... Sometimes disasters happen and there is no way to understand...But if we allow Him to be part of our lives, there is sure to be another path to travel... For some of you, this will be a must-read... I loved it and was energized and renewed watching God in action, even during a disaster...

Highly recommended...

GABixlerReviews

Fantastic YA-Adult Story by Staci Stallings - Whisper If You Have To: A Contemporary Christian Romance

“You ready for this?” Kyle asked when Chad slid into the front seat of the little four-door car. It wasn’t great, but it ran. And it was better than walking. 
“I was born ready.”  Chad shifted his attention to the back. 
“Hey, Brooke.” 
“Hey,” she said, but never really lifted her head. Kyle’s younger sister, Brooke, was never without a book in hand. So close in age, they were more like twins, the two of them were never far out of sight of one another even though they ran in completely different circles. Kyle, the school’s jock premier, was only eleven months and three weeks older than his little sister, and although Brooke’s taste ran more toward choir and books than basketball and baseball games, she never missed a one. 
Chad angled his gaze over his shoulder again as they pulled away from his house. “Are you studying already? School hasn’t even started yet.” 
“Finishing up her summer college credit thing,” Kyle supplied. “She may beat us to graduation.” Lifting his chin, Chad nodded in understanding. 
Kyle glanced across the seat to his friend. “So, senior year…” “Yeah.” Chad took a breath to steady the thought. “Who would’ve thought?”
...It was about five minutes after her mother dropped her off that Alison first had the thought, but it would be a million times after that one that the thought would attack her. Jefferson High was nothing like St. Ann’s. Nothing. 
Jostled in the hallways until she thought her brains would rattle free, Alison diligently worked through her schedule.  Trig, History, Computer something, French. She was in the courtyard at lunchtime, sitting up next to a pillar eating her chicken salad sandwich before she really realized there was no religion on her schedule. Perusing it again, she confirmed the fact with a munch into her sandwich. That would be strange. She’d had religion every single day for four years, and now suddenly it wasn’t anywhere on the list. Her gaze took in her final three classes—Physics, English, and Choir. Besides the Physics part, she was kind of looking forward to the rest of the day. Okay, so she would spend it alone as part of the wall like she had the first part, but at least she liked those classes. 
She let her head fall back onto the hard, scratchy pillar behind her and let the warm sun soak into her. Happy noises that she would never be a part of drifted around her, and she let those soak into her as well. Nobody had to tell her the loneliness this year would hold. She knew it when her dad announced the move back in July, and for all intents and purposes, she had already lived with the loneliness for the better part of five years. 
At that thought she yanked her head up. Dwelling on things that would never change no matter how much she wanted them to did no good. That much she had learned. Move on. Move on, and don’t look back. Pushing to her feet, she crumpled the bag and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. One swipe on her light blue straight skirt, and she yanked her backpack up from its resting place. Onward and upward. At least that’s what she hoped. 
“You headed to English?” Kyle asked, clapping Chad on the back as he leaned over to get a drink in the fountain. He stood to straight, wiping the water that had jumped onto his face. “Yeah. You?” 
“You know it.” Together they started down the hall.  “So, you going to the gym after school?” Chad asked. 
“Na, I figured we’d go to my place. The gym’s going to be a mob scene with all the wanna be’s.” 
“Cool.” Chad followed Kyle into the English classroom and right to the back where he slid into the desk right in front of his friend. “You got much homework?” 
“As little as possible.” The bell rang just as Mrs. Whitman entered. Chad sat up a little straighter. He’d waited three long years to get this teacher. She was the coolest of the cool, not because she goofed off but because she didn’t. However, that didn’t mean Mrs. Whitman’s class was boring. No, instead she was quite famous for her unorthodox teaching style...
“Let’s start over here in the corner. Oh.” She stopped with a jerk when she looked at Alison. Tilting her head, the confusion was evident. 
“And you are?” Alison cleared her throat but it didn’t do much good. “Al… Alison Prescott.” 
The teacher turned her roll around, located the name, and smiled. “Well, Miss Prescott, it’s great to have you aboard. Come on up, and get us started.” 
...Alison ducked her head to keep from staring at the two guys presently standing at the teacher’s desk. The white guy had longish blond-streaked hair that brushed the tops of his dark eyebrows in the front and the top half of his collar in the back. His smile was nice, but what she noticed most was the faded jeans ripped just so and the light blue knit jersey that set off his eyes. Something about them screamed, look how cool I am.
Just in front of him, talking to the teacher, was the black guy, leaning in to sign the roll—obviously a regular in the gym. His arm muscles rippled in perfect proportion down to his long fingers. He seemed as if nothing in the world ever had been or would ever be a problem. In a dark gray “Rock On” T-shirt, he looked the embodiment of cool confidence. The conversation came to an end, and the two made their way back to the back corner...

~~~

With all the turmoil happening in America right now, I found I needed to withdraw and pull away from the chaos coming out about our government at this time...

I scrolled through my options and pulled up a book by Staci Stallings, a Christian writer who I've accepted as a favorite for sharing God's love through her wonderful stories. This time, though, I got much more than solace, a time to watch as God could work in each of our lives...

Whisper If You Have To is

Powerfully Spirit Filled!

Timely For Today's World!

This book, for me, felt as if God had outlined the major issues we need to be reminded of today: racism, depression, pressure to succeed above everything, suicide, money, prayer-communication with God, and teen peer pressure...All that in one unforgettable story that is suitable for young adults and above. The two main characters are teenagers, but the adults and their roles play important parts as well. It is a book I immediately wanted to share with my niece...it's a beautiful love story of two teenagers from different cultures but who, readers begin to realize, are soulmates in the truest sense of the word... I loved this book and add it as a personal favorite for all time...

Alison and Chad met the first day in their English class, where they were immediately swept into a partnership on their first assignment. 

Alison had come from a religious girls-only school; her clothes were so different that, though she tried to be invisible, it didn't work? Who still wore straight skirts and blouses, with the same white sweater over her blouse every day. From the very first moment, Alison had noticed the two friends, one white, one black. After all, just looking at them and seeing the reactions of the others around them, Alison knew they were elite guys, probably even athletes, sure to never look her way... Still, they were soooo cool!

It was clear to Chad that Alice was new to school and was painfully shy in meeting others. Even after being matched for their assignment, Alison kept her head down, with her hair covering her face, until she was forced to deal with him...On the other hand, Alison wasn't about to allow him to know she was practically swooning and couldn't dare look into his eyes without totally embarrassing herself...

And so it began... While this is placed in the romantic genre, I would say that it fits more in family drama because it certainly is not just a "love story." First, neither Alison nor Chad shared anything about their personal lives, afraid to reveal just how different they probably were. It was Chad's friends, Kyle and Brooke, brother and sister, who little by little pulled them into their family life. 

Due to the complexity and interrelationship of the various plots, I've decided not to share much of the actual storyline. I do, want to highlight, however, the very awesome and amazing spiritual warfare scenes this book provides! I was gratified to see them included in a teen book especially to help our young people learn to pray and act on behalf of both their own needs as well as their peers. Kudos to the author for a truly inspiring novel that speaks, well, to the contemporary world in which we live... 

This is a personal favorite selection for me and, in my opinion, I have to call it a Must-Read novel! Buy it for your teenager children and read it yourself...then talk about it! There is soooo much in this book that responds to questions we all have. It's great to have such an excellent model against which a needed discussion could very well begin...


GABixlerReviews