Thriller novelist career…

While attending NIACC, Staci took a few writing courses. Her professors took the time to encourage her to continue writing and go after what she really wanted to do with her life—become a successful, published novelist.

Staci’s first novel, Lake Laps, will be released by Pegasus Publishers in December of this year. Lake Laps is a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Finalist in the Suspense Category and 2023 Literary Titan Silver Award Winner. The novel also made the 2023 Hawthorne Award Shortlist and 2023 Page Turner Award Longlist for Screenplay Adaptation Needed.

Her second novel, Fraidy Hole, will be released by Black Rose Writing and Tantor Media (audio) in November of this year. Fraidy Hole is a 2023 Literary Titan Gold Award Winner and earned Honorable Mention at the 2023 Hollywood Book Festival.

Staci has written two other thriller/suspense novels slated for publication. Beneath Her Lies(previously named Buried Aces) won the 2023 Literary Titan Gold Award and will be released by Kingsley Publishers in spring 2024. Thrive: Ghosts in the Glades is a 2023 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Finalist for Best Southern Gothic and made the 2023 Page Turner Award Longlist for Screenplay Adaptation Needed. The novel’s release date hasn’t been established yet.

In May 2023, Staci reached out to DCTC Facebook with a heartfelt message: “I guess I just wanted to say thank you. Without the support of your professors and the guidance that I required to even determine a career path early on, I would have never even dreamt of tackling one of my greatest dreams. It is because it started with you, I can now proudly say that I am a suspense author.

“Who knows where this will lead? My daughter is a special education teacher, and I see the shortage in teachers that is happening in this country. Please know that you are seen, you are heard, and you are desperately needed.

“I almost didn’t go to college back then. It took a dedicated office staff putting up with a million questions from a 17-year-old kid whose parents never went to college and the loving and calm demeanor of my professors that took the time to show me the way to get me onto a stable career path and build my confidence. To you all, I humbly say thank you.”