Stephanie Sanders is a Christian fiction author who writes stories of suspense, faith, and redemption. She strives to create authentic characters who face real-world struggles and discover lasting hope in Jesus.
She started writing stories when she was 12 years old and eventually earned a BA in English. After several years of teaching high school, she became a stay-at-home mom to two little girls and started focusing on her writing again.
Stephanie is an avid reader who loves drinking coffee, hiking, and getting lost in her many artistic hobbies. She and her husband live in Canton, Ohio with their two little girls, a cat named Melvin, and fifteen chickens.
Visit Stephanie Sanders online
Hooked
A FAMILY VACATION. A SECRET RELATIONSHIP. A STALKER IN THE SHADOWS. Lexi Martin thought the Outer Banks would be a refuge—an escape from her anxiety and the ache of long-distance love. A place of peace carried in on the familiar Hatteras tides. But then the messages begin. An anonymous admirer. Photographs taken too close for comfort. Someone is watching. Someone who always seems one step ahead. At the same time, an old friend steps back into her life. His steady presence stirs up the past, forcing Lexi to face memories she thought she’d buried. Danger escalates and now Lexi is caught between a secret relationship, a stalker in the shadows, and her brother’s best friend. As the secrets multiply and fear threatens to consume her, she questions who she can really trust and whether she can rediscover the faith she’s long abandoned. Because the stalker isn’t just watching anymore—he’s setting the hook.
- ISBN: B0G3WF3FGS
- Publisher: Indie Published
Interview with Stephanie Sanders 2026
Stephanie Sanders is a debut Christian fiction author and full-time mommy to a toddler and a baby. Rather than viewing motherhood as a trap or inconvenience that prevents her from engaging in a career, as so many women are mislead into believing today, Stephanie credits it for enabling her to pursue this passion.
“Being a stay-at-home mom has given me the opportunity to slow down after years of juggling multiple jobs and having little time for myself,” she shared. “After leaving my jobs, I found myself with more free time and began writing again simply for fun. Writing has given me a secondary purpose alongside my primary one: being the best mom and wife I can be. I started sharing my stories with my sisters, and then I realized I could share my writing with a wider audience by pursuing publication. I began to pray about it and felt this was the path God was leading me down, at least for this season of my life. My continuing prayer is that God can use the writing of this stay-at-home mom to reach whoever may need it. Instead of following trends, I try to focus on what God is leading me to write, and I put my trust in Him to get those stories to the people who need to read them.”
Growth and Development of Writing
Although Stephanie didn’t become a published author until after she became a mother, her love for writing began when she was a child.
“I have always been an avid reader, which naturally led to me having a big imagination as a child,” she said.
That big imagination pushed Sanders to begin writing her own stories when she was twelve years old.
“I think the first story I ever wrote was based on an elaborate plot my sisters and I came up with while playing with our dollhouse. I realized that writing was a way to capture the things my mind created—a way to freeze the memories of our silly childhood stories in time. Even then, I was obsessed with feeling every emotion of the characters and would sometimes even cry over what they were going through.”
Although she lost many of those early handwritten manuscripts, Stephanie still has a folder with a few from that time period.
“Most were tied to the stories my sisters and I made up while playing,” she explained, “while others were loosely inspired by the Christian fiction I was reading. I also wrote a pretty funny series about my class at school, with all the boys cast as outlaws in an Old West setting, which I would read aloud to them during lunchtime.”
Sanders’ favorite book series to read when she was young included The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and The Hardy Boys. But by the time she was ten years old, she’d moved on to adult Christian fiction. Some of her earliest Christian Fiction favorites were Terri Blackstock’s Newpointe 911 series and Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason.
Although her reading preferences have gone through a few different phases over the years, she has always leaned toward suspense.
“As for writing,” Stephanie said, “I have experimented with several different genres, and my undergraduate thesis was actually a memoir. But because I love reading suspense, I thought it would be a fun challenge to try writing in that genre as well. Now, as an author, I plan to primarily focus on suspense unless I feel led to write something else.”
Stephanie’s great love for writing led her to pursue a BA in English.
“While earning my BA, I learned a great deal about the technical side of writing,” she shared, “but the biggest impact came from studying under so many different instructors. I believe my personal style is a blend of all those influences. The most important lesson I carried with me is that writing is never perfect and always has room for growth—and that it’s ultimately subjective. A single book can be read by a million people and experienced in a million different ways. Ultimately, I desire to write for Jesus and trust that He will guide me through the process.”
After graduating from college, Stephanie became a teacher who found herself learning and being inspired right alongside her students.
“As a teacher, I felt a responsibility to show my students that reading and writing could still be exciting, even in a world dominated by technology and short-form content. We did a lot of fun writing exercises, and I even hosted a winter reading program for several years to encourage students to read more. In the process, I found myself inspired to do the same and to continually grow and improve in my own writing.”
A couple years later, when she was a stay-at-home mom praying about the possibility of publication, Stephanie decided to embark upon the independent publishing route.
“I didn’t want my writing to feel like a career or something I had to do,” she shared. “Indie publishing allows me to write for the joy of it and to tell the stories God gives me without the pressure of strict deadlines or publisher expectations. I also genuinely enjoyed learning the technical side of the process, including formatting and cover design, which made indie publishing a better fit for me. However, I may still pursue traditional publishing in the future—maybe once my kids are in school.”
As you can probably already tell, Stephanie’s Christian faith has a massive impact on her writing and storytelling.
“My writing would be nothing without my faith,” she said. “God has given me a passion for writing clean, Christian fiction, and He shapes the stories I tell, the characters I create, and the messages I hope readers take away. Writing outside of faith-centered work wouldn’t feel authentic to who I am or the purpose He’s given me. Without Him, I can do nothing.”
Crafting and Experiencing a Debut Novel
Sanders pulls a great deal from her own life experiences when she writes. This helps her create characters who feel authentic and deal with real, raw emotions.
“I am especially drawn to character-driven stories because I love diving deep into how people think and respond in difficult situations.”
The yearly vacations her family took to the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, inspired Stephanie to write her debut novel, Hooked.
“I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew with a debut novel,” she shared, “so I picked a setting I was familiar with and loosely based Lexi’s experiences on some things that happened to me in the past. Much of the atmospheric details of the Outer Banks described in Hooked come directly from the vacations I took there each year with my family. I also grew up fishing, both in Ohio and in the Outer Banks, so details like the shark Lexi catches at the Point and even the seasickness on the charter trip mirror my own experiences. While Lexi’s situation is far more extreme, I have personally experienced an unhealthy, manipulative relationship, and I drew heavily from my own emotions when writing.”
One of the key themes throughout this book includes the dangers of prioritizing other relationships over our relationship with God. Hooked also addresses anxiety from a Christian worldview and ultimately points readers to Jesus as the true source of peace.
Writing the story that would become her first published novel brought Stephanie closer to God.
“It helped me realize, more than ever, that without Him, I am nothing. It taught me that my words are ultimately meaningless unless they are the ones He wants me to write. It also made me appreciate my favorite authors more than ever!”
Sanders hopes that as they read this book, people are encouraged to reflect on their own lives and consider whether they truly know Jesus as the Prince of Peace.
Living the Author-Mom Life
Most Significant Contributors to Publication Journey: “A few things stand out to me as especially significant. First, making a connection with Colleen Coble and receiving her advice and support was incredibly encouraging. Second, the support of others—there were many times I didn’t think I could do it, but with the encouragement of family and friends, I pressed on anyway. Also worth noting is my uncle is Mark Buzard, a well-known blogger in the Christian fiction community (Thoughts of a Sojourner). He played a big role in connecting me with Colleen Coble and was one of the first to nurture my love of Christian fiction—always lending me books or giving me entire series for birthdays and Christmas. While we may not agree on everything, we definitely have similar tastes in reading. He was one of the first people to read my book and his positive review meant so much to me!”
Most Enjoyable Aspect of Writing: “I love exploring characters’ emotions and vividly imagining each scene as it unfolds in my mind. Sometimes, I truly feel as if I am experiencing what my characters are going through myself! I genuinely felt sad after I finished writing Hooked because I didn’t want to let go of those characters.”
Toughest Part of Writing Suspense: “For me, I think the toughest part of writing in my genre is weaving red herrings and clues when keeping the antagonist a mystery. I want to leave subtle hints for readers without being too obvious, but I also don’t want the twist to come completely out of nowhere. Developing the characters comes naturally to me, but crafting the plot is always more challenging.”
Google Search History: “You wouldn’t find anything too crazy from my research for Hooked—mostly Coast Guard rescue procedures and geographical details. Of course, there are also plenty of searches related to indie publishing and graphic design. And as a little hint for the sequel, you might notice a lot of questions about sea turtles, park rangers, and even more details about the US Coast Guard.”
Funniest (Most Embarrassing) Moment as an Author: “I haven’t had many funny moments yet, but one that comes to mind involves my editor. She chose not to read her acknowledgment ahead of time because she wanted to be surprised when she received her copy of the book. Of course, after the book was published, I discovered a mistake in that paragraph. Ironically, the error completely changed the meaning of the sentence and made it sound as if the book would have been just as good without my editor.”
Most Heart-Warming Moment as an Author: “The most heart-warming experience so far has been receiving messages from former students who read my book and shared how much it meant to them. Knowing something I wrote connected with them in that way is incredibly special.”
Balancing Writing and Mommy Time: “I do most of my writing either early in the morning before my kids wake up or during their afternoon naps—if I’m lucky enough that they both sleep at the same time!”
Benefits of Indie Publishing: “I love the flexibility indie publishing gives me. If I need to step away from writing to focus on my family, there are no pressing deadlines, which allows me to prioritize what truly matters while keeping writing a hobby rather than a source of stress. I also enjoy having creative control and being able to make decisions at every stage of the process.”
Encouragement for Writer-Moms: “Don’t ever think of motherhood as a trap keeping you from doing things. Instead, savor the time you have with your children while they still need you and use your extra time to write—even if that’s only a little bit every day while the kids are napping. Life isn’t a race and neither is publishing a book. It may take a little longer, but you can be an author and a mom at the same time.”
What’s Next in terms of Writing: “I’m currently working on a sequel to Hooked, and I also have several other book ideas in various stages of outlining.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jenny Fulton is a wife, mother, author, blogger, and freelance writer. An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, she grew up hearing stories from my dad about the supernatural workings on the Navajo Reservation. As a child, she collected angels and loved anything related to fairy tales. Her days are now mostly spent raising my three young daughters and writing as much as time and opportunity allows. Follow her at her blog, Heart Soul Mind.
“Being a stay-at-home mom has given me the opportunity to slow down after years of juggling multiple jobs and having little time for myself,” she shared. “After leaving my jobs, I found myself with more free time and began writing again simply for fun. Writing has given me a secondary purpose alongside my primary one: being the best mom and wife I can be. I started sharing my stories with my sisters, and then I realized I could share my writing with a wider audience by pursuing publication. I began to pray about it and felt this was the path God was leading me down, at least for this season of my life. My continuing prayer is that God can use the writing of this stay-at-home mom to reach whoever may need it. Instead of following trends, I try to focus on what God is leading me to write, and I put my trust in Him to get those stories to the people who need to read them.”
Growth and Development of Writing
Although Stephanie didn’t become a published author until after she became a mother, her love for writing began when she was a child.
“I have always been an avid reader, which naturally led to me having a big imagination as a child,” she said.
That big imagination pushed Sanders to begin writing her own stories when she was twelve years old.
“I think the first story I ever wrote was based on an elaborate plot my sisters and I came up with while playing with our dollhouse. I realized that writing was a way to capture the things my mind created—a way to freeze the memories of our silly childhood stories in time. Even then, I was obsessed with feeling every emotion of the characters and would sometimes even cry over what they were going through.”
Although she lost many of those early handwritten manuscripts, Stephanie still has a folder with a few from that time period.
“Most were tied to the stories my sisters and I made up while playing,” she explained, “while others were loosely inspired by the Christian fiction I was reading. I also wrote a pretty funny series about my class at school, with all the boys cast as outlaws in an Old West setting, which I would read aloud to them during lunchtime.”
Sanders’ favorite book series to read when she was young included The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and The Hardy Boys. But by the time she was ten years old, she’d moved on to adult Christian fiction. Some of her earliest Christian Fiction favorites were Terri Blackstock’s Newpointe 911 series and Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason.
Although her reading preferences have gone through a few different phases over the years, she has always leaned toward suspense.
“As for writing,” Stephanie said, “I have experimented with several different genres, and my undergraduate thesis was actually a memoir. But because I love reading suspense, I thought it would be a fun challenge to try writing in that genre as well. Now, as an author, I plan to primarily focus on suspense unless I feel led to write something else.”
Stephanie’s great love for writing led her to pursue a BA in English.
“While earning my BA, I learned a great deal about the technical side of writing,” she shared, “but the biggest impact came from studying under so many different instructors. I believe my personal style is a blend of all those influences. The most important lesson I carried with me is that writing is never perfect and always has room for growth—and that it’s ultimately subjective. A single book can be read by a million people and experienced in a million different ways. Ultimately, I desire to write for Jesus and trust that He will guide me through the process.”
After graduating from college, Stephanie became a teacher who found herself learning and being inspired right alongside her students.
“As a teacher, I felt a responsibility to show my students that reading and writing could still be exciting, even in a world dominated by technology and short-form content. We did a lot of fun writing exercises, and I even hosted a winter reading program for several years to encourage students to read more. In the process, I found myself inspired to do the same and to continually grow and improve in my own writing.”
A couple years later, when she was a stay-at-home mom praying about the possibility of publication, Stephanie decided to embark upon the independent publishing route.
“I didn’t want my writing to feel like a career or something I had to do,” she shared. “Indie publishing allows me to write for the joy of it and to tell the stories God gives me without the pressure of strict deadlines or publisher expectations. I also genuinely enjoyed learning the technical side of the process, including formatting and cover design, which made indie publishing a better fit for me. However, I may still pursue traditional publishing in the future—maybe once my kids are in school.”
As you can probably already tell, Stephanie’s Christian faith has a massive impact on her writing and storytelling.
“My writing would be nothing without my faith,” she said. “God has given me a passion for writing clean, Christian fiction, and He shapes the stories I tell, the characters I create, and the messages I hope readers take away. Writing outside of faith-centered work wouldn’t feel authentic to who I am or the purpose He’s given me. Without Him, I can do nothing.”
Crafting and Experiencing a Debut Novel
Sanders pulls a great deal from her own life experiences when she writes. This helps her create characters who feel authentic and deal with real, raw emotions.
“I am especially drawn to character-driven stories because I love diving deep into how people think and respond in difficult situations.”
The yearly vacations her family took to the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, inspired Stephanie to write her debut novel, Hooked.
“I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew with a debut novel,” she shared, “so I picked a setting I was familiar with and loosely based Lexi’s experiences on some things that happened to me in the past. Much of the atmospheric details of the Outer Banks described in Hooked come directly from the vacations I took there each year with my family. I also grew up fishing, both in Ohio and in the Outer Banks, so details like the shark Lexi catches at the Point and even the seasickness on the charter trip mirror my own experiences. While Lexi’s situation is far more extreme, I have personally experienced an unhealthy, manipulative relationship, and I drew heavily from my own emotions when writing.”
One of the key themes throughout this book includes the dangers of prioritizing other relationships over our relationship with God. Hooked also addresses anxiety from a Christian worldview and ultimately points readers to Jesus as the true source of peace.
Writing the story that would become her first published novel brought Stephanie closer to God.
“It helped me realize, more than ever, that without Him, I am nothing. It taught me that my words are ultimately meaningless unless they are the ones He wants me to write. It also made me appreciate my favorite authors more than ever!”
Sanders hopes that as they read this book, people are encouraged to reflect on their own lives and consider whether they truly know Jesus as the Prince of Peace.
Living the Author-Mom Life
Most Significant Contributors to Publication Journey: “A few things stand out to me as especially significant. First, making a connection with Colleen Coble and receiving her advice and support was incredibly encouraging. Second, the support of others—there were many times I didn’t think I could do it, but with the encouragement of family and friends, I pressed on anyway. Also worth noting is my uncle is Mark Buzard, a well-known blogger in the Christian fiction community (Thoughts of a Sojourner). He played a big role in connecting me with Colleen Coble and was one of the first to nurture my love of Christian fiction—always lending me books or giving me entire series for birthdays and Christmas. While we may not agree on everything, we definitely have similar tastes in reading. He was one of the first people to read my book and his positive review meant so much to me!”
Most Enjoyable Aspect of Writing: “I love exploring characters’ emotions and vividly imagining each scene as it unfolds in my mind. Sometimes, I truly feel as if I am experiencing what my characters are going through myself! I genuinely felt sad after I finished writing Hooked because I didn’t want to let go of those characters.”
Toughest Part of Writing Suspense: “For me, I think the toughest part of writing in my genre is weaving red herrings and clues when keeping the antagonist a mystery. I want to leave subtle hints for readers without being too obvious, but I also don’t want the twist to come completely out of nowhere. Developing the characters comes naturally to me, but crafting the plot is always more challenging.”
Google Search History: “You wouldn’t find anything too crazy from my research for Hooked—mostly Coast Guard rescue procedures and geographical details. Of course, there are also plenty of searches related to indie publishing and graphic design. And as a little hint for the sequel, you might notice a lot of questions about sea turtles, park rangers, and even more details about the US Coast Guard.”
Funniest (Most Embarrassing) Moment as an Author: “I haven’t had many funny moments yet, but one that comes to mind involves my editor. She chose not to read her acknowledgment ahead of time because she wanted to be surprised when she received her copy of the book. Of course, after the book was published, I discovered a mistake in that paragraph. Ironically, the error completely changed the meaning of the sentence and made it sound as if the book would have been just as good without my editor.”
Most Heart-Warming Moment as an Author: “The most heart-warming experience so far has been receiving messages from former students who read my book and shared how much it meant to them. Knowing something I wrote connected with them in that way is incredibly special.”
Balancing Writing and Mommy Time: “I do most of my writing either early in the morning before my kids wake up or during their afternoon naps—if I’m lucky enough that they both sleep at the same time!”
Benefits of Indie Publishing: “I love the flexibility indie publishing gives me. If I need to step away from writing to focus on my family, there are no pressing deadlines, which allows me to prioritize what truly matters while keeping writing a hobby rather than a source of stress. I also enjoy having creative control and being able to make decisions at every stage of the process.”
Encouragement for Writer-Moms: “Don’t ever think of motherhood as a trap keeping you from doing things. Instead, savor the time you have with your children while they still need you and use your extra time to write—even if that’s only a little bit every day while the kids are napping. Life isn’t a race and neither is publishing a book. It may take a little longer, but you can be an author and a mom at the same time.”
What’s Next in terms of Writing: “I’m currently working on a sequel to Hooked, and I also have several other book ideas in various stages of outlining.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jenny Fulton is a wife, mother, author, blogger, and freelance writer. An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, she grew up hearing stories from my dad about the supernatural workings on the Navajo Reservation. As a child, she collected angels and loved anything related to fairy tales. Her days are now mostly spent raising my three young daughters and writing as much as time and opportunity allows. Follow her at her blog, Heart Soul Mind.
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