ReadVickiStewart

Website for author Vicki Stewart

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Gamàl Camel to the King is now available on Amazon!

When my daughter, Sarah, was younger and still in school, she told me someone was bullying her.  The Mama Bear in me, of course, became angry.  Then she told me how common it was happening to other kids at school and it became evident.  Our society had a problem.

So I decided to write a story for young children stressing the importance of faith, kindness, self-acceptance, and how everyone is created with a purpose.  We need to remember to see ourselves the way God does, not how the world does.

I wrote Gamàl back in 2015 and was ready to publish it then, yet a story for children comes across more vividly with pictures. I knew I needed an illustrator to bring Gamàl to life; however, I was very selective, and only one illustrator would do, my daughter, Sarah.  Since she was still in high school at the time, she wasn’t quite ready to take on the challenge of illustrating a children’s book with her mom.  So I decided to wait because she was the only artist I was willing to consider.

When I proposed the idea to her again earlier this summer, I was overjoyed when she agreed to do the drawings and asked if her girlfriend, Rebecca, could work on the book with us.  Not one but two incredibly talented artists working on my book? How could I possibly refuse?  Imagine my good fortune, as the shepherd in Gamàl also declares!

We are very proud to share this collaboration of faith, acceptance, love, and kindness with you.

Click here to order your copy today!

Much love, Vicki, Sarah, and Rebecca

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Saving Jia Receives Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Review!

Many thanks to K.J. Simmill for the 5-star review from Reader’s Favorite!  It’s one thing to fall in love with your own story, and so gratifying when other’s do as well!

Reviewed By K.J. Simmill for Readers’ Favorite

“In Vicki Stewart’s Saving Jia, ‘It’s over for today. Tomorrow is a long time away,’ was the mantra Jia repeated to herself every day once her terrible vision subsided. She knew it was coming, it started like clockwork at 5:55 pm, the time her father had been declared dead after taking a bullet to protect his partner. There was so much he had still needed to tell her, so much she had needed to know. But her mother refused to allow any of his family close to Jia. It wasn’t until she returned to Boston, following in her father’s footsteps in law enforcement, that she uncovered the truth. Her father’s line had a gift, visions of the future. But with this revelation came another. She had an uncle, but unlike her father, he had turned his gifts toward seizing power. With her on the beat, there was every chance he would try to stop her. They shared a gift, they shared blood. But they could not be more different, and there is only room for one to survive.

Vicki Stewart’s Saving Jia is a gripping crime thriller with a touch of the supernatural. I loved the energy of this book. I was drawn instantly to the characters through the gripping narrative and whisked away on a journey of discovery. This was an unputdownable read that I devoured in a single sitting. I loved immersing myself in Jia’s life, watching her handle all life threw at her. I enjoyed the camaraderie between her and Ray, the feeling of the family not only at the place of work but with her newfound relatives. The characters are strong, realistic, and believable, which made this an incredible read. Danger, mystery, and a countdown to disaster play at the forefront of a plot where real strength is drawn from those you choose to surround yourself with rather than position. A thoroughly satisfying read from start to finish and entertaining from beginning to end.

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The Story Behind Saving Jia

Saving Jia takes place in modern-day Boston, Massachusettes centered around an Asian American family who possess special abilities they’ve inherited from their ancestors before them. As with anyone given great power, they are each faced with the temptation of using their gifts for good or for evil. Power of love or the love of power? It’s a more difficult choice than you would think.

Being a visual artist and writer, my book covers always precede my writing. The images I choose sets the tone for my stories and keep me focused as I write. Which is why Saving Jia took a bit longer to kick off than my previous books. The cover evolved over the course of several weeks and I went through many iterations before I knew it was perfect.

A key element in this story is actually one of my totally weird ‘tics.’ My favorite number is 5, so any time I see 5:55 on a clock (especially a digital clock) I become fixated and will literally stare at the clock for a full minute until it changes to 5:56. As I said, it’s totally weird. However, it turned out to be a really cool part of this story.

Just a teaser to let you know what I’m working on! Until next time, happy reading!

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I Am Admittedly Not Social Media Savvy

This admission is probably not a shocker to any of you. However, I have to be honest and confess social media is a struggle for me. I’ve tried Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and found I just couldn’t keep up.  I don’t know how you all do it!  So I’ve decided to stay true to who I am and go old-school website blog only from now on, focusing on my two greatest passions, writing, and cooking.

For those of you who also follow my food blog, ‘IfMyEyesCouldEat.com,’ you’re already aware that last spring, my husband and I published our first collaborative volume one cookbook from the website.  More exciting news there, we are about to publish a volume two cookbook in a few weeks featuring all vegetarian recipes!

For my ReadVickiStewart fans, I am happy to announce that I am working on a new stand-alone novel which I plan to release in 2020.  I’m still tweaking the cover a bit so I’ll post it on the site as soon as it’s ready.  I look forward to what you think!

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Shutter to Shudder Receives Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Review!

I am once again humbled and honored to receive a 5-star review from Reader’s Favorite!  Many thanks to Miss Sierra Edelen for the review!

Reviewed By Sierra Edelen for Readers’ Favorite

“An old camera, mysterious photos and a series of murders… Hailey Sloan is like anyone else, just trying to pave her way as a photojournalist. But when an old camera comes into her possession while helping her grandmother clean the attic, her life will change monumentally. A picture mysteriously shows up at the end of the reel on Hailey’s ‘new’ camera and it is a stunning photo of a red-haired woman, a dead woman. After tracking down where the body is, Hailey meets Officer Braden McGregor and so begins a challenging trial for everyone involved as more pictures show up. Follow Hailey Sloan in Shutter to Shudder as she tries to solve the murders before she herself gets caught in the trap.

Vicki Stewart knows how to write a thrilling novel and proved just that in Shutter to Shudder. It was filled with amazing plot twists and had a very good balance of themes and elements to the storyline throughout, as well as good character development.  Vicki Stewart did a wonderful job with her writing and created a riveting story for readers. I highly recommend Shutter to Shudder.”