Dedicated to S.C. Stephens ~ Can you relate?

Posted October 30, 2012 by Michelle in Extras, Uncategorized / 9 Comments

If you are an avid reader like me, I’m sure you can relate to the term #GirlCrush or #Stalker.  Do you have that “one” author who you are obsessed with?  You know, the one you constantly stalk on Twitter, Facebook, their blog, have Google alerts set up for anything that mentions their name.

Yes, I know they are human, they put their pants on just like us, they wash dishes, clean snotty noses, but somewhere, at some time, they wrote a book(s) that we have connected with like no other.  And we feel a bond with them.  My name is Michelle Eck, and my #GirlCrush is S.C. Stephens.

Like many others, I jumped on the “What To Read After Fifty Shades of Grey” train, which somehow led me to SC Stephens’ and her book Thoughtless.  Obviously, this book is as far from FSOG as you can imagine, which I am so grateful for.  But it’s a love story, and I am a sap for a good love story with a HEA ending.

I read Thoughtless at the beginning of June 2012.  It was a slow start at first, and I kept thinking, “Oh, maybe this is ‘clean enough’ that my daughter (who was almost 17 at the time) could read it also.”  Needless to say that thought didn’t last long.  I have told my daughter that I will introduce her to Kellan Kyle when she is in her 20s and then she will understand the term “fictional book boyfriend.”

Obviously, I immediately fell in love with Kellan and found myself rushing to finish the book.  However, I really hesitated reading Effortless because I wasn’t sure I could handle anymore angst.  I got my HEA, and I didn’t want to ruin it.  But someone posted on a blog that Effortless comes full circle and that Kiera is not as annoying so…

Effortless brought me to tears more times than I can count.   I remember reading in bed one night until 3:30 AM sobbing uncontrollably.  Whenever Kellan left Kiera, it brought back those memories of being back in college and dreading Sundays when my boyfriend (who is now my husband) would have to return to college, which was over four hours away.  And it meant weeks until I would see him again.  The first time Kiera and Kellan said their goodbye was so raw and full of emotion that I felt I was in the moment with the characters.

Effortless also brought me much laughter  as well, and I  remember reading many of the scenes to my husband.  (He says he loves to watch me read because my facial expressions are priceless. I’ve also been told that I would never be a good Poker player.)  The scene where they are having phone sex, and Kellan orders the Denver omelet was one of the funniest scenes from Effortless, but there are so many more.  And Effortless is without a doubt even better than Thoughtless.  Oh, and those notes that Kellan leaves Kiera…no words.  Just another reason why I love Kellan.

As soon as I finished Effortless, I quickly decided to find out who this S.C. Stephens person was.  I found her on Goodreads and decided that I would send her a private message thanking her for her stories.  I had never, ever written to an author before.  I had received a DM on Twitter from E.L. James thanking me for reading her books, and I had received a Tweet from Sylvain Reynard after I had read Gabriel’s Rapture.  But I had never, ever thought about sending a personal message to an author.   (At that time SC didn’t have a blog or Twitter).

Imagine my surprise when S.C. Stephens actually responded to my message.  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  It was truly in that moment that I realized that the authors are celebrities, but they are reachable.  They respond to their fans and are appreciative.  They don’t take their “fame” for granted.

Since my first private message to SC, we have corresponded a few more times.  And I can tell you that I still get all giddy when I see “SC Stephens” in my inbox!  And I am so excited to honor her today for her incredible writing, as well as creating that hunk of a man “Kellan Kyle!”

Thank you S.C.

One of my fellow lovers, Karen, attended the TFEiC event in Chicago, and this is what she got for me! 🙂

9 responses to “Dedicated to S.C. Stephens ~ Can you relate?

  1. Jean Bowden

    I felt exactly the same way after reading Thoughtless and have trepidation about reading Effortless…I need a break…but I will get there eventually…thank you for summing up how I feel and making me feel not so alone 😉

    • Michelle

      Oh, Jean, thank you so much for your kind words. If you have made it through Thoughtless, you must, must read Effortless. I didn’t think I could love Kellan anymore, but that man is amazing! Be sure to let me know when you have finished reading it! 🙂

  2. Beth

    I, too, love love love Kellan and the Thoughless and Reckless series. After finishing those book, I knew I needed more SC, so I stalked and found Collision Course. That book was A.MA.ZING! Cried like a baby and loved every minute of it. I am so excite more SC books are being published next year (and of course Reckless) because her character development and writing style is so fun to read.

    • Michelle

      Oh, Beth, you are so much braver than me. I have had Collision Course sitting on my Kindle forever and haven’t brought myself to read it yet.

      Thank you for taking the time to write. BTW, I’m thinking a National Holiday in March so we can all stay home and read Reckless for the day!

    • Michelle

      Thank you for writing Marion. I knew I would not be alone with my #GirlCrush. Poor SC, she’s such a private person that I’m sure this will embarrass her. But I truly felt the need to write how I felt. Have a great day!

  3. I can totally relate, I emailed SC Stephens a few times through Goodreads and she was always so gracious and thoughtful. I think Thoughtless is my favorite book series of all time.

    • Michelle

      Thank you for commenting Tracey. I knew that I was not alone in my “love” for S.C. Stephens. I remember the day the box came with the autographed books (which happened to be my daughter’s birthday). My daughter thought the box was for her so it was opened when I got home. I just held the books to my chest and screamed. And my daughter looked at me and said, “What is wrong with you?” She loves to read as well but hasn’t had the book(s) yet that has stolen her heart! Have a great day!

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