018 Author Interview with Stacia Stark

Today we're absolutely thrilled to have Stacia Stark, author of the Kingdom of Lies series we've been obsessing over. Join your Matrons Saints of Spice, Jenai Auman, Kate Boyd, Liz Daye, and Sarah Lewan as we're diving deep into how fiction builds empathy while nonfiction can't, why religious hypocrisy hits different when you have ADHD and justice sensitivity, and how writing becomes free therapy for both authors and readers. Plus, we're talking about the beautiful complexity of female characters who get to be angry, brave, and morally gray all at once—because apparently women containing multitudes is still revolutionary.Topics Covered:* How the romance and fantasy author community became the most supportive hype squad in publishing, and why authors spanning different genres create the best creative conversations* The fascinating process of world-building from a single scene (Prisca getting pushed off a cliff by her mom) versus building from historical inspiration like female gladiators who were erased from history* Why fiction reaches people that nonfiction never could—because nobody's reading your article titled "The Damage of Religion" if they're not already convinced, but they'll pick up a fantasy romance* How religious hypocrisy and justice sensitivity fuel storytelling, plus the beautiful irony of people trying to co-opt your authorial intent to serve their own propaganda machine* The psychology of why highly intelligent people get sucked into cults and conspiracy theories (spoiler: they think they're too smart to be fooled), and how cognitive dissonance makes people cling harder when presented with contradictory evidence* Why writing complex female characters who choose bravery despite consequences feels revolutionary after centuries of women being portrayed as either pure victims or wicked temptresses* How fiction gives permission for anger, complexity, and self-assuredness that many women never received elsewhere, plus the healing power of seeing grief around not knowing who you really are* The community aspect of bravery—how characters lean on sisterhood and female friendship to do hard things, which mirrors what we need in real life right nowReading fiction isn't escapism—it's empathy training, and sometimes asking "What would Madinia do?" is exactly the kind of feminine rage energy we need to channel. 🔥✨📚Timestamps: 02:00 From Copywriter to Fantasy Author: Stacia's Writing Journey 05:00 The Romance Author Community as Ultimate Hype Squad 08:00 World-Building Process: Historical Inspiration vs. Single Scenes 14:00 Complex Character Development and Learning to Love Villains 20:00 Fiction as Empathy Builder vs. Nonfiction's Limitations 24:00 Religious Trauma, Hypocrisy, and Justice Sensitivity in Writing 31:00 When Readers Try to Co-opt Your Authorial Intent 37:00 Fiction's Unique Access to Different Worldviews 42:00 Losing Empathy and Patience in Current Political Climate 48:00 Why Smart People Fall for Cults and Conspiracy Theories 52:00 Permission to Be Brave, Angry, and Complex as Women 58:00 Self-Assuredness, Moral Clarity, and Feminine Rage as Resistance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit irsbpodcast.substack.com