Fried Pies, a Dusty Laptop and Stories of Hope with Author Shelia Stovall
How a story, a dusty laptop and faith led Shelia Stovall to Weldon

Let me introduce you to Shelia Stovall, the author behind three of my favorite novels. She admits she doesn’t particularly enjoy writing, and yet, somehow, God put a story on her heart.

Actually, he put an entire town there.

That fictional town is called Weldon, and it has become home to characters and stories in Shelia’s three novels: “Every Window Filled with Light,” “Every Day Filled with Hope” and “Every Life Filled with Purpose.”

In the newest episode of my Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens podcast, I talked with Shelia about how Weldon came to be, the characters readers have come to know and love (and some to vehemently dislike), the unexpected way she became an author—and of course, fried cranberry pies.

Listen to Season 4, Episode 6 of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens in your podcast app or use the YouTube or Spotify links below.

From Librarian to Author

When Sheila and I recorded this episode, she was the director of a library in southern Kentucky. She has since retired, but her love of books and stories remain. She and her husband, Mike, live in the Kentucky countryside with their four dogs. They have two children and four grandchildren, and spending time with her family—especially her grandkids, is one of her greatest joys.

Shelia’s first Weldon novel, “Every Window Filled with Light,” was a double finalist for a Selah Award in 2022. Her second novel, “Every Day Filled with Hope,” was a finalist for both the Selah Award and Carol Award in 2023.

Her third book, “Every Life Filled with Purpose,” was released in 2025 and marked another exciting chapter in the story of Weldon.

Advice to Aspiring Writers

I asked Shelia to give advice to aspiring writers by filling in the blank, “Be prepared to _____________.” Here’s her list:

• Be prepared to Cry.
• Be prepared to Suffer.
• Be in it for the long haul.
• Be realistic about sales.
• Work hard.
• Go to writers conferences.
• Learn the business.
• Put yourself out there.
• Build a website and social media presence.
• Be able to take feedback.

The story of a dusty laptop

One of the best parts of our conversation is the story of how Shelia came to begin writing her books in the first place. There is a dusty laptop involved. And there is a goosebump-inducing moment when she heard God speaking to her.

You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear Shelia tell it herself, but it’s a good reminder that sometimes the things we’re meant to do don’t always begin with confidence.

Her first writers conference

Shelia credits her husband with giving her an important nudge early in her writing journey. He insisted she attend a Christian writers conference held in Marshall, Texas. It was there Shelia met New York Times bestselling authors Lisa Wingate (my favorite book of hers is “The Prayer Box”) and Judy Christie, and award-winning editor Jamie Clarke Chavez, connections that have not only become meaningful to Shelia’s writing career, but also as friends.

Welcome to Weldon

One of the things I’ve been curious about is how Shelia came up with the fictional town of Weldon. It’s a place that feels familiar and is easy to picture. Shelia reveals the meaning behind the name of the town, along with how some of the people of Weldon began taking shape.

Readers of the series will recognize characters including Emma, Harley, Casey, Becky, Mrs. Virgina, Luke, Carson, Minnie, and Ovaletta. The Weldon Novels are uplifting stories of hope and forgiveness—and that seems to be at the heart of what Shelia wants to give her readers.

My recommended Weldon reading order

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My best Southern friend, Tracey Deatherage, first introduced me to Shelia’s books and I will forever be grateful she did. Tracey and Shelia worked together back when Shelia still worked in human resources in the ag industry.

My sister Heidi who is a librarian at the Lake Benton Library in Minnesota, has read all three books in the series and has since shared her appreciation for them with so many patrons that the books are continuously being checked out and put on hold within the Plum Creek Library System.

If you haven’t yet started the series, here is a suggested reading order:

1. Weldon’s Secret Santa
A free e-book and a great introduction to the world of Weldon.

2. Every Window Filled with Light (A Weldon Novel Book 1)
The first full-length Weldon novel. (Amazon affiliate link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3SkiC23)

3. Every Day Filled with Hope (A Weldon Novel Book 2) (Amazon affiliate link to purchase: https://amzn.to/45Holly)

4. A Fork in the Road
A free e-book that fits into the Weldon reading journey.

5. Every Life Filled with Purpose (A Weldon Novel Book 3) (Amazon affiliate link to purchase: https://amzn.to/45MurRF)

Shelia also has another free e-book, “A Sassy Creek Christmas.” It’s a good read, although it isn’t connected to the Weldon novels.

If your public library doesn’t have these three books, ask them to add them to their collection. You can find the free e-books here on Shelia Stovall’s website.

There’s another trip to Weldon coming!

Fans of the Weldon novels will want to listen all the way toward the end of the podcast episode. Shelia shares that she is working on book four in the series. The current working title is: “Every Home Filled with Love.” She says the title could change before publication, but she hopes the book is ready for release in 2027.

Then she does something especially fun. She reads an excerpt from it! Now, a warning: the excerpt contains spoilers from the first three books. So if you haven’t read all three novels yet and you don’t want to know what happens, pause the podcast at 1 hour and 30 minutes and skip ahead to 1 hour and 35 minutes.

But if you’ve already caught up with Weldon? You are going to enjoy this little glimpse of what will be coming next.

And then there are fried cranberry pies

Food has a way of becoming part of a story, a character itself even. Ovaletta’s fried cranberry pies appear several times throughout Shelia’s stories and they were inspired by a real place (Habegger’s Amish Market in Scottsville, KY), plus her mom used to make fried pies.

Shelia gave me her recipe to share with you. (See the recipe card at the end of this post.)

The Nebraska Coat

Shelia has traveled to the Midwest several times so she tells me about a few of her funny adventures. One involved roast beef at the Shady Rest Motel in Arapahoe, Nebraska.

Another explains why she now owns a coat affectionally known as her Nebraska Coat. I won’t ruin the stories because it’s so funny listening to Shelia tell them.

From Kentucky to Africa—and Dauphin Island

God has not only led Shelia to writing, but through her devotion to the Lord, she has been on seven mission trips to Africa, experiences she has found to be immensely humbling.

Shelia and her sister also have a house on Dauphin Island, Alabama, which is available as a vacation rental. It’s funny how she divulges that she’s spent time there on a writing retreat but spent more time walking along the beach than writing.

You can learn more about reserving their house through Roberts Brothers Vacation Rentals—listing 025 The Sanderling.

I mentioned Dauphin Island in two podcast episodes about the trip my husband and I took to Gulf Shores—22 Places to Eat in Alabama’s Gulf Shores Area and Plan Your Coastal Getaway to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama. We love this area of the Gulf.

If you love an author, tell them

One of the most practical parts of our conversation was about something readers can do to help authors (and listeners to help podcasters): leave reviews and ratings.

Reviews matter. They give authors validity, credibility, and they help them understand what readers like about their work. And honestly, it helps build confidence because your reviews and feedback are what matter most. Without them, there’s just silence and it’s hard to know if your work is resonating and has meaning.

And the good news is you don’t have to write a book-length review to help.

Shelia’s advice is essentially this: think about what you would tell a friend over lunch about why you liked the book. Maybe you loved a character. Did the story give you hope? Was it hard to put down? Maybe it made you cry.

Write it down. Short and simple. Leaving the rating. Write the review. Trust that they are appreciated.

Books Shelia Recommends

I’ve now added these books to my Goodreads want to read list.

Ann H. Gabhart https://www.annhgabhart.com

• “The Pursuit of Elena Bradford”
• “Along a Storied Trail”
• “The Song of Sourwood Mountain”

Michelle Shocklee https://michelleshocklee.com

• “The Women of Oak Ridge”
• “Appalachian Song”

Sarah Loudin Thomas https://sarahloudinthomas.com

• “These Blue Mountains”

And two series Shelia recommends:

• Jan Karon’s Mitford Series https://www.facebook.com/JanKaron/
• Philip Gulley’s Harmony Series https://philipgulley.com/harmony-series-2/

Learn more about Shelia Stovall

Learn more about Shelia, her books and her awards at SheliaStovall.com. Her third novel is published by Elk Lake Publishing.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerSheliaStovall

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stovallshelia/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20932904.Shelia_Stovall

“Books I Love” on her Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/shelia1716/books-i-love/

Email: shelia@sheliastovall.com

Remember to listen to the full episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens (Season 4, Episode 6) wherever you listen to podcasts. I think you’ll enjoy Shelia’s sense of humor, her honesty about the hard work of writing, and her deep belief that some stories are worth telling—even when the writing doesn’t come easily.

Guest bio for Shelia Stovall

Shelia Stovall is an author, speaker, and a retired Director of a small-town library in southern Kentucky. Her first Weldon novel, Every Window Filled with Light, was a double finalist for a Selah award in 2022, and her second Weldon novel, Every Day Filled with Hope, was a finalist for a Selah award and a Carol award in 2023. Elk Lake Publishing released her third novel, Every Life Filled with Purpose on March 27, 2025 and it hit #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in the category of Contemporary Christian Romance on April 4, 2025.

Shelia and her husband, Michael, live on a farm, and she enjoys taking daily rambles to the creek with their four dogs. Spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, is her all-time favorite thing. The only hobby Shelia loves more than reading uplifting stories of hope is writing them.

Sweet wishes,