Welcome to my website. My name is Debra Guiou Stufflebean and I enjoy writing historical fiction and Christian children's books. I also like talking about my writing to small groups of interested people.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in the small southeast Kansas town of Buffalo, got married, moved to Chanute, Kansas, and became the mother of three daughters. After my youngest daughter started kindergarten, I went to college, graduating Summa Cum Laude from both Washburn University in Topeka and from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. I am the Director of Shepherd's Center of Topeka which offers life enrichment classes, programs and activities for adults 55 and older. I've had a varied career, starting out as a paralegal, then becoming a communications and marketing professor. Along came mid-life, (you know, when you feel like time is running short for accomplishing your dreams), and my husband and I decided to purchase the 1878 Sage Inn & Stagecoach Station, a six bedroom stone inn rich in Kansas history. It was a great experience, but a lot of hard work. After a few years we realized that we'd much rather be the guests at a b&b than the hosts. Not to mention how wrong I was about having "spare time" to write.
While I've written some serious stuff, in academics (published in several journals, including the National Journal of Forensic Economics and the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association) and write for the TOPEKA magazine, my true love is writing books, and even illustrating my children's books. Each of my books is as unique and varied as my background, and sure to entertain you.
Books in Print
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Untold Secrets
- Historical Fiction: Can memories be genetically transferred through DNA? Are dreams gifts from God? Untold Secrets spans over 150 years from the life of Mary Todd Lincoln in the 1830's to the life of Debra DeVereaux in 1980's. How can there be so many similarities from one generation to the next? Full of mystery, romance and philosophical discovery. To read an excerpt or print discussion questions, click on book cover. Read article in Topeka Capital-Journal. The book retails for $19.95. To purchase, follow the hotlinks below.
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Goodnight, Mary Ann: The LiveS of Mary Ann Sage
While I was the innkeeper of the Historic Sage Inn, I devoted a great deal of time to studying the history of the inn and the surrounding Mission Creek & Dover area. Fascinated with the lives of the wives of Alfred Sage, both named Mary Ann, I wrote the book, "Goodnight, Mary Ann: The LiveS of Mary Ann Sage." The book is a heart tugging adventure of the Sage's arrival into Kansas in 1854; a must read for anyone who loves Kansas history. Includes stories of John Brown, the sacking of Lawrence, the underground railroad, and the role of the Kansas Militia during Price's Raid in the Civil War. And as a special BONUS, the last part of the book contains recipes cooked at the Historic Sage Inn! Illustrated by the author. The book retails for $12.95. Follow hotlinks below to order. To read an excerpt, click on book cover. - A Star worth Sharing! Mr. & Mrs. Claus celebrate Jesus' Birthday Originally I intended to simply write a book that conveyed a family story for my grandchildren, about Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, but other's wanted one too!! A Star worth Sharing! was published by a Christian publisher that had never published children's literature but found the book to be wonderfully unique in the way that it tied the secular tradition of Santa Claus with the birth of Christ. It is hard cover, and illustrated by the author in color. Parents and grandparents will love reading this tale to children, ages 3 & older. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS ON-LINE SPECIAL OF $11.50. The book regularly retails for $15.95. To purchase, click below. To read an excerpt, click on the book cover.
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Recipes from the 1878 Sage Inn & Stagecoach Station [sold out!]
A unique feature of this cookbook was the inclusion of a pantry list wherein all recipes could be made if those items were kept in stock. Illustrated by the author. Click on book at right for free recipe and link to Historic Sage Inn. Destined to be a collector's item, so if you find this out-of-print book, snatch it up!
- Child of God
My second children's storybook, Child of God, is a "grow with your child" book telling the Christmas story but rather than ending with the birth of Jesus, continues to the ascension so that children understand the important secret of the Christ child - everlasting life. Words are simple enough for the youngest reader, but offers more advanced words which may be plugged into the text where simple words are highlighted. There is also a question on each page to encourage interaction with a parent. Each page is illustrated by the author in color. While the basis for the book is the Christmas story, this book also helps young children handle death and gives hope. This book was self-published in a soft spiral binding for ease in using tracing paper or making photocopies. The book retails for $12.95. All profit is donated to Christian youth projects. To read an excerpt, click on book cover.