Jan 24, 2026
When your past comes back and shakes up your present, what are you supposed to do? Listen in as Stacy Ladyman and I chat about her novel, Shep and the King of Hearts.
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We talked about the origin of this story and how parts of her life inspired her to attend that gambling addiction talk and then how it helped her define this story.
I loved that she got to talk to those men and had pastors praying for her and the story.
It's a beautiful picture of how we're all broken and estranged and need to get back to a right relationship with each other and God.
Shep and the King of Hearts by Stacy J. Ladyman
Some wounds run deep. Love digs deeper.
As a hospital administrator, Chris Warren thrives on order,
control, and clean emotional boundaries. But when the father who
abandoned her decades ago stumbles back into her life—disheveled,
addicted, and clinging to what little dignity he has
left—everything she’s built begins to unravel.
Desperate for answers—and closure—Chris finds herself reluctantly
leaning on Shep, the hospital’s unorthodox, chaplain whose faith is
as bold as his sense of humor. What begins as a reluctant
partnership becomes something far more personal as Chris and Shep
navigate her father’s self-destruction, each other’s guarded
hearts, and the jagged path toward grace.
Inspired by true events, Shep and
the King of Hearts is a raw and redemptive contemporary
romance about love that doesn’t flinch in the face of failure. This
story invites you into a journey of second chances, spiritual
reckoning, and the unexpected ways love breaks through—when we
finally stop running.
For readers who crave romance wrapped in redemption and a love
story that heals more than just the heart.
Faith. Forgiveness. Falling in love. Begin the journey now.
Learn more about Stacy on her WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.
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