Nancy Stancill

    Nancy Stancill spent 38 years as a newspaper reporter and editor before she began writing fiction full-time. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she earned an M.A. in creative writing from the University of Tampa in 2015.

   Her works include Saving Texas (2013), Winning Texas (2016), Tall (nonfiction, 2020), and Deadly Secrets ( 2024).

  More on Nancy is here.

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‘A warning disguised as entertainment’

By

July 2, 2025

Nancy has garnered a five-star review for “Deadly Secrets” at Literary Titan, an Irvine, Calif.-based publisher of fee-paid reviews of fiction and nonfiction works. Here’s what Editor-in-Chief Thomas Anderson had to say about “Deadly Secrets:”

“Deadly Secrets” is a high-stakes political thriller that drops readers straight into a near-future America fractured by extremism and secession. Centered around Annie Price, an investigative journalist still healing from a past ambush, the story unpacks the creation of a new state called Westcarolina – a theocratic breakaway backed by religious fanatics, corrupt politicians, and shadowy powerbrokers. As Annie chases leads through bombings, government secrets, and personal betrayals, the book balances political commentary with the pulse of a fast-paced mystery.

Let me just say it up front: I devoured this book. The writing has that brisk, no-nonsense cadence you want in a thriller – nothing bloated or overly poetic. Every sentence moves the story forward. Nancy Stancill doesn’t waste time. Her protagonist Annie is sharp without being snarky, tough without being cartoonish. And while the plot careens through explosions, shady politicians, and mounting paranoia, it never forgets the emotional toll all this takes. Annie’s moments of doubt and trauma hit hard. You don’t just watch her chase a story – you feel the cost.

Some characters lean toward caricature, especially the villains. Reverend Kingston Avery, the zealot who builds a “Christian state,” reads at times like a mashup of every televangelist villain trope. That said, his hypocrisy and ambition feel eerily relevant. What really surprised me, though, was how layered the story becomes – especially in the way it weaves Annie’s personal entanglements with broader questions about truth, faith, and power. The romantic subplot adds tension without slowing things down, and there’s this subtle ache in Annie’s longing for normalcy that sneaks up on you.

“Deadly Secrets” feels like a warning disguised as entertainment. It’s a propulsive, emotionally grounded novel that juggles political fiction, crime drama, and character study without dropping the ball. I’d recommend it to fans of investigative thrillers, political dramas, and anyone who likes their mysteries with a bite of real-world grit. If you’ve ever wondered how close fiction can creep to reality, this one might leave you a little uneasy, in all the right ways.

– Thomas Anderson
Editor-In-Chief, Literary Titan

Filed Under: Deadly

Great time in Belmont

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May 30,2025

I had a great time at the Belmont Bookshop. Ann Doss Helms, a friend and former fellow Observer reporter, asked her usual intelligent questions and I got to mingle with a nice crowd at the bookstore.

Filed Under: Deadly

Back at Happy Bookers with ‘Deadly Secrets’

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May 17, 2025

I was especially honored on May 15 when the Happy Bookers book club asked me to give a presentation on my political thriller, Deadly Secrets.

I really enjoyed talking about it with my Q&A partner, Diane Lumpkin (center back). It was special because l’ve been a member of this beloved club for 25 years.

 

Filed Under: Deadly

Join May 30 talk about ‘Deadly Secrets’ in Belmont

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May 11, 2025

I’m going to be a featured writer at Belmont Bookshop’s community night on Friday, May 30 from 6-8 p.m. Wine, beer, appetizers and the lovely and talented Ann Doss Helms to question me about “Deadly Secrets.”
 
 

Filed Under: Deadly

Journey to center of Helene need

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May 2, 2025

I really enjoyed visiting two nonprofits in Asheville to which I’m donating half the proceeds of my new book, Deadly Secrets.

Alyce Lentz-Sharpton, top, is media director of Hearts With Hands.org, Becky Davis is senior development officer of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, which has given $32 million to more than 400 nonprofit organizations to help disaster victims.

In bottom picture, Alyce Lentz-Sharpton shows popular cleaning products at the giant warehouse for victims of Hurricane Helene.

After the visits, I was so happy to reach for my credit card to make significant donations to both charities.

Filed Under: Deadly

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