Stacey Lee Books In Order

Publication Order of StaceyLee Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Strikeforce (2019) Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Author Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Chinese-American whose people came to California during the cowboys’ heyday. She believes that there is still just a bit of cowboy dust in her soul.

As a native of California, she graduated from UCLA before getting her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. She practiced law in the Silicon Valley for many years, and then started to write because she wanted all of the perks of being able to nap during the daytime. Plus, it was easier for her to do than moving to Spain.

She raises kids, plays classical piano, and writes young adult fiction. Her debut novel, “Under a Painted Sky” was released in the year 2015.

“Under a Painted Sky” is the first stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2015. Missouri, in the year 1849. Samantha has dreams of moving back to New York in order to be a professional musician, which is not an easy thing to do if you are a girl and even harder if you are Chinese. A tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dreams and she instead fears for her life.

With the help of Annamae, a runaway slave, Samantha flees to town for the unknown frontier. Life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for a pair of girls, so they disguise themselves as a pair of boys that are headed for the California gold rush named Andy and Sammy. Andy and Sammy form a powerful bond while they each search for a link to her own past and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention.

They cross paths with a group of cowboys, the lighthearted troupe winds up being some unexpected allies. The law closes in on them and some new setback hit them each day, the girls find they cannot hide for too long.

Readers enjoyed the female friendships explored in the book, as well as the Oregon trail. Samantha and Annamae’s friendship written in a way that grows and becomes something more mature and supportive over time, despite any differences in culture or race.

“Outrun the Moon” is the second stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2016. San Francisco in the year 1906. Mercy Wong, fifteen years old, is determined to break out of the poverty in Chinatown, and going to St. Clare’s School for Girls is the best hope she’s got. The school is off-limits to everybody, but the wealthiest of white girls, Mercy is able to get in through a mix of a little bribery and cunning, only to find out that getting in was the easy part. Mercy stands strong, not about to be undone by some spoiled heiresses. And then disaster strikes.

On April 18th, a historic earthquake knocks San Francisco around, and destroys Mercy’s school and home. Martial law is in effect, and Mercy is required to wait with her class for their families in a temporary park encampment. Mercy is unable to sit around while they wait for the army to bring help. Fires may rage, and the city may lie in ruins, but Mercy still has got the bossy cheeks that mark her like somebody that gets stuff done. What can a single teenage girl to heal so many that are suffering in this broken city?

Readers enjoyed the experience of reading about Mercy Wong, who is amazing and glorious. She is a unique character that is given something unique to do, as she is a female teenage entrepreneur, something not seen too often in fiction.

“The Secret of a Heart Note” is the third stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2016. Sometimes love is right under your nose. Mimosa, age sixteen, is one of only two aromateurs left on the whole planet, and she knows what her future holds for her. A lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking. All while she remains alone. For Mim, the rules have been made clear: falling in love would make her nose useless, taking her only great talent away from her.

Still, Mimosa does not want to spend her entire life deep in begonias and soil. She dreams of having a normal high school experience with sports practices, friends, debate club, and a boyfriend. She accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and must rely on the lovesick lady’s son, the star of the school’s soccer team, to help her fix things. Mim soon starts to realize that falling in love is not always a choice that you are able to make for yourself.

Stacey Lee wrote a novel here that is a richly evocative coming-of-age tale that gives a new perspective on falling in love as well as finding one’s place in the world. This book is romantic, hopeful, and romantic to boot.

“The Downstairs Girl” is the third stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2019. Kuan, seventeen years old, works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in all of Atlanta by day. At night, she moonlights as “Dear Miss Sweetie”, the author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady. Her column becomes extremely popular, and uses her power of the pen to address some of the ills of society, but she is ill prepared for the backlash that comes when her column changes some fixed ideas on gender and race.

Her opponents clamor to reveal the secret identity of Miss Sweetie. At the same time, mysterious letter sends Jo on a search for her own past as well as the parents that abandoned her when she was a baby. When her efforts put her in the cross hairs of Atlanta’s notorious criminal, Jo has to decide whether she is ready to step into the light after getting used to living in the shadows.

This novel is poignant, clever, and funny and is Stacey Lee at her absolute best. The story is a gorgeous tale that is sure to steal the hearts of anyone who reads it.