Stacy A. Padula is the author of 3 book series, the founder of Briley & Baxter Publications, a co-founder of BLE Pictures, and the founder of South Shore College Consulting & Tutoring. Recently, she was named “Woman of the Year” by The CIO TIMES and “Top Global Impact Author of the Year” by IAOTP. Her Gripped series is currently being adapted for TV by Emmy® award-winning producer, Mark Blutman. She resides in Plymouth, Massachusetts with her husband Tim and their three miniature dachshunds, Baxter, Tony, and George.
Ready to Get Gripped?
What happens when your perfect life crashes down—and the people you trust most start hiding the darkest secrets?
In the Gripped series, dive into the raw, heart-racing world of Taylor Dunkin and his tight crew in Montgomery, Massachusetts. One brutal injury ends his college football dreams overnight. Suddenly, pills, parties, lies, and addiction take over. Friendships shatter. Families break. Mental health spirals. But amid the chaos, these teens face the real fight: finding their way back from the edge.
It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s full of moments that hit hard—because you’ve probably felt some version of that pressure, that betrayal, that desperate search for who you actually are.
If you’re dealing with tough stuff or just love stories that don’t sugarcoat life, Gripped shows that even when everything feels broken, hope isn’t gone. Forgiveness, second chances, and real strength can pull you through—with a little faith lighting the way.
Then check out the Montgomery Lake High series—where high school drama gets even more intense. Bullying, cliques, first crushes, loyalty tests, and those inner battles between right and wrong. Chris Dunkin, Courtney Angeletti, and the rest are just trying to survive the hallways, the rumors, and their own doubts. Peer pressure hits hard, temptations pull you in every direction, but these stories prove you can stand strong, choose what’s real, and come out tougher on the other side.
Shifting to the youngest of readers, the On the Right Path series (co-authored with NBA coach Brett Gunning) delivers joyful, basketball-themed adventures that teach timeless life lessons to children ages 3–8. Picture vibrant courtside stories starring relatable kids like Jayden, Jasmine, and their friends as they dribble, pass, and shoot their way through everyday challenges and big-hearted moments. Each book in the six-book series spotlights one of six foundational pillars: Loving Others, Being Unselfish, Staying Healthy & Strong, Showing Respect, Showing Forgiveness, and Having Fun. With bright, energetic illustrations by Maddy Moore and a fun, uplifting tone that makes every page feel like a slam dunk, these books turn important values into stories kids beg to read again and again.
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