The Battle for Innocence

Stacy Padula, raised in Pembroke, Massachusetts, and a Presidential Scholar at Wentworth in Boston, initially pursued architecture and design but was drawn to literature and writing. After graduating, she briefly worked in architecture before transitioning to private education, publishing, and writing. She founded Briley & Baxter Publications, South Shore College Consulting & Tutoring, and co-founded BLE Pictures. Residing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with her husband Tim and their three miniature dachshunds, Stacy enjoys church, podcasts, skiing, online classes, following the stock market, attending Bruins games, playing fantasy sports, hosting Bible studies, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.Stacy began her writing career as a teenager with the Montgomery Lake High series, addressing critical issues like substance abuse and bullying in realistic young adult fiction. Her first book was published shortly after college. In 2017, she launched the Gripped series, a prequel and sequel to her first series, which is being adapted for TV by Emmy-Award-winning producer Mark Blutman. In 2019, she wrote her first screenplay, an adaptation of her novel The Aftermath. In 2020, she co-authored the On the Right Path children's book series with NBA Coach Brett Gunning, endorsed by Joel Osteen, Mike D'Antoni, and Kevin McHale.Stacy's accolades include Marquis Who's Who in America (2018-Present), IAOTP's Top Educational Consultant (2019), Empowered Woman (2020), Top Inspirational Author (2022), Top Global Impact Author (2023), Female Visionary (2025), and The CIO TIMES Woman of the Year (2024). She was named a Social Impact Hero by Authority Magazine (2020), featured on T.I.P. Magazine's cover (2020, 2023), the Reuters Building in Times Square as "Empowered Woman of the Year" (2021), and the Planet Hollywood Jumbotron (2022). She was recognized as a Top 50 Fearless Leader (2023) and Top 25 Global Impact Leader (2025), and she was named to her region's "40 Under 40" (2023). Her novels Gripped Part 1, Gripped Part 3, Gripped Part 5, When Darkness Tries to Hide, The Aftermath, and The Forces Within won Readers' Choice Awards (2022-2025), as did her children's book On the Right Path: Book One (2025). She also served as a judge for the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards.