Interview with Amber "TIff" Stockton

Tiffany Amber Stockton is an author, online marketing consultant, and web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart, and their baby daughter in Colorado. They also have a vivacious Border Collie mix named Roxie. Amber has sold eight books to Barbour Publishing with more on the horizon. Other writing credits include five short stories for Romancing the Christian Heart, and contributions to Grit for the Oyster and 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage. Her goal in writing is to convey the message that God is always present, even during the most difficult circumstances. Read more about her at her web site: www.amberstockton.com.

1. How has being published changed your life?

It has given me a new leash on life, so to speak. Now that I’ve sold and am starting to establish readers, I’m receiving feedback on how my books have touched their lives. It’s an amazing testimony to read how the words I’ve written have spoken to someone who has read them. God has given me this gift, and I’m thrilled beyond words to have the opportunity to use this gift to His glory.

2. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Well, that all depends. If you’re asking why I write historical fiction, it’s because I’ve always been fascinated by history and the people who have gone before us. But history class bored me to tears. So, I love telling those stories through the eyes of people who lived it. Bringing it alive to my readers and perhaps helping them gain a better appreciation or understanding is a welcome challenge.

Now, if you ask why I write romance, that’s because I enjoy the process of taking God’s love for us and turning into a ‘happily ever after’ story. If you believe in God and His promises, you know that no matter how bad things get, there is hope, and things will get better. Romance, for me, allows me to demonstrate that hope. I depict characters enduring what might appear to be impossible situations. By going through them and rising above them, especially in regard to relationships, the characters glimpse that hope and experience the happy ending.

3. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Oh, that’s easy. July 28, 2007 when I married the love of my life, Stuart. The next is the day we celebrated the birth of our first child. We are proud parents to an 8-month-old little girl, and life is fantastic. The next happiest day would be when I sold my first book in December of 2006.

4. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Trust. The past few months have been a bit rough with the economy and seeing a lot of my design business decline. People are cutting everywhere they can, and a web site is an expense that can wait for most. Plus, income as an author is sporadic. But, regardless, God always provides, even if it’s just a few extra dollars to get us through the next day. I have a tendency to be concerned about paying bills, but God is telling me to trust Him. He’s got it all under control and He will provide. My security is not in my job. It’s in Him. And it’s a daily process for me.

Thank you, Amber, for a glimpse into your life. I've enjoyed all of your books and know your readers will be thrilled with Copper and Candles and your newest one, Patterns and Progress.

Copper and Candles

From the moment Felicity Chambers and Brandt Dalton run into each other literally and wind up with the wrong lunch pails, their lives become a collision course that will bring them both to a new understanding of who they are. Felicity is the daughter of a wealthy family and is involved in charity work that takes her into a candle factory as a lowly worker. She is helping Lucy Gibson, a widow expecting a child and unable to work, and Felicity is determined that Lucy will not lose any wages because of her health. Brandt is working in one of his father’s factories as a regular laborer so that he can learn the business from the bottom up. Since neither one knows the other’s background, the growing attraction between these two reveals the attitudes of the wealthy toward the working class in 1879’s Detroit. Author Amber Stockton has done a wonderful job of showing the contrast between the two levels of society as well as giving us two characters who love the Lord and want to do what is best for the people with whom they come into contact in the factories. Amber weaves a story fraught with deception but filled with love and concern for others. When the deception drives Felicity and Brandt apart, God shows once again how bad things work for good when people follow His will and are obedient to His calling.

Becoming Lucy

I'm so pleased to announce the publication of Becoming Lucy, the first book in the series, Winds Across the Prairies from Strang Publications. It will be on the bookstore shelves on January 5, 2010.

Other books in the series include Morning for Dove and Finding Becky. The fourth title is yet to be determined.

In The Familiar Stranger, author Christina Berry takes the reader on a journey in a marriage that is on shaky ground. Dark secrets from Craig Littleton’s past threaten to ruin his life completely even though he is on that road to destruction before an accident lands him in the hospital with only a fuzzy memory of his past. As his wife Denise helps him to recover bits and pieces of memory, those secrets are revealed. Now they must make choices that will either bring forgiveness and trust or tear the marriage apart forever. Berry’s characters are finely drawn and evoke both sympathy and anger as they travel the path God has set out for them. Will that path lead to a restored love and marriage, or has deceit destroyed all hopes of reconciliation?

This book was sent to me by the author for the purposes of a blog tour. Please leave your comments or questions for Christina. Her next interview will be with
Delores Liesner http://www.deloresliesner.blogspot.com &
http://www.examiner.com/x-8081-Milaukee-Christian-Living-Examiner

The Familiar Stranger

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Here is an interview with Christina Berry. I met her at the conference and she is a delightful young woman.

How did you come up with the story?

In the summer of 2006, two stories appeared in the newspaper. One was a huge, national story; the other a smaller, local-interest item. I wondered what it might look like if those two stories conceived a child. Boom! I had the entire plot for The Familiar Stranger. It will be interesting to see if readers can figure out which stories inspired the book.

What challenges do you face with your writing? What comes easy to you?

As a single mother of young children, and currently serving as a foster parent, time is my biggest challenge. I have to make sure my family knows they come first, but to balance that with treating writing as a career.

Strength-wise, while the idea of writing or editing may seem hard, I usually get quite a lot done in a short amount of time once I start. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. That applies to our writing. A little momentum can go a long way!

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading your novel?

The recent changes in my life—losing my husband, facing finding a “real” job, selling my home—have done nothing but solidify what I hope to be the theme of the book and my life: Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly. If reading The Familiar Stranger makes even one man or woman be more honest with his or her spouse or delve into trust issues in a healthy way, I’ll consider it a success. Maybe there’s a hurting heart that can find a new path to forgiveness because of the story.

Whose work do you admire and how has it influenced you as a writer?

Most of my favorite authors have voices I never dream to come close to: Nancy E. Turner, Jane Kirkpatrick, Leif Enger, Francine Rivers, or Randy Alcorn, to name a few. The writers that really influence my stories are ones that examine the real grittiness of life like Roxanne Henke, Bette Nordberg, and James Scott Bell.

What made you start writing?

Buried deep within my closet, one might find some angst-filled poetry from my teenage years and a very spooky seven pages of the novel I started in high school. Though I was in love with the idea of being a writer, it wasn’t until I finished college and stayed home with my first child that I actually decided to write a book. Truthfully, my mom told me we were going to write one together, and being the obedient daughter I am …

How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

My mother, Sherrie Ashcraft, and I began writing in the summer of ’99. We figured the accountability of having a co-writer would make us actually do what we’d always dreamed of but never put action to. It took a long road of learning how much we didn’t know, tons of re-writing, brooding over rejections, making connections, pitching at conferences, and directional prayer to make our writing salable.

In the summer of 2007, when Mom was busy caring for her dying mother-in-law, I got the itch of a new story idea. Undiscovered was written by February 2008, edited by June, won second place in the ACFW Genesis Contemporary category, and was renamed The Familiar Stranger and contracted by Moody Publishers in October.

One decade from naïve first scribbles to debut novel!

Why do you write?

Because story ideas and lines fly around in my head and if I write them down, I get a little peace and quiet. J

How important is faith in your books?

My faith undergirds every scene that I write. My hope is that it comes across to the reader in a very organic way, never as preachy or self-righteous. However, my characters’ spiritual arcs are a huge part of the storyline.

Thank you, Christina.

Love Finds You in Bethlehem New Hampshire

Love finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire is a delightful Cinderella story of a girl who lived on the streets of New York depending on handouts and whatever she could find to exist each day and an artist in the town of Bethlehem. Tom Haskins has never lived anywhere else nor has he traveled far outside of town. His friends think he needs a wife so when he advertises for one and has a response, he’s delighted. However, when Sara McGee arrives, she is nothing like he envisioned, and he is sorely disappointed. Lauralee Bliss has woven a heart-warming story around these two young people along with wonderful secondary characters you will come to love. When Sara and Tom set out in search of love, extraordinary things can happen along the journey as they discover God’s purpose for their lives. Set in the mountains of New Hampshire, Bethlehem is a town where things aren’t always as they seem, and once again we learn how God sends certain people into our lives to work out His larger plan. Get ready to curl up with a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy this odyssey of love and fulfillment.

The odds of winning this book depends entirely on the number of participants and is open only to residents of the U.S.

Menu For Love

Menu for Romance by Kaye Dacus is all about communication and letting your feelings be know. Mere has been in love with Major for a number of years and he with her, but neither will admit it to the other. His mother creates a problem for him that causes him to keep his distance for fear of rejection by Mere. She thinks he’s just not interested. Then enter Ward the contractor who will restore Mere’s recently purchased home and dates Mere several times. Kaye has created a great story around the cast of characters we first met in Stand-In Groom. One thing for sure, eat before you read or you’ll be running to the fridge or pantry for a snack with nearly every chapter. Kaye has a good handle on what it takes to be an event planner or a chef and weaves her plot around the events Mere plans and the sumptuous menus by Chef Major O’Hara. Another thing I liked…they are John Wayne fans and his movies play a key role in getting Mere Guidry and Major O’Hara together. How Kaye accomplishes this will bring a smile to your heart.

Review of Maggie Rose

When Maggie Rose Kane leaves her home in Michigan to work in an orphanage in New York, she embarks on an adventure that will show her love, courage, and perseverance. Luke Madison is a reporter who has a tragic loss that consumes his life until his editor assigns him to write a story about the Sheltering Arms Orphanage. His skepticism soon turns to admiration for those involved with the home. Author Sharlene MacLaren has created realistic characters in her loving adults and delightful children who tug at your heart and won’t let go. They pull Luke Madison in and show him what true love and commitment is all about. You won’t regret taking this journey to faith and love as Luke and Maggie Rose learn the power of God’s love no matter what the circumstances of life may be. In addition, Sharlene adds just enough suspense and danger to keep readers turning the pages.

Love Finds You in Poetry Texas

Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas is another delightful, fun filled story from Janice Hanna (Thompson.) When Belinda Bauer decides to be the matchmaker in Poetry, she chooses the town poet to help woo her prospects to the town, but she sets off a series of events that have all the couples ending up with the wrong partners, that is they were not the partners she chose, but they are all perfect for each other. Her desperate attempts to find a wife for Georg Kaufman end up in situations that keep you chuckling and turning the pages. Janice's characters are a little larger than life, but so delightful that you will fall in love with them yourself. When Belinda finally fulfills her goal to find a wife for Georg, what a surprise she has in store.