Tiffany Stockton and Book Give-Away!

Before we meet today's featured author, Tiffany Stockton (writing as Amber Miller, I'd like to announce the winner of Sunday's drawing:

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Congratulations! You'll receive a signed copy of Michelle Sutton's new release, It's Not About Me. I know you'll enjoy it.

I encourage everyone else to continue posting comments and/or to subscribe to my blog to participate in upcoming drawings. We'll have three more this month.

And now, consider today's book teaser: Separated from Madison when he leaves to fight the French and Indians, Elanna Hanssen must choose between her heart and her head, especially when Madison's integrity is questioned.

Today we're talking with Tiffany Stockton, who writes as Amber Miller.

Tell us about yourself, Tiff. I am an author and freelance web site designer who lives with my husband in beautiful Colorado Springs. We don't have any children yet, but we do have a vivacious puppy named Roxie, who is half Border Collie and half Flat-Haired Retriever. I have sold four books to the Heartsong Presents line of Barbour Publishing with the promise of two more before the end of the year. Other writing credits include writing articles for various publications, five short stories with Romancing the Christian Heart, and nine contributions to the book, 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage. A born-again Christian since the age of seven, my faith in Christ has often sustained me through difficult experiences. I seek to share that with others through my writing.

Which of the Heartsong books have already released?

Well, the first one is Promises, Promises, and it was released in February to the Heartsong Presents book club by Barbour Publishing. But, the book that just released this month is Quills & Promises, also released to the book club. Book 1 will be hitting stores, Amazon, CBD, Barnes & Noble and Parable stores online in August. I'm excited about that!

That is exciting, and you've already started building a readership, thanks to the bookclub. Excellent! What can you tell us about the plots of your first two books?

Promises, Promises: Has God forsaken Raelene? What kind of God would take a girl's family and leave her alone in a wild land where women have no voice? When Gustaf Hanssen promises Raelene's dying father that he will take care of her, he finds himself bound to her happiness, her success, and her well-being in ways he never imagined. To keep his word, must Gustaf really oversee all of Raelene's affairs, find her a husband, and maintain her farm, while she does nothing but scorn him? Can God reach through Raelene's pain and self-centeredness and give her the love that awaits, if only she will accept His will?

Quills and Promises: Innocence paired with wisdom beyond her years--With these traits, Elanna Hanssen unwittingly captures the attentions of Major Madison Scott. Her honest desire to understand the war fascinates him, and he resolves to get to know this perspicacious young lady better. When he is called away to fight the French and the Indians, they begin a correspondence, cautiously baring their hearts to one another. Elanna has never known emotions like these before, but she is drawn to the integrity she sees in her major. When a writer for the first newspaper in the colony questions the major's credentials and activities, however, will she allow her heart or her head to rule? Can true love grow over such distance and around such obstacles?

Which character in your novels most interested you while you wrote? Why?

That would be Gustaf. I had a lot of fun, and quite a challenge, writing his Swedish dialect in English. He believed himself to be a clumsy oaf, but he possessed a true heart of gold, and when the going got tough, he stuck around. His steadfastness and devotion became the favorite part for most readers. He was the man every woman loves to read and the man every man can become when they trust God to guide them and not their own sinful flesh. Was he perfect? Not by a long shot. He got angry. He made mistakes. And he hurt others. But he always came back and made it right…or he paid the consequences.

Why will readers enjoy your novels?

The setting isn't used very often. If readers love historical fiction, they'll love entering the world of Colonial America where life was so different from what it is today or even in the popular post-Civil War era that is frequently used in historical novels.

I also infuse a bit of humor into the issues and struggles for the characters. And let me tell you. It was NOT easy developing comical moments from an 18th century mindset. Laughter and funny moments were viewed quite differently, but I seem to have bridged the gap so modern viewers will still find the comedy as they read.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

I had to ask my husband to help me on this one. The heroine I'd think would be well-played by Rachel McAdams. She has just the right mix of a tough exterior and a soft heart that would be perfect.


For the hero? Brendan Fraser. He does "oaf" rather well. LOL! And he's handsome to boot!


Love Brendan Fraser! What facet of the writing craft comes easiest to you? Explain.

Dialogue always comes easy as does the progression of a scene. I can generally develop or hear great verbal exchanges for my characters. And it flows well, plus gives the readers solid insight into that character. Everyone who has ever read my writing usually comments on how much they loved the dialogue. Considering how much I love to talk, that doesn't come as much of a surprise. *winks*

What do you struggle with in your writing?

Thankfully, the general issues like point-of-view or showing vs. telling don't present as much trouble as they do for a lot of writers. For me, it's often the lack of description of the surroundings and setting the scene that cause holes in my stories. I try to go back and add to the scene so readers get immersed in the surroundings right along with the characters, but I don't want it to sound like I'm just throwing in the description for description's sake. And that's a struggle for me.

I think that's often the case with writers who enjoy dialogue (at least from my own personal experience). So, what's the last book you read that impacted you? How did it affect you?

Lonestar Sanctuary, by Colleen Coble. She is a master at crafting 3-dimensional characters and developing a mystery plot that will keep you guessing clear to the end of the book. The romance she weaves into her stories appeals to the soft-hearted, and the tragic moments of the mystery compel readers to keep turning pages. This one, I could hardly put down. It's Anathema next, and from what I've heard, it's going to be an amazing read!

Choose an inanimate object to represent you. Explain what you have in common with that object.

Hmm, this isn't an easy one. How about a hairbrush. I can sometimes be viewed as hard and bristly when I'm focused or leaning more toward my task-oriented side. But, when you put me to work, I generally know just the right spots to hit to untangle a mess and smooth out everything that's not working right. But if you don't want to do anything to fix the mess, I'm not the person you need. grins

Since you're my webmaster, I can attest to your ability to untangle messes! What is something about your life, right now, that thrills you?

The fact that I have not one, but TWO books that have released and hearing the astounding feedback on my first book. The reviews have blown me away and humbled me at the same time. Just knowing that I am on this exciting journey and I've seen my dream come true is enough to keep me going for years to come.

I also work full-time from home as a writer and web site designer. God's provided the talent and the opportunities, and I've taken them, developed them and set them in motion in a way that I pray pleases Him.

What are you working on now?

I have sold 4 books with the promise of 2 more and 2 anthology collection repackagings of those 6 novels. By the end of 2009, I'll have 7 books in print. This year, I'm working on finding an agent so I can diversify a bit more and get my foot in the door with trade-length fiction. I have 2 historical fiction novels and 2 contemporaries that I'd love to sell. Right now, I just turned in book #4 and am working on book #5, which is due in December. These 2 and the 3rd are part of my newest series, Michigan Brides, which is set in Detroit during the Industrial Revolution.

Man, you're a busy one, Tiff! Where else can readers find you or your writing online? Please include the link for purchasing your book.

You can come visit my web site (www.ambermiller.com) any time to learn the latest news. I have a blog that is kept up to date with 2-3 posts each week, and you can subscribe to it receive email alerts when I make a post. That's the best way to keep up with me and everything I'm doing or where I'm headed next. I don't have a newsletter yet, but I'm working on it for 2009. We'll see where it goes. For now, subscribe to my blog to know when I put up a new post.

I always love to hear from visitors to my site and especially readers of my books or my writing in any form. Feel free to drop me a line through the contact form on my site. I respond within 48 hours unless I'm out of town and without an internet connection.

For the latest information on my books and release schedule, go to the books page of my site. Ordering links, covers and details for requesting an autograph are all there.

Thanks so much for having me here, Trish. I've loved all of your books, and you've become a great friend. I'm thrilled and honored to be part of your brand new blog. And following on the heels of another new author, Michelle, from last week. Can't be better!

It's been great learning more about you, Tiff. Thanks!

Tiff will be giving away a free signed copy of her latest novel, Quills and Promises, next Monday. To enter the drawing, simply leave a comment below and/or subscribe to the blog, at right. If you're a subscriber, you're always automatically entered once. But you can enter a second time by commenting on Tiff's interview.