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.
Tiffany says she'll offer any one of her first six books (Promises, Promises, Quills & Promises, Deceptive Promises, Liberty's Promises, Copper and Candles, Hearts and Harvest, Patterns and Progress) to a fan who leaves a comment either here or on my website (lisalickel.com). But the deal is - you have to not only leave contact info but also say which book!
Tiff, you’re a web designer, author, and mom. How do you make all those things work to give you a foothold in the writing world?
It’s a regular challenge, but my primary clients are authors and speakers, so that keeps me connected. As an author, I have the opportunity to network with other authors, readers and industry professionals, so there’s another connection. As a mom, I’m discovering a whole new set of friends
You mentioned that you joined American Christian Fiction Writers in 2002, and your first book came out in 2008. Congratulations! So, what went on during those years between 02 and 08?
Well, the first 2 years, I spent observing, learning, studying, networking, and soaking up everything I could about the craft, the industry and the writing world. Then, in 2004, I pitched an idea to Jim Peterson for a 3-book historical series. He loved it and requested a proposal. Nearly a year later, he asked for the full, but that was only because of computer issues that caused him to not get my proposal. A few months later, he recommended my book for publication and just before Christmas in 2006, I got the call that I’d sold to Barbour. It took another 13 months for my first book to release. Felt like forever at the time, but looking back now, it feels as if the time passed in a blur.
Does everyone in Colorado want horses?
LOL! I’d have to say a definite no. We have a diverse set of people living here. Some love the wide, open spaces, and others love the city life. Colorado offers it all, from the crowded city, to the suburbs, to the small-town communities to the areas far from civilization. Those further out are the ones who would likely want or even currently own horses.
You mentioned that you’ve had some special mentors along the way. Tell us how that happened for you, and what other wanna-be authors can do to find help.
The mentors I’ve had didn’t come into my life by any effort on my part. In fact, their influence happened because I was friends with them first, and eventually, they decided they wanted to help me get published. The first was Tracie Peterson. I started as a reader and big fan of her books. That led to an email relationship which led to me joining ACFW back in 2002 at her urging. After that, her husband, Jim, encouraged me with my series idea. They put in the recommendation to Barbour to buy my series as their last acquisition before handing the reins of Heartsong Presents over to my current editor, JoAnne Simmons.
During that time, I was maintaining a friendship with Linda Windsor. One day, over lunch, she looked at me in surprise when I told her I was still trying to sell a book. She called me two days later and said I was coming to her house for a weekend, and we were going to work out all the kinks in my first novel. She had made up her mind I was going to be published, and she’d do everything she could to help me get there. The end result? My first book with Barbour Publishing.
Currently, I have the blessing of Donita K. Paul in my life, leading a weekly critique group, of which my husband and I are members. As a multi-published author herself, it’s fantastic to have her input and friendship.
Ironically, all 3 of these authors started where I did…in category romance. Now, they are selling multiple trade-length novels and enjoying the distinction of being best-selling authors. I wish I could offer a hard and fast plan for securing a mentor. But, in all actuality, I didn’t do much. I simply became a friend, and God took it from there.
What are some of the best things you’ve done to help yourself as a writer? Mistakes you want to share? Things you’d do over if you could?
The best is being a reader first and foremost. The more you read, the more you learn. I’m voracious in the variety of books I read, but aside from the occasional fantasy or romantic suspense, I pretty much stay within the genres I write.
Another is maintaining a teachable spirit. If you stop learning, you stop living, and you also stop your impact as a writer. Listen to those who have walked the path before you and even those coming up behind you. Everyone has something to share and brings a unique perspective to the experience. Never discount anyone’s story or advice. You just never know where you might find that special nugget of wisdom.
Mistakes? There are plenty. In fact, far too many to share in this interview. :) If I had to narrow them down to the top one, though, it’d be not believing in myself enough to grab the opportunities as they’ve passed in front of me. It would also be in allowing others to make me feel insignificant or like I didn’t have anything of value to offer or teach others because I hadn’t yet passed some invisible rite of passage I believed existed.
As for a do-over? I honestly don’t know that I’d change anything. I’ve learned a great deal from the experiences I’ve had. If I could go back and avoid them, I’m not I’d learn the same things and be where I am today.
Tell us about your books. What made you choose this particular genre? Did you target your publisher, or did they happen to be the first to accept your work?
I’m not sure I chose this genre as much as it chose me. In other words, I’d written several books before I sold my first one, and the historical romance is what sold first. Most of my life, I’ve read historical fiction and historical romance as well as romantic comedy. But, since I’d been a member of the Heartsong Presents club since the beginning and so many authors who wrote for them were among my favorite authors, I knew I wanted to also join those ranks. So, I developed the series with Heartsong in mind, not knowing if it would sell first or not.
What are the three biggest lessons you’ve learned on this journey to publish?
Patience. Patience. Patience. :) Actually, while that is so true, other lessons are to never give up, to always have a goal in mind, and to never discount the small steps along the way that will help you reach that goal. I suppose these lessons could also be applied to life in general, but when you have a dream, you have to stick with it, or you risk losing sight and never achieving it.
What are the easiest and hardest parts of writing for you?
The easiest to me is dialogue and character actions. The hardest is description and turns of phrases that aren’t cliché. I don’t have a problem keeping my characters busy with conversation or activities, but setting the scene or describing the area around the characters at any given time often go unnoticed until the revisions stage.
What do you want readers to know about you and themselves by reading your work?
I would hope my love of history, the fun I have in life, and my complete reliance on God shine through in my stories. For my readers, I’d love them to discover new truths about themselves or even come to a realization of God’s continual presence in their lives, even when it feels like He’s not there. I’d also love to see my readers make a connection between my stories and their real lives that helps them through a difficult situation because they’ve related to one of my characters. The best thing an author can hear is that a reader connected to a character so deeply, they could put themselves in that role.
What advice do you have for other up and coming writers?
A lot of it comes from my own lessons learned. Writing is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of hard work, determination, patience, perseverance and faith. And it won’t happen overnight. You have to maintain a teachable spirit and be open to constructive criticism, no matter how far along in your writing journey you get. In the end, the rewards far outweigh all the sweat and tears you shed along the way. Most importantly, if you feel this is the path for you, never give up!
What’s on your to be read” pile?
Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana by Tricia Goyer and Oceianna Fleiss
Becoming Lucy by Martha Rogers
Dawn’s Prelude by Tracie Peterson
Can you tell us about what you’re working on next?
Right now, I have a series proposal about silver mining in Colorado circulating, a series set in Wyoming involving a ranch tycoon and a well-bred lady from Philadelphia, a romance series set on Chincoteague Island in Virginia, and some other ideas yet to be developed. The most important thing I’ve learned is to keep on writing, even when the contracts aren’t as steady. That’s where I am right now, currently without a contract, but praying and hoping for one before the end of the year. What a great Christmas present it would be!
Anything else you’d like to share?
The writing journey is a long, but highly rewarding one. I count my blessings every day that I’ve been able to break into this industry…and at such a young age compared to the majority of authors. Most wait until after their children are older. I started before children entered my life. But, no matter what, I am extremely humbled to have the opportunity to touch lives through the written word. And if just one reader is touched by a book I write, that book has found its purpose. I owe everything to my readers, and I’d never be where I am without you. So, thank you!
Where can we buy your books?
You can go to my web site for links to ordering for each of my books. Unfortunately, all of them aren’t available on any one web site online except for my publisher’s site. But, I stay up to date with where they can be found on the major sites and provide links on the books page of my web site. That’s the best place to shop.
Contact Tiffany at: www.amberstockton.com/contact.html
What makes a good story—one that needs to be told? In other words, how bad can it be, and what is your character willing to do to overcome the problem? When I was 45, I started having pain in my mid-region joints. My family has a history of arthritis, so I assumed. I’m not much of a complainer. I once underwent the entire replacement of all my dental fillings with no anesthesia. When I got to the point where standing long enough to wash dishes brought tears, I visited my family doctor who was less than sympathetic. He pointed out that my bones were dense. Small favors. He also thought maybe I should explore that specialty I’d managed to avoid for the past five years while other family events took precedent. 
I didn’t get my first-hand experience in the operating room. I did find some pretty cool videos on the net and I did make a list of questions to ask at the follow up appointments. I had several nurses aiding in my recovery. The first nurse kept poking me for my own good. We had to learn when feeling was coming back. Then she shooed me out—with more relief than I thought totally necessary. When writers work with critique groups and pre-readers and editors, that poking teaches. A writer can’t possibly follow every bit of advice, but we can pay attention to the poking. All of the research isn’t going to fit into the story, so writers need to carefully weed out what is the most important and entertaining bits to move the reader past the main conflict and into the next set of bumps.
Posts
