Christmas in July Book Tour ~ Tiffany Amber Stockton ~ Hometown Melodies ~ Smky Mountain Christmas

 Whispers in Purple welcomes author Tiffany Amber Stockton with a stop on a special Christmas in July Book Blog Tour, and shares a bit of herself, her writing journey, and her faith.

Welcome, Tiffany.

My Writing Journey & Faith,

by Tiffany Amber Stockton

Like a lot of other writers and authors, my journey toward publication began many years ago. I wrote my first short story in 5th grade with several accolades from both my teacher and my fellow students. It was even entered into a ‘Young Writers of America' contest and placed but didn’t get selected for publication. Ever since I learned to read at age 3-1/2, I’ve been telling stories. My parents often had to correct me from the extra embellishments I’d add from what really happened. I could often easily keep a captive audience, so writing seemed to be a natural progression from the verbal.

I wrote often, but it wasn’t until I was a Senior in high school that I got the ‘bug' to write. My English teacher saw potential, and as an author herself, she encouraged me to pursue the talent further. However, I became more focused on finishing my education and getting my degree, so my writing took up residence on the back burner.

In 1997, I joined and online community for a television show and wrote my first fan fiction. After receiving a lot of encouragement and feedback, I realized I might be able to make something of this ability. It took me another 5 years and encouragement from Tracie Peterson (one of my favorite authors and a dear friend) before I took the step professionally to begin a career by joining a national organization called ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

I did everything I could to improve my skills and develop my craft. I bought writing books, studied a wide variety of fiction, conversed with other writers and authors, attended conferences, purchased audio recordings of workshops and presentations, and soaked up as much information as I could handle. Almost 4 years later, I sold my first book and took a rather scary step into the world of authorship.

When I received the notification that my first book was actually going to be bought, so much elation and excitement filled me. The first thought that went through my mind was, “I have to tell someone!” Since the hour was late, and everyone had gone to bed, I logged online. The only one signed on was the man who is now my husband. Some people would call that ironic. I call it God. One of the biggest moments of my life, and the first person I tell is the man I would marry just 8 months later. Amazing!

A key component in my books is the underlying faith of my characters. I’m not one to write a phenomenal conversion story or horrific and tragic events that bring characters from the brink of despair back to Christ. What I do write, though, is characters living out their faith in real and practical ways. It’s the way I live my life, so it naturally flows into my stories. You might not find a gripping tale that has you on the edge of your seat, heart pounding. But you will find a story that keeps you turning pages as you discover how my characters use their faith to get them out of the many predicaments in which they find themselves.

Today, I have sold 21 novels so far and am represented by The Steve Laube Agency. Total sales for my books have crested the 500,000 copies mark. God truly has blessed my endeavors, and I look forward to sharing more stories with my readers in the years to come. Thank you for supporting me. An author is nowhere without readers. So, please drop me a line any time through my web site or social media. I’d love to hear from you.

BOOK SUMMARY for SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS: Claude Buchanan is turning 80. Ida Buchanan wants her husband to have an 80th birthday he’ll never forget. His one request is for all their children and grandchildren to be there for the party. They have four sons, and each one has a daughter—the heroines in each of the novellas. The cousins all share the last name of Buchanan. All four young women left Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the last few years—for reasons specific to each—and moved to another area or state. For that reason, they don’t want to return for the party. But because they love their grandparents, they do. Returning home forces each young woman to deal with what caused her to leave in the first place, and in each case, opens the door to true love. The birthday party takes place in Granddaddy and Granny Buchanan’s barn on Christmas Eve, and each of the four novellas end that same day, just prior to the party, which is featured in the epilogue accompanying the last book in the series.

BIO: Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become a best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and three dogs in Colorado. Through personal development, she strives to help others become their best from the inside out.

 She has sold twenty-one (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads and at her web site above.

Thank you for visiting this stop along the Smoky Mountain Christmas blog tour (https://amberstockton.blogspot.com/2019/06/smoky-mountain-christmas-blog-tour.html) during our Christmas in July promotion. We will be doing random drawings at most of the stops to those who leave a comment and contact information, and at the very end, we’ll do a drawing for a grand prize. Sometimes, you only need to leave a comment, and sometimes there will be a question to answer that might send you to one of our web sites or looking deeper into the blog post to find the answer.

Today, I’ll be giving away a FREE ELECTRONIC COPY of HOMETOWN MELODIES to one lucky winner. All you have to do is answer this question in the comments below.

QUESTION: How did my husband and I announce our engagement?

Book blurb for Hometown Melodies: Melody May Buchanan left Gatlinburg to pursue a life in the symphony. When a letter arrives asking her to return home for her granddaddy’s 80th birthday, she knows she must go. Leaving her fiancé in Denver while the symphony is on break, she pushes behind her the reasons she left and heads home. But the homecoming isn’t quite what she expected, and she’s immediately faced with everything she loved about growing up there…even her childhood best friend, Drew. Old feelings surface, and she starts to wonder if she made a mistake. Then, her two worlds collide when her fiancé arrives, and she discovers Drew has become quite a success in the music industry. Faced with the dilemma of which path to choose, Melody turns to God and her grandfather for advice. Either way, one man will get hurt. Which option is the best?

Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Melodies-Smoky-Mountain-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00PXMXUI4/?tag=eagledesigns-20