Bonnie S. Calhoun is the Founder and Publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine . She is also the Owner and Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance which is the parent organization for the magazine.

In addition to her passion for spreading the word about Christian fiction, Bonnie is also an aspiring author of action/adventure thrillers. She is represented by Terry Burns at Hartline Literary.

I am pleased to say that I met Tiff right before she sold her first book. And I am so heartened to watch her career and family blossom. Take it away Tiff!

Hi! My name is Tiffany Stockton, but some of you might know me better as Amber Miller or more recently Amber Stockton. No, I don’t suffer from a case of multiple personalities.  It’s simply my pen name—a combination of my middle and last names. The first was my maiden name, and now I am using my married name.

Bonnie has been quite gracious to extend the invitation for me to be her Publisher’s Choice spotlight for this month. She’s asked me to share about my writing, my books and the web design business I own with my husband, Stuart. He is also an author, with his first book having just released in April.

So, let's see. My journey 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 entered into a ‘Young Writers of America’ contest and placed but didn’t get selected for publication. In 1994, during my Senior year in high school, the writing "bug" bit me. My English teacher saw potential, and as an author herself, she encouraged me to pursue the talent further. I dabbled in fan fiction, short stories and other writing for a few years. Then in 2002, thanks to friend and mentor Tracie Peterson, I took the step professionally to begin a career by joining ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

Four years later, I sold my first book and took the rather scary step into the world of authorship. But I am not the ‘common’ story. I was published before I turned 30 and had books released before children came into my life. So, I already established a pattern and routine and placed a certain spotlight on my writing that would transition with the growth of my family. I don’t have to convince them of the importance of my writing and my career.

However, being younger in this industry has its pros and cons. I sometimes have to work twice as hard to be 'accepted' and have encountered folks who are fifteen years older or more who believe that because I have not passed certain rites of passage along the way, I don't 'qualify' as one who can offer any advice to others. On the flip side, I have encountered those who have been inspired by my goals and determination and have found their own inspiration as a result. They commend me for going for what I wanted early in life, and gain a newfound desire in their own lives. This group is far more common and makes the journey worthwhile.

When I received the notification that my first book was going to be bought, the first thought I had 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, Stuart Vaughn Stockton. 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 eight months later. Amazing!

My husband began creating his science fiction world when he was a teenager. After working on his stories for the next decade, in 2004, he finally took the same step I did to pursue his writing professionally. Although Christian Science Fiction was a tough sell to publishers, there was a demand by readers for it. Last year, Jeff Gerke (the publisher’s choice in April) launched Marcher Lord Press and gave a place for speculative fiction authors to publish their books and please those who wanted to read them. Stuart was one of the authors in the second launch with his debut novel, Starfire. It’s exciting to say we have two published authors in our family.

It’s now been almost two years since we married, and just last month we were blessed with a new addition to our family. Victoria Elizabeth was born to us on April 2nd and has become a great joy in our lives. So many have already predicted she’s destined to become a writer as well. Only time will reveal her future. The first few weeks have been quite exhausting, but we know it’s only temporary and we’ll soon be able to get a good night’s sleep again! And in just a couple of weeks, we’ll be able to get back to work for our clients.

They have been amazing. I admit, wondering how I was going to balance a newborn and serving the needs of our clients has crossed my mind many times. But all of our clients have extended the grace and patience to allow us to settle again with our daughter for a few weeks before returning to work. It’s a tremendous piece of good fortune.

Although I began this business in 1997, it didn’t grow to what it is today until I began designing sites for authors and other industry professionals. Yes, we do have a handful of celebrities and other trade-related clients, but the bulk of our clientele is authors, speakers and editors. Because Stuart and I are connected to the writing world, we have a unique perspective to share with our clients, imparting marketing angles they might not otherwise discover to help take their careers to great heights.

Eagle Designs exists to benefit those who want to establish a presence online but might be faced with a limited budget or even lack the expertise needed. We have also recently expanded our services to include blog tours, book mailings for tours, banner designs, customized graphics and so much more. If you or someone you know is in need of these services, take a moment to visit our site and get in touch. (Click on the banner ad at the top of the page!)

It can be a challenge to balance writing, marketing, client design, and now attention to our daughter. But God wouldn’t have called us to this or provided the tools we need if He wasn't going to stick with us and guide us through it. I still have a lot to learn, and I am remaining teachable, learning from those who have gone before me so that I might one day pass the torch as they have.

So, what's next?

I have sold 6 books with 2 anthology collection repackages coming from those 6 novels. This year, I'm working on finding an agent so I can diversify more and get established with trade-length fiction. I am also monitoring other submissions with editors that are floating out there. Right now, I am finishing book #6, which is due this month. This and the two previous books are part of my newest series set in Detroit during the Industrial Revolution. My first three are what will become Liberty’s Promise next year.

And that's about it for me. Kudos to those of you who have stuck it out with me and read all the way to the bottom. I greatly appreciate it.

Feel free to visit these web sites to learn more or get in touch with me or Stuart. We would love to hear from you.