Thursday, December 22, 2011

"One" for the Holidays

Right in time for Christmas, here is the next story in Mark Miller's One from Trestle Press:



Giovanni Gelati is an optimist. I do not think I know anybody with more enthusiasm or positivity. He works hard for himself and others. He never has an unkind word about anybody, in public or private.
After reading “The Hand of God”, I feel like I understand him a little better. I can see from where his amazing outlook comes. He has discovered his God is in the details. He has an admiration and fascination for all things. With an open mind, he is ready to take on the world.
I, for one, am glad to have him in my life. His energy is contagious and he constantly inspires me. He is doing great things, one piece at a time, and I am along for the journey.
Giovanni starts off his story wondering why I would want him to be part of “One”. There is the obvious reason that there would be no “One” without him. More than that, he has a unique voice. I have read his bocce stories, read his collaboration and did one with him. He has a style that is simple and direct, like listening to an old friend. He writes in the moment and one can easily get caught up in that moment.
Why have him write his story? Simply because I wanted my friend to know I appreciate him and the things he does. I am glad to have him as part of our One World.

Monday, December 19, 2011

'Tis the Season

Hopefully, you've seen the special offer for the Stories of Queen's Day. In case you haven't, if you buy any or all of The Empyrical Tales, you get the holiday themed story for FREE.


If that's not enough, 
is really getting into the spirit of the season!



Now through December 24th, Trestle Press is doing a Buy One Get One on ALL titles. That's right! Buy any Trestle title and get one of equal or lesser price for FREE. It's simple, send your proof of purchase to anyone at Trestle Press, even the authors, and we will send you the story of your choice for free.

What does that mean? 

It means you can start Small World Global Protection Agency Issue 1 and get Issue 2 for FREE. Find out what happens when two elementary school students are recruited to an international spy organization. It's fun and education aimed at 3rd through 5th graders.

It means you can get any two stories in the One series for the price of one. These are real life stories of faith from authors around the world.

Pick up the Christian influenced, outer-space fantasy that I wrote with my 9 yr old daughter, Sons of the King, and follow it up with A Prince in Trenton, Seriously?, co-written by Trestle's own front man Giovanni Gelati without spending another cent.

Of course, the best present you could give me is buying all of my titles. But don't forget, Trestle has an abundance of talented authors with genres for all tastes. Put "Trestle Press" in your Amazon toolbar or search on BN.com for Instant Gifting

Any title, by any author, is Buy One Get One
What better way to finish off that shopping list?


Sunday, December 18, 2011

A Gift For You!

This holiday season, I wanted to do something special for my readers, so I made you a present!

Thanks to Comfort Publishing and Trestle Press, I merrily present:



It is available for Kindle or Nook for ONLY 99 Cents. 

However, here is where the gift-y part comes into play. Anybody that buys The Empyrical Tales from my site, MillerWords.com or sends me proof of purchase, I will send Stories of Queen's Day - 2011 to you as a FREE GIFT!

If you buy The Fourth Queen, The Lost Queen or both, you get the holiday story free. On my site (http://www.millerwords.com/order.htm), you can get the set at a special price, plus I can personalize an autograph.

While you are on my site, be sure to check out the Fan Club. You can become an official Citizen of Empyrean. Fan Club members get exclusive first looks and special emails. Right now, Fan Club members are the only ones with access to the cover design for Book III: The Secret Queen. Plus, Citizens of Empyrean will receive Stories of Queen's Day as a free holiday gift every year just for being part of the Fan Club.

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 5, 2011

And In Conclusion...

The conclusion to the debut story of Small World Protection Agency is now available from Trestle Press!



Josh and Madison are two elementary school students that have been recruited by a secret organization known as the Small World Global Protection Agency.

In the first issue, they headed to Australia to investigate a record producer that seemed to have some unusual plans. In the conclusion, Down Under Thunder, the junior agents confront the producer with the fate of the world in the balance.

Having the stories in this two-part format helps to not overload our young readers, but it also heightens the suspense. In my grandparents' days, they used to see cliffhanger serials in the cinemas and bookstores. Small World Global Protection Agency brings back that thrill to a new audience.

Also, at the end of Down Under Thunder is a set of questions, or Points to Ponder. This is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to interact with the kids who loved the story.


Both issues are ONLY 99 Cents each on Kindle or Nook! Click the title to get them now!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Something Close to Home

I live in Mt. Dora, FL. I work close to home. I shop close to home. On Facebook, I have "friends" all over the world. Turns out, one of those friends is an author that also lives in Florida. Leona Bodie is the Vice President of the Florida Writers Association and she shared a touching story with me recently. It is about two other authors from Florida and I wanted to share it with you.....


Hospice of the Comforter and Florida Writers Association Join Forces to Help One Dying Man’s Final Wish Come True

A TERMINALLY ILL PATIENT’S DREAM IS REALIZED THANKS TO THE DEDICATED EFFORTS OF A VOLUNTEER WITH HOSPICE OF THE COMFORTER, DOUG DILLON.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla… Meet Hospice of the Comforter patient Tony Mancuso. He offers you the best smile he can, given his physical situation while at theGarnet Heart group home in Altamonte Springs, Fla. And meet Doug Dillon, a volunteer with Hospice of the Comforter of Central Florida, whose patient is Tony.


During one of Doug’s visit, he learned that Tony was a writer and before he got sick, published 1,200 copies of his first novel titled, The Lie Catcherwhere he uses first names of family members and friends as the first names for characters in his book.The 230-page Christian mystery novel tells the story of Kevin Petty, an ex-FBI profiler, as he struggles to solve a bizarre case for a Central Florida police department.


Finally realizing he would never be able to market his books, Tony told Doug that he would at least like to give them away in hopes that some people might enjoy the story. Meet Doug Dillon, again, also a published author with multiple books, including An Explosion of Being, and a member of the Florida Writers Association (FWA), whose motto for the statewide group is, “Writers Helping Writers”…and this story tugged at his heartstrings.
Doug approached Rose van der Berg, director of volunteer services at Hospice of the Comforter, to see how they might help Tony’s dying wish come true.

Rose loved the idea and together they started distributing copies of the book to volunteers and churches. Included in the book was a letter from Tonyexplaining his situation and asking readers to consider dropping him a note at his group home and telling him what they thought of his work.


Here is an excerpt from Tony’s note: “Please accept this book, The Lie Catcher, as a gift from me to you. I wrote it a while back, hoping to get it out into the world through proper marketing but God had other plans for me. After suffering a debilitating stroke, I find myself living in a group home and under the care of Hospice of the Comforter. So, instead of selling my book, I decided to give it away to people who might find it of interest. It really makes me happy to know that you are taking a copy and I very much hope you enjoy it.”

Over the next few months, over 100 books were distributed and Tony received cards of appreciation from his readers that pleased him to no end.

But Doug was determined to see Tony’s dream come true, so he contacted Chrissy Jackson, president of FWA and asked if there was any way she could help Tony. Chrissy’s enthusiastically responded, “Of course, we can help!” She explained that they could distribute 600 of Tony’s books at the annual Florida Writers Conference in October at the Orlando Marriott Hotel in Lake Mary. Chrissy agreed to put the books into the goody bags for every participant. Rose and Hospice of the Comforter staff prepared 600 letters and books and delivered them to the conference.

To open the event, Chrissy presented the Tony Mancuso project to the 500 assembled writers from across Florida. She outlined the history of the project and made a heartfelt plea for all attendees to glance at Tony’s book and send him a card. She even set up a huge flip chart so people could write notes to Tony. Throughout the conference, people stopped Doug to tell him how much Tony’s story touched them.

Doug enlarged a photo of the himself and Chrissy holding Tony’s book and the signed sheets into a large poster…that and all the newsprint sheets were placed on Tony’s wall, and cards started coming in for him from the other writers. Even as weak as he was, his smile and eyes widened as he looks at what his book had done. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all they did,” he said.

On October 30, 2011, Doug got a call from Tony’s wife, Lynda Mancuso. She was at his bedside in tears. Tony had just died. Doug had shared a kindred spirit with this stranger that became his friend. But as Doug explains, “My experience in life tells me that a part of us continues on after death and I know Tony is okay. And as I think about it, I strongly suspect he held on until after the Florida Writers Conference.”

It is not often in the work of a Hospice of the Comforter volunteer that one can do something extraordinary for patients beyond befriending, but Doug was lucky enough to have that opportunity with Tony. Doug shared his belief about his volunteer experiences, “If you act on what you find, those smiles you get in return will warm your heart forever.

For more information about Hospice of the Comforter, call 407-682-0808 or visit www.HospiceoftheComforter.org.  
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BOOK: To receive a copy of The Lie Catcher to review, please email your request including your (1) name, (2) company, (3) mailing address and (4) phone number tochristinestickney@hospiceofthecomforter.org
VISUALS: Photos included; for higher resolution images, please contact Christine Stickney at 407-379-0177 (office) or christinestickney@hospiceofthecomforter.org
INTERVIEWS: To speak with Doug Dillon or Rose van der Berg, please contact Christine Stickney at 407-379-0177 (office) or christinestickney@hospiceofthecomforter.org.
About Hospice of the ComforterHospice of the Comforter, the only nonprofit hospice serving in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties, cared for over 23,000 patients and their families with physical, emotional and spiritual support since 1990. Hospice of the Comforter provided more than $500,000 in care over the past year to those uninsured and under-insured. For more information about how Hospice of the Comforter serves the community, call 407-682-0808Enhanced Resources on www.HospiceoftheComforter.org includes Online Tributes, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance, and English-Spanish Site Conversion.