Cover Reveal - Mark Miller

Mark Miller's first novel is coming home to MillerWords after 10 years.

Originally written in 2007 and first published in 2008, the YA fantasy adventure is the first story of The Empyrical Tales saga. Coming November 10, 2017, this special revised edition is available with new formatting and a new cover design.

Journey of the Fourth Queen

Empyrical Tales Book I

by Mark Miller

About the Book: Where do fairytale princesses go after their happily ever after? The land of Empyrean is home to all the myths and folklore of childhood. The princesses of once upon a time became the four great queens of this land ruled by magic. Now their land is in danger. One of the queens has disappeared. Without the fourth queen, the Forgotten Evil will be freed from its ancient prison. Two sisters, Zandria and Olena, live in a tiny village by the sea. Their world is about to get bigger. With his dying breath, Zandria’s father tells her that she is to be the new queen. The sisters flee their home, chased by werewolves, facing danger at every turn. With the help of some unique allies, they must travel to the crystal castle, claim Zandria’s birthright and stop the Forgotten Evil.
Will the sisters reach the castle in time to save Empyrean? Or will they lose each other forever? Take the first step into the land of Empyrean to join Zandria and Olena on the Journey of the Fourth Queen!

About the Author: Mark currently resides in Florida with his wife and four children. He has achieved some success as a Kindle Best Seller and having one of his short stories selected as a winner in the Florida Writer's Association Short Story Collection. Growing up in Kansas, Mark graduated from Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences and received his Bachelor's in Film from the University of Kansas. Mark has written numerous novels, screenplays, short stories and digital series. Many of his stories are geared for the classroom. He has explored his spirituality, writing both with his father and daughter. Inspirational stories with positive messages are his goal with everything he writes.

Available in Paperback and

all major eBooks formats

November 10 from MillerWords

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Happy Queen's Day 2012

Right in time for Christmas, I am happy to present:

Stories of Queen's Day

2012

Sylvan's Wish

In between novels in my Empyrical Tales series, I like to visit my characters and celebrate with them. It is my pleasure to share these stories with you.

Queen’s Day is the most special holiday in all of Empyrean. Once a year, Father Odin returns to celebrate the victory of the first queens over the Forgotten Evil. 

Author Mark Miller brings you holiday themed stories from the land of Empyrean. You can see more of these characters in The Empyrical Tales novels. Book I: The Fourth Queen, Book II: The Lost Queen and Book III: The Secret Queen are available now. Book IV: The First Queen is coming soon from Helping Hands Press. Miller also has a great selection of family friendly and young reader stories currently available from Trestle Press.

For 2012, Sylvan’s Wish takes inspiration from the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Olena and her small, wooden friend Sylvan go to bed on the eve of Queen’s Day and wake up in a magical world. Before Sylvan’s wish can be granted, they must face the frightening rat-like Tylomites. The message of this take on the Nutcracker Prince shares the joy of the holiday season.

You can get this story for ONLY 99 Cents on Kindle here: http://goo.gl/Q6c4C

It is also available on Nook, iTunes and Kobo.

So, from all of us in Empyrean,

Happy Queen's Day!

Making a Movie

I wish I was announcing this for The Empyrical Tales, but sadly I'm not. I am, however, happy to say that another author friend has a movie in the works!

Keith Rommel asks:

How often do you get a look at an independent writer's work being considered for a movie in California? The name of the novel is The Cursed Man by Keith Rommel. Here is an audition clip for the role of the antagonist, Dr. Anna Lee.

James L. Perry is the producer and has been working hard to bring the characters to life.

In this scene, Dr Anna Lee is questioning a grounds keeper that works at SunnySide Capable Care Mental Institution. There is a belief that the patient she has come to care for is cursed. The curse he carries is the entity of Death has taken a liking to him and kills anyone that speaks to him within
twenty-four hours.

https://vimeo.com/54497720

Cassandra Vincent image used from IMDB.com Photo by Dave Piggott

Keith and his stories can be found at http://keithrommel.weebly.com

For all you producers and directors reading this, please add my books to your list next. I'll even write the screenplay adaptation. In fact, I even have one screenplay ready. 

That doesn't sound too desperate, does it?

My Friend Karl

Part of the fun of writing an ongoing series is creating new characters with each story. I have the same core characters from the beginning (two of which I love almost like they were my own daughters). A large part of the newest plot has to do with a great guy I call Karl Lumpkin.

The Secret Queen 

Book III of The Empyrical Tales

is now available 

from Comfort Publishing 

wherever fine books are sold.

Karl describes himself as a "free thinker of old". In The Secret Queen, he is a sixteen year old boy that has an uncanny knack of predicting the future. He is witty and odd. Karl serves as a big brother figure for Olena on her journey to the south.

Some readers may recall Eisenhahn talking about Wizard Lumpkin in The Lost Queen. Is it possible that these are one and the same? Eisenhahn talks about an old man in his past, while Olena meets a young man in the present. I can say that there is definitely more to Karl than seen at first glance.

Oh, and Karl has his own Twitter account for when he visits our world - @WizardLumpkin

With the official release of The Secret Queen today, you can meet all of the new characters that cross paths with Olena on her quest to discover the secret!

Click HERE to get it on Amazon. http://goo.gl/AjcYW

Also, the Kindle version of The Fourth Queen is ONLY 99 Cents for a limited time. It's not too late to start at the beginning! Click HERE for The Fourth Queen. http://goo.gl/3ctUl

The Ordeal

With the official release of The Empyrical Tales Book III: The Secret Queen about a week away, I wanted to revisit the original purpose for this blog. Originally, I had intended to give a "making of" commentary and work my way through the story. Like Book III, Book I: The Fourth Queen closely follows the plot of the Hero's Journey. Check out the archive to see older posts, but I left off with "The Ordeal".

The Ordeal is the point where the story reaches a central crisis. The aspiring hero character either literally or metaphorically dies in order to be reborn as the hero. It is a point where the hero must face a dark version of, in this case, herself. She must challenge the villain and it must be extremely difficult to defeat him. This should be the time when the hero faces her greatest fear. As Joseph Campbell said the ordeal signifies the death of the ego, an apotheosis.

*****SPOILERS*****(Highlight to read)*****In The Fourth Queen, the older sister, Zandria, is the hero figure. She has passed through the other stages of the journey and has reached the Ordeal. Instead of a single event, Zandria's ordeal spans a few chapters. The hero's death occurs as she rides the pirate ship called The Dragon's Wing. When the ship crashes, Zandria is knocked unconscious, symbolizing her death. Her rebirth does not occur until a few chapters later. Zandria faces the villain who has chased her the entire story, the lead werewolf. This confrontation is her greatest fear because this monster killed her father, which started her on this journey. The difficulty comes from the setting: Zandria does battle over the open maw of a bottomless pit. Once the wolfman is defeated, Zandria is "reborn" to face the climax of the story and her resurrection.*****END SPOILERS*****

I should mention that The Fourth Queen is ONLY 99 Cents for a limited time on Amazon Kindle. Why not check it out and follow the Hero's Journey for yourself? Click HERE to get it: http://goo.gl/pQGgk

Gearing Up for Book 3

As the June 1st release of The Secret Queen draws near, interest in The Empyrical Tales series is growing.

Here is a brand new review of Book I: The Fourth Queen from The Reader's Roundtable.

Jaymes said, "Mark Miller has added his own unique spin on the fairytales..." and "The Fourth Queen is a really good beginning to a captivating series."


Please click here to read the full review: http://youngandtherestless.thereadersroundtable.com/?p=381

If you haven't traveled to the land of Empyrean yet, Comfort Publishing recently released both titles for Kindle. You can get The Fourth Queen HERE (http://goo.gl/ObwtL) and Book II: The Lost Queen HERE (http://goo.gl/yYzSq).

Over the next thirty days or so, I will begin introducing some of the new characters from The Secret Queen. Many of them were inspired by Egyptian mythology and dinosaurs. I look forward to sharing this next adventure with you.

I Do Birthday Parties, Too!

Not really.


At least, not yet.


With mega-book chains closing their doors (Borders) and online booksellers battling for eBook domination, authors are faced with the daunting task of connecting with their readers. How do we get our print books out there? How do we connect with our digital readers?

Here's the thing: I love to write. 


Along with that, I truly enjoy meeting fans and aspiring authors. So, I will take every opportunity to get out there and meet some great people. One of my favorite activities is visiting classrooms. I have found that teachers these days do an incredible job of motivating kids to read. When an author walks into the classroom, that is a springboard for their hungry little minds!


Teachers: Please send me emails, I would love to come to your class, at any grade level. If I can't drive to you, then I can use Skype or Google video chat.


Another fun suggestion is that my books can be used for fund raisers. I've done it before. It's unique and leaves a lasting impression.


Take a look at what I've got coming up:


April 18 - Lake County Library System: Local Authors Day - The Lake County Library System is proud to announce the second program celebrating local authors and their books. The Spring Local Authors’ Day will be held in the Lady Lake Public Library on Wednesday, April 18th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. In addition to meeting some of the best authors from around Florida, participants can enter for a prize drawing sponsored by the Friends of the Lady Lake Public Library. http://tinyurl.com/btkfhvf


May 7 & 8 - Great Wolf Lodge (Charlotte, NC): Home School Week - Comfort Publishing is once again parterning with Great Wolf Lodge Concord for Home school week, May 6-11, 2012! Authors joining us will be Kendra A. Thomas, Mark Miller (The Empyrical Tales) andSherri Gallagher! Book ANY room for $139! Use the code 1205HOME! This is the official debut of The Secret Queen. Exclusive advance copies will be for sale before the June 1st release date. http://www.greatwolf.com/concord/waterpark


June 2 - Barrel of Books and Games (Downtown Mount Dora, FL): Starting at 1pm on June 2nd, I will be signing autographs and answering questions at this fun shop! http://barrelofbooksandgames.com/


I hope to see you at one of my events, plus I will be adding more. Contact me if you would like me to speak to your group, present a creative writing class or help with your fund raiser.

With a Foreword by...

"Dinosaur George" Blasing

I am very excited by this! "Dinosaur George" has written the foreword for The Secret Queen, which will be available in about 75 days.

This is the first of my novels to have a foreword and who better since the third book of The Empyrical Tales has dinosaurs in it.

I contacted Mr. Blasing a while back with the aim of him verifying some of my dinosaur facts. When I go into classrooms, I tell the students that a huge part of writing fiction is doing the research. My research led me to "Dinosaur George". He was already a household name to us, having seen him on various dino-documentaries. Despite his busy schedule, he read my manuscript and commented in a surprisingly short amount of time. I pressed my luck further and asked if he would be willing to write the foreword. He said he would "love to". I gave him the opportunity to read The Fourth Queen and The Lost Queen. He says he enjoyed the whole series, but likes The Secret Queen best.

I will say this about "Dinosaur George": rarely have I met someone so kind and supportive. He is a great person with a passion for teaching young people. My son and I were already fans of his, and I am honored that he calls himself my fan!

Here is a little about "Dinosaur George" from his website (www.dinosaurgeorge.com):

“Dinosaur George” Blasing is a self taught paleontologist and animal behaviorist with more than 35 years of study and research. Blasing is a public speaker, writer and television personality who has performed live to over 1 million people and has lectured in over 2800 museums, schools and public events. He has volunteered his time to make hundreds of appearances in children’s hospitals, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s and Boys and Girls Scouting events.

In 2007 he co-created, wrote and hosted a 12 part series for The History Channel called Jurassic Fight Club and is currently involved in the creation of a several new television projects.

In 2009, he was named as a member of the Board of Directors for the Proctor Museum of Natural History in Houston Texas.

In 2010, he was honored with an appointment as “Guest Curator of Paleontology” for the Witte Museum, located in San Antonio.

To promote the importance of reading, Dinosaur George set off on a state wide tour of Texas libraries during the summer of 2011. He performed in 67 libraries and spoke to nearly 10,000 children and adults. 

With his vast knowledge of prehistoric life, expertise in animal behaviors, and powerful on camera presence, Dinosaur George is a highly respected and sought after public figure who shares his love of “all things prehistoric” with throngs of enthusiastic fans.

The Empyrical Tales Book III: The Secret Queen will be available from Comfort Publishing on June 1, 2012. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com here: http://tinyurl.com/7b7uwdo

100 Days

Did you get that? In one hundred days, a couple things are going to happen. One, a bunch of kids are going to be out of school for the summer. Two, The Empyrical Tales Book III: The Secret Queen will be available from Comfort Publishing. What a perfect way to start that summer reading adventure!

In fact, it is already open for pre-order on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/7b7uwdo


Fans of The Empyrical Tales know that Zandria and Olena have already been through quite a lot of challenging adventures. In The Secret Queen, those adventures get bigger...
...Dinosaur bigger!


Here is the back cover synopsis: It is a year after the events of The Lost Queen. Zandria and her younger sister, Olena, seem to be growing apart. But now, Olena has mysteriously disappeared without explanation. To make things worse for Olena, she is having trouble with her magical abilities. With the help of an unusual bronze ring, Olena leaves the crystal Castle Empyrean in disguise. She soon steps into a land of giant crocodiles, unending deserts, ancient pyramids and even mummies! Now Olena must discover the truth about the dinosaur-like race that lives beyond the southern border before they attack Empyrean. All the while, she struggles with faith in her own abilities. Will Olena regain her magic in time? To find out, she has to become The Secret Queen.


Reviews for The Empyrical Tales say:

"All fun and all good."

"an exciting story based on the eternal struggle between good and evil"

"a captivating set of characters"

" well-developed and complex"

"a gift for putting together great characters with a conscience, with a set of values that are real, visceral and tangible."

"The characters truly shine"

"There is a musical quality to the way Miller writes"

"Magical, Mysterious, Mesmerizing, and Mythical"

" it adds a strong heroine to children’s literature" 

Over the next 100 days, there will be lots of fun, contests and a few surprises!


Until then, if have do not have the first two books, you can get The Fourth Queen and The Lost Queen directly from my site, www.MillerWords.com, at a special price and with a personal autograph.

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:

Stories of Queen's Day - 2011

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!

Lost Queen Latest Review

Valentina, reviewer for Midwest Book Review, has posted a very kind review of The Lost Queen on her blog.


I have to say, I am humbled by her generous words. I always enjoy hearing and reading responses to my stories. Thanks to everyone that loves reading them too!


Valentina says, "The characters truly shine in this one. They jump off the page, with Zandria leading the way."


Click HERE to read the full review at Carabosse's Library!

Fan Club for The Empyrical Tales

Ok, here's a quick note to let you know the Fan Club is now live!

I will be posting more details very soon. For now, get those stamps ready and send in your entries!

The club is FREE to join and will get you the exclusive news first!

Click this LINK or go to www.MillerWords.com and click on the Fan Club link.

*Be sure to get your parents permission.

In Case You Missed It...

Here is the link to my blogtalkradio.com interview on Enter the G-Zone with Giovanni Gelati:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2011/06/14/michael-wiley-mark-miller-enter-the-g-zone

I had a great time! We talked about The Empyrical Tales, my upcoming work, movies and kids.

Thanks for having me, G!

Gift Giving

Another important element in the Hero's Journey is the Donor.

As you can surmise, the donor gives something to the potential hero. This can be information, but is often some useful tool or weapon that will help overcome the final obstacle.

Zandria and Olena meet their donor in the form of the Prismata, or Rainbow Princesses. The name I came up with implies their rainbow colors, each sister is a different color. Their contributions are a few gifts that are necessary to complete the quest. Some of the gifts are not actually used in The Fourth Queen (look for the Bronze Ring in The Secret Queen).

The final gift of the donors is to set Zandria and Olena on their path. A path which leads them to the next stage of the journey.....the encounter with the Mentor.

Now We're Moving

By the time we get to Chapter 5 in The Fourth Queen, all of the main characters have been introduced, as well as the land of Empryean.

Zandria and Olena have started their journey with Adam on their trail. Werewolves are searching the jungle. The bad guys are preparing their army. Even Fury is on his quest.

This is where Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey comes into play. Zandria has to go through her trials, because she is the hero here. All of the stages are in the plot and I will point them out as we continue.

The first stage is The Ordinary World. Kind of like a prologue where the hero is introduced. The hero is lacking something or has a tragic flaw. We also establish what's at stake.

From there, the hero begins the journey and hopefully a transition from the ordinary life to the special one.

One important piece of storytelling for me is the Character Arc. Following the hero's journey naturally provides for this arc. The character must change (who wants to see Harry Potter living under the stairs at age 30?). It doesn't always have to be the main character, but no story is complete with out someone undergoing some change.

Next comes The Call to Adventure...