Review - Mark Miller

For immediate release:

Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Short Story/Novela book "Renaissance" by Mark Miller, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077XFQ3VR.

Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

"Reviewed By Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

We all need rejuvenation at some point in our lives, something that will rekindle the thrill and passion we once had, and awaken us from our stupor, something that will set us on the right course again. Renaissance by Mark Miller is a collection of short stories about various characters living ordinary lives. Their lives at first seem to be just like any others until something happens that initiates the change they have been hoping to achieve. In one of the stories, Richard Thatcher remembers with nostalgia when things were easy; when all he cared about was playing in the mud with his friends who have now moved on with their lives. Looking back, he realizes how much life has changed. Everything seems to be a dazed rush. No stopping even for a breath of air. Pressure continues to mount on him. “Not anymore,” he finally decides, and walks out.

The four stories contained in Renaissance by Mark Miller are all unique in their own way, but still drive the same theme. Each story inspired reawakening within me. It is easy to carry on through life and forget who we are or what we really want. As I read the book, I was reminded of what really matters and what my priorities should be. The Forgotten Well specifically reminded me of the blessing of life’s simplicity and how not to get bogged down by unnecessary complications. The stories contain an honest and inspiring outlook on life and will be a great read for anyone seeking inspiration."

You can learn more about Mark Miller and "Renaissance" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/renaissance/1 where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

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Kiss and Tell

A year ago, if you told me I would be writing a romance, I'd have called you a liar.

You know what? I would be right.

(sorry, that's an old joke)

Then how do I explain my part in best selling author Murray Pura's Blue Heaven Romance series? I was fortunate enough to be invited to a group of varied and talented writers. Under Murray's guidance, we are putting together a series of romance stories in different genres. I was going to say I wrote a fantasy romance, but that sounded like one of those shades of gray. Instead, let's call it a romantic fairy tale.

Before I give you a synopsis, here is a quick look at the other stories in the series:

Emalyn's Treasure by Joy Ross Davis - http://amzn.to/1eVkmRB

Blister Creek by William Tasch - http://amzn.to/1eVlnJm

Do No Harm by Kathi Macias - http://amzn.to/1aLlZgg

Heaven is Not Far by Marian Baay - http://amzn.to/HlDI72

The Whispers of Angels by Jen Cudmore - http://amzn.to/1eVna16

And here is my entry into the series. The story is called A Dragon's Kiss. The title comes from a birthmark that certain villagers bear which destines them to become great warriors. Instead of your typical "damsel-in-distress", I tried to have a little fun. This time the girl is the hero and the guy needs saving. There is plenty of magic, adventure and, of course, dragons.

When you read A Dragon's Kiss, I would love for you to post a comment (even if it's to tell me to not write romance). I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Comments are open below, or you can always find me on Facebook:

www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

Get A Dragon's Kiss on Kindle for only $0.99

http://amzn.to/1hw5WJG

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!

Guest Post: Kate Tenbeth on the Indie Revolution

UK author Kate Tenbeth wants to share her journey becoming an independently published author.

Before we jump into her post, you can see her books here: http://goo.gl/Leszz
The reason I mention this first is that Burly & Grum and the Secret City will be FREE on August 29th & 30th. Of course, you don't have to wait until then. Why not buy all three for your Kindle now, hmm?

Kate says, "Come on, join the Revolution!

In March 2011 I went to a writers’ meeting in my local library. It seemed no different to any of the other meetings I’d attended; I got out my notebook, made myself a coffee and chatted to friends, little suspecting that by the end of the meeting my perspective on life, on writing, would be changed forever. 

Our guest speaker that day was a young indie author called Penelope Fletcher, who was there to talk to us about self-publishing. She spoke clearly and simply about the process and how much she loved it. I remember thinking with absolute clarity, ‘I can do that’. So, I did. Self-publishing has, quite literally, been a huge turning point in my life and I’d like to tell you just how I went from feeling bruised and battered by the whole publishing process, to feeling like this:

Prior to hearing Penelope speak I had no idea what was going on in the publishing world, I was completely unaware of the revolution that was taking place and was still sending off manuscripts to agents and publishers and then sitting and waiting patiently, knowing my place, for their replies. Now, 18 months later, the immense power that agents and publishers once held over the fate of writers no longer exists and indie authors are a force to be reckoned with. Frankly, I count myself extremely lucky to have been a very small part of this revolution and for me the transformation has opened doors I didn’t even know existed.

If you’re hesitating about whether or not to self-publish, let me highlight some of the very positive aspects:

1.    Self-publishing doesn’t actually have to cost you a penny - you can publish your book for free so you literally have nothing to lose by putting your book out there.

2.    There are no rejection slips! Yay! I’ll say that again – there are no rejection slips!

3.    You learn so much, it’s brilliant, exciting, wonderful! 18 months ago I didn’t even know what a kindle was. Now? I have 3 books published in both e-reader and print format, I run a website, a Facebook page, write a blog and I tweet. I’ve learnt about marketing, how to edit and present a book, I’ve even made a trailer and I’m about to create audio books.

4.    You get to meet and talk to people who are on the same wavelength as you. I used to think I was a little odd and, indeed, it could be that perhaps the jury is still out on that one, but it is wonderful to talk to other people about storylines involving groblins, time travel, fairies, talking bears, etc. as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

5.    The whole process gives you hope – there is always that chance your book will take off. I was told I’d never be published. Can I just say a quick hello to Kitty Bullard from Great Minds Think Aloud Independent Publishing? Hi Kitty – thanks for signing me up!

6.    It gives you confidence. I had so many doubts about my writing ability but over the last 18 months I’ve had some great reviews and over 140,000 of my books have been downloaded.  My writing can’t be that bad!

7.    It restores your faith in human nature. There are avid readers out there who love new authors, who want to encourage you. Let them see what you can do, don’t hide away!

I work full time and have a long commute into London, I help support my son who is now at University, I look after my father who lives locally and has Alzheimer’s. I’m not Superwoman, I’m an ordinary mum who has found something that gives me passion, and I’ll let you in on a secret - there is no Big Secret about how you go from feeling unsure and lacking in confidence to feeling great about your writing, it’s really very simple – just go ahead and self-publish. Dig out that book that’s lurking hidden in your computer, go on sites like Amazon, Smashwords, etc., read their instructions on how to upload your book and then do it. Yes, it takes concentration and effort, but when you read your own words on your Kindle, or hold the printed version in your hand for the first time, you will feel incredibly proud of your achievement.  So, to those of you who are hesitating - don’t - just take the plunge, be brave, hold your head high and be part of the indie revolution!

Good luck!"

You can find Kate at the following links:

Website: http://www.burlyandgrum.com

Email: kate@burlyandgrum.com

Blog: http://www.burlyandgrum.blogspot.com

These are the creatures of your neighborhood

Like most boys, my youngest son developed a fascination for dinosaurs. He could name many species before he could read. At some point, I knew I would have to have dinosaurs in The Empyrical Tales. Afterall, I couldn't write a story only for my girls. I had to include things for my boys too!

With only a few days left in the giveaway on my blog, I thought I would share some background on the dinosaurs of The Secret Queen.

So (sing a slightly altered tune with me), these are the creatures of your neighborhood...

First off, in the land of Empyrean, the dinos are known as Arcosaurans and come from Arcenland to the far south of Empyrean. Arcenland is separated from the Southern Valley by an enchanted passage called the Unending Desert.

Once in Arcenland, Olena learns that there are both good and bad Arcosaurans. In the Southern Valley, Olena meets women with cat heads, but in Arcenland some of the women have triceratops heads.

Among the Arcosaurans she meets are the Parasauratitan, Emperor Li-Am (leader of the Carcharodans), Baharians and the fearsome Spinolock.

To keep the theme of Egyptian mythology, all of the featured dinos can be found in the fossil record of Egypt and Northern Africa.

The Parasauratitan is inspired by Paralititan Stromeri, one of the largest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth.

Li-Am and his Carcharodan warriors were based on the Carcharodotosaurus Saharicus. This ferocious theropod got it's name because it's skull resembled that of a shark. 

The Baharians are smaller Arcosaurans that decided to help Li-Am, instead of becoming his dinner. Their inspiration is the Bahariasaurus Ingens. 

Spinolock comes from the infamous Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus. Assumed to be extinct in Arcenland, Olena's adventures may lead her into the jaws of an unpleasant surprise.

Two of the nastiest dinos in The Secret Queen also have their character names based on my son's name. He couldn't be happier about that!

For all you dinosaur fans, the book also includes a foreword written by paleontologist and television host "Dinosaur George" Blasing. I have to thank him every chance I get for his contribution to my research and The Secret Queen.

I hope you found this interesting and would love to hear your comments! Thanks for reading!

Remember to submit your entries on the Rafflecopter widget at the top right for a free autographed copy of The Secret Queen.

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.

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!

How Can You Say No?

Look at this face. Do you think she has me wrapped around her precious little finger?

You bet she does!

And the result was this:

Sons of the King - Chapter One: Fallen Idols

So, she came to me with all of these ideas about a story. She wanted adventure in mystical lands. She wanted heroes and monsters. Most of all, I think she wanted to spend some time with her Pop.

I am fortunate enough to be a part of a special and talented group of people known as Trestle Press. Where else could a writer present a story co-written by his 8 year old daughter and have it published? I can not express my gratitude enough to Giovanni and all of Trestle Press for this opportunity.

The story, you ask? The story is high fantasy and it takes place on the world of Kaskaya. The planet bears a strong resemblance to our own medieval past. Except they developed technology with electricity and not gunpowder. Their warriors use swords and computers.

I am not at a loss for ideas. Still, to see what springs out of her head amazes me. She is primarily responsible for the creative content. No name, no place is put on paper without Olivia's approval. Mostly, I think I am there to work the keyboard and turn a phrase. For a third grader, though, she has a way with words herself.

For ONLY 99 Cents, you can't say "NO" to a beautiful little girl? Get the story HERE or click on the picture above.

Don't forget, I have four children. I want everyone to know how proud I am of Zak. He is amazing with computers and helped me with the fantastic cover design. Ashlin is my math whiz and Liam is a junior paleontologist. It is for all four of them that I keep writing. They are my inspiration. It makes it that much sweeter that I can share a by-line with Olivia.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

One Week

That's right, in one week I will be at the Carolina Renaissance Festival in Charlotte, NC!

October 14th & 15th, I will be appearing alongside Kalayna Price, Kendra Thomas, Jennifer Hudson Taylor and Linda G. Davis at Barnes & Noble's Sci-Fi & Fantasy Literary Weekend.

The Carolina Renaissance Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Aside from our special event, the festival has so much more to offer. Be sure to visit their site for details, schedules and discounts!

The Carolina Renaissance Festival Official Site

I will be signing copies of my series, The Empyrical Tales. Book I: The Fourth Queen and Book II: The Lost Queen are available now from Comfort Publishing and Barnes & Noble will be selling the book at the festival.

I am excited to be back in North Carolina by invitation of Comfort Publishing. This publisher is based in Charlotte and they are well invested in the local community. It feels good to be a part of something like that!

Be sure to check out the other great authors that I will be joining.

I hope to see you there!

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!

Review and Interview

Sat down to the computer this afternoon after a great book signing at Heroes' Landing comic book shop and had a couple nice surprises.

First, check out a new interview with me and a....werewolf? That's right, Harriet Von Lupin (one of John Rose's Monster Grrls) had the hard hitting questions.

You can read the entertaining Q&A over at the Tales from the Monster Shop blog.

Then to follow that, Valentina (reviewer for You Gotta Read and Midwest Book Review, among others) posted her review of The Fourth Queen on her blog, Carabosse's Library.

She says, "It's one of those stories that is hard to put down..."

Read her full review at Carabosse's Library.

Get your copy of The Fourth Queen on MillerWords.com, ComfortPublishing.com, Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller.

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.

Rave Reviews for "Prince"!

Check out these great reviews for my Trestle Press Author's Lab short story "A Prince in Trenton, Seriously?" with Giovanni Gelati!

Molly from Reviews by Molly says, "It is clean cut, and absolutely HILARIOUS!" Click HERE to read her full review.


Author and Librarian Werner calls it "[his] favorite series entry so far!" Click HERE to read his full review.


Then go here to grab it for Kindle at ONLY $0.99!

1st Author Interview Interviews Me

Here is a nice interview posted by 1st Author Interviews. Give a read for some new insight into the creation of my fantasy series.

Click HERE for the interview.

Then click below to order yours today!

   

Digital Short Story

Maybe I've been remiss in posting about this, but my newest short story, "A Prince in Trenton, Seriously?", is available now on Kindle and Nook.

So I did a guest post for Gelati's Scoop to tell you a little more about it. I have a series called The Empyrical Tales. Books I The Fourth Queen and II The Lost Queen are available in real-hold-in-your-hand paperback from Comfort Publishing. The short story takes its inspiration from my epic.

I had a lot of fun writing this with Giovanni and can't wait to do the next one.

You can read my guest post HERE: http://gelatisscoop.blogspot.com/2011/07/counter-point-mark-miller-has-his-time.html

And you can grab the story here:

Another 5 Star Review for The Lost Queen

Giovanni Gelati of Gelati's Scoop says "The Lost Queen...is fun, innovative and flat out well written."

Read the full review on GELATI'S SCOOP.

Or buy the BOOK HERE and judge for yourself. You won't be disappointed!