5 Questions for JAX

MillerWords' newest author answers a few questions about his name, his story and his Native American ties.

JAX lives and writes in the U.S. He divides his time between Montana and the American Southwest. He has also traveled to many parts of the world including the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia and he hasn't done it as part of a tourist package. His keen interest in Native American culture has taken him across America as well. Story telling is at the heart of what he does and he uses it to explore the clash as well as the connection between the various peoples of the North American continent. Many Gray Horses is his first work of fiction.

MW: Our readers might assume that JAX is a pen name. Can you explain what JAX means or where the name came from?

J: It stands for Jacks but is a unique way of rendering it. Out of respect for my Native American friends, I have chosen to use the pen name.

MW: Your story focuses on two teenage boys, one Native American and the other raised partially in a Native American culture. The details in the story feel first-hand and authentic. Can you expand on your ties to this Native American culture?

J: I’ve been privileged to have friends who were Blackfoot, Cree, Sioux and Navajo. I also experienced the Wounded Knee Uprising of 1973 first-hand. Over the years I’ve lived near several reservations and attended tribal ceremonies and rituals on numerous occasions. It has become a lifelong interaction.

MW: I can see you have some strong bonds. It makes sense that you would want to keep that private, while being able to share some incredible stories. Now, there are stories within your story. One of the boys is often telling tales of Native American mythology. How relevant, do you feel, is that mythology today? Does it co-exist or conflict with Christianity/other major religion?

J: Native American mythology, the stories of natural and supernatural events, remains strong among some people in all tribes but is ignored by a good many as well. They are attempts to understand and give shape to Native American history and experience. In some cases, they overlap or connect quite well with Christian beliefs and ethics. In other cases, there are great differences. There are Native Americans who embrace Christ who do not want to mix their new faith with Native American spirituality at all. There are others who look for bridges between the two. I expect the same pattern might be true with other faiths as well.

MW: With the themes of self-discovery and budding romance, would you call Many Gray Horses a "YA story for adults" or an "adult story for teens"?

J: It is for YA and older adults but the story is told from the point of view of one of the teens who is 16 or 17. I would put the story in a category of 16 and up audience.

MW: It honestly is a beautiful story, but it is not a simple adventure and goes beyond coming of age. Do you feel romance is a necessary part of this self-discovery?

J: What one of the teen boys discovers is that the love and support of a young woman he admires makes all the difference when it comes to making sense of what he experiences on the mountain. She also makes all the difference when it comes to going further with his journey and self-discovery than he has ever gone before.

MW: What you are saying is that romance is a necessary part of life.

Thank you for being here today JAX and thank you, reader, for joining us.

Many Gray Horses is available exclusively on Amazon Kindle from MillerWords for ONLY $0.99

https://goo.gl/RMpaml

Search "MillerWords" on Kindle to see all of our titles

Free Kindle Paperwhite

Starting Weds Oct 2nd and continuing till Thursday Oct 24th, the Helping Hands Press authors will be hosting a “Road Rally” contest.

What does that entail? What is the Grand Prize? How do you participate?

It's easy!

Each week there will be two to three blogs of HHP authors to stop by on the journey to the Grand Prize- a Kindle Paperwhite. Each author will have a word to give you as you stop by and leave a comment on their blog or message them on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Mark's Facebook - www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

Mark's Twitter - @AuthorMark

There will be 14 words in all to gather to complete one phrase. Along the way there will be other prizes as adventurers on the Road Rally gather points as well as words for doing a variety of things. Each author stop along the Rally will have its own fun stuff to do, see and explore. 

Some of the other authors that are participating in the Road Rally are: Linda Rondeau, Murray Pura, Jen Cudmore, George Michael Loughmueller, Kathy Bruins, Susan J. Reinhardt, J. Smith, Roger Rheinheimer, Amber Schamel, Randall K. Harp, Marsha Hubler, Sarah Price.

Now, to see if you are paying attention - the clue to my secret word is in a post on my FB author page.

Guest Post - Alan S Blood

Capturing the Castle (How “Once Upon a Castle” was born)

On a bitterly cold, November afternoon, I found myself stranded near Bamburgh Castle on the wild Northumberland coast whilst the local, old fashioned garage, with tall petrol pumps, repaired my broken-down car.

The delicate, somewhat bright, late autumn sunlight created an eerie, pastel coloured scene, albeit tempered by a biting breeze, yet quite magical, certainly ancient, and almost ethereal.

Vikings have landed here,’ I told myself scanning the unique white beaches below the hazy castle ramparts. It was one of those strange experiences that triggered the imagination and I could see a Scandinavian longship coming ashore, disgorging horned-helmeted warriors seizing the beach before storming inland to ravage the sparse Saxon populace. I could feel that there was a tale to be told.

With the genesis of a story in my mind, I conducted research into Northumbrian castles and was intrigued to discover there was another ruined castle along the coast. This gave me a plot basis involving two castles, one of which was real and the other a phantom! Ideas built as I thought this was an area to where children were evacuated during World War II.

Things shaped towards an exciting novel for young adolescents involving twelve-year-old twins, Tom and Mary (to appeal to both sexes) who dread being sent from southern England to Aunt Victoria’s Northumberland farm. Yet she proves to be young, and fun, until lessons are arranged with a terrible private tutor, Miss Urquart. Their London Uncle Toby had said: “There will be castles to explore with ghosts and things.”

Teenage rebelliousness ensues as the twins escape and riotous, scary adventures involving castles, Vikings and even the Royal Navy begin.

“Once Upon a Castle” is republished by USA publisher GMTA Publishing under their imprint, Mythos Press.

“Once Upon a Castle” Blurb

Uncle Toby had said that there would be castles to explore, with ghosts and things. This helps to cheer up the glum twelve-year old Lovell twins, Tom and Mary, leaving their schools and loving parents to be evacuated to wild Northumbria during World War II. Then the adventure begins.

They live with their Aunt Victoria and Uncle Leslie, meet the loveable ‘Mrs M’, a strange dog called ‘Scamp’ and, worst, the terrible private tutor, Miss Urquart, from whom they run away to find a mysterious castle seen through an old telescope.

Now they are drawn into bizarre supernatural events of a time-warp between the war itself and ancient warfare. They encounter dark forces, as the story twists and turns, and are even rescued by the Royal Navy. Yet, this is only the beginning of more unexpected tragedies before the twins begin to escape from it all.

About the Author

Alan S. Blood worked in the British Civil Service, Advertising and journalism (edited three publications) before qualifying as a Teacher from the University of Reading, England. He enjoyed a long, distinguished career in the Teaching Profession, in both Primary and Secondary levels of education, in several parts of the UK - which eventually led to Senior Management. His main subject area was English and, at one time, he was Head of English and Drama. Throughout, he gained considerable knowledge of literature that children and adolescents enjoy.

Alan now devotes his time to writing novels, plays, screenplays and poetry. He won top award in the ‘Hastings International Poetry Festival’ (2003) with his controversial ‘litter’ poem ‘CONTRITE CAN CANNOT’. The paranormal genre features in much of his prose work.

‘ONCE UPON A CASTLE’ is a ghost story written for young people (but also enjoyed by adults) set in World War 11. It concerns both a real and a phantom castle based upon Alan’s experience of strange castles on the wild Northumbrian coast of England on cold, dark wintry afternoon.

Alan Blood has widely travelled the world and undertook research in Chile where some of his supernatural crime thriller ‘CRY OF THE MACHI A Suffolk Murder Mystery’ is set. He was previously a Cotswold Morris Dancer and the novel is a conflict between the forces of good and evil linking a Chilean ‘Machi’ and ‘organised crime’ to murders in a Suffolk Morris Men side.

Alan enjoys wildlife photography in the Welsh countryside, painting and scraperboard engraving. He lives in a Victorian (1873) house below the Cambrian Mountains of Mid-Wales.

Connect With Alan

Website:  http://www.alansblood.co.uk/

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5068714.Alan_S_Blood

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-S-Blood-AUTHOR/237585902938877

Facebook Like Page:  https://www.facebook.com/OnceUponACastle

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AlanSBlood

Buy the Book:

Amazon:  http://goo.gl/lmxAF

Barnes & Noble:  http://goo.gl/Ct08l

Kobo:  http://goo.gl/8zc3n

Blog Tour: TK Harris has Phantom Dreams

Today, I have the privilege of launching the Official Blog Tour of author T. K. Harris. She starts by sharing how her novel, Phantom Dreams, was born.

It started with a dream. I know cliché right? But it really did. I had a dream that I was walking through a large crowd of people, surrounded by white canvas tents. I am moving quickly but don't know why, when suddenly the crowd parts and there is a man in front of me, carrying a sword and it is aimed right at me. Then, just as quickly, the woman is no longer me and I am now watching. I woke up before the sword drove home. And that's how Phantom Dreams was born.

I wish I could say that I wrote it all down in a flash and everything just worked itself out. But, that didn't happen. First it percolated in my brain while I went about being a full-time mother while working a 60 hour a week job. (And that was a short week!). And then, I began writing down bits and pieces late at night in between trying to write and publish other stories. And I began to become more and more frustrated.

First, the stories that I had sold to date were short stories. In fact, the first publication I had ever been paid for was a 1200 word mystery sold to mysterynet.net. But it is a very different skill set to go from short stories to a full-length novel. I was good at cutting to the chase, getting to the point and well, you know the rest. So, I floundered. Second, I let my book slip in my priorities. I spent the next few years putting my effort into my work, family, a multitude of personal projects (I'm a Gemini and we can't help it), subsequent divorce, the 2008/2009 layoffs, and the many other awesomely awful and wonderful things that life carelessly threw in my path and laughingly under my feet to see how many times it could make me fall.

And then, one day, I realized I was frustrated for another reason. Nothing ever seemed to get done! I got mad. I wasted a little more time and then I did the only thing I should. I got focused. I made myself sit down and write a list of what I wanted out of life. My ideal job. My ideal partner. My ideal finances. My projects. And I wrote those lists and decided to start focusing. My first project was paying of debt (still working on that!). The second was finishing the d*m# book! The right way. (Or is it the "write" way? – Feel free to groan.)

I put the book out to beta readers and got feedback. And then began the arduous task of editing, rewriting and editing some more. And then began putting it out there on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, etc. I got a great review on Kirkus Reviews and started getting great comments.

I have marketed, tweaked it, re-edited it and developed a new book cover since it first launched but I still remember my first real sell. Not the books that were bought by friends and family. No. It was that one sell when you realized someone you didn't know, had just purchased your book.

And now, all I can ask myself is, 'why didn't I do this sooner?'

About the author: T.K. Harris was born in California and lived a gypsy sort of life traveling the world as a military brat. She has been writing since she was a child and as had several short stories published by various magazines, including one in Woman's World. She currently lives and works in Colorado as a Senior Solutions Architect and IT Instructor and has recently had her first novel, Phantom Dreams, published. She is looking forward to her next two books, already outlined and partially written. You can find out more at: http://www.tkharrisonline.com.

About the book: A scorned serial killer on an old vendetta. An FBI agent who has been chasing monsters for too long. A woman whose nightmares start invading her waking life. 

FBI Special Agent Jack Matthews finds himself on yet another serial killer case, having barely recovered from the last disastrous hunt. Still stiff from a gun shot wound in his leg, under investigation for a botched job, and having lost his fiancée when she walked out on him, Jack is beginning to wonder if it isn’t time to move on to something new. But, for Jack, these cases are personal and he can’t say no. 

Marketing specialist Kathy Gilliam leads a fairly boring life. If she’s not working or caring for her ailing father, then she is doing whatever it takes to avoid going anywhere near crowds of people. Her few distractions include her friend Margo Longfellow, occasional hiking trips, and her increasingly alarming dreams of women dying.
As her nightmares cause her to begin to doubt her sanity, the media releases news of the “Coast-to-Coast Killer” and Kathy discovers her dreams may be related. In a moment of panic, Kathy does something that places her on the FBI’s “persons of interest” list. Suddenly, her life is set on a collision course with Jack who must decide if Kathy is the killer or destined to become a victim.

You can get Phantom Dreams 

on Amazon Kindle for only $2.99

http://goo.gl/XoIV9

Also available on Nook and Kobo

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

Get Started...

Maybe you know I have a lot of great stories with Trestle Press? Maybe you know that Trestle Press has no end of talented authors? Did you know right now Trestle Press is doing a Buy One Get One Sale?


So here is an economical way to get started or get caught up:


Mark Miller's One - a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World. Volume 5 is coming soon!


Small World Global Protection Agency - Another in the Trestle Press Digital Short Story Cliffhanger Series: Star athlete Josh and computer prodigy Madison are recruited by the mysterious Mr. Crux to attend a special summer camp. The two elementary school kids then begin the adventure of a lifetime. They discover that the Small World Global Protection Agency is a network of talented and skilled children in countries all over the world. Their mission is to help other kids and save the day when adults can’t. Volume 3 is coming soon!


Sons of the King - (co-written with my daughter, Olivia) In the land of Mysstira on the planet Kaskaya, a great King has three sons. When a mysterious visitor falls from the sky, their world is changed forever. The sons of the King will soon face their destiny.

Here is the official word from Trestle Press:

Starting today, Saturday January 14^th through Sunday, January 22, 2012, Trestle Press will be having a

BUY ONE TITLE GET ONE TITLE FREE SALE !!

All of our titles are part of this sale, all of our authors will be participating in it, and all you have to do is when you purchase one of our stories send us the proof of purchase and we will be happy to send you the title of your choice that is of equal value.

You can email us in one of three ways; send the proof of purchase by email to one of the following:

-the authors of the titles you purchased and get your free titles directly from them.

-Trestle Press: trestlepress@gmail.com

-Giovanni Gelati: gelati.giovanni@gmail.com

We have a wealth of talented authors at Trestle Press and there are many great stories to discover and read. As the week goes on there will be a few surprises thrown into this sale, so please stay tuned to our website: www.trestlepresspublishing.com or your favorite authors’ websites or blogs.

Feel free to follow us at our website for all the upcoming news and events surrounding all of the Trestle Press authors as they create more Best-Selling novels, novellas, short stories and series for you to follow and enjoy.

We hope that you will join us and our authors as we make our journey and try to blaze a new trail in this wide open world of publishing. Without you all is for naught; for everything we do, we do for you the reader!

Have fun and happy reading!!      

And Now a Word From....

Giovanni Gelati. That's right, Trestle Press's main man is back and he says something to say. Oh, this is a big deal and I am thrilled to be a part of it!


Amish Knitting Circle now occupies the numbers 2,3,4,5 rankings in short story fiction in all of Amazon Kindle, not by category, but overall. 


Check it out HERE: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/157087011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kinc_1_4_last

They also are topping the charts on Amazon UK. Congratulations to Karen Anna Vogel and all the authors of Trestle Press. 

Why did I just mention all the authors of Trestle Press? 

Quite simply, it is because they all share one common goal and one vision­--- each other’s success and bringing quality reads to the market time after time.

One of the other visions they have embraced and ran with is the digital short series of the“Amish Knitting Circle”. There are more than 30 books now that Trestle Press publishes. Each month, a new installment of those series listed below will be released. The benefits to this are many, and just for fun I am going to list a few:

·        New content every three to four weeks to be easily read on your favorite e-reading device (smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, Kindle,Nook,iPad…), the reader can follow the progression of not just the characters but the authors development as well.

·         A variety of genres to follow, so the reads can be rotated and fresh, low cost fun (the majority $0.99 each)

·         80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year. (People don’t have time for full length novels.)

·         Great way to discover a new and emerging author without much investment in time or money(many of these authors have full length work to purchase, don’t forget

·         Great way to have fun and look forward to a ray of sunshine in your reading week (I love digital short stories, they really help me keep my reading fresh and fun)

Having the label “Indie Press” or being with a “little publisher” doesn’t mean the content is small or little. I feel it is an advantage in this day and age. The authors of Trestle Press have a tremendous amount of input and say in what goes on and their direction. The common vision they share, their incredible communication and team work have put them on the cusp of achieving much success.

The Grand Slam success of “Amish Knitting Circle” and the many titles they have charted on Amazon Kindle and Amazon UK is just the tip of the iceberg for them as they continue their journey. Why not join them and find out what they are all about? 

The authors would love for you to read their hard work and give them feedback: Email them, find them on any social network and friend them, tell them what would make them a better more relevant author in your eyes.

In no particular order I have listed the digital short story series currently up and running from Trestle Press. The additions to the list change often so please feel free to put Trestle Press in your Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook toolbar each and every time you go shopping:

Karen Anna Vogel-“Amish Knitting Circle”

Roger Rheinheimer/Crystal Linn- “Amish Forever”

Paul D. Brazill- “Drunk on The Moon”

Chantal Boudreau- “Weird, Wicked and Wonderful”

Benjamin Sobieck-“Maynard Soloman”

Darren Sant-“Tales of The Longcroft Estate”

Mark Miller-“One”

Sam Lang –“Reprisal”

Jochem Vandersteen-“A Mike Dalmas Story”

B.R. Stateham- “Call Me Smitty”

William Tooker-“Slouching Towards Bethlehem”

Mark Miller-“Small World Global Protection Agency”

Mark Cooper-“How I Met Your Mother”

Lisa Taylor-“Shana Black”

Alexandrea Weis-“NOLA”

Celilia Robert-“The Soul Collector’s Series”

Cody Toye- “Dribbles the Squirrel”

H.R. Toye- “Debtor’s Chip”

The Author’s Lab/Collaboration Series

S.L. Schmitz-“Mina’s Daughter…The Harker’s Chronicles”

Whit Howland-“The Cain Series”

Heath Lowrance- “Deadland ,USA”

Michael Tabman- “Bad Intent”

Julia Madeleine- “The Devils’ Music”

Big Daddy Abel-“Open Mic”

Heath Lowrance-“That Damn Coyote Hill”

Thad Brown-“Smoking Gun Sisterhood”

Darren Sant/Sam Lang-“Severed”

McDroll-“Kick It”

Luca Veste- “Liverpool 5”

Col Bury- “Manchester 6”

Angelique LaFontaine/Eddie Frantom-“Thirty-1”

Sue Mydliak- “Friday Flashes”

Tanya Cotios-“Wicked Little Lies”

R.Thomas Brown-“Old Man Coyote”

As a reader I like to look for new stuff to read. I thrive on finding new authors with awesome stuff. The digital age of publishing has allowed me as a reader to discover new and various ways to read them. Less than a year ago this format was just an afterthought, an exercise for an author.

Now, thanks to visionaries like Karen Anna Vogel and her fellow Trestle Press authors, we the reader, can have our fun and read it too. I for one really like that. Join me in celebrating the freedom of reading in any way, size and e-reader we want to. Download one or more of these innovative, provocative and fun series. Challenge yourself and the author’s.  See what else we can all accomplish together.

Trestle Press- bringing authors and readers together.

Trestle's Coming Through

Over the next several months, you are going to see me talking a lot about some other authors I am affiliated with through Trestle Press.

These authors come from many different genres, but they all have one thing in common: We want you to read and enjoy what you are reading!

I think what I'll do is give you a nice overview of several authors here. Then for the rest of the week, I will get in depth through some of my different social sites.

Without further ado:

Robert Ford is the author of The World of Hek, a supernatural series, and Curse of the Translucent Monster.

Wenona Hulsey offers paranormal YA with Burden of Blood.

Sam Lang, another horror author, has the Reprisal series and looks to be starting a zombie collaboration called Severed.

S. L. Schmitz breathes new life into Bram Stoker's Dracula with Mina's Daughter, a steampunk series.

These are the authors and that was only a sampling of what they offer. Watch for more posts and tidbits all week.

Greater Than the Sum

I have really been enjoying myself working on the "One" series. Thanks to Giovanni, I have had the opportunity to explore my own thoughts, but also work with my father as a writer.

With October only a few days away, we are about to release another installment, by Sudè Khanian. I have been fortunate to get to know her over the past several months and I am impressed. She has a unique view of the world that is inspiring.

You can follow "One" HERE: http://www.facebook.com/MarkMillersOne for all of the latest news and releases.

We are working to put out one story a month, each by a different author. In November, look for Giovanni Gelati to tip his hat, followed by Melissa Studdard. Award-winning teen poet, Rachel Hunter will come along after that and we may have a retired Catholic priest as well.

Each of these authors is going to bring you something personal, and most likely emotional. They want to share their faith and beliefs with you.

Be sure to listen in to the G-Zone on BlogTalkRadio this Saturday (10/01) to hear the first three authors of "One" share their experiences with Giovanni!

Also, leave a comment below if you would like to read "Meant To Be", the first story of "One", for FREE!

Twelve Steps from Mark Miller's One

Another good day in a busy week, so gives thanks in the manner to which you are accustomed!

Here we go, Story Two in our spiritual series is now available from Trestle Press.

Twelve Steps by De Miller

Mark Miller’s One is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.

In story two, De Miller tells something of his life growing up and compares it to his new existence as a Born Again Christian. He has strong influences from both his mother and father that shaped his whole life. After forty years, he is learning something new. 

De Miller is my father and the creator of the faith-based movie Daniel's Lot, now available on DVD. I was given the privilege of writing the novelization, which you can get on Kindle HERE. You can also read an interview with De on my blog HERE.

So put some more faith on the eReader of your choice for ONLY 99 CENTS. Be sure to watch next month for Story Three: Dr. Candy by Sudè Khanian.

Do you want something for FREE?

This is your chance! Trestle Press is hosting a little giveaway. I'm going to let Mr. Gelati give you the details. Before that, I'd like to say that I hope one of my readers wins. It's fairly simple: make some noise! Do something to get my attention (it has to be online though).

Anyway, read the details and I will have a bit to add at the end.....


Six Author’s, Six Incredible Stories, One Intense Giveaway!!!

Hi, me again, Giovanni Gelati! 

Trestle Press and some of their authors have put together what I think is one intense giveaway. Each author covers a different genre and has a different style, but they all share one common goal: they love to satisfy readers, and they want to hear from you in one way or another. 

What do I mean by that? Well you can follow their blogs, email them, and become their friend on any of the social websites you can find them (Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Reverb, Edgy Christian Fiction…).

The idea is to get their attention in some way, shape or form, because we are giving away 6 stories in a nice convenient e-package for you to spend some quality time with, full length novels as well as digital short stories. 

Who are the authors you ask? You did, didn’t you? Yes, I thought so.

Here is the lineup:

Darren Sant is Amazon UK’s wunderkind having rocketed up the sales charts within 12 hours of his debut release “A Good Day”, the first installment in “The Longcroft Estates” Series. His second installment in the series, “Community Spirit”, will be released this week.

Wenona Hulsey has written “Burden of Blood”. This debut novel has been making waves on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Nobles Nookbook for Paranormal/YA.

Mark Miller is the author of a few different things: The new “One” series (a visit into ourselves, our spiritual selves, no matter what form, shape or size), Daniel’s Lot (an adaptation of the movie of the same name), and the all ages series “The Empyrical Tales” from Comfort Publishing.

Paul D. Brazill has penned a ton of material carving out a name for himself in the noir/suspense/ horror genre. A few pieces of his work include the “Drunk on The Moon” digital short story series, and “Brit Grit”. He has charted in sales both on Amazon Kindle and Amazon Kindle UK.

Big Daddy Abel is your basic renaissance man: musician, composer, author, performer, band mate. BDA helps front a very successful group The Amish Outlaws. He also has musical material of his own, you can grab that on www.ReverbNation.com. He has the highly successful “Open Mic” series of digital short stories and they have been at one time the number 1, 2, 7, 8 in his Amazon Kindle category for sales. He also has a variety of stories with The Author’s Lab/Collaboration series that have hit the Amazon Kindle sales charts including: “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes”, “The Edge of Cataclysmic” and a novella “Bar–A”.

Giovanni Gelati. Yes, me. I have been fortunate to have had the privilege and opportunity to work with some amazing authors on a variety of projects in just about every genre. To say that I am fortunate to be able to work with these authors is an understatement.

That is the lineup, what is the giveaway?

We are giving away one title from each author, so that is a package that has six stories, some full length, some digital short stories, some are novella’s, and all you need to do is find these authors and gain their attention. Let them know you’re interested in this giveaway, (follow their blogs, be their friend on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Google+… you get the picture), and we will announce the winners on Sept. 15^th.

Have nice time. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Giovanni. You heard him folks, do something fun, and maybe a little crazy!

Here's some ideas: comment on one of my blog posts (empyricaltales.blogspot.com), send me an email (Mark@MillerWords.com), send me a friend request from one of the social networks listed on my blog or the Links at my website (www.MillerWords.com), or use Facebook. Get my attention and that will get Trestle Press's attention.

I want you to win one of my Trestle Press e-books!         

The Authors of ONE: De Miller

The next installment of One will be coming your way from Trestle Press very soon, so I wanted to give you an opportunity to meet the next author.

De Miller is a former newspaper reporter, photographer and editor now living in the little central Florida town of Mount Dora. He became a born again Christian on July 13, 2008. He and his wife, Sue, have four children and 17 grandchildren and a great grandchild on the way. Through the years, he served as a reporter, photographer and relief desk editor for The Star and then as a reporter, photographer, Associate Editor and finally Managing Editor of the Kansas City Kansan, the daily newspaper on the Kansas side of Kansas City. Following some 15 years in the newspaper business, he became the Public Information officer for the Wyandotte County Commissioners for eight years. He entered private business, owning and operating several businesses in Kansas City. Also during his post-government years he operated his own Public Relations firm and sold freelance articles to such diverse publications as the National Enquirer, the Sporting News and Handicraft Magazine.

I prepared a few questions and my father was kind enough to answer them.


MM: Given what we are trying to accomplish with "One", what was the inspiration for your contribution to the series?


DM: As a "baby" Christian, I wanted to share my excitement about my new found knowledge with family and friends. If I learned about a new way to repair a car, I would certainly share that with those I loved. So why not share what I've learned about the true meaning of life?


MM: Sharing is a cornerstone of "One". We definitely want to expose readers to different viewpoints and give them things to consider. You have a lengthy background in writing. Why don't you share how long you've been at it?


DM: Do I have to tell? : ) Can I even remember back that far? : ) : ) Okay. 43 years!


MM: I won't add to your pain by saying that's longer than I've been alive. In that time, I'm sure you've developed some habits, good or bad. Tell us something interesting or odd that you do while writing?


DM: I wouldn't call it a habit or an eccentricity....but I really enjoy writing outdoors. I wrote my first novel on my laptop and a portable desk sitting on a park bench on the bank of Lake Dora here in Mount Dora, FL. When I don't have time to load up the desk and computer, I wheel it out on my deck overlooking a smaller lake and enjoy the shade and breeze. Maybe that is eccentric?


MM: I would say that's a great way to get in touch with nature. A lot of different faiths depend on communicating with nature. Can you tell us something more about your faith that we can't get from your story?


DM: I think I probably made this clear in the article, but I think it bears repeating. God is the faithful one. He will always be there for you. Just acknowledge Him in all you do and He will provide. Quit worrying.


MM: Very nice. Obviously that is a big part of your work these days, but who are some of your writing influences?


DM: Mark Twain, Mark Miller, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke, Liliam Jackson Braun and Robert B. Parker. (Not too many faith writers, huh?)


MM: I'm not sure I deserve it, but I'm humbled to be included in such an esteemed list. Many of our readers would probably agree that your influences don't all have to be spiritual. It's the message and not the messenger, right? If your spiritual influence is not overwhelmingly from other authors, who does influence you in that realm?


DM: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the one and only. But to name some people with whom I've personally come in contact with, I would have to say Apostle Matthew J. Shaw, T. D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyers.


MM: Another great list. These are people you've come in contact with in your life, in one way or another. That leads me into the next question. Give us a hint at the real you. Share something about your life that we can't read in your bio?


DM: I guess it would be my secret desire to be a movie actor. At this point in my life, I couldn't pass for a leading man type, but certainly a character actor. I wrote, directed and produced a couple direct-to-video movies in the mid-90s and I put myself in those; I also wrote, directed and produced a Christian movie (Daniel's Lot, which is now in worldwide release through Bridgestone Multimedia) and I gave myself a speaking part in that movie. We are in pre-production for our second Christian movie and I have already lined up a part for me in that movie....so if no one else will hire me, I will!


MM: Sounds like fun. I hope it goes well for you. Before we wrap things up, we definitely want to know what else you have in the works. What are your other projects right now?


DM: As I mentioned, I am involved in the movie ministry at our church, Faith and Power Worship Center in Apopka, FL. We recently released our first movie, Daniel's Lot, which stars Emmy-award winner Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H). That movie received the coveted Family Approval Seal from the Dove Foundation and was named fan favorite at the Holywood Film Festival in New York earlier this year. We are presently seeking funding for our second feature. We actually have two in the pipeline: A faith-filled Baseball movie entitled Heading Home and a Prodigal Son story set on a horse ranch, entitled The Long Ride. I am also involved with a non-profit group, Arts for the Community, Inc., and we are setting up a Christian radio station as our first project. The station will serve the Marion County area near Ocala, FL. The call letters are WTYG (We Thank You God) and we'll be at 91.5 FM. We hope to be on the air by November.


MM: You are certainly busy. I want to close with a couple fun questions. First, if you could ask your supreme being one question, what would it be?


DM: I don't know that I would have a question. I would really enjoy telling Him face to face, thank you for this wonderful life He has given me. Oh, I guess I will be able to do that.....not too soon, though.


MM: We're not wanting you to hurry to that appointment either. Lastly, if you were ice cream, what flavor would you be?


DM: Chocolate chip. It is smooth and crunchy at the same time. Is that me? Maybe.


MM: Thank you for taking your time and sharing some of your thoughts. Below are some links where readers can learn more about De Miller and his many inspirational projects.

www.danielslot.com  -  www.demiller.com  -  www.headinghomemovie.com www.thelongridemovie.com - www.lazarusfilmworks.com - www.wtygfm.com

Coming Soon from Trestle Press: Mark Miller's One - Story Two: Twelve Steps by De Miller

In story two, De Miller tells something of his life growing up and compares it to his new existence as a Born Again Christian. He has strong influences from both his mother and father that shaped his whole life. After forty years, he is learning something new. 

     

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