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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Spoiler Alert

I'm going to discuss a sensitive and polarizing topic in this post: The Last Jedi.

If you haven't seen it yet, turn away now because there will be spoilers.

That's the first burning question: will we have an anthology story for Snoke? Who is he? Where did he come from? Does it even matter?

Before I go any further, I will say I loved The Last Jedi. I will also say that this post may be a bit self-serving. I have read and watched so many negative reviews about this movie. I saw an article about a petition to have it removed from canon. If we don't like something, let's whine about it and erase it from history? Does that work in pop culture as well as it does in politics?

The #notmyluke movement is what finally drove me to write this. I realize my opinion is no more or less valid than anyone else's, if you even read this.

Mark Hamill stated in an interview that his Luke Skywalker would never do the things that happened in the latest movie. He would never give up. He added at the end, that this wasn't his movie and a new generation of characters essentially needed to come into their own while he stepped aside. However, our sound-byte world will only latch on to the first part.

But that's what this Star Wars was about: giving up and failure. It was about how we deal with and overcome that failure. My generation grew up with Star Wars. We had idealistic heroes for an idealistic time. Things are not so hopeful these days (or are we blissfully nostalgic?). I, for one, think that many my age have become Last Jedi Luke. We are (or maybe it's just me) closed off from the force. We have forgotten the old ways and lost our hope. Something needs to happen to bring back that connection. This version of Luke realizes that and he comes back, if only to make his final and most important stand.

First they killed Han Solo and now Luke. They are killing our childhood. No. If it lives in our hearts and memories, can it really be killed? Everyone dies. Luke died. Yoda died. I'm going to die some day. That's not depressing. It's life. The death of Luke Skywalker somehow makes Star Wars more real and maybe that's why so many didn't like it? Who likes being confronted with their own mortality?

What else did they not like? Too many jokes? It's a kid's movie. Star Wars was always for kids. Part of the problem is that the kids have grown up.  Maybe it's a little more aimed at kids these days, but it is owned by Disney now. While Marvel may take Disney further and further away from its core values, maybe Star Wars can bring some of those back.

Where were the light sabre battles? This movie was more about the Force than any of the other two movies combined. One of the worst things, in my opinion, that happened to Star Wars was Yoda holding a light sabre. As a Jedi Master for over 800 years, he should have been so far beyond the need for a physical weapon. His few moments in Last Jedi showed some of his true power. Frank Oz and his puppet stole the show for me. And Luke's final moments, expressing himself through the Force, were brilliant. Notice how different he looked from the version of himself on the island? He brought forth the best version of himself, an ideal that he had long since abandoned. I hate how I look in selfies. I wonder what the best version of my self would look like?

Eh, not too bad...

And for those that had a problem with Finn and Rose, are there no romantics left? Rose just lost her sister and she spends her time alone in the underbelly of the ship. Then she is suddenly thrust into an adventure with one of her heroes. Of course she's going to fall for him. We should be happy for something simple and good among all the death and destruction.

I think the last thing I want to comment on is Poe. It is my contention that every story is incomplete without a character arc, a defining change. While Poe's arc was maybe a little obvious, it was solid and necessary. Did he spend a lot of time looking out windows or was he actually looking at a window into his soul? If he had been constantly caught up in the action, he would not have had the time to discover himself.

In summary, The Last Jedi is one of my favorites of the Saga. While I was disappointed that they did not bump into Lando on Canto Bight, I was as equally surprised at how I felt seeing Leia floating in space. The revelation, or lack, of Rey's parents didn't even bother me. They do have to save something for Ep IX. I do apologize if I rambled a bit, I did warn that this would be a little self-serving. I posted some specific thoughts and I would love to hear in the comments if anyone agrees or disagrees with any of my points.

If you would like to see how Star Wars influenced my writing, Journey of the Fourth Queen in only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle - http://mwbooks.me/4Q

Star Wars Stuff

Well, Episdoe VII is officially under way. Principal cast has been announced and shooting has started. As a life-long fan, I have much confidence in JJ. Contrary to many, I totally enjoyed what he did with Star Trek and thought Into Darkness was better than his first one. To me, it seems Mr. Abrams is a fan first and a businessman second. I hope that he makes my beloved universe his own, acknowledges the fans and makes something not only for kids, but also those of us who never really grew up.

Star Wars Weekends 2007

I have my hopes for what I would like to see in the new trilogy; characters like Mara Jade and events like the death of Chewbacca. Don't get me wrong - I don't want to see Chewbacca die. Jar Jar heads that list. Chewbacca's death was an epic moment and a great sacrifice. He swore a life-debt to Han and it should be a necessary moment, even if it does not occur as it did in the Expanded Universe novel.

The cast consists of a young group of relative unknowns. Sound familiar? Still, there is one Harry Potter alum, two from Coen Bros and one that endured Attack the Block. One of the biggest treats for me is to see Max Von Sydow join the ranks of Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In case you are not familiar with this legendary actor, he starred in the classic Strange Brew.

I could rant about how great the original trilogy was, everything wrong with the prequels and what they musn't ruin in the new movies. I won't do that. We all have our own opinions and own hopes. Isn't that what Star Wars is really about...hope? It is adventure, humor, mystery, love and good conquering evil. On top of all that, it gives us hope...hope that there is something bigger, greater out there - something that binds the universe together. It gives us hope that we can revisit our childhood and remember the things that made us happy.

Star Wars remains one of the earliest inspirations for my own writing. The Hero's Journey is a universal map that applies to my first novel, The Fourth Queen. I even tried my hand at some SW Fan Fiction (which might end up on this blog some day).

"They're for sale, if you want them."

As I continue my training in the Jedi way, I find that I can part with material things. To that end, I have created a Facebook album featuring over 300 figures collected since 1995. Feel free to make me an offer on any or all of them.

Gallery

As always, thank you for reading my blog. 

Please be sure to visit me on FB: www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

Award Winner and a few more

Renaissance is a collection of short stories featuring The Forgotten Well, my Florida Writers' Association award winning story. The collection of four stories is only 99 cents: http://goo.gl/bT8MO

One definition of renaissance is renewal of life, vigor, interest, etc.; rebirth; revival.

The stories gathered here are expressions of that idea. Written at different times, for different reasons, they all share the same theme. I think the idea of renewal is an important part of life. We are always looking for ways to better ourselves. Sometimes, we are not aware of it and we receive a message from an unexpected place. Sometimes, the inspiration comes from a long forgotten memory. Whatever the case, we are given an opportunity that can easily slip by in a momentary encounter or even a dream.

These stories may seem bittersweet, but to me they also represent hope.

The award-winning story The Forgotten Well was selected for the Florida Writer’s Association annual collection. I feel particularly honored for winning as the entrants were judged by peer authors.

Reflecting on Reflections

My nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, and I have completed the next step in the journey for the Sons of the King. Episode Five: Reflections is available now for ONLY 99 Cents. http://goo.gl/oUgd2

I asked Olivia to share her thoughts on the story so far. Her thoughts are below...

It is hard to grab her attention at the moment. She is the rare child who looks forward to going back to school. With fourth grade starting in a few days, she is excited.

MM: How would you sum up the story from the beginning?

OM: The King mysteriously dies. The three sons go their separate ways and the new advisor Esephis takes over the kingdom. The oldest son, Taro, learns the ways of the Creator and the middle brother becomes a thief. Fallon, the youngest, is left alone with Esephis. 

MM: What comes next?

OM: The boys have to find their destiny.

MM: Since we are calling this a Christian Sci-fantasy, what would you say is the theme?

OM: The message is finding truth and believing in God. On the planet of Kaskaya, he is known as the Creator. The sons of the King learn skills to help them, but only the Creator knows their destiny.

MM: What exactly is a Sci-fantasy?

OM: It is a fantasy story with some science fiction in it.

MM: Is there anything special you would like to say about Episode Five: Reflections? What was your favorite part?

OM: I'd say my favorite part was when Ekron and his friends went through the Forest of Deception. 

And that's when she ran away to play with the small plush manatee that the Tooth Fairy delivered last night. I love that she is so mature in her writing, yet still a child at heart. She has a fantastic balance of innocence and imagination.

We will be back next month with Episode Six. Please grab your copy of Episode Five: Reflections today for ONLY 99 Cents. http://goo.gl/oUgd2

You can follow Sons of the King on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Mysstira

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

Olivia Strikes Again

That's right. Episode 3 is here. Like I said before, Olivia has such a great voice as an author. As I encourage her to explore and develop it, it might take a little longer to get these stories done. With her imagination and charm, I think it is worth the wait.

Sons of the King

Episode 3

The Creator's Ark

In Sons of the King, they have created a fantasy world with a touch of science fiction. 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.

Episode Three tells of the oldest son Taro’s journey to the hidden Creator’s Ark. He plans to dedicate his life to honor the Creator of the planet Kaskaya and the universe. At the same time middle brother Diggold heads in the opposite direction in search of adventure and escape. Which leaves the youngest of the three, Fallon, almost like a prisoner in the Dome.


This story begins to explore the theology of Mysstira. The beliefs of the people are important to the growth of the characters. Similar to Buddhist Monks or Star Wars Jedi, the Mysstirans have a religious warrior class called the Arktu. They practice non-violence and rely on their Creator for strength.


Please check it out for only 99 cents! http://goo.gl/XVclH