Author Genre: Romance, Religion, Contemporary
Website: D.M. Miller
Author's Blog: D.M. Miller
Twitter: @dmmiller_author
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
A writer from the age of twelve, after earning a Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University, D.M. Miller trekked a path from North to South to West, finally settling with her family among prickly cactus thorns and big sky valleys. Coming from a distinctively clashing gene pool, the author of the romantic interfaith "Heart" series has an appetite for going against the grain in both fiction and nonfiction alike, exploring the difficult themes of religion, politics, ethnicity, culture, family, ancestry, identity and most of all, love.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Mexican Summer. What do you have on the drawing board next? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
As a matter of fact, I have a new book coming out April 1. It’s a book of poetry and essays called, Banished Thoughts. I always like to push the envelope, heading into the fire while others run in the opposite direction, and so the major themes of this book are: politics, the underbelly of the writing world, social media, love and life in general.
You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?
I have met a few people on Twitter, but Facebook is where I’ve developed more relationships with fellow authors and new readers. Building a following is slow-going and requires time, work and patience.
As for the carryover, I feel successful when a reader posts a review, showing me that he or she really gets it, writing that I struck a chord, touched a soul, made a difference somehow. You see, I don’t write nonsense. All of my work has meaning.
Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
This is the first year I’ve started to go out into the public with my books. So far I’ve only attended one local author fair at a library and the big Tucson Festival of Books, but I hope to go to more events in the future. At the moment, the only thing planned is on March 30 at Dog-Eared Pages Bookstore in Phoenix, AZ, where I will be giving a talk called, “Self-Publishing: Overcoming the Obstacles.” Usually, I post something on Facebook about an upcoming event, but since I haven’t done many yet, I haven’t created a page on my blog with a list or anything like that. Perhaps in the future I will.
You have written several short stories and poems. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
Actually, I don’t write short stories. The only “shorts” I write are articles or essays, and poems, and I do think the blog articles sometimes prompt book sales. What has helped more so are the videos I’ve posted on Youtube for my nonfiction work, Half-Jew. Everything that gives the reader a taste of who you are is going to help.
What is your primary genre? What has been your best marketing approach to this group?
Intercultural romance is my primary genre, and what’s worked best is simply developing personal relationships with potential readers. Romance is a tough genre, and my brand is a hard sell. If I wrote Harlequin-style or erotica, it would make my life far easier, but that’s just not me. I write about deep love, religion, culture, and real issues, topics many don’t want to discuss.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
Giving books away for free has never done a thing to help me. Just a waste of money—my money! I’ve done two Goodreads giveaways and didn’t even get a review out of either one, and I gave away my first poetry book for free to no avail. My advice is not to bother. People just want free books, and instead of buying more of an author’s books, they just look for the next free book offered by someone else.
Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?
Honestly, I’ve not done any of that. I know that’s the next big thing, the new marketing advice going around now, but I just post to my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, and now I’m going to events here and there. Maybe I should start compiling a list, but I think that “it” will happen when it’s meant to happen.
You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and helping other writers gain exposure. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?
It’s not easy, and sometimes I do let things slip. As long as I keep myself organized, I can make it work. My primary goal is to write what I want when I want and hopefully break through to readers while I’m doing it. It’s why I self-publish. I don’t want to be confined or restricted to someone else’s guideline and timeline. Could I use the marketing of a traditional publisher? Absolutely. That’s the only downside to being an indie author.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
Generally, I rely on my readership. That’s probably part of my problem. I should be sending out a hundred copies of each book to get reviews, but a lot of people who do that get plagiarized. That’s why I’m reluctant to do so.
The Tucson Festival of Books 2018 was a great event, enjoyed by thousands. A Book festival is a unique selling situation. How did you prepare for the festival? Did it meet your goals? If you had to do something different next year, what would that be?
It was a great experience, and G-d willing, I will be attending again next year. To prepare, I first bought several copies of my own books to have on hand, and I attended a couple of events that were not book-related beforehand, just to practice my spiel. It helped a great deal, and I was ready for Tucson, more comfortable with my “elevator pitch.” I don’t think I’ll do anything different next year except refine my pitch. I think like anything else in this business, it takes time. The more you do it, the better it is, but I’m the tortoise, not the hare. I’ll get there, and I will win—eventually. For now, I’ll keep clacking away at the keyboard, bleeding onto the pages, but more than anything, I’m just grateful to anyone who bothers to read my words.
Author's Book List
Mexican Summer
After escaping an abusive marriage, Ashley stands at a crossroads. Desperate for a change, a move to Texas promises a brighter future, but she craves something more. The invitation to a Mexican vacation with Graciela and Bill comes at the perfect time.
Upon arrival, she meets Graciela’s brother Cristián. An immediate attraction blossoms, and Ashley dares to hope. But the blissful trip takes a harrowing turn with a devastating car crash. A series of shocking events follow, throwing her into a whirlwind adventure.
In a fight to survive, Ashley must face sinister forces. Who can she trust? What’s really going on beneath the surface?
And will she ever find the love she truly desires?
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Amazon
Holiday of the Heart
- Heart Series: Volume 4Amirah can’t wait for Christmas. Leaving her Egyptian roots to restart in New York, she salivates over the American dream. If only her parents understood.
Rajab stresses more over love than nationality when he meets an enchanting woman. But the relationship is scandalous. Terrified of his father’s disapproval and seething reaction, Rajab struggles to keep the secret. The repercussions could be disastrous.
Together, Catherine and Abdul are the magnet for the group, but an outside force threatens their marriage while fall celebrations are underway.
The holiday season is busy for most, but for this interfaith union, the festive days multiply. Can Christians, Jews and Muslims sit at the same dinner table in peace? Find out as the Shadid and DiMarco family stumbles through holiday after holiday on this interfaith journey.
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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Half-Jew
- Searching for IdentityWhat is a Half-Jew?
Neither this nor that. Practically synonymous with confusion, Half-Jew is a term for people stuck in no-man's land, not quite fitting in with Gentiles nor universally accepted as Jews.
Some say there is no such thing, denying many their legitimate heritage and innate pull toward the same culture, ancestry and religious equivalence as those with Jewish matrilineage. Those born of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother are often lost, searching for a true identity.
D.M. Miller makes a compelling case to prove the doubters wrong. In analyzing religious arguments, medical and genetic studies, history and ancestry, this intimate part-memoir tells the personal story of one woman determined to eradicate the stigma, unravel the misunderstandings and come to terms with what identity is or isn't through her unique perspective as a Half-Jew.
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Secrets of the Heart
- Heart Series: Volume 3Life is full of surprises, but no one is more surprised than Catherine when a mysterious figure from her past arrives uninvited. Suddenly, deception and lies rear their ugly head when everything she thought she knew turns upside down.
Abdul's challenges intensify, and his respect for his wife is questioned by someone new occupying her heart. Hostility and jealousy dominate while battles unfold, and the contrasting journeys of two people merge.
Religion, ethnicity, culture, nationality and above all, family, are intertwined in the search for truth when secrets slowly reveal a shocking reality. Previous perceptions transform, creating fresh loyalties...
With Catherine's beginnings coming to light, the struggle between ancestral DNA and adopted love emerges. Is blood really thicker than water? And how is identity truly defined?
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Dandelion Fuzz
Dandelion Fuzz is a collection of poetry by author D.M. Miller.
Deep within the most guarded sections of the soul is a heartache, desperately begging for release. These poems provide that catharsis, that cleansing, essential for the greater happiness waiting around the corner with a welcoming embrace. Wring the tears out of the heart and start anew: take a dandelion, blow away the fuzz and make a wish.
Read the poetry by the author whose work has been called: “Masterful,” “Mesmerizing,” “Powerful,” “Clever,” and "Magnificent"!
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Agony of the Heart
- Heart Series: Volume 2Does he still love her? That's what Catherine wants to know, her desperate longing unanswered, as life and prior dreams fall flat. Fervently searching for what was and what should be, her downward spiral leaves Abdul scratching his head. Picking up the shattered pieces is not easy, and the man who turned his life upside down has crucial choices to make.
Throw a Muslim, a Jew, determination, disappointment, anti-Semitism and claims of Islamophobia in a pot, and the result is a steamy stew of emotional turmoil. Yet what it boils down to is one all-consuming basic need.
With shocking cultural differences, relatives foaming at the mouth and goals on opposing trajectories, the fight to keep it together is looming large. Is their love strong enough to withstand it all? And will they triumph against the formidable mountains standing in their way?
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The Religion of the Heart
- Heart Series: Volume 1Catherine and Abdul come from two opposing worlds. She is raised in the West, while he calls Egypt home. Their first meeting is little more than a fleeting moment, but it sparks over a decade-long desperation and agonizing battle to be together.
Incompatible religions, distinct cultures and hot-tempered families vowing to keep them apart are the overwhelming hurdles they face, and reality hits once mysteries are solved and the fairytale beginning fades away. They are left with difficult decisions as they determine how important their respective religions are and whether or not their cultures can mesh.
Can an enduring yet taboo love conquer all when conflicting religions are duking it out, or will threatening roadblocks stand in the way?
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Amazon
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
Indie Author’s Corner and HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
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