quanie miller

Your Holiday Gift Shortlist: Books Worth Giving

Books are the gifts that keep on giving after the holiday season is over, and what better present can you give than to support indie authors (that’s a gift to them!) and introduce your friends and family to brand new writers? Plus, you can feel good that you contributed to a writer’s dream.

Before you turn to the major publishing houses, pick out some books from these self-published authors, who are just as excellent as mainstream authors.

By genre:

Action/Thriller

Against The Clock by Charlie Moore
The Phoenix Project by DM Cain

Autobiography/Inspiration

White Bees by Amy Wilde

Erotic Romance

Bound Series by Hanna Peach *The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews top pick*

Fantasy

Activation Series by Joseph Murphy
Dark Angel Series
by Hanna Peach *#1 Amazon Fantasy Bestseller*
Finding Me by Dawn Brazil
Secret of the Last Born by TC Michael
Sword of Kassandra Series
by Joseph Murphy

Literary

Crazy, Mixed-Up World by Kevin Zdrill
Just Like a Musical by Milena Veen
Parasite Girls by Tory Gates
Quiver of the Pure Heart by Burnita Bluitt

Mystery/Suspense

Her Lying Eyes by Susan Wilson

Paranormal

The New Mrs. Collins by Quanie Miller
Shifty Magic Series by Judy Teel

Romance

Fate Accompli by MM Jaye
Clean version
Spicy version

Romantic Comedy

Cinderella Heiresses Series by Judy Teel
Kindle Edition
Paperback Edition
It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy
by Quanie Miller
The Between Boyfriends Series by Sarka-Jonae Miller *Best Books of 2014 on Amazon*

Women’s Fiction

Indiscretion by Dahlia Savage
Graduation Day by Dahlia Savage

Just in Time for Halloween: The New Mrs. Collins

Quanie Miller made a great first impression with her hilarious romantic comedy, It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy. Her second book is considerably different – Southern Paranormal genre – and she proves that her writing is both versatile and consistently engaging. Her characters, whether funny or intense, are unforgettable, her creativity knows no bounds. This is not only an exciting read, but one you’ll want to talk about.

~~~

Book Info

Title: The New Mrs. Collins
Author: Quanie Miller
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: October 13, 2014

Book Blurb

In the small town of Carolville, Louisiana, no one knows that Adira Collins inherited mystical powers from her great-grandmother. All they know is that she’s beautiful, poised, graceful, and ruthless — especially when it comes to love. And no one knows that more than Leena Williams, who was all set to marry the man of her dreams until Adira swooped into town and stole the man’s heart.

Being left at the altar is bad enough, but Leena and her ex share custody of their son, so she has to see the new Mrs. Collins on a regular basis.

And it burns every time she does.

But soon, Leena starts to suspect that there is more to Adira Collins than meets the eye. And it’s not because she owns some kinky lingerie shop or allegedly insulted the pastor’s wife — it’s the strange way she can make a door close without touching it, or take one look at something and make it drop dead at her feet.

Leena starts digging for answers and soon discovers that, unlike her public persona, Adira’s true nature is somewhere on the other side of grace. She also learns, a little too late, that some secrets are better left buried.

Excerpt

Even though Johnny’s house was a good ten miles away, it did not occur to Leena to put on a pair of shoes, or to comb her hair, or wash her face. She walked along Elmer Drive until she got to Stoney Way. She ambled along, not paying attention to anything in particular, when she looked up and saw a woman in a white nightgown walking towards her. There was nothing really remarkable about her except for the fact that her face was on fire. Leena stopped and pointed at the woman. She was going to ask her if she knew her face was on fire when the woman smiled at her. To Leena’s horror, the woman’s face transformed into her face. The woman was her. She looked at her reflection in a store window and saw that it was true: her face was ablaze.

Leena looked down at her fingertips and noticed that they were on fire as well. She the new mrs. collins cover imagewondered — if she touched something, would it burn? She turned her attention to a mailbox on the corner and winced when it blurred, went back into focus, disappeared, and then returned. She walked towards it, stuck her burning finger out, and was shocked to discover that the mailbox wasn’t real. Her finger went right through it as if the mailbox were made of clouds. She was stumped. She looked at her hand again when it dawned on her what she had gone to the kitchen for that morning — to cut the tips from her fingers.

She turned around, headed back to her house and wondered who left her front door wide open. When she got to the kitchen, she laid her hand on the cutting board and took the biggest knife from the cutlery set. She would start with the pinky first. She laid the little finger there, raised the knife high in the air, and just as she was coming down to slice, heard the whisper once more, and this time, it was as clear as a blue diamond sitting in a shallow pool of water: Go to McCullens Bridge.

McCullens Bridge! Well, that made sense. Her face was on fire so it was logical that she should go to McCullens Bridge and stick her head in to put the fire out. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? She walked outside and noticed that the sun was hanging lower than usual, almost on top of her neighbor’s house. She wagged her finger as she walked past it, thinking that if it fell on her head, she’d be in a world of trouble. She looked at it one more time to make sure it would stay put, then she continued walking.

Author Bio

QUANIE MILLER - PHOTOQuanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She is the author of The New Mrs. Collins, a southern paranormal novel, and It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy, a romantic comedy. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com.

Book Purchase Links

Amazon (US) http://www.amazon.com/New-Mrs-Collins-Quanie-Miller-ebook/dp/B00OAC362I

Amazon (UK) http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Mrs-Collins-Quanie-Miller-ebook/dp/B00OAC362I

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483357

Social Media Links

Twitter: @quaniemiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanieMillerAuthor
Blog: http://www.quanietalkswriting.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/QuanieMiller
Website: quaniemiller.com
Email: quanie@quanietalkswriting.com

Calling All Critiques: Introducing Your Hosts

As I posted on Monday, Proof Positive is part of the upcoming Calling All Critiques cross-blog event. Today’s post is to introduce the bloggers who will be participating, critiquing, and calling everyone they know to help support those brave souls who have shared their work. You can read more about the event here: Calling All Critiques: A Cross-Blog Event.

Meet Our Hosts

We have seven fabulous bloggers who will be participating in Calling All Critiques.

Brian Basham

Brian BashamBrian grew up and still lives in Va Beach, VA where he spends his time playing with his black lab, Saie, a.k.a. Inspector Puppy. In his spare time he plays softball, poker, and the occasional video game. Oh, and he writes too. You can read some of his stories for free at his Wattpad page. The first novel in his Virtual Wars series is going through edits and rewrites with no current release date announced. He blogs about writing, publishing, movies, and whatever else he feels like talking about at http://www.brian-basham.com/.

MM Jaye

MM JayeMM Jaye is the pen name of Maria Messini, a bilingual Greek native who lives in Athens with her husband and daughter. She is a certified translator and also teaches the art of translation to young adults. Writing was Maria’s idea of therapy when, back in 2009, her spirits had temporarily nosedived, but she didn’t take it seriously until her first manuscript was completed last year. Since November, she’s been building her author platform aiming at publishing Fate Accomplis, her first contemporary romance, in the fall, along with Fate Captured, a prequel novelette. She blogs at mmjayewrites.com and myfriendsexcerpts.wordpress.com. You can also find her on Twitter @MMJaye or Facebook.com/MMJayeauthor.

Quanie Miller

QUANIE MILLER - PHOTOQuanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. Her debut novel, It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy, is a romantic comedy loosely based on her experiences living and working in Silicon Valley. Her first paranormal novel is called The New Mrs. Collins and is slated for a September 2014 release. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress follow her on Twitter @quaniemiller or visit quaniemiller.com and quanietalkswriting.com.

S. L. Saboviec

SL Saboviec - Head Shot - SmallSamantha grew up in a small town in Iowa but now lives in the suburbs of Toronto with her Canadian husband and expatriate cat. In her spare time, she reads, writes, and thinks about reading and writing—along with playing the occasional video game or eight. She’s expecting her first child in September, but pregnancy has only slowed her down a little; her debut release, Guarding Angel, will be available May 19th. She blogs speculative fiction book reviews at the Magic & Mayhem Book Review Blog and tweets about life and writing from @Saboviec.

M.G. Silverstein

M.G. SilversteinM.G. Silverstein is a YA fantasy novelist and fantasy genre blogger. She is currently completing her second Bachelor’s degree in English (her first is in Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts). Her debut YA fantasy novel Elemental will be available in 2015.

Although she considers the Washington, D.C. metro area her favorite place on Earth—she isn’t ‘from’ anywhere. Having lived in 7 states, 14 cities, and 2 different countries, the only place she feels at home is when reading or writing fantasy. You can visit her at www.mgsilverstein.com to hear her musings on both the fantasy genre and writing a fantasy novel.

Christie Stratos

Christie StratosChristie Stratos is an editor and award-winning author who lives in the New York area and holds a degree in English Literature. An avid reader of all genres and world literature, Christie reads everything from bestsellers to classics and is always on top of current publishing trends and technology. In her spare time, you can find her playing French Horn for musicals, small ensembles, orchestras, and a 10-year-old community band for which she was a founding member. Christie can be reached through her editing business, Proof Positive, her author website and blog, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Only one week left until we begin accepting critiques!

While you wait, check out all the participating blogs and bloggers:

We look forward to seeing you back here in a couple weeks.

Any questions? Leave them in the comments!

How (Not) to Write a Novel

I always sing author Quanie Miller‘s praises because she’s such an outstanding writer. In fact, I did a fun and interesting interview with her in 2013 about her premier book It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy. As the owner of Proof Positive, I am proud to be featured on her blog with my guest post, “How (Not) to Write a Novel”. I’d love it if you comment and ask questions – I will answer every single one. Take advantage of some free advice from an expert editor!

Meet Author Quanie Miller

Humor isn’t easy to write. In fact, it’s one of the hardest things to write because of how easily the punch line can be blown. Predictability will kill anything funny and at the same time, what you write should be as universally funny as possible, not only appealing to a few people who will know what you’re talking about.

Meet the master.

Quanie Miller’s first book, It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy, hardly seems like her first. Her natural writing style makes you think she’s a seasoned pro. You won’t be able to help laughing out loud, and I mean that quite literally.

I interviewed Quanie recently about writing, her novel, and her hilarious yet relatable characters.

~~~

Is this your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Yes, this is my first book! It probably took me about 3 months of planning before I started writing.

Do you plan your writing with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I definitely have to outline when I write. I think of outlines as a roadmap. Sometimes I follow it or sometimes I veer off course a bit, but I always need to know where the story is headed.

What drew you to this genre?

I’ve just always loved writing funny stories with over the top characters who are always getting themselves into these hilarious situations. It’s a lot of fun. Sometimes they do or say things that I hadn’t anticipated. I laugh out loud a lot while writing.

Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you write in other genres too? If so, which ones?

I also write paranormal novels. In fact, I was trying to write a paranormal novel when I sat down to write It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy.  The novel was supposed to be about a woman who accidentally gets a job as a nanny and later discovers that the children’s new stepmother has mystic powers. So I start the story with the main character getting a flat tire in this affluent neighborhood and cursing her GPS for getting her lost. I was going to have her ring one of the door bells and get mistaken for an interviewee by the woman of the house. But when I started writing, she never made it to the house. She called her best friend to get directions and the banter between those two had me laughing out loud. I stopped and thought, “But wait a minute. This isn’t supposed to be funny!” So I had to take a step back and decide if I wanted to scrap what I had and rewrite it to make the tone consistent with a paranormal story or go in a completely different direction and write the funny story. I decided to write the funny story and I’m so glad I did because Jazzy and her family were a hoot to write (I later ended up writing the paranormal story. It’s called The New Mrs. Collins and will be out next year).

What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

Well, Jazzy is a Louisiana girl living in San Jose, California. She’s hilarious and she’s also got this southern sass about her, so when she meets all of these really quirky characters in Silicon Valley, some really funny situations occur that I think readers will enjoy.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life? I’m especially interested in Aunt Cleotha with this question!

I think that all of my characters are some variation of me, my family and friends. I grew up around really funny and sassy women who didn’t mind telling you about yourself! You wouldn’t believe how many real life Aunt Cleothas I know!

Who’s your favorite character and why?

Definitely Aunt Cleotha. I cried laughing while writing her. She’s so funny and gives it to you straight no matter who you are.

Are you planning on writing a sequel? When can we look forward to it being published?

I am! I’m actually in the outline phase right now and hope to have it out within the next year.

Do your friends and family know you’re a writer? Were they surprised when you told them?

Oh, yes. It’s all I talk about so I’m sure I drive them crazy!

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

I’m especially inspired by dialogue. The things that people say during conversation! It’s a goldmine for stories. Little quirks that people have also give me ideas for characters or sometimes I’m sitting there doing nothing and I’ll get this visual of a character doing something intriguing and I’ll go, “Whoa! Who are you?” I also get ideas by just watching people. For instance, my husband and I went out to dinner the other night and there was this seemingly nice couple a few feet away from us. I thought to myself, “They seem nice enough. But what if they’re over there plotting a murder?” And just like that the wheels start spinning.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find your voice as a writer. Don’t try and be like anyone else and don’t worry if your book isn’t like another author’s. You are unique and your story will reflect that, so don’t try and be like somebody else. Let your voice be heard!

~~~~

Connect with Quanie Miller:

Website: http://quaniemiller.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QuanieMiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanieMillerAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7218800.Quanie_Miller

Check out It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy on Amazon:

It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy - Ebook Cover

Our Website Got a Redesign!

We're thrilled to reveal our fully refreshed website, designed by Konn Lavery! Our site is now easier to navigate,...

How to Choose Comp Titles: Mix and Match Multiple Aspects of Your Novel

Sell your book without giving readers the wrong idea. by Margaret Pinard, historical fiction & fantasy author...

Book Launch: Dark and Twisted Dystopian Science Fiction Anthology

Four short stories from the desolate and tempestuous imagination of Jessica Halsey. Originally published on Kindle...

Book Launch: Danger lurks in every corner of space when hocking crappy merchandise

Saving an alien planet is nothing compared to meeting your sales quota. Untrained tag-along, Marcus Aimond, aboard...

Book Launch: When espionage exposes a hidden world, war threatens its safety

A hidden people not so hidden anymore. The Hidden Realm of Angolin has existed in peaceful isolation for centuries,...

Book Launch: The king of medieval TV is dead, and the game is afoot

“A pitch-perfect combination of action, mystery, and humor.” ―Anthony Award-winning author Gigi Pandian for Jove Brand...

Book Launch: Is Daphne crazy, or is the Brotherhood of the Raven real?

Beware the Brotherhood of the Raven When two boys vanish from her hometown, Daphne Gauge notices uncanny parallels to...

Book Launch: She’s risking her dream of joining the FBI for four gorgeous criminals

Stalker ex? ✔ Four hot roommates? ✔ An illegal secret? ✔✔✔✔✔ I, Clara McElroy, always have a handle on things. List it...

Book Launch: Coming home 11 years later was the worst thing she ever did

When I ran out of Poca eleven years ago, I never planned on seeing the confines of this small town again. Now, it’s...

Book Launch: Can reality TV turn pretend lovers into true love?

Nothing’s real on reality TV―or is it? Everyone knows Kell Simmons manages the Matthews brothers, the three hottest...