I lead a quirky life, which is probably why my characters tend to be quirky. I've written for television. I've had my DNA shot into space (it's currently residing on the International Space Station). I've also been the voices of all the female warriors on the Mortal Kombat games.
What is your book about?
It's about a young woman who learns that using a little magic can go a long way -- to totally screwing up her life!
Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.
Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.
When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her -- literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body!
If you're interested in checking out a sample (and it's an actually decent-sized sample, not just a bunch of extraneous front matter) it's available at Amazon at http://amzn.to/tilliedead
How long did it take you to write?
A ridiculously long time! I rewrote it a ton of times. I put it away for a couple of years. I wrote for TV for a bit. Then recently, I brought the manuscript back out and rewrote it again. From the original conception to the finished manuscript, it probably took seven years. Although, that also includes a lot of time off, working on other projects.
What inspired you to write this novel?
It was inspired by a dream/idea I had when my dad was dying from cancer. I was spending his last Christmas with him, trying to figure out what to write. Shortly after he passed away, scenes for this book started popping up in my head.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
When I was a kid, I loved to read and when I was sick, I liked to re-read stories I already knew. So, I would send my dad to the library to bring back books for me -- armed with only the storyline and character descriptions, since I (oddly) couldn't remember the titles. He'd come back from the library, annoyed at having spent hours there looking for these stories when, according to the librarian, they hadn't actually been written yet. It was just my fevered imagination, making up stories. And yet, I still didn't realize I would be a writer -- I just thought I was an imaginative reader. As I was trying to decide what I was going to be when I grew up, I kept bumping into the word "writer" and wondering what that word was doing in my life! What can I say -- I spent a lot of years in denial!
What part of writing do you struggle with? Character, plot, description or dialogue?
Probably the most challenging thing for me is description. I love writing dialogue and character. But I've always hated reading books where the main character takes 87 pages to cross a room, so I've always shied away from massive quantities of description and introspection.
What made you decide on self-publishing?
Honestly, it was two things. One was that I was going to be moderating a self-publishing panel, and I wanted to know how to do it, so I'd know what questions to ask. But the straw that broke the camel's back however, was when I sent a query to an agent whom I had long admired and who repped other authors in my genre. I got a rejection email back from them, explaining how they really enjoyed the pages and my writing, but the project wasn't right for them. The only problem was, I hadn't included any pages with the query. And that pretty much did it for me. I was done with querying at that point. And, at the same time, I was watching a friend of mine making a living at indie publishing, so I knew it was a viable option.
Did you have a professional editor?
Yes and no. It depends on the project.
Do you edit as you write or wait until your book is finished?
I edit as I write, I edit when I'm done. I edit the previous day's work before I start writing, and then I rewrite compulsively. If I wasn't a writer, I'd be an editor. I'm a Virgo and for me, where my Virgoness really comes out to play is in my writing.
Are you currently working on any projects?
Of course! Constantly. People should join my email list or like my Facebook page to stay on top of new releases. :-D
Any advice for new authors?
Don't stop writing. Keep writing. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become proficient at it, so you may as well sit your butt in the chair and get those hours over with. Also, don't let the gatekeepers take your power and dictate to you what your career is or is not going to be. So much of the time, their criteria is something completely other than the quality of your work. Take control of your own career. Define yourself. Don't wait for others to define you.
Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what type of music?
I keep meaning to, but I forget. Usually, I'm listening to the characters in my head so hard, I don't realize the room itself is actually silent. Although, for awhile, (before my daughter went to school), I had to learn how to write when kid's cartoons were on PBS and Nick Jr. It actually got to the point where I had to turn them on when I was writing! But overall, I think I prefer silence.
Best time of day to write?
If I'm in my office, in the afternoon. If I'm at home, late at night. I've always been a night owl. But I used to drive my husband crazy when I wrote from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., so I've had to modify that a bit.
Top 3 authors?
I have such a hard time limiting them to 3. In terms of who makes me stay up all night finishing their books, it would be Janet Evanovich, Tony Hillerman and Dick Francis. But since Tony and Dick have both passed on now, maybe I should substitute in Carl Hiaason and Elmore Leonard. I've been a huge fan of Sara Gruen's since she wrote Riding Lessons. Oh, gosh. Don't get me started. I love sooooo many different authors.
Top 3 novels of all time?
Yikes. Can't answer for all time, because time hasn't ended yet. But so far, 3 of my favorite novels are: Riders by Jilly Cooper, Maybe This Time by Jennifer Cruisie, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I like fun paranormals, fun mysteries and almost anything with horses or elephants. :-D
Top 3 movies of all time?
Yikes. Ditto the disclaimer above. Right now, my favorite movies are the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder was my first film crush). Also Murphy's Romance with Sally Field and James Garner. I saw it years ago and fell in love with James Garner. Hmmm. I think I'm seeing a pattern here. And, for the third one… I think my daughter would disown me if I didn't pick James Cameron's Avatar. Although, no, I haven't fallen in love with Jake.
However, I am currently in the middle of watching an old Cary Grant film that I'm completely loving -- Sylvia Scarlett (and yes, I'm totally in love with Cary Grant. And Harrison Ford). Oh, man. I have to add Raiders of the Lost Ark to this list! I've watched Raiders so much, I've memorized it. (Sorry, James Cameron. Indiana Jones kicks Avatar butt. Just don't tell my daughter! LOL!). Harrison Ford, George Clooney, Cary Grant, James Garner and Gene Wilder are my film crushes.
I've actually had the pleasure of meeting George Clooney in person and he is just as jaw-droppingly attractive and intelligent and funny in person as he appears to be when he's on-camera.
Oh, and how can I not include Ghostbusters? That's one of my top films as well. See what I mean? I just can not limit myself to three of anything!
What do you read the most? Fiction or non-fiction?
I read both, really. Although probably more fiction. When I was a kid, I would clear the library shelves out, bringing home forty or fifty books at a time, (avid reader was an understatement!), until they instituted a ten-book limit. I found out later that they had done that because of me! Can you tell the library figures prominently in my childhood?
Is your book in Print, ebook or both?
It's available in both. But can I put a plug in here? Books live and die on reviews. If you read a book -- any book -- please, please, please post a review on Amazon or B&N or iTunes. Your authors will love you for it.
Where can your readers contact you? Links, etc.
They can email me at christiana_miller(at)aol[dot]com. Isn't it a pain that we have to use all those extraneous characters when we share email addresses nowadays? They can also check out more about me at my website, www.christianamiller.com or like my facebook page at (I know this link looks weird, but I shortened it at bit.ly) http://on.fb.me/christianamiller.
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