1. Please tell us about your latest
release.
My latest book,
Reborn, is the second book in The Wanderers series. After Ella finally
discovers what she is she still has a lot to figure out. She wants to know
where exactly she fits in this world and what’s going to happen to her now. The
second installment takes Ella back to the East Coast where we meet a few new
characters and have an appearance here and there from a few old ones.
Heartache, romance, and suspense keeps you on your toes in the next book.
2. Do you have a special formula for
creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning
to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain
time periods or regions?
I try to find
names that haven’t been used too often, but sometimes I come across a name that
I really like. Usually they’re classic names and how can you go wrong with
that. I do look at the meaning of names before I pick a name to go with a
character. I like the name to mean something and suit the character I’m using
it for. Although I like to pick names that haven’t been used a lot I will not
pick a crazy name that no one can pronounce. That bugs me when other authors do
that. I get being different but sometimes these names are just ridiculous.
3. What is your favorite scene from
the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
One of my favorite
scenes from the book is when Ella meets Tristan. Ella has this standoffish
attitude towards him which just makes him want her that much more. Tristan
hasn’t heard the word no often so he takes Ella as a challenge. The interaction
between the two of them throughout the book was probably the most fun I had
writing this book.
4. Did you find anything really
interesting while researching this or another book?
I found tons of things.
I’ve always been interested in folk lore and different cultures so it was fun
to see all their different beliefs and history. I am not a religious person,
but to see where some of the stories originated from was pretty neat.
5. Do
any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and
what are they?
Yes, sarcasm. I can be very sarcastic sometimes and I tend
to forget with people I just meet that I have to be careful, because I always
get the look, “Is she serious?” I find it funny, but not everyone else. A lot
of people walk away confused which just makes me laugh harder. My stubbornness
is another attribute that I put into some of my characters. I’m sure there are
a few others I could find if flipped through the books.
6. Do
you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Yes. I know where I want the story to go but for some reason
sometimes I’ll get stuck on a specific scene. The best way I found I can deal
with that is put on my headphones and go for a walk, which works great in the
summer, but in the winter when it’s cold, it doesn’t go over well. I have yet
to find a way to deal with the winter blues so I usually just put the computer
aside and relax for a little. Or, I’ll start a new scene and come back to that
one later.
7. What
are your guilty pleasures in life?
Books. No matter how broke I am, I will find a way to buy a
new book. Junk food is another, but I do better at resisting that than buying
new books. I have a stack on my nightstand of books to read. I panic when it
gets too low and then I’m like, “OMG, I have no books!” even though there’s
still 3 unread ones sitting there.
8. What
can readers expect next from you?
Currently I am working on a New Adult romance. I’m excited
to get this one out and see what people think. I’m also working on another
young adult book called The Dark Queen. It’s a new twist on Snow White. And
somewhere in between those I hopefully will be releasing the third book in The
Wanderers series, Unforgiven. I have a lot on my plate right now so hopefully I
can find a way to get past the winter blues and get motivated.
9. Where
can readers find you on the web?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorJLMiller
Twitter: JessicaMiller@JLMreadingrocks
10. Would
you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Absolutely. This is one my favorite scenes where Ella meets
Tristan for the first time.
“What do you want to
drink?” Josie asked.
“Um...a beer is good,” I said, trying to play it safe.
We found a medium sized bar set up in the back, complete with
bartender. The bartender was wearing tight, black spandex shorts and just a bow
tie. “I definitely know I'm going to like it here,” Josie whispered in my ear.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
“I'll have a...” Josie was ordering her drink when I started to
get the strangest sensation of being watched. I looked over to my right to
discover a strange young man staring at me. He had a cocky smile on his face,
like he was the type of guy girls never said no to. I turned away letting him
know I was not interested. I knew he didn't take the hint when I could still
feel his eyes on me. I moved closer to Josie starting to feel uncomfortable
under his piercing gaze. I refused to let him intimidate me so I untucked my
hair from behind my ear letting it fall to create a dark brown veil to hide my
reddened cheeks.
“And what can I get you?” the bartender asked me next, grabbing
my attention.
“I'll have a beer,” I replied.
“The beers are over there,” the bartender said, pointing behind
us.
“And I'm sure pledge Johnson would love to walk over there and
get one for you,” said the strange young man who seemed to forget how impolite
it is to stare.
“No. It's okay. I can get it,” I said, wanting to get away from
him.
The bartender stood there as if waiting for a command. The creep
with the staring problem nodded to him and he was off. As if that was an invitation
to come talk to me he made his way over. “It's his job,” he said, leaning
against the bar and looking me up and down like he was trying to envision me
naked. I crossed my arms over my chest feeling a little violated as his dark
blue eyes studied me. He smiled satisfied as he ran a hand through his messy
black hair. Not sure what he was attempting to accomplish because it looked
like he just threw some gel in it giving it that messy, ‘this is what I meant
to do’ look.
I shuffled my feet nervously waiting for the bartender to come
back with my drink. I was trying to be nice and didn't know how much longer I
could keep my composure with the way this guy was staring at me. When the
bartender returned with my beer I said thank you and turned to walk away, but
the creepy guy jumped in front of me blocking my path. When he stood straight,
he was about a foot taller than me. He was wearing a green polo shirt and jeans
that hung a little baggy on his slim body.
I pushed my shoulders back preparing for whatever he was going
to throw at me. He was in for a sore surprise if he thought he could woo me
with his charm the way I was sure he had every other girl. He smiled cockily at
me and extended his hand. “I'm Tristan,” he said.
“Ella.” I shook his hand and he didn't seem to want to let it
go. “Can I have my hand back?” I asked, annoyed.
He smiled and pulled my hand to his lips. “Stella piu bella.”
“I don't speak Italian,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Enjoy the party Ella,” he winked and walked away.
“What a creep,” I said to Josie after he left.
“I think he's hot,” Josie said.
“You would.”
“And you don't?” she asked, surprised.
“That doesn't matter. He's a player,” I said, watching him work
the room and flirt with every girl he passed.
“Ella, not all good looking guys are dicks.” Josie rolled her
eyes.
“Josie, let's not forget I've spent the last eighteen years
living with the world's biggest player. I think I can spot a jerk when I see
one.”
“Well forget him then, let's mingle,” she said pulling me along.
“Wait, where's Jack?” I asked. We've only been here ten minutes
and I already lost him.
“Bathroom...I think?” Josie shrugged, not in the least bit
concerned. Josie was quick to move on when she lost interest.
Jack showed up about fifteen minutes later confirming he was in
the bathroom. “Sorry there was a long line,” he said.
“That's okay. You want something to drink?” I asked him.
“Sure,” he smiled. We walked over to a different bar than before
and got Jack a drink.
I spent the rest of the
night watching Josie socialize. I wasn't too much in the mood anymore. I kept
to myself and talked to Jack most of the time. Every now and then I would catch
the creep, Tristan, staring at me from across the room. No matter where we
moved he was there, still staring. This was bordering on stalking. I was about
to put a stop to it by telling him to drop this charade because there was no
way in hell I would ever let him touch me, when Josie interrupted. “Ella this
is Cadence. She's one of the sisters of Theta Kappa.”
“Hi Ella, it’s nice to meet you. Would you like to meet some of
the other sisters?” Cadence asked.
I wanted to say no, but from the look on Josie's face I knew she
wanted me to do this for her. I smiled politely and said, “Sure.”
We followed Cadence over to the other side of the house. “Ella,
Josie, this is Cassidy, Bailey, and Skylar.” Of course they were all blond and
dressed like they were entering a fashion show. I put my best face forward and
politely greeted each one of them. That was one of the first things my mom
taught me. To always show respect and be considerate even if the person you're
entertaining is an ass.
“Don't you think they would make a perfect addition to our
sorority?” Cadence said addressing the girls. Bailey smiled wide agreeing;
Skylar gave me a look of distaste, not approving of Cadence's decision while
Cassidy seemed to care less. I wasn't sure I so much liked the idea of being
'sisters' with these girls.
“Ella? Hello Ella?” Josie said, snapping me back.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” I said, getting a humorless laugh from Skylar.
I fought the urge to glare at her.
“Cadence would like us to pledge their sorority,” Josie said.
“Oh, um, thank you but I don't think I'll be pledging this
year.” I generously declined. Josie looked at me like I was crazy. “I just want
to concentrate on my school work first before I get involved in anything else,”
I explained.
“I completely understand,” Bailey said. “I felt the same way you
did until I met the sisters.” And here comes the sales pitch. “We always put
our studies first and have a handful of sisters who are always willing to help
out.”
“Let us tell you some more of what we're about before you say
no,” Cadence said, putting her arm around me, pushing Jack aside, and leading
me to a couch by the wall. We sat down and Cadence went into more detail about
the sorority. She explained that, yes, while they were known for their parties,
they also did a lot of charity work around the community. Sisterhood was the
most important thing to them and all the sisters looked after each other. She
went on and on. I spaced out somewhere around the different levels of
sisterhood.
After several looks of disapproval from
Josie, I made a solid attempt to make it seem like I was paying attention, but
was having a hard time. I kept getting this weird feeling in my stomach. It was
a strange kind of fluttering. Almost like a magnetic pull to something or
someone. I looked up and noticed Tristan was making his rounds. I watched as he
greeted each person he passed. A different smile for each of them. He had
everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. I could see how easy it was for
the naive to fall for his charm. He knew how to work the crowd. It seemed all
it took was the flash of his pearly whites or a wink from those intense dark
blue eyes.
He looked over his shoulder like he could feel someone looking
at him. I kept watching forgetting that someone was me. He looked directly at
me and smiled, satisfied. I quickly looked away before he returned his attention
to his friends. I forced myself to focus on something else. I found Josie
hanging out with the other sisters having a good time and Jack, well, he looked
miserable. He was just standing in the corner all by himself fidgeting
uncomfortably. I guess he's not the socializing type.
“So what do you think?” Cadence asked, bringing my attention
back to her.
“Well, you definitely gave me some things to think about. Can I
get back to you on my decision?”
“Absolutely, just don't wait too long. We're filling up quick
with new pledges.”
I smiled kindly ending the conversation. Josie came running over
to me. “You said yes?” she asked, hopeful.
“I said I'd think about it.”
“Come on Ella. What's there to think about? They throw the
coolest parties with the hottest guys. They are respected around campus, plus
they do charity work...” Josie pleaded with her eyes.
“And you know all of this how?”
“It doesn't matter where I got the information. Just say yes.”
“I'll think about it,” I repeated. Josie took my hand and pulled
me back over to the girls. “Wait, Jack's all by himself.”
“Let him go. It's not our fault he doesn't know how to
socialize.”
I felt bad that Josie dragged him to this party when he clearly
wasn't having fun. I kept my eye on him while Josie flitted about with the
sisters. That's when I started to feel that weird pull in my stomach again, but
then it was gone as quick as it came. “Ladies...looking to add some new
additions?” I sighed and turned around to see Tristan standing in front of me with
his arms around Cassidy and Skylar.
“Tristan, this is Ella,” Cadence said, introducing us.
“We've already had the pleasure,” he said,
smiling at me. I ignored him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of
knowing he bothered me.
“And this is Josie.” He took her hand as he did mine earlier and
kissed it causing Josie to blush. “Tristan is one of the brothers of Theta Pi,
our brother fraternity.” Cadence continued. “One of his ancestors is a founding
father, which makes him quite the legacy here.”
“We all know why I'm a legacy here and it has nothing to do with
my ancestry,” Tristan said, squeezing the girls tighter, making them giggle. I
had to fight the urge to vomit.
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and tried my best not to
glare at him. I knew Josie would be pissed at me if my attitude towards Tristan
ended up ruining her chances with becoming friends with these girls. I had no
idea why she would want to be, though. I suddenly got a small flutter in my
stomach and looked up to see Tristan watching me curiously. I bit the inside of
my cheek as he kept his eyes on me. Even though his hands were busy on someone
else that didn’t stop him from checking other girls out, proving my earlier
theory of him being a player. I looked at him appalled. I started to feel
nauseous so I decided I needed to get some air. “Josie, I'll be right back. I'm
just going to step outside for a bit.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I just need some air. It's getting a little crowded in
here,” I said directly to Tristan hoping he'd get the hint and be gone when I
returned.
I stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh, cool air. It
burned my lungs a little. They weren't used to this cool of a climate, but I
didn't care. It felt refreshing. “Hey,” Jack said coming up behind me.
“Hey, you having fun?”
“It's alright, like I said, parties aren't really my thing,” he
shrugged.
“Then why did you come?”
“I guess...well,” he fidgeted.
“Ella!” Tristan called jogging over to us.
“God, I can't get rid of this guy,” I groaned.
“You want me to tell him to beat it?” Jack asked.
“No. I can handle him, but thank you. Why don't you head back?
I'm going to wait for Josie.”
“I can wait with you. I don't mind.”
“Go back. I know Josie's not going to want to leave anytime
soon. We'll be fine, I promise.”
Jack reluctantly waved goodbye and I watched him stick his hands
in his pockets as he walked off. Then I took another deep breath and turned
around to face Tristan who had now closed the distance between us. I stood
there with my arms crossed and eyes glaring waiting for him to tell me what he
wanted.
“Wow, I haven't seen a look of such distaste since Bailey caught
me in bed with her sister.” I let out a sarcastic laugh and turned to walk
away. Tristan put his hand on my arm stopping me. “I was just kidding,” he
said.
“Why do I find that hard to believe?” I said hoping my tone of
voice would give him the hint that I was not interested.
“You’ve got a bit of an attitude. I like that,” he grinned,
letting me know I needed a new tactic.
“Is there something you want?” I said, annoyed. He smiled that
cocky smile and took a step closer. I put my hand on his chest stopping him and
keeping him at arm's length.
“I heard you were joining Theta Kappa and I wanted to officially
welcome you.”
“I haven't said yes, yet, and now that I know it would mean
seeing more of you, I will be declining the offer,” I said, dropping my hand.
“Don't say no on account of me. Theta Kappa is one of the most
prestigious sororities on campus and can do great things for your future.”
“Trust me. I don't need some dumb sorority to help me with my
future.”
“Ah...I see,” he said as if he just figured me out. Noticing he
was losing me he laid on the charm. “Still they could use someone like you.
They don't know it yet, but they'll be lucky to have you.”
“Did they send you out here to try and convince me? Let's send
Tristan, he can convince anybody. All he has to do is bat his long eyelashes
and look with those dark blue eyes.” I tossed my hair mocking the sisters.
He cracked a smile and took a step closer to me, leaving our
faces only inches apart. “You think I have beautiful eyes?” he asked, his
breath getting heavy.
My heart started to quicken as I stared into his dark blue eyes.
Then reality struck when the wind blew hair across my face. I took a step back.
“I never said that.” My arms crossed into a hasty barrier again and I struggled
to stay composed.
He chuckled. “Why Ella, I do believe you're blushing,” he said.
His cocky smile returning. I glared at him, shoving past as I walked back into
the house. “Oh c'mon,” he said laughing.
“Hey Josie, you ready?”
“It's like only twelve.” I looked back to see Tristan was
reentering the house and heading in my direction.
“Don't mind Tristan. He's harmless,” Cadence said. “He was
actually the one who suggested I extend the invite for you to join.”
“Of course,” I said under my breath.
“Please don't let him discourage you from your decision. You
really don't have to worry about him. The most you'll see of him is at the
parties. That's it. He doesn't do anything else.” I turned and looked at him
over my shoulder. One of the sisters had walked by taking his hand and pulling
him to the dance floor. His eyes met my own and for a second I thought I saw
something different, something deeper, but then he threw me his cocky smile
again and grabbed Skylar's ass, making all that fade away.
Ella is looking forward to starting college in the fall with her best friend Josie. She’s looking for a place where she can get away from her overbearing parents and two older annoying brothers. Unfortunately Ella realizes that sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.
Ella soon learns that the man who terrorizes her dreams is in fact real and coming after her.
When one of her classmates is murdered, Ella slowly recognizes this is not some strange coincidence. Ella fears that the boy she’s falling in love with is the one who stalks her dreams and no longer knows who she can trust.
When she finally learns the truth of her families deepest secret, Ella has to face her demons by taking out one of the people she thought she could trust…before they kill her.
Available at Amazon
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