Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a prolific writer, drawn especially to the genres of science fiction and fantasy. My published novels include a Young Adult urban fantasy series (Mary of the Aether, Mary of Shadows, Mary of Starlight, and the forthcoming Mary of Cosmos), a fantasy duology (Bloodstone, A Whisper in the Void), a post-apocalyptic adventure (Shadows of Tockland), a standalone fantasy e-book (Garden of Dust and Thorns), and my latest novel, a dystopian science-fiction tale (Children of the Mechanism).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Children of the Mechanism is my latest novel, a dark, dystopian science fiction novel about slaves living and working in the bowels of a mysterious factory under the gaze of cruel robots called Watchers. It is based on a short story I wrote many years ago that was inspired by a documentary I saw about children in the Holocaust. I was disturbed at the notion of people born and raised in evil circumstances who have no other experience of normalcy. However, when I turned the short story into a novel, I think I was more inspired by the condition of child laborers in third world sweatshops. In my own strange way, I wanted to tell their story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best writing very late at night. In fact, midnight to about 2 in the morning is when my creative juices are really flowing. It has something to do with being so tired that I get into a foggy, semi-conscious state of mind. It’s like I’m able to tap into a kind of dream state. It’s not healthy, but it works.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have enjoyed and been inspired by many writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Victor Hugo, Stephen King, Orson Scott Card, Tad Williams and C.S. Lewis.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a post-apocalyptic novel called Fading Man. It takes place in the same world as another novel of mine, Shadows of Tockland, though the characters are not directly connected to one another.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Websites that have worked for me include Goodreads, Amazon’s Meet Our Authors forum, Kindle Boards, Blogger and my own author website, Jeffreyaaronmiller.com but my most effective promotion came through a rather unusual and unexpected means. A college professor who teaches a regional teachers’ workshop decided to put my first novel, Mary of the Aether, on his recommended reading list. This got me a lot of attention and raised my visibility across the state.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I haven’t figured this whole writing business out yet, so I’m probably not one to be giving advice. I am still desperately in need of advice. I would say be very careful with self-publishing. The lack of professional editing has flooded the marketplace with typo-ridden novels that negatively and permanently impact the reputation of their authors and the self-publishing industry as a whole.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love genre fiction. However, when I was in the creative writing program at the University of Arkansas, one of my professors challenged me to first learn to write non-genre fiction. He said too often writers hide behind genre conventions to hide weaknesses in their prose, plotting and characterization, so he recommended that I work on those aspects of storytelling. I was then able to take those skills and apply them to genre fiction, creating stronger and more compelling stories.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will finish Fading Man and go immediately to work on the next novel, a YA fantasy called The Figment Tree. At the same time, I will keep plugging away at this promotion thing, trying to eke out a little place for myself in the indie writing world.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh, gosh, I can’t answer a question like this. 3 or 4 books is just not enough. I rarely reread anything. There are too many others things to read. I think I would spend my time on that desert island trying to build a raft to get back to civilization, where there is no end to books!
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