C.J. Miller

I've long since abandoned reading books in paper format. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and I love it. I have access to less expensive books (generally), on-demand. I can read in the dark. When I did midnight- 4 a.m. feeding with my daughter, it was awesome to have something else to do while she ate. But I still buy board book and hardcovers for my children. I've been rethinking this. First, my son is almost out of shelf space. I need to either buy another set of shelves or store his books elsewhere, in which case he won't have access to them as easily. Second, schools in my town introduce tablets and laptops in elementary school. Having a Kindle for my children would teach them the basics of how to use a tablet: respect, care, charging it, clicking options, opening applications. I do not want the e-reader to turn into another screen for them to stare at, but to read books, I don't think it's a bad option. As much as I love mine, a Kindle Paperwhite won't w...

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

FROM STEAMY JUNGLES TO OPULENT PALACES, IT'S NONSTOP ACTION, DANGER AND PASSION FOR TWO SEXY AGENTS To find a "dead" agent, intelligence analyst Kate Squire needs the man's brother—retired Sphere operative Connor West. His skills as a trained assassin are essential for her mission…but her immediate, raw attraction for the man himself is not. For a loner like Connor, trekking into the jungle with a secretive killer blonde at his side is not textbook. Caught between armed insurgents and hungry predators, he fears Kate may be his deadliest threat…until their very agency turns on them. Stranded, outmanned and outgunned, Connor has nowhere else to turn. Trusting the gorgeous spy may be the only way to get them out alive…. Available May 2014 from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

I can now sign e-books! Use the widget below to get your e-book copy of Hiding His Witness, Shielding the Suspect or Protecting His Princess signed.

In my current work in progress, I have a character who my beta reader says is unlikeable and flat. In other words, uninteresting. I take what my beta reader tells me to heart and I've been thinking about interesting characters. What makes a character intriguing and worth a reader's time? What makes a reader stick by her for 200+ pages and want her to have a happily ever after? Here's what I've come up with so far. Intriguing characters should: 1. Have complexity. She needs flaws and insecurities and the reader should know about them. She has to face those flaws and insecurities. 2. Be relateable. If a reader can't see herself in any quality the character has, it's hard to connect. The same way we bond with people who have similar interests, same goes for a character. 3. Not be a Mary Sue. We all have a friend on social media whose posts would indicate she has a perfect life. We all know that person is lying. Knowing doesn't stop it from being ann...

I have a facebook account. I have a twitter account. I even have a pinterest account, although my password is locked and I haven't bothered to unlock it. Goodreads scares me a little because I love the book giveaway function and I would love to talk about books with other book lovers, but I've been warned by other authors to stay out of reader discussions (even about books outside my writing genre) or risk lash-back and drama. I am not sure what that's about entirely, but I am too old for drama and I don't have time for internet fights with strangers. It's not that I'm a technology-phobe. I'm not. Case in point: I have a masters degree in computer science. My reason for not using social media more is that I don't have time for it. At least, not the time required to use it in a way that I find meaningful and productive. Not to start off the firestorm of "what does busy really mean?" and "why can't you just log in throughout the da...

It's been a little while since I posted, but I haven't been resting on my laurels. I have new books in the works, edits on other books and some news! But first, I wanted to post about my first author speaking engagement. When I was asked to speak at a local women's club about being an author, I wasn't sure what to talk about. Most readers don't want to hear about the nitty-gritty of publishing, but I wanted my talk to be informational and interesting. Here's the basic outline I used: 1. Thank the hostess! A speaking engagement is a great opportunity to reach out and talk to readers and gain a few new readers. 2. Brief description of who I am. The mini-bio 3. How I got started writing and the road to publication 4. My favorite authors 5. The hardest part of writing for me 6. Writing groups and critique partners 7. Why I write for Harlequin 8. Where I get my ideas 9. What I write - what genre, how graphic, etc. 10. How I do research 11. How I write ...