Ann M. Miller

I miss my family and friends. Due to the pandemic, it’s been a year since I’ve been able to visit. One of my favourite places is the Halifax Waterfront. I love strolling along the boardwalk and watching the boats bobbing in the harbour. Even when it’s crowded, there’s an inherent sense of peace and beauty at the waterfront.

My favourite book character was Anne of Green Gables. I remember reading that series over and over again and reliving her adventures. I loved her spunk and her ambition, and the idea that you don’t have to be biologically related to someone to be their family. Like Anne, I dreamed of becoming a published author. She was inspiring and truly a “kindred spirit.”

I read a wide range of genres growing up—and still do today. Every Tuesday “The Bookmobile,” library truck parked in the local church lot, and I remember visiting it faithfully on my lunch hour from school and gaining an interest in the speculative fiction and coming of age books it had to offer. When I got a little older, I developed an affinity for young adult romance. It’s still one of my favourite genres to read and write. I love the intensity of first love, first kisses and all the emotions that come with both.

My son is 12 and has a wonderful imagination. I often bounce ideas off him, especially as I write for young readers.

Julie and the Phantoms. This is a great show for young viewers and the young at heart (like me!). The themes are emotional and relatable, and it has a unique twist on the ghost story trope. The actors are talented, the music uplifting – and I’ll confess – this is my second time viewing!

I do this in two ways. First, world building. In my debut novel Captured in Paint main character Julia discovers she has a magical ability that allows her to make paintings come alive. While this is of course a fictional ability and the world of the paintings she enters is completely made up, I weave vivid details and descriptions throughout so readers get a sense of what this world looks and feels like. Hopefully those details help them get lost in that fantasy world.

Second, I work on making the characters’ problems and emotions relatable. Julia is grieving her mother and boyfriend, and I think a lot of us can relate to losing someone in our life. Julia is also struggling to accept her newfound ability, which she considers a burden and a flaw. Most people have difficulty coming to terms with something about themselves, so I’m hopeful readers will identify with her struggle.

Captured in Paint actually started out as more of a Sci-Fi novel than a Fantasy novel. The main character’s ability was described as a “gene” that was passed down from generation to generation, but my very helpful critique partners pointed out that it would work better as a magical ability—and they were right!

It’s not always easy to receive a critique on something you’ve poured your heart and soul into. The important thing to remember is that publishing is an extremely subjective industry and what one person may love, another will not. After I’ve given criticism a chance to sink in, I’ll decide whether or not the feedback resonates with me or if there’s any merit to it. If the answer is yes, I’ll keep it in mind for my next revision or my next book. If not, I move on.

This book was inspired by my experience with my own “boy next door.” We were really close as kids before he moved to another city in Canada. I have many fond memories of him, and I always wondered where he ended up. I asked myself: what would happen if a character’s “boy next door” vanished and she had to go looking for him? Then, because of my love of all things fantastical, I took that a step further and pondered: what if the boy was in a place that wasn’t a part of our world? And so the world of “paintings” was born.

My purchase links are on my website http://www.annmillerauthor.com I’m also very active on social media and post those links with book promos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on a regular basis.

Take things one word at a time and one step at a time. Writing and publishing and marketing can be overwhelming and time consuming, but it helps to focus on one thing at a time. And surround yourself with other writers who will support you through the ups and downs of the process.

It is important to have an eye-catching cover with appealing aesthetics, images, and fonts, but I think the book blurb is what will really sell your book. If people are intrigued by the idea, they will read your book, no matter what the cover looks like. I haven’t designed a book cover myself, but my first book cover was released this past fall and I think it beautifully captures the spirit of the story. But again, an enticing book blurb is even more crucial than the cover.

I do! I love supporting other authors with reviews and letting others readers know if I’ve enjoyed a book. Reviews help authors’ books become more visible on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. I hope my readers will consider leaving a review for Captured in Paint if they enjoyed it.

I’m currently working on a sequel to Captured in Paint. While there is no publication date for it yet, I’m hopeful it will be released end of 2021/early 2022. I also have another YA fantasy in the works, as well as two YA romances. So you’ll definitely be seeing more from me soon! A reminder that Captured in Paint is released January 12, 2021!

I first learned about AllAuthor through my fellow authors at Finch Books. AllAuthor has been wonderfully supportive with its author promotions, social media marketing and ready-made book mock-ups.