Brandon M Miller Interview Published on: 02, Jul 2024

My writing story, of which I never in a million years would have imagined, began ironically in my classroom where I have taught for 23 years. As part of the curriculum, I wanted my students to appreciate the importance of storytelling, both audible and written, which played such an integral part in the Appalachian people’s existence. I gave them an assignment to create a story, completely fictional, from the 1700s in our local area. My students willingly accepted the assignment except one. He couldn’t see the importance of the assignment, nor school for that matter, and refused to do it unless I did a story as well. He challenged me in front of my class, to which I readily accepted even though I had written nothing fictional before. Three years later, I had a novel. That sounds bizarre, but that’s how it happened. Once I delved into that magical, fictional world, I couldn’t stop. My characters began telling me their story. It was kind of “out of my hands,” at that point. That’s when I knew I had something special.

Finding time to write has definitely been a challenge for me. I work a full-time job as a teacher and drive a school bus during the day, while working a side job every weekend. Needless to say, I stay exhausted. I found I could do some of my best writing late in the evening just as my chaotic day was ending. I could hardly lay down to sleep because ideas just kept popping in my mind, so I would just get up and start typing. I am a “pantser,” so I do not plan or pre think anything. I just write what my mind’s eye sees.

I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, and they’ve left an imprint on my soul. I’m fascinated with their history and the mysterious vibes that one feels after experiencing them. I love researching about all the various peoples that have called them their home, from the Natives to the Europeans and Africans that came here. Probably my favorite people to settle here are the Scots-Irish. I love the sense of pride and respect for freedom that they displayed. The isolation provided by these mountains only aided them in their pursuit of a life free from government involvement.

The Appalachian people were, more so in past times than today, fierce in their defense of an independent lifestyle. Growing up here has influenced my writing when I delve into the incursions by the British government upon the Appalachian people before the Revolutionary War. I try to capture this sentiment in my character, “James” as he yearns for a life of his own, free to pursue any adventure his heart desires.

As a history teacher, with a special emphasis on the Appalachian region, it helped me in my writing. I didn’t have to “create” a world. I already knew one, studied and taught about it for many years. It was just a matter of transporting back into that time period. Because I have a passion for history, I could relate to my characters so well in their setting. It inspired research and prodded me to dig deeper into the everyday life of someone living on America’s frontier in the 1770s.

As far as inspiration from another author, I had only read a handful of books before writing Sundering Hearts So, as for a particular author, I probably don’t have one that inspired me, per se. I’ve read Francine Rivers and Nora Roberts, but never dreamed I would have a novel of my own at the time I read their books. My book came about without me knowing much about the writing process or the literary world for that matter. I’m just a storyteller that started putting words on a computer screen one day. My characters are not based on any historical figure either. They simply came from my head. Their personalities and likes and dislikes were just made up with no particular person in mind. I found, however, that after reading my story for the first time, I saw a lot of me in one of my characters that I didn’t realize when I made him.

When it comes to my personal life, I’m a Christian foremost, a father, and then a husband in that order. I found that in writing about Daniel’s father and his truths I was really telling my story instead. He saw the world exactly the way I do. I would love to live in a world where a man’s handshake and a nod were as good as gold. When nothing was more important than moralsand man’s word. That’s why I love escaping to the world created by Sundering Hearts.

Advice I would give to aspiring authors. Well, first and foremost . . . you can do it! Writing a novel does not have to be some farfetched, out-of-reach idea only reserved for English Literature majors in college. I am living proof that someone who has no formal training in writing can do it. You will need the help of editors, but it can be done. Second, you MUST use editors. They are essential, and they know the craft better than you do. Do not skip any of those steps. Do the developmental, the copy, the line, and the proofreading. Also, find a couple of trusted beta readers that are not afraid to be honest with you. Third, watch YouTube videos as there are so many author videos out there that will aid you along the way.

I would think that the most important experience of living in Southwest Virginia that has influenced my writing would be that I am no stranger to adversity. I have had to “buckle down” many times in my life, and reach deep to persevere through a trial. Living here is beautiful, wouldn’t trade it for anywhere on Earth, but it is hard with our local economy and various other hardships being isolated from the rest of America the way we are. It’s God’s country, but you will be tough mentally if you call this place home. With writing a book, you must have those same characteristics because it will kick your butt. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions and there will be many times you feel like quitting and trashing it all. But reaching deep, like my life in Southwest Virginia has taught me, was enough to pull me through.

I researched continuously for this book. Of course, with the internet, there are tons of materials available. I’ve used libraries and many books from the area where my story takes place. I also hired a historical editor who did nothing but check my accuracy on everything associated with my story. That particular editor happened to be a reenactor for the Cherokee and the settlers in dramatizations all over the country. So, she was a God-send.

What I hope that readers take from my novel in relation to history is that in the 1700s, America, more specifically the Appalachian Mountains, was a volatile place, a rough and rugged frontier. Many various ethnicities of people tried to hammer out a living in this wild land. The western half of the country wasn’t even a thought for most Europeans because most settled on the coast. The Appalachians were as far west as anyone had gone at that time. As with westward expansion, fighting broke out between the Natives and the new immigrants. I capture that struggle in the book to a certain degree. But the main thing I want readers to know is that there were good, decent people from all the various groups making up America’s first “melting pot.” Sure there were atrocities between the Natives and the Europeans, but that knife cut both ways.

The Cherokee people were just as religious or moralistic as the settlers. Too many times, people branded each side with stereotypes. This was so unfair in a lot of cases.

Additionally, I want the reader to understand the importance of “family” in my book. I described many scenes where the father was passing on hard-earned lessons to his son and the value of sitting down at the table as a family and breaking bread together. I showed the value of one’s faith and how it shaped the general thinking of the family members and guided their actions and reactions to various situations. I want the reader to know there was a time when a man’s word meant everything and upholding your family honor was at the top of your priority list. When trials and tribulations rocked the families on the frontier, I wanted to show how their faith and neighborly love carried them through.

Yes, I have two projects going right now. I’m working on a prequel to Sundering Hearts. There is a specific letter in the book that can actually be its own story. So, after hearing from several readers, they want to know more about the two characters that show up in that letter. So, I didn't even see it coming, but I have started a new book and I'm about halfway through the process. Also, I have started a sequel to Sundering Hearts as well. The characters are just too important to me and too many of my readers for me to stop. So, the outreach and support from my fans has been overwhelming and I pray I can continue to write and entertain them in the years to come.

AllAuthor has been awesome for me. It has helped so much in getting out the word about my work and allowing me to meet so many new friends and authors. The most important things to me are the ability to do mock-ups, which are so easy to do through the website, the gif maker, and the tweets that are put out on my behalf about Sundering Hearts. I highly recommend the site to any author currently or an aspiring author just getting started.