Kamyla and I are going on a road trip and we want you to come with us! We’ve made an interactive game to play with you during our travels.
Each day we’ll ask a question related to the trip. The first person to answer these posts correctly wins a prize. Send your reply to ellwyn@ellwynautumn.com.
I’ll post the first question tomorrow and the answer the day after.
Have fun and good luck!
Prize List:
*Free Classroom or Library Visit (Virtual on In Person)
*One autographed copy of Kamyla Chung and the Creepy Crawlies & Mystery SWAG!
*One autographed copy of Kamyla Chung and the Classroom Bully & Mystery SWAG!
*One autographed copy of Teddy Bear Tea & mystery SWAG!
By way of introduction, here is Dineen Miller’s bio:
Dineen Miller is an Amazon best-selling and award-winning author who loves to write books that make her readers laugh, swoon, and fall in love.
She’s also designed several coloring books under her name and her pen name, Hue Manatee Art, and her love for crochet has resulted in too many afghans to count.
She’s a dog-mom to two furry rescues who answer to wiggle butt and snuggle boy unless there’s food involved, and she’s married to a punny guy, who thinks she’s unique.
Hello, Dineen, welcome to Angel Kiss Publications. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.
Thank you so much for having me.
When did the writing bug ensnare you?
I started writing short stories as a child and continued to do so through adulthood, but they were just for me.
Then when we moved back to the States (we lived in Switzerland for a short time), I wanted to do some kind of work from home so I could be home for my daughters.
I saw an ad calling for book writers in the back of a quilting magazine, so I sent away for the information packet.
At that point, a story started brewing in my head, so I started writing whenever I had some free time.
Then the packet arrived, and I realized they wanted craft books.I’d written the wrong book!
But I was hooked and finished the story. That was back in 2004, and I’ve been writing books ever since.
Is writing your full-time profession?
As of this year, yes, I’m writing full time. I’m slowly retiring my design business (I’ve done cover design and graphics for the publishing industry since 2004), so I’m excited to focus more on writing books.
How long have you been writing?
Technically since the fourth grade, but I started pursuing publication in 2004.
Have you won any literary awards?
I have! In 2013, I won the ACFW Carol Award for my book, The Soul Saver.
How many published books have you written?
Counting nonfiction and coloring books, I’m at 21 books to date.
Which genres do you write?
Although I’ve written romantic suspense and thrillers in the past, I’m only writing romantic comedy now.
It’s a very different genre and voice, and I absolutely love it. I feel like I’ve finally found my true voice.
What do you find most challenging writing for these genres?
I think figuring out in the early stages which tropes I want to use to propel the story. All part of developing the characters too.
What are you working on now?
I’m in the early stages of planning a spin off series from my Messy Love on Mango Lane Series. This one will be about a hockey team. I’m having a blast working on it!
Where do you find inspiration for your characters?
Mostly I use the Enneagram to plan and figure out what makes my characters tick. It’s so helpful!
Just reading about the nine personality types gives me ideas for scenes, conflict, and tension. Sometimes characteristics from a favorite TV series or movie can give me ideas as well.
What has been your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?
Most recently, seeing Bookstagrammers chatting about my books to each other.
That is an incredible community of amazing readers, so that was one of my little dreams coming true.
But when I hear how something in one of my books touched a reader in some way, brought some insight or comfort, that’s huge in my mind. Also, very humbling.
What advice would you give to authors just starting out?
Your author career can look however you want it to. I could easily work twenty four hours a day, trying to do ALL the things.
But I’ve learned from some great people out there that I don’t have to do all the things. That I’m better off not trying to do them all because I’ll burn myself out.
It’s a lot of work being an author, whether you’re traditionally or indie published. We have to do a lot of our own marketing.
So making intentional choices about our commitments and being sure to include self-care are vital not only to success but to endurance as well.
Otherwise, we’re like a fast-burning candle whose light in this world will flicker out too quickly.
Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you?
I have naturally curly hair, I speak German (kind of), and I love being silly and sarcastic. LOL!
What message are you sharing in your books?
Love is the most powerful force on earth especially when mixed with kindness and forgiveness.
What are your favorite books?
I love romcoms! I read one or two a week. But I’m not one to read a book twice, so my favorites change all the time.
Who has influenced your writing the most?
I don’t think on person in particular has. Looking back, I can recall different people who have been the right person at the right time in helping me overcome a challenge or jump the next hurdle. And I’m so grateful for every one of them.
When you’re not writing where can we find you?
Binge watching a TV show while I crochet, watching a hockey game (Stanley Cup Finals!), walking the beach, or floating in my little pool.
A movie producer wants to turn your book into a movie and you get to make a cameo. What would you do in the movie?
Hmm, for Tamed to Be Messy, I think I could do a pretty good job playing Hannah’s mother since I have curly hair!
An elf named 12-25 approaches you. He’s sneezing, wheezing, coughing and there’s a strange tattoo of a snoring dog on his cheek. What do you do?
Give him a wide birth? 🤣 Germafobe here!
What are your most effective marketing strategies?
My newsletter, promo stacks, and Amazon Ads.
Do you have a website/Facebook page, etc?
I love connecting through my newsletter (http://subscribepage.io/iJNUnC) and on Instagram (@authordineenmiller). Come find me!
He’s always played the field. But when an off-limits beauty is running his rehab, will this injured beach patrol hero flee or swim to friendly shores?
My life used to have meaning. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth I quickly spat out, I defied my parents, dropped out of law school, and became a lifeguard.
What can I say? I love the surf, the sand, and helping others.
But that was before the accident.
My rotator cuff is torn so badly I may have to quit the career that gives me so much joy.
I’ve got a grueling rehabilitation ahead of me with no guarantee it will be successful. Good thing my physical therapist is amazing.
Not only has she promised me a return to full range of motion, she’s easy on the eyes, making the painful exercises worth it. There’s just one problem:
As the younger sister of four older brothers, Lynn Brooks has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she’s determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks.
Blurb:
Lynn Brooks is officially over it.
With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she’s determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks.
Fate hasn’t gotten Lynn’s memo, though, because Joey just showed up on her treatment table with an injury that has him fearing for the state of his career. Add to that the trouble brewing once again for the Brooks family, and she might be stuck with not only a new patient but an unwelcome bodyguard.
But would it really be that bad to allow the guy who fills out his uniform pants better than anyone to tag along on her mission to save the day? If anything, it might prove what she’s known all along—that Joey is absolutely not her type, and he’s never going to win this game. Nope.
While Stout of My League can be enjoyed as a standalone, there are spoilers from books 1-3 contained within. For the optimal reading experience, start with book 1 of the Love on Tap series, Ale’s Fair in Love and War.
USA Today bestselling author Sylvie Stewart loves dad jokes, dirty rom-coms, country music, and baby skunks—preferably all at the same time.
Most of her steamy contemporary and romantic comedy novels are set across her favorite state of North Carolina, and her characters never run out of snarky banter or snacks.
When her laptop closes, Sylvie is a sucker for hugs from her twin boys and a good laugh with her hot-nerd hubby.
If you love smart Southern gals, hot blue-collar guys, and snort-laughing with characters who feel like your best friends, Sylvie’s your gal.
Gone. One minute Tristan was here, and the next he wasn’t.
Only two days ago, we watched the two moons rise, and it was only two days ago when we almost kissed. But this morning, he was taken away from me, and I will never see him again.
Once a student was made into a slave, it was forbidden for them to ever see their friends or family again, and that was exactly what Tristan was going to be transitioned into in only a few hours. They were going to strip him of his rank, disregard that he was born into the vex class, and put a collar around his neck that could kill him with the push of a button.
This morning, two officers marched into Tristan’s dorm and dragged him out. I stood there, shocked, as he kicked and screamed, begging for a second chance. He was a level five vex, which would have been alright if he hadn’t turned twenty today.
At the age of twenty, a student of Monroe Academy was to be tested on their lighter abilities and hopefully advance up to level six. Ever since Tristan was enrolled ten years ago, he’d never had trouble leveling up, but this time he struggled to get his powers to strengthen. This time, the council didn’t believe him strong enough to earn a level six patch, and now he had to serve his nation in another way. He had to serve the high-class vexes and ensure their happiness. The happier the people, the lower the chances of there ever being chaos in our world again.
At least, that’s what we were taught.
The navy-blue leather suit I was wearing grew hot as I walked down the hall towards my dorm. All I could think about was the terrified look on Tristan’s face as he was dragged away.
We had only made eye contact for a moment, but in that moment, I remembered the night he told me that the council had leveled him up and were going to send his new level six patch to his dorm. They usually gave them out right away, but Tristan said that they’d somehow run out and had to order more.
Now I knew that he was only lying to keep me from worrying on our last night together, but I wished that he would’ve told me. I wished that I would’ve been prepared for the aching pain growing in my chest.
My throat burned as a few of the other students passed me by, giving me dirty looks. I was sure that most of them had blamed me for Tristan’s failure. I was a null after all. Someone that couldn’t produce even a speck of light. We were lighters, citizens of the Lighter Nation and beings that could produce an energy—a light—that was taught to be used as a weapon to protect our nation from any outside enemies. Lighters had to be strong, disciplined, and hard workers.
If one couldn’t reach their required level at a certain age, then they were done for. Given up on, and there were no second chances. At least, for everyone else. I was the only student ever given another opportunity to level up, but that came at a cost that would forever weigh on my conscience.
Bestselling author Destiny Hawkins brings you the first installment of a gripping dark fantasy where a powerless girl must survive in a society that doesn’t accept the weak…or the defective. Content Advisory: The following book contains vivid depictions of violence and death. Reader discretion is advised.
Kaydar, Cleo, and Sandra were too close to escape from now, and even if I ran, Sandra would just catch me.
“Long time, no see,” Cleo said, holding his palm upwards with white sparks flickering at his fingertips. “Last time I saw you, your face was swollen.”
I didn’t respond, instead keeping my eyes on their ringleader, Kaydar. He stopped in front of me with a blank expression still on his face, but after a few moments of silence, he drew his eyebrows in together.
“What shall we do with her, Kaydar?” Cleo asked. “She’s all alone.”
“Nothing,” Kaydar sighed, flaring his nose. “Unless you want to go back to solitary confinement.”
Sandra smacked her teeth. “We won’t. No one’s around—”
“No,” I blurted, growing anxious by the second. “I don’t have time for the three of you right now.”
“Right, you don’t. How many months do you have left?” Sandra asked smugly.
I stared at her, wanting to make her pay for what she did to me the day that the three of them jumped me in my dorm. Kaydar stabbed me in the leg, but Sandra had done most of the damage.
At first glance, one wouldn’t think much of Sandra. She had silky black hair, dark olive skin, dark brown eyes, and a smile other girls would kill for. In my opinion, she was a pretty female, but her attitude was anything but. After a while, everyone else came to that conclusion as well, and she became the second most disliked person in the school next to me.
I sighed and tried to walk around Sandra, but she quickly grabbed my arm and yanked me back in front of her, then leaned in close to my face. “I didn’t tell you that you could leave.” Her grip became so tight I thought she would crack the bone. She was very much capable of doing so.
I kept my eyes on her, angered at the fact that she had the upper hand but also because there was just something about her that made my blood boil. I had no problem with people being confident in their ability to fight, but Sandra was just arrogant and used her powers for the wrong reasons.
“Let me go,” I said in a low and surprisingly threatening tone.
Kaydar sighed. “Let her go, Sandra.”
Sandra squeezed tighter with her eyes locked on mine. “No. She looks like she wants to fight,” she chuckled. “It’s cute.”
I clenched my teeth and flared my nose. I could feel heat building in my chest and shoulders, but it wasn’t enough for me to tell if it was my energy yet. “Let. Go.” My words were clipped with anger.
Sandra’s eyebrows furrowed, and she smirked. “Are you trying to be intimidating?”
I guess because I was just a null that she didn’t see it coming, but without hesitation, I slammed my head into her face hard enough to stun her. Sandra let my arm go and stumbled backwards to the floor. When she felt the blood leaking from her nose, she quickly covered it.
“Stay away from me!” I yelled, walking up to her, feeling the heat in my chest rush to my head, but when the lights began to flicker, I froze… and then the flickering stopped. What was that?
Bestselling author Destiny Hawkins brings you the second installment of a gripping dark fantasy where a powerless girl must survive in a society that doesn’t accept the weak…or the defective.
Content Advisory: The following book contains vivid depictions of violence and death. Reader discretion is advised.
“Good. Let the fight begin!” Everyone cheered as the referee moved out of our way.
“I’ve been waiting for this!” In the blink of an eye, Sandra went from being ten feet away from me to cracking my jaw with her fist and sending me to the ground. I rolled across the dirt, at first out of control, but as I slowed, I rolled back to my feet.
My focus was on my cheek as I tried to send my energy there to begin healing, and to my surprise, it was working. It was the first time that I’d ever been able to direct my energy, but I guess the adrenaline was helping with that.
Sandra came at me again, but this time she didn’t use her speed. Instead, she came at me and threw a punch with one hand, but I blocked it, then she grabbed my arm with that same hand and used her other fist to connect with my jaw. As I stumbled back, her strength kicked in, and she yanked me back to her. She wasn’t even expecting me to come at her with my elbow ready, and I caught her chin with the very tip of it.
As she stumbled backwards, I threw a front kick to her gut, and she fell onto the ground. I went to hold her down before she could get back up, but I was too slow. As I went to mount her, she used her speed to move out of the way and locked me in a rear naked choke.
Naturally, I brought my chin down into the crevice of her arm, but she pulled so tightly that her arm slipped under my chin and was now crushing my throat. “I’m not going to let you live through this, Rayah,” Sandra grunted.
I grabbed at her forearm in a panic, trying to pull it away so I could breathe, but she wouldn’t budge. Not one sliver of air could get in or out.
“I’m going to kill you. I owe your parents that much for killing mine and bringing me here.” Her voice lowered, hatred seething from her lips in a growl. “To this dreadful nation.”
Bestselling author Destiny Hawkins brings you the third installment of a gripping dark fantasy where a powerless girl must survive in a society that doesn’t accept the weak…or the defective.
Content Advisory: The following book contains vivid depictions of violence and death. Reader discretion is advised
Destiny Hawkins is a multi-genre author with a dark imagination and a love for magic.
She enjoys exploring the freedom of life, writing, listening to music, reading, and of course watching some anime! Her favorite genres to read and work in are Fantasy, LGBT, Paranormal, Romance, Dystopian, Sci-fi, and Young Adult.
Destiny loves creating stories and building worlds that both teach and entertain! When writing, she sticks to her slogan: Where beauty can be found in darkness.
