Happier Endings

Available Now

Did you ever wish you could have more of a certain story?  Well, here's one chance to read more of a book.  In honor of Intrigue month, I'm sharing a free bonus epilogue scene with readers from my March Intrigue, TACTICAL ADVANTAGE.  When I first wrote this story (maybe I was subconsciously writing a new single title novel?), it ran a bit long for Intrigue and my editor asked me to cut about 20 pages.  In other words, there was more to the story than what made it into the final published book.  I tightened some of the book, but a few of the snippets and scenes I dearly loved just had to be cut.  They didn't affect the main mystery or relationship, so for the many of you who have already read TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, don't worry that you may have missed something important.  I didn't cut anything pertinent to solving the mystery of the Rose Red Rapist and the Cleaner.  But, like most of you, I love a good happily ever after.  And, while those intense 48+ hours between Detective Nick Fensom and CSI Annie Hermann ended on an appropriately exciting moment, I thought some of you might appreciate a lengthier version of Nick & Annie's happily-ever-after.

So here it is... the original epilogue I wrote for TACTICAL ADVANTAGE.  It starts here and finishes on my website at www.juliemiller.org.  Enjoy the enriched ending... and explore my website to find an excerpt from my June Intrigue, ASSUMED IDENTITY, a Book GiveAway contest to enter, my monthly newsletter and much more. 

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

(Excerpt)

By

Julie Miller

©2013

Epilogue

1 1/2 months later

            “Reitzie.”  Annie lifted the lazy Siamese from the domino tumble of picture frames on the mantel where he was lounging while Nick carried up their overnight bags from their weekend getaway to St. Louis.  She set the cat on the floor and shooed him off to find where his counterpart, G.B., was hiding.

            In between unbuttoning her coat and untying the pink scarf that Grandma Connie had knit for her, she straightened one beloved picture after another.  When she reached the mutilated photo from the Baseball Hall of Fame, she smiled.  Without feeling one pang of regret, she opened up her paisley messenger bag and pulled out one of the souvenir post cards she’d bought on their trip and quickly swapped out the old picture for the new one.  She crumpled the memory of her ex-fiancé in her fist and tossed it into the trash.

            “There.”  Annie was admiring the new picture of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and the new memory it represented, when Nick came in.  He locked the door behind him and hung up their coats.  She pulled the new picture on the mantel to a more prominent position.  “That’s better.”

            Nick came up behind her to wind an arm around her waist and doff a salute to the statue of Stan ‘the Man’ Musial.  “Much better.  Maybe Stan and your dad are up in heaven playing some catch right now.”

            Feeling a pang of melancholy, Annie leaned back against his solid warmth, and found even more comfort when he slipped the other arm around her as well, and pressed a kiss against her cheek.  The sadness quickly passed and she folded her hands over his, soaking in all the miraculous changes in her life since that fateful New Year’s Eve.

            She had a reason to celebrate the holidays now…

Read the rest of the story at <http://www.juliemiller.org/contests_&_fun.htm#BonusExcerpt> 

Available May 21, 2013

Oh, and because I'm so excited to share my latest Beauty & the Beast romantic suspense, ASSUMED IDENTITY, I'll give away a copy here to one lucky poster.  Beauty & the Beast is my all-time favorite romantic storyline--what's yours?  (cowboys, men in uniform, amnesia, secret baby, friends becoming lovers, enemies becoming lovers, whatever)  I'll stop by through the day to chat, and ask my dog Maggie to pick a winner from all the comments and post it tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Julie Miller

Ask An Author Day

Available Now!

My brain is fried.  Finishing up one manuscript and diving into the next one without a break has pushed my creative gray cells to the max and left my fingers sore.  So, instead of being witty or pithy, I'm posting an easy blog today.

As an author, I get asked lots of questions about lots of things--from readers, aspiring writers, fellow authors, and well-meaning (or, occasionally, not so well-meaning) people who know little about books or publishing.

Do you have any questions you'd like to ask?  I'd be happy to answer as best I can.  I'm game for almost any topic.

To start you off, I'll answer 3 random questions.  Plus, I'll post the covers I've have so far in my Precinct: Task Force miniseries.

Finally, I'll give away a copy of my brand new release, TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, to one lucky poster.  Print or ecopy, winner's choice.  I'll post the winner tomorrow.

Have fun and Ask away! -- Julie Miller

May 2012

1.  What is your dog's name and does she really help you write?
Maggie.  And yes.  Writing is a solitary, sedentary occupation. Maggie helps in several ways.  One, she gets me up from my chair once an hour or so to have an outing or check the action outside the front window or get a tummy rub (her, not me). Getting up and moving keeps the blood circulating which stimulates the brain and refreshes the muscles. It keeps the back from locking up and gives my fingers/wrists a break from typing.  Maggie also is a wonderful little hot water bottle who doesn't mind me rubbing my cold fingers through her hair to warm them up.  And yes, she does pick contest winners for me--a totally random follow her little black nose to see whose name she touches first.

August 2012

2.  How do you feel about reviews of your books?  Do you read them?
Yes, I read some, not all.  Critical reviews hurt my feelings, erroneous reviews frustrate me, and mean reviews tick me off.  Not everyone has to like me or my work, but there are kind ways to say things and ways that aren't as clever as some people think.  I'm truly grateful to know so many people are reading my books and feel strongly enough about them one way or the other to share their thoughts with others.  I think it's the new version of hand-selling/word-of-mouth PR that so many brick & mortar booksellers used to do.  And I feel blessed by every positive review I read.  Thank you!

June 2013

3.  I have an idea for a book. Will you write it for me and we can split the profits?
No. Writing is hard, physically and mentally draining work. I'm flattered that you'd ask, but I have so many ideas of my own I want to write that I have neither the time nor the energy to write your story.  However, I heartily encourage you to write your own book.  Besides, no one can tell your stories the way you can.  I'd be happy to offer a bit of advice if you have questions, but your story needs to be your journey.  I wish you the best of luck!






So what else would you like to know?  Favorite national park?  Favorite hero?  Snacks you eat while writing? Let me know, and I'll try to answer.

What Should I Write?

Coming March 1st!

It's list time again. ;) (aka Julie's on deadline + directing THE MOUSETRAP at my local community theater + teaching + promoting my upcoming release + reading my RITA books + digging out from a whole lot of snow!)  So I have an informal survey for you, and I'd love to hear some feedback from readers.

As I'm finishing up one manuscript and starting in on the last book of my Precinct: Task Force miniseries, I receive an email from my agent telling me I need to be thinking about my next proposal to my editor. I love coming up with new story ideas, especially when I'm slugging my way through a manuscript--but there's one problem...I never have a shortage of ideas for stories I want to write. But I can't just throw a hundred what if's at my editor.  How do I narrow them down and select the best ideas for me and my readers?

So, I'm enlisting your help.  Here are some of my ideas.  Which ones do you like?  Not like as much?  Please share your opinion on any or all.  Thanks!

I'll give a print or ecopy of TACTICAL ADVANTAGE to one lucky poster!

1.  A new Precinct miniseries.

Brotherhood of the Badge

 Maybe linked by a theme, like The Precinct: Cold Case
 Maybe linked by a family of cop brothers like the Taylor Clan or Kincaids?

2.  A miniseries featuring cowboys.
Maybe bring Sheriff Boone Harrison's 3 brothers to Kansas City?









3.  More stories featuring Marine Corps heroes?

Hope Lockhart in my September book, TASK FORCE BRIDE, has a brother in the Marines.

4. 2 or 3 stand-alone stories that feature supporting characters from, say, my Precinct: Task Force miniseries?
Some of my favorite titles, like BEAUTY & THE BADGE and NANNY 911, were spin-offs from previous miniseries







5.  Something completely different.

Accidental Bodyguard

Every now and then I get to write a story set in the mountains of Wyoming or Washington, DC or elsewhere. They're still romantic suspense, but may feature a government agent or military hero. No Kansas City cops.

June 2013

6. Something steamier?












7.  Do you have a particular character from one of my books whose story you'd like to see? If so, who?

8.  Do you have a favorite storyline you'd like to read more of? (Beauty & the Beast, reunion story, friends becoming lovers, amnesia, pregnant heroine, etc.)

9.  Do you have a storyline you're tired of reading?

10. Anything else?

I appreciate the feedback. It will help me fine-tune my proposal for upcoming books. And remember, the next book in my Precinct: Task Force miniseries, comes out March 1st. Or you can get it early at Harlequin.com. I'll pick the winner and post the name here tomorrow.

Julie Miller
www.juliemiller.org

Over the River and Through the Woods...Not

Coming March 1, 2013

 Maybe I should title this, "When it rains, it pours."  Or even, "What I did on my holiday vacation."

When I first signed up to blog today, I'd planned to share pix and talk all about the highly anticipated Christmas visit with my mom.  Since my dad's passing, she's spent the holiday with each of my brothers, but not with us--because we get the crazy winter weather here in Nebraska, and she's pretty leery of traveling in bad weather.  Who can blame her?  But I digress...

Nothing about the last couple of weeks of December and New Year's was what I'd planned for or expected.  I'd cleaned my house within an inch of its life.  I'd decorated like I haven't in years.  I planned menus.  Scheduled travel dates.  Planned my writing schedule so I could have 2 weeks to just enjoy the time with my family.  Now as a Girl Scout, a teacher and a mom, I know that life rarely goes exactly as expected, and that I should be prepared for anything.  But, I will confess, the chaos and emotional upheavals of my holidays this year got to me.  At first, I was depressed.  There was anger in there along the way--frustration, too.  Finally, I just had to laugh.  And count my blessings.

So let me share some of the highlights of my holiday.

1.  Traveling down the highway on my way to Missouri to pick up my mom in Kansas City and bring her home to Nebraska, my car died.  Didn't just get a flat or pop a hose. The engine was completely blown and my faithful vehicle died at the intersection of two highways.  Fortunately, I could get off the Interstate. Fortunately, there were many wonderful people who helped me that day.  I was completely safe.  But my car...?  Rest in peace.

2.  After getting back home, making arrangements to borrow a generous friend's car to make the journey (hubby needed his truck for work, and the shop didn't have a verdict on fixing my car yet), and reassuring my mom that I could get to Kansas City safely... we got hit with a blizzard.  No one was going anywhere for a couple of days.

3.  Plan C (or maybe we were on F or G by now).  The dealer who was trying to repair my car said there was nothing they could do but put in a new engine for several thousand dollars. At that price, we figured we'd take the plunge and invest in a new car (it was nice not having a car payment while our son is in college, but we needed a vehicle).  Highways clear.  New car ready and prepped to go. Mom's visit will be much shorter, but I miss her and want to spend some time with her.  So, of course...

4.  My mom went into the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack. I can't tell you how frustrating and frightening it is to live so far away from a parent who needs you. Fortunately, she was already in Kansas City, visiting friends, so she got treatment right away. Plus, my younger brother lives in the area, and he got there pronto and kept us all informed on Mom's condition.  Thankfully, it turned out not to be a heart attack, but with all the tests the hospital ran on her, they diagnosed two conditions that did need treatment, and she is home and well and getting stronger and sassier every day.  But, as you might guess, Mom never did get up to Nebraska to spend the holidays with us.

I talk to my mom nearly every day, and count my blessings even more often.  So I didn't get my big Christmas. My mom is safe and being well-taken care of. My guys and I had a quiet, fun Christmas Day. No one if my family had any problems with the weather.  And I have a spiffy new (to me) car.

But times like that does wreak havoc on one's emotional equilibrium. I found it practically impossible to write through all that, and I have a deadline. So now, I have to knuckle down hard this month. I have to remind myself that writing books is a job.  And like any other job, I may not always want to do it, but I must do it. My family, my editor, my readers and my own sense of accomplishment are depending on me doing that job.  Fortunately, I can let my characters take over and tell their story until I can get on my creative and emotional feet again.

And should I mention that our furnace broke down during the cold weather? It's still gerry-rigged to run until a replacement part arrives.  I'm a writer, and I can't make this stuff up.  Sigh.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  And please, count your blessings!

Accidental Bodyguard plus a Bonus story--ebook only

Tell me something you did over the holidays.  I'll give away a Kindle or Nook copy of my current release, ACCIDENTAL BODYGUARD (digital reissue this month) or a print copy of my upcoming release, TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, as soon as my author copies arrive, to one lucky poster.

Happy Reading!
Julie Miller