Welcome to the 2023 ARIA Author Showcase and Giveaway Event! 

  

  

How to enter – Comment on the daily showcases to enter the daily giveaway. Comments close one week after the initial Showcase post. GRAND PRIZE drawn on Dec 8th (1 -$250, 1 -$100, or a 1 -$50 Amazon gift card. One grand prize pp) – For every showcase you post on, you automatically gain one entry to the grand prize. 30 Authors = 30 entries.    

Rebecca Miller will be at the Rhode Island Author Expo   

On to the Showcase! 

 

What name do you like to write under? Rebecca Miller 

Where do you call home? Northern RI 

What genre(s) do you write? Realistic Fiction 

What genre(s) were you drawn to when you were younger Was there a reason that genre(s) appealed to you the most? Because of a failed grade school experience that left me barely able to read or write for the first half of my life, I’m sad to say that I didn’t read much at all in my younger years. However, once I did finally start to gain some ability in my early teens, for an unknown reason, I was drawn to both fiction and non-fiction books about psychology and/or child abuse (and, oddly, medical dictionaries). The theme later carried on into my college years when I began with a major in psychology. 

What were some of your favorite books growing up? Why? A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer and Cry Out! by P.E. Quinn are the two that come to mind most. For someone who struggled so greatly with reading, I blew through both with speed I didn’t realize I was capable of. If I recall correctly, it was those two books that propelled me toward the social sciences. 

What are some of your favorite books today? Though I don’t have any particular favorites, I usually gravitate towards books that involve some sort of psychological element. I’m most involved in a story—fiction or non-fiction—in which the author has a deep understanding of relationships, emotions, and the parts we all play in each other's lives. 

What inspired you to become a writer?  Because of my early-life inabilities, I had no desire to be a writer; therefore, I have no reasonable answer as to why the characters from TOUCH chose me to be the medium for their story. However, when their voices became too loud to keep inside my head—and knowing the importance of their message—I realized failure was not an option. I have spent the past twenty years pushing my limits to bring their story to life in a way that will reach the widest audience possible, while also discovering a love-hate relationship with the process. 

Touch 

TOUCH is a powerful story of two teens searching: one for their place in the world, the other for a reason to survive. After her mother’s sudden death, artistically gifted Megan lost her will to draw as she watched her family crumble. When her father unexpectedly moves what’s left of them halfway across the country to mend, Megan must try, yet again, to rise from the ashes and create a new existence for herself. She’s intrigued when she sees Shawn—a secluded classmate who sparks unexpected drawing inspiration. Shawn is protecting a terrible secret and teeters on the edge of letting go. With each layer Megan strips from him, she gets hints about how broken he is. If Shawn is brave enough to open up, Megan might be his undoing—which could save his life. But when Megan learns his darkest secret, will she be able to convince him life is still worth living? Through a heart-wrenching journey that immerses Megan’s entire family in the dangerous and unthinkable world Shawn lives in, Megan succumbs to certain truths about life: Nothing happens by accident. We are exactly where we’re meant to be. We all really are here for a reason. Reality is rarely subtle. Touch depicts abuses that may be difficult for some readers and is recommended for a mature audience. 

Tell us a little about how “Touch”  came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?  I have no idea why, but the idea for the story started with my favorite car when I originally thought this story up in junior high, the color royal blue, and a strong imagination. Don’t ask, because I promise I’m just as confused as you. 

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book? My female main character, Megan, whose personality and motivations were loosely based on my own, changed the most over the decades-long writing journey as I, myself, grew into my own skin. 

Which character was the most challenging to create. Why? Megan, my main character. As much as I feel like I know and understand others, it took me a long time to find myself. Seeing that her personality and motivations were somewhat based on my own, she took just as long to develop as I did. 

What do you like best about being a writer? I love it when the characters speak. When no thought is involved, and my fingers move along the keyboard quicker than I can keep up with. And, most of all, the indescribable feeling of knowing I’m involved in something bigger than myself. 

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be? What would the title of the book be? (If possible) - Give us a one sentence blurb. There isn’t a particular author whom I would like to collaborate with, only one more skilled than myself who falls in love with the story of TOUCH so much that they would want to lend their talent and passion toward the creation of a sequel. 

You can follow Rebecca Miller here - 

https://www.rebeccamiller-author.com 

Insta - @author_rebeccamiller 

Rebecca is giving away a signed paperback copy of “Touch”.  To enter comment below -->  

 

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