I’d seen the covers of her books–lovely Regency titles that intrigued me. However, when we put out the call for authors in our upcoming series, The Independence Islands, I never imagined I’d see her name among the applicants.
Well, let’s just say that not only was Carolyn Miller an excellent addition to the team, her books… guys, her books! I’ve read two of the island books now, and I hear the third is winging its way to my inbox. And well… what do I think? I think…
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This New Contemporary Romance Has Southern Charm from Down Under
It can’t be easy for an Aussie to transition from contemporary Australia to Regency England, but I bet it’s even harder to transition from that to contemporary Southern USA. Well… If it is, you’d never know it, because Carolyn Miller has mastered it.
In this interview, we chatted about her original contemporary works (did you know she wrote romantic suspense? Was that the one she won awards for? I don’t know. Here’s the thing. I should have known.
Because her second islands book? Yeah. Definitely romantic suspense in it. With just a bit of tweaking it would have been classified as Romantic suspense. How awesome is THAT?
Well, last month was her debut contemporary novel as well as her first one of the Islands series, Restoring Fairhaven.
Just as an overview of the story, Samantha (Sam) Greene takes over her father’s landscaping business and has to deal with quite a bit of pushback from the men of the business but even more, a man whose assistant hires her to tackle the enormous grounds at the Fairhaven estate.
This poor guy is grieving and brooding, which works for the kind of books he writes. Yep, he’s an author (think Nicholas Sparks novels on steroids). Of course, personalities clash, and things just get really interesting.
This book has three primary things going for it.
- Characterization: Miller writes lovely flawed characters who you can relate to and watch grow and stretch. I loved liking and disliking people and the works. It was great.
- Plot: Her story is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, so it’s really cool to see how she handled those.
- Spiritual aspects: She didn’t get all preachy, but she did have a few spots where my brain went, “Hmm… what does the Bible say about that… cool…” and off I went to study, which is my favorite.
But as we said, Carolyn Miller got her start in Regency Romance.
With three series out and one beginning soon, she has quite a list ready for you.
- Regency Brides (A Legacy of Grace)
- Regency Brides (Daughters of Aynsley)
- Regency Brides (A Promise of Hope)
- Regency Brides (Regency Wallflowers–coming April 2021)
I am most interested in the one about the girl who went to Gretna Green and the “after the wedding” story, so I’ll be reading that, but since I can’t remember which one it is, I’m going to start with her first book and work my way through until I can find it.
But she joined the Independence Islands series to dip her toe into the contemporary waters because…
She has a contemporary “hockey” series coming out next year (just in time for the winter Olympics) and readers need to know she can do this! Seriously, hearing the story of the closing ceremonies in Vancouver that inspired Carolyn’s first book… I’m so excited about her hockey series, so check that out next year!
You can find more about Carolyn Miller on her WEBSITE where you can also find her social media links as well as fascinating photos of her trips to England (Bath, the Peak District, Scotland, etc.) as well as gardens on the Independence Islands page (she cheats. Her husband is a horticulturist… just sayin’).
And I’m going to give away a copy of Restoring Fairhaven to one commenter!
US residents will receive a paperback, and international will receive an eBook (sorry!). Just leave a comment about an interesting garden you visited and why you found it interesting. I loved the gardens at the Bellagio in Las Vegas a few years ago!
The most interesting garden I’ve visited was my sister’s “chickadee cafe.” You know my parents got chickens last year – they are pen pals with Neville. Well, apparently there are certain plants that are good for chickens, so my sister planted a little garden in the chicken run with chicken-friendly plants.
That has not, of course, stopped the chickens from getting out and getting into the “not for chickens” plants on the other side of the yard!
Interesting transition for Carolyn Miller. I’ve not read much by her as I don’t care for regency stories. But I love the Independence Island stories!
The most interesting garden I’ve visited would be the golf course turned botanical gardens that my husband worked at when he was in high school/college. It was across the street from his house and the owner is a Japanese man who came to America with the dream of having a botanical garden. It wasn’t complete when my husband was still working there, but perhaps is now? We live across the country and can’t go check it out, but we should really ask his parents!
I have visited a few rose gardens in parks. Those have always been fun. It’s always good if the plants are labeled.
Thanks so much for having me, Chautona! It was heaps of fun! xx
There are beautiful gardens at the conservatory at Como park, in St. Paul, MN (Decades ago, I had wedding pictures taken there (August 1973) & then I visited again w/ my 2 daughters, in 2014 after a niece’s wedding!
( Scotland resident here! ) A couple of years ago we ventured south to Derbyshire, in England and visited Chatsworth House. I was in my element and managed to drag 2 young children and a semi-reluctant but considerate hubby round the house. However it was when we all ventures into the gardens that the children became alive! A huge hedge maze, tiered water features, old pump buildings, great trees to scramble over, beautiful flowers and bushes, but most impressive was the huge football pitch sized lake/pond with a water fountain that uses natural deep pressure to spout forth and look majestic. It was truly wonderful day of exploring.
Aw, that sounds wonderful!
We have a local garden called Longwood Gardens. I believe it may be nationally known. I love it! It’s huge it has some of everything and I try to get there as often as I can.
That sounds beautiful–just the name.
I remember as a child visiting the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri. My grandmother showed me new plants that I haven’t seen since. Truly a wonderful memory!
Oooh, that sounds like a must-see place!