The Mirror...Author Bio


Why, hello there
I’ve got you where I want you. I know, song lyrics. But it’s true. You’re here so now there’s a chance for connection. A chance you’ll read something and be struck. The dialogue begins. I share a little about me and I wait for you to share about you. Simple as that. And really at the same time, this exchange is weighted with the potential to be profoundly deep.

I write & I mother

I’m a novelist, in love with bringing characters to life. 

I’m currently plotting my fourteenth novel.

Raising three girls requires me to tap into all kinds of ingenuity when it comes to devoting time and energy to my family and my craft. I’m not afraid to admit I regularly engage in triage living. In the process of molding characters and weaving story lines I might also be packing lunch boxes or refurbishing a piece of furniture. It’s a glamorous life. I wouldn’t trade a thing. I’ve been given more gifts than I could possibly list.

I schooled

Over a dozen years ago, I earned my BA in English, with a concentration in creative writing. I received an Honor of Distinction at Wittenberg University for my accrued knowledge of literature. One of my fondest college memories is crawling out on my roof senior year and reading until I was forced to squint as night fell. I still read with this kind of voracity. Huh, go figure. I really did learn something.

A brief list of things that make me smile

A crowded bookshelf
Speeding in a boat
The rise and fall of laughter
Cheese & chocolate
Spoons
Beautiful journals
Stories of faith

The blog

If you click away from here and are stirred with one new thought, even a seemingly small one, then I’ve served my purpose. For me, writing is rooted in the passion of knowing I’m growing new thoughts in others. I’m not only hoping to inspire thoughts for you, but for myself as well. I’ll forever hold fast to a tenacious spirit of learning.

Contact

I like a running conversation. Not a huge fan of stagnant interactions. Can you even call those kinds interactions? So reach out. And I will too, with my risk-taking, water-loving, empathetic soul. I will too.

Email: wendy.paine.miller@gmail.com          Facebook          Twitter

Represented by Marlene Stringer: stringerlit.com



More:
First memory…
My three older sisters peering through the hospital glass not long after I was born. (I might be making this up, but I write fiction, what do you expect?)
Am not ashamed to admit…
I wear other people’s clothes in order to feel close to them & I’d rather write or read than clean
Would spend a free afternoon…
On a boat or refurbishing a beaten up piece of furniture
Favorite quote right now…
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success." 
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My celebrity wishlist.
I’d like to…

Flea market shop with Joanna Gaines
Refurbish furniture with Lara Spencer
Cook with the Barefoot Contessa
Drink wine or watermelon vodka with Kelly Ripa
Talk books with Oprah
Applaud Paul Newman for his charity work (RIP)
Mountain climb with Bear Grylls
Go to the movies with Kristen Wiig
Have a laugh fest with Melissa McCarthy
Sing with Adele or Pink
Go to an outdoor concert with the Indigo Girls
Pick flowers with the owner of Farmgirl Flowers
Select makeup with the owners of Birchbox
Go clothes shopping with Kate Middleton

And go on a long walk with the dogs belonging to any or all of the above
What excites me…
Brainstorming, creativity, nature & my husband ;-)
What peeves me to no end…
Pervasive negativity, discouragement & blatant cruelty
Rubs me wrong…
Forced saccharine demeanor, folks with a strong sense of entitlement, those who come across quick to judge and slow to check their own hearts
Love/hate relationship with…
My remote control, social media, & my being both acutely sensitive + a deep thinker
Listen to when I want to be pumped up…
U2 (of the “She Moves in Mysterious Ways” variety) “Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard” “Cecelia” & for some odd reason "Under Pressure" & "Crazy Game of Poker"
Listen to when I want to chill…
U2 (of the “One” variety) “Mystery” by the Indigo Girls, “Landslide” & none other than Mr. Bob Marley
Can never have too many…
Books, journals, or spoons
Book(s) I’m reading right now…
Check it out on Goodreads
What I want you to know…
There’s a reason you’re here (read into that as deeply as you’d like)

How I look when I’m feeling peaceful…

How I look when I’m feeling silly…
Ever hear the expression people look like their dogs? What do you think, do you see the resemblance?


My dos and don’ts…
Do                                                                              Don’t
like to run (don’t hate me)                                   judge (or try hard not to)
prefer 8+ hours of sleep                                       diet
believe in taking risks                                            discourage dreamers
enjoy goat cheese                                                  know the way to San Jose (geographically challenged)

One of my favorite pictures I’ve taken (dogwood in our front yard)…

Another fave...


Taking Time

college applications                 homecoming                            flag football                basketball             SATs   ...