HEIDI RUBY MILLER

We really needed the inspiration, energy, and camaraderie from the 2022 Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster, PA. It was our second in-person event since the pandemic, but this one felt like old times. Keynote speakers were Jonathan Maberry ... ...and Jon Sprunk . We each taught two classes. Jason revived his Folk Yeah! and Rural Noir workshops. And I brought back Space Opera Is Still Queen and Pick Your Punk . There was a Saturday evening luau to celebrate Jonathan's love of Hawaiian shirts. First photo is Jason Jack Miller , Larry Ivkovich , and Jon Sprunk. Here I am with Maria V. Snyder . And with Heather Desuta and Abigail Drake . We caught up with old friends like Carol Silvis and Annette Dashofy ... One of my former mentees from Seton Hill WPF Sheri Queen ... And the publishers of Many Genres, One Craft from Headline Books the mother daughter team of Cathy Teets and Ashley Belote .

Sara Light-Waller interviewed me for the PulpFest 50th anniversary celebration. We spoke about my influences from within the pulp world, teaching at Seton Hill , creating and managing Dog Star Books , my writing, and what's in the future for my and Jason's collaborative efforts. Here is an excerpt: Sara Light-Waller (SLW) Hello Heidi, thank you for joining us! Let’s start with your background. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Heidi Ruby Miller (HRM) I wrote my first story — The Copper Kitty Mystery — in second grade and listed “romance novelist” as one of my high school ambitions. But I didn’t become serious about it until my late twenties, right before I found Seton Hill’s graduate program in Writing Popular Fiction. I haven’t stopped writing since. READ THE REST ON THE PULPFEST SITE

AWP was our first in-person conference in two years, and it felt good to be back among writers. Here I am with Mike Arnzen representing our genres. Our Seton Hill table had several recognizable faces, even under the masks, including MFA director Nicole Peeler (pictured with Jason above, above) and Natalie and Matt Duvall. We also ran into other academic friends: Gerry LaFemina (pictured with Mike and Jason), William Hamilton, Tod Goldberg , and Anthony Kapolka. And Jason got to meet Taylor Mali in person to tell him he borrowed his "What Teachers Make" TedTalk for the Pennwriters Keynote in 2019, "What Writers Make." As an added bonus, we got to stay at The Notary Hotel , an ultra-cool spot just down the block from the Pennsylvania Convention Center .

I didn't dig into quite as many books as I did last year, but still had some great reads, many by authors I know personally and a couple which feature me. Action at a Distance (Aaronovitch / Cartmel) The Big Book of Science Fiction (Vandermeer / Vandermeer) Boyfriend Material (Hall) Childhood's End (Clarke) Christmas on Cavanuagh Hill (Elizabeth) Christmas on the Coast (McClain) Clash of Flesh and Metal (Ellis) Daddy's World (Williams) Dead Man's Party (Jayne) Death and Doubloons: A Cumberpatch Cove Mystery Book 1 (Robertson) Dragons of a Different Tail: 17 Unusual Dragon Tales (Pyle / Scott / Lynch / Mastro) Dreams of Flesh and Metal (Ellis) Effacement (Hawkes) Eureka: Substitution Method (Ramsay) Facing Fear (Williams / Palacios) A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year's (Lau) The Fey and the Furious (Aaronovitch / Cartmel) The Firflake: A Christmas Story (Cardno) Firekeeper's Daughter (Boulley) Flashe...

Excited to have a new story from the Ambasadora-verse in this debut anthology from Cabbit Crossing Publishing . Here's an excerpt from my foreword for "Mastering Aesthetics." "I wanted to continue the feminist theme [from Marked by Light] and expand upon it in “Mastering Aesthetics,” which takes place just after the events of Marked by Light and leads into an upcoming tie-in novel Frostfall (From the World of Ambasadora). It will be my first time writing a dragon space opera. I like to shake things up a bit. Rest assured that Xin, Olivia, and the mysterious dragon-person will be making appearances in Frostfall. This is the second published short story from the Ambasadora-verse. The first was “Rainer” in Far Worlds (The Bolthole, 2014). The two stories take place concurrently." The beautiful cover is by Shayne Leighton . As you can see, I'm in good company: "A Friend Called Home" by Francis Fernandez "A Wild Beast of The West...

Jason and I had the honor of being interviewed by Marx Pyle and Julie Seaton at GenreTainment . Here's the information and link: "On this episode we’re chatting with two very special guests, authors and professors Heidi Ruby Miller and Jason Jack Miller. It’s an edutainment packed episode as we talk about the value of an MFA, what a Popular Fiction MFA program is like compared to the more common creative writing graduate programs, Heidi’s Ambasadora books, Jason’s Hellbender book and his possible “Snot Otter” book, Appalachian culture, writing about other cultures, writing in someone else’s fictional setting, the charity anthology and online event, tips on co-writing, staying productive, and more! GenreTainment is where Marx and Julie talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series. We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations." LINK: https://www.scifipulse.net/genreta...

I moderated a panel of contributors from Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction for Zoom Into Books . MGOC (Headline Books, Inc.) is the writing guide I co-edited with Michael A. Arnzen and is based on Seton Hill University's MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program , where I teach. Aside from Mike and me, there was Jason Jack Miller , Timons Esaias , Lee Tobin McClain , Albert Wendland , and Tim Waggoner . We discuss the craft, genres, and business of writing.

The turnout for the Like Sunshine After Rain launch was incredible. It was two whole days of author readings and panels, raffles every half hour, and special appearances. Thanks to John Edward Lawson of AllAccessCon for months of hard work putting this event together. So far, we’ve raised $3100 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with more orders coming in. Though the special edition lettered hardcovers sold out quickly, you can still purchase a numbered edition of the trade paperback: http://rawdogscreaming.com/books/like-sunshine-after-rain/ . You can also donate directly to LLS: https://givenow.lls.org/give/342076/#!/donation/checkout

Virtual residencies for the Seton Hill MFA in Wiritng Popular Fiction program aren’t quite the same, but this one was loaded with lots of guest speakers who otherwise might not have been able to join us like Michelle Addo, Shana Asaro, Shelley Bates, Danielle Choitti, John Edward Lawson, Jayne Ann Krentz (Jayne Castle), Jonathan Maberry, Lauren Panepinto, Jason Ridler, Kristen Simmons, and Susan Swinwood. Congratulations, as always, are in order for the graduates this summer. Happy writing to you all! And happy retiremen to Dr. Albert Wendland, who gave a tear-jerking speech. At least he'll still be around for some light duty in the program.

So many wonderful presentations and panels at the 34th Annual Pennwriters Conference , which was held virtually this year. There are a sampling in the photo above: Stacey Rubin taught “Medicine in Your Manuscript." Hilary Hauck taught “All is Lost." Jason Jack Miller taught “Magical Realism: I Know It When I See It” and “Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.” I taught “Write the Book They Can’t Put Down” and “The In-Betweeners.”

FROM THE PENNWRITERS WEBSITE:   The 34th Annual Pennwriters Conference is coming your way virtually. Registration is now open for the three-day conference and for two intensives held the day before the conference. Except for sitting with friends in the lounge and at meals, the conference will still have all the parts you love! Keynote Speakers are Susan Meier and Eileen Enwright Hodgetts . The conference begins at 9:00 am on Friday, May 14 and runs through Sunday, May 16.   I will be teaching: "Write the Book They Can't Put Down" Heidi will guide you through tips based on her article "The Shifting Grail: A Quest for a Good Read" from the international award-winning writing guide Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction . Using examples from well-known movies and literature, she'll show how character motivation can dictate pacing and suspense, making your book one readers can't put down. There will be lots of opportunities to apply...

Raw Dog Screaming Press and international award-winning editor Heidi Ruby Miller are taking pre-orders for the charity anthology LIKE SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN . Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society . The beautiful cover is by Brad Sharp . Interior illustrations by Sharon A. Ruby . This limited anthology is available in lettered hardcover and numbered paperback editions. It hosts short stories, poems, and essays from 85 authors, including: New York Times bestsellers Jonathan Maberry and Maria V. Snyder USA Today bestseller Annette Dashofy International bestseller Liz Coley Amazon Charts bestsellers Cary Caffrey, Sasha Dawn, and Jennifer Foehner Wells Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner Randall Silvis Bram Stoker Award winners Lee Murray, Christina Sng, Lucy A. Snyder, Sara Tantlinger, and Tim Waggoner International Horror Guild Award winners Michael A. Arnzen and Gary Braunbeck Asimov’s Readers Award winner Timons Esaias Arthur J. Rooney Award for Fiction winn...

I wrote an article for The Pennwriter based on my and Jason's workshop "Staying Creative, Staying Productive" for AllAccessCon , the media arm of RDSP . We added the subtitle: (But Only If You Want To). Here's an excerpt: Once social distancing began in March 2020, AllAccessCon’s audience of creators needed them more than ever because most of those creators found themselves frozen by the stress and surrealness of living through a pandemic. Jason and I were chosen for the workshop because we weren’t frozen we’d actually managed to increase our productivity during this time. That’s not because we’re more professional or superhuman or harbor a particularly effusive joie de vivre attitude. We wrote (we write) to battle the fear, the sadness, the daily existential crises. We needed routine, stability, escape. If you need any of those things, maybe the following will help, but if it doesn’t and you can’t produce right now, let me be the first to tell you that it’s...

This weekend I attended my first ever SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference. Even virtual it was inspiring and so much fun. From the pre-conference socials to the Golden Kite Awards ceremony, hosted by Jennifer Garner, to the tour of Simon and Schuster, and the many agent and editor panels, there was always a sense of commitment to providing young readers with quality, important, and entertaining books. I could feel the warm vibes from our various speakers right through the computer screen. Such positive energy. I've put aside time today to review some of the tapes for concurrent sessions I wasn't able to attend. I can't imagine what these conferences are like in person, but I'm excited to find out. Thanks to everyone who made this such a lovely experience.

Matt Betts is celebrating the release of his new book Red Gear 9 by giving away a prize pack of e-books written by people who helped make both Odd Men Out and Red Gear 9 come to life. One of those people is me. The contest starts on his website at 12:30am Eastern time on Sunday February 7 and ends on 11:30pm on Saturday January 20 . "Heidi Ruby Miller was the editor at Dog Star Books who championed Odd Men Out and edited the hell out of it! This prize pack includes Ambasadora Book 1: Marked by Light ." "Liz Coley was kind enough to write a killer foreword to Odd Men Out . Her book Tor Maddox: Unleashed is included in the giveaway!" "Lee Murray wrote an amazing foreword to Red Gear 9 and has been a great friend from way across the world in New Zealand. The third book in the Path of Ra series that she cowrote with Dan Rabarts, Blood of the Sun , is included in the giveaway." Also included in the giveaway are ecopies of both Odd Men Out...

Celebrate the craft and industry of series books across all genres with RDSP authors Matt Betts, Lee Murray, Dan Rabarts, J.L. Gribble, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, and others. Join AllAccessCon for a day of workshops, interviews, and more in this virtual event for writers, readers, and anyone interested in storytelling that goes beyond a single installment. CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION

The January 2021 Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction residency was once again virtual, but Jason and I had a wonderful time in critique workshops, thesis defenses, genre dinners, craft modules, and book discussions. Thank you to the WPF Director, Dr. Nicole Peeler , for making this remote residency run so smoothly. Having SHUWPF alum V.M. Burns as our visiting professor was inspiring to all as she spoke of her success after Seton Hill as a mystery writer. We can't wait to see what these new graduates will accomplish. Congratulations to them all, including my mentees Marx Pyle and Victoria Scott .

BOOKS I read 50 books in 2020, the most in a long time: A COLLECTION OF SCIENCE FICTION AND SPACE OPERA SHORT STORIES (Toppin) A FAIRY'S JOB (Culey) A MATCH MADE FOR THANKSGIVING (Lau) A SECOND CHANCE ROAD TRIP FOR CHRISTMAS (Lau) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (Various) ALTERED CARBON (Morgan) BENGARIA'S WAR (Toppin) BETTA'S STATION (Ruffin) BLACK MOULD (Aaronovitch / Cartmel / Sullivan) BLINK (Gladwell) BODY WORK (Aaronovitch / Cartmel / Sullivan) CARSON OF VENUS: THE EDGE OF ALL WORLDS (Betts) CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE (Adeyemi) CHILDREN OF RUIN (Tchaikowsky) CRY FOX (Aaronovitch / Cartmel / Sullivan) DETECTIVE STORIES (Aaronovitch / Cartmel / Sullivan) FOXGLOVE SUMMER (Aaronovitch) HALLOWEEN SEASON (Snyder) IF MY CAT COULD FLY (Culey) IF MY DOG COULD FLY (Culey) IN THE HEART OF THE FIRE (Koontz) INTO THE ASHES (Murray) INTO THE DARKNESS (Murray) INTO THE MIST (Murray) INTO THE SOUNDS (Murray) KISS ME DEAD (Jayne) LIES SLEEPING (Aaronovi...

VIDEOS I read from Man of War , my sequel to Philip José Farmer's novel Two Hawks from Earth , for Farmercon XV . It was a virtual celebration, so I missed seeing all my Meteor House family in person this year. Here's to next year, everyone! You can see the other events on the Meteor House YouTube channel .

EVENTS I'm hosting writing sprints during the third day of Tim Waggoner's Writing in the Dark Book Launch and Workshop  on Sunday, September 13 from 10 - 11 AM ET. The entire event begins on Friday, September 11 at 5 PM ET at AllAccessCon , the virtual convention arm of Raw Dog Screaming Press .