The Miller Brothers

United...We Write!

Last week, on the 4th of July, we celebrated the 235th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America. But what exactly were we celebrating? Was it merely the beginning of a Revolution, the founding of a new nation, or was it, perhaps, something more...an experiment in governance whose impact would change the way the world perceived both nations and kings?

At the very heart of July 4th is the inspired document of the Declaration of Independence. The purpose of which was to announce to the world that the People of the thirteen United Colonies were one People and in their name, and by their authority, to dissolve the political bands which had connected them with another People.

How appropriate, then, is yesterday's announcement of the Spearhead Books initiative? For those of you who missed it, the alliance of three independent award-winning authors announced the formation of "a more perfect union" and proclaimed their independence from the Old World publishing model. As a collaborative collective, Wayne Thomas Batson, Christopher Hopper and the Miller Brothers have united in the Spirit of freedom and for the good of authors everywhere.

Stay tuned for more information, but until then... visit SpearheadBooks.com to read more.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Movie Review)

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending an early screening for the latest Narnia movie - Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Knowing that the film is being released this weekend, I am anxious to share my thoughts about the film with you in time for you to make your holiday movie going plans.

Dawn Treader has always been one of my favorite books in the Narnia series (alongside Magician's Nephew and Wardrobe) and for this reason I REALLY wanted to like the movie as well. I sat in suspense as the curtains drew back and the lights dimmed, ready to adventure in the world I had grown to love over the years. Would I be returning to Narnia again, or would I be left wondering where I was?

Now before I venture too far into my review let's get one thing straight. Even though I'm an author, I'm not on of those "purists" who thinks that movies must be identical to their book counterparts. After all, each art form has its own strengths and the stories must therefore be translated into the language of film. Dawn Treader wasn't a perfect film but I am happy to say it was an incredibly enjoyable experience that managed to keep my attention and communicate the message and essence of the book despite several glaring alterations to the story.

In short (for you Narnia buffs):

Yes, there were changes.
Yes, some of them were frustrating
No, the White Witch is not a major role and fits nicely in the storyline where they placed her. (I actually loved what they did with this part)
Yes, the movie was better than Caspian.

I liked this movie. It was a fun and inspiring sea voyage with a wonderful message that is definitely worth watching in theaters. But this film shines where most "questing" stories fall flat - the diversity and likability of the characters. Eustace has always been one of my favorite characters in the Narnia books and he could not have been cast better. Will Poulter does an outstanding job at bringing this beloved character to life. He's such a little dweeb at first but you grow to love him by the end. He plays the part perfectly.

The special effects in this movie were fantastic in some places (the Magician's castle), but left something to be desired in others (the Dragon). Overall it was a good use of effects, though I wonder if Walden got their money's worth.

The best part of the film is that the message of Narnia rings true. I got goosebumps at the end when the children realized the would not be returning to Narnia again. Aslan tells them they must come to know him by his name in their world and that all of their adventures in Narnia were meant to help them find him. It was a great scene!

My only concern for younger audience members is the final battle sequence in the Dark Island. Things get a bit frightening with the Sea Serpent here and the special effects are pretty fantastic. Not only is the Sea Serpent truly frightening and believable, but the sequence seems to last twice as long as it should taken the horror of it all to new heights. It is quite possibly the most graphic of sequences in any of the Narnia movies.

In all, I would give this film 4 stars (out of 5). If you are looking for a fun holiday adventure this is definitely one to go see in theaters.

Feeling Blue

Lately the Miller Brothers have been feeling a bit "blue".

Not because they are sad, and it's not because they are HUGE Seahawks fans spreading team spirit, and they didn't lose a bet or anything like that. It's because their friend Brock Eastman has received his first book publishing deal. His 5-book series The Quest for Truth, will be released by P&R Publishing starting with the first book "Taken" which is coming your way early 2011.

But why would the Miller Brothers be blue about this, you ask? Two reasons.

Firstly, because "The Quest for Truth" was the title of a paper cut-out animation sequence the Miller Brothers dreamed up years ago as children. (True story. Check back to see evidence on this blog soon).

And secondly because...well...they might win cool stuff from Brock Eastman by turning themselves blue. And you can too. Want to know more? Jump over The Quest for Truth blog and find out.

Hunter Brown & the Consuming Fire Has Been Nominated for the Clive Staples Award!

Remember last year when Hunter Brown's first adventure was in the running for the prestigious Clive Staples Award (named after CS Lewis) for the best Christian Speculative Fiction book of the year? Well, now our second Hunter Brown book (Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire) has been nominated as well and it's up to you to help it rise to the top this year. Read on...

First off, we consider it a great honor to be even considered alongside the success of such amazing writers like Ted Dekker, Wayne Thomas Batson, Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis & Donita K Paul. We are grateful that there are so many eloquent pens using their talents for the Lord in a manner CS Lewis would be proud of.

Here's your part, but you have to do it BEFORE September 1, 2010!!!

Please read these instructions carefully, then proceed to the ballot by clicking on the link below.
CSA is not a popularity contest. The award has been established to recognize the work of fiction which readers designate as the previous year’s best. Consequently, voters must adhere to these basic rules.
• You MUST have read at least two of the nominations.
• You may vote only once for a first, second, and third choice.
• You may not vote for the same book as your second or third option that you voted for as your first choice.
• Your votes for second and third options may not be for the identical book.
• You may mark the “none of these” option if you do not have a second or third choice.
• Voting will close September 1, 2010.
• Second and third choice options will only be considered if a clear winner is not determined by the first choice vote.
To vote, click here and answer all the questions.

Hunter Brown is going for Amazon Top 100 - You can help us reach our dream and get a FREE gift too!

We've been monitoring our Amazon.com sales rank recently and noticed something peculiar. From the data we've gathered some of the bestselling authors in our category are just over one-hundred copies ahead of us in sales this month.

This gave us an idea...(a pretty crazy idea that could potentially earn our book "amazon bestseller" status in our category)...but we need your help!

It's only 3 steps and you get something FREE for helping out so please read on.

This Friday only (July 23rd) we'd like for everyone that has enjoyed our books to buy just one more copy of Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire for $10 on Amazon.com. If you want to buy the first book in the series for $11 on Amazon you can do that as well...but for the purposes of this promotion we are looking for Book 2 sales. Only book 2 sales will be eligible for the FREE GIFT. It is important you buy from the link below and you finish your purchase before midnight on Friday July 23rd (pacific time) to be eligible.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593173571?ie=UTF8&tag=themilbroblo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593173571
After your purchase is complete, please email a copy of your Amazon.com invoice to us at millerbros@millerbrothersbooks.com for confirmation of your order. Be sure to include your shipping address to receive your FREE GIFT...
So, what is the FREE GIFT? Well, it depends on how quickly you act! The first 40 people to send us their receipts will receive (free of charge) one of the last 40 limited edition CODEBEARERS MEDALLION KEY CHAINS ever produced (value of $12.99). All remaining participants will receive one of three personally autographed bookmarks featuring one of the characters from the Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire book.

So, just to recap.

1. Buy the book from this link for $10 between 12:00 AM and 11:59PM (pacific), Friday, July 23rd.
2. Email the receipt from Amazon.com along with your mailing address to the Miller Brothers
3. Receive your FREE GIFT of one of 40 keychains OR a personally autographed bookmark.

YOU DO THE MATH! Buy a $10 book and get a $13 keychain for FREE? That's like putting $3 in your pocket. It's what we call a win/win...but that's not all...

EXTRA BONUS! Since we're in a "promotional" kind of mood (and we really want this whole Amazon.com test to work out) we're going to send you an exclusive download of a desktop wallpaper for Book 3 in the Codebearers Series...Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends (coming Nov 2010). This exclusive artwork will only be available for download by those who participate in the Amazon.com blast.

Set your reminder alarms! Your order could be the very one that pushes us over the top into the bestseller status this month.

Don't Forget to Spread the Word!!!

Even if you can't order one yourself, be sure to repost a link to our blog in your own Facebook/Twitter/Blog account so others can take advantage of this opportunity and help us break the best-seller status. Just use the link below when referring to the offer.

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire for $10 on Amazon.com

The Tears of an Author for a Finished Book!

Writing books can be an emotionally draining experience. With all that has been going on in our life this year, we've hardly had time to properly celebrate the most exciting news of all. As of last Friday (April 30) at 9 minutes before midnight, Hunter Brown Book 3 was officially sent off to the editor. Hip, hip, hooray!

Early response from our publisher is that this is our best work yet.

The book sits at 110,000 words long and is by far my most personal of the three books. I found myself crying as we wrote the final scenes. At first I thought perhaps it was from fatigue or heightened emotions, so I decided to test it out on someone else. I called Allan on the phone and read the sequence to him. After I finished, there was a long pause on the other end of the line. It was so long, in fact, that I thought our cell phone had dropped its connection.

"Allan, are you still there? What did you think?" I asked hopefully. More silence. The realization that I had likely wasted my breath reading the chapter aloud to myself began to set in. Before I could curse the airwaves and hang up, Allan's quiet voice broke the silence.

"Yeah, I'm here," Allan replied. "I just...I'm choked up. That was really powerful."

I couldn't help but smile.

Somehow, through the magic art of story, our characters had become so much more than just words on the page, they began to live in us. Hearing the scene unfold stirred deep emotions in our soul and made us long for the goodness that we have written about. It was an amazing experience and one I can't wait to share with you, our faithful readers.

The book has been given a final title: Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends! Below is a synopsis and mock book-cover design. We'll post up design progress on the book cover as its made.

In Hunter Brown and The Eye of Ends, the heart-pounding conclusion of Hunter's previous adventures begins with an even bigger surprise—his memory is gone. With no knowledge of his last visit to Solandria, Hunter must fight to piece together the growing puzzle of his past under the constant surveillance of an intimidating detective, who is more than what he seems. But what begins as a harmless search for memories quickly leads him into a deadly hunt for his missing father and a lost relic said to predict the story's end. Answers lie in the Eye of Ends, but one question remains: can the Eye be trusted? Will Hunter succeed in finding his father, or will the mysterious Watcher erase everything Hunter has fought for and everyone he loves, before the final page is turned?

Codebearers.com Grows Up!

At least we only hope it is "growing up" and not "blowing up!"

Many of the faithful fans of our books series website Codebearers.com have probably noticed we've had a few growing pains of late. Our most recent member count is 3,843 members (and growing!) The added activity has resulted in some rough stretches as our site has experienced some ups and downs.

In response, we are embarking on an in-depth upgrade that will both upgrade our hosting and software platforms. During this time, our interactive features (like Forums, Profiles, etc) will be intenionally disabled so that we can perform the upgrade without losing any new data that might happen in the meantime.

Thank you to everyone who is participating on the site and making it such a huge success! We hope to reward your patience during this down-time with a new, improved website.

Ordering books through MillerBrothersBooks.com will also be disabled during this upgrade.

Via, Veritas, Vita!
- The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown Nominated for Clive Staples Award - VOTE TODAY!

Each year, a select group of books are nominated by readers to receive the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction (Named for C.S. Lewis the famed author of The Chronicles of Narnia book series). This year, we are happy to announce that Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow has made the short list.

There are 15 excellent books to choose from this year. It is truly an honor to be nominated alongside so many great authors. Please, take time to spread the word about this awesome award and be sure to Vote for your favorite TODAY!

Learn more about the awards by visiting clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com

Hunter Brown Wins Moonbeam Award for Pre-Teen Fiction Category

Our heads grew a bit today. It's not our fault...you can blame it on our publishers if you'd like. You see, it was their idea to submit our books to these silly award things that nobody wins. We tried to warn them - award winning authors are not just a dime a dozen and even though you believe in us...we're just not THAT good.

Boy were we wrong.

Early this morning we received a giggly phone call from an enthusiastic staff at Warner Press. Allan and I hovered over the speakerphone, listening intently to the buzzing hive of friendly publishing staff on the other end of the line. We stood slack-jawed, wide-eyed and white-faced as they told us "Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow" had just won a "Moonbeam Children's Book Award" in the "Pre-Teen Fiction - Fantasy" category!

It's true - see for yourself: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1315

So, in a matter of moments we went from being plain ol' published authors (whoopee) to award winning novelists (Yahoo!) and all that entails.

Can you see now why our heads are growing? This is fantastic news that allows us to gain more exposure with our stories in the marketplace. We can even place a "Moonbeam" seal on our book AND several new organizations will be promoting us on their list of recommended reads for Libraries and other outlets.

Being a math whiz myself, I know what comes next: High Honors + Shiny Awards = More Exposure + Bigger Heads! However, since the award is only a shiny sticker and not something I'll be receiving on the red carpet in hollywood, you can pop my ballooning head now.

Needless to say both Warner Press and the Miller Brothers are very pleased to have received this recognition. Warner also mentioned that there are a few more awards we are in consideration for. We'll let you know if any more good news arrives.

Hunter Brown Radio Commercials?

Hey guys, Spirit 105.3 is doing a radio advertisement for our latest book Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. It's part of their new "book club" promotion and they are looking for reviews from people who have read it. Post your comment on the Spirit1053.com website to help tell others about the book too.

http://www.spirit1053.com/familyfun.php?articleID=199

Author Chuck Black Visits with Miller Brothers

WIN ONE OF THREE COPIES OF CHUCKS BOOKS...WATCH THE SHOW TO FIND OUT HOW!

Today we're honored to have author of the Kingdom Series and the Knights of Arrethtrae join us for our LIVE webcast (3pm PST, 6pm Eastern). Chuck Black is joining us via chat as well as a prerecorded in-studio video interview we made with him this past Saturday.

If you've yet to read Chuck's work you are in for a treat. Join us at MillerBrothersBooks.com and click on Video Chat to join in. You don't need a webcam, just watch us host the show and chat with us via an optional chatroom.

First Pictures of Consuming Fire...

Hip-hip-hooray! The first shipment of Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire has arrived at the publisher's shipping dock today. As you can see, they are going fast. A few sneaky employees got their hands on their copies a few weeks early.

Don't worry, you can still pre-order your autographed copy TODAY for only $9.99 (with purchase of medallion) by visiting www.MillerBrothersBooks.com or direct from Amazon.com for only $11.19

So, why wait? It'll give you something to read whilst you eagerly await the Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie.

Peter and the Sword of Mercy - Cover Art LEAKED!!!

So, I'm a huge fan of the Peter and the Starcatcher series. The books were co-authored by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and are nothing short of amazing. After all, co-authored books ROCK! Okay, so the first three books are listed below and if you haven't yet read them start them right away. You'll be glad you did. (Besides, it will help you pass the time until our next Hunter Brown book comes out...right?)

Peter and the Starcatchers
Peter and the Shadow Theives - My personal favorite.
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

Anyway, I soon as I heard that they were coming out with a fourth book in the series (Peter and the Sword of Mercy) this fall I started frantically searching for the cover art. Nobody had it in any of the bookstores, however I was successful at spotting a cover on another blog. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Looks like they are flying over London in a train.

Chris

Watch Miller Brothers LIVE on Webcast Wednesday!

Today, Wednesday July 22nd at 3PM we begin our Weekly Webcast Wednesday program on MillerBrothersBooks.com. We'll celebrate Allan's Birthday (a day late) and talk about the new book coming out on 9-9-09. Join the conversation via live chat and we'll look forward to seeing you there.

Just visit http://www.MillerBrothersBooks.com and click on the Video Chat tab to join in. It's that simple.

See you soon!

Ten-Gallon Sam Top's List of "Family-Friendly" Books

We were honored today to hear that Focus on the Family has recently chosen our children's book "The Legend of Ten-Gallon Sam and the Perilous Mine" as one of their top ten Family-Friendly Books of 2008. For those of you who are not familiar with our children's books you can read more about them by visiting the http://www.heroesofpromise.com/ website or read the review on Focus on the Family's website.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/book_reports/top10/2008.aspx

This announcement came as a total shock as we had no clue we were even in the running for the Top 10 listing.

Dragons in our Midst Movie

Our author friend Bryan Davis is meeting with a major motion picture company in 45 min about distributing a film adaptation of his book series Dragons in Our Midst. Please pray for him and his producer as they pitch the storyboards (which, by the way, look amazing).

New Codebearer Challenge is LIVE!!!

Fellow Codebearers, the next level of the online game is now active. It is called "The Chamber" and it takes the book codes to a whole new level.

Visit www.Codebearers.com today and try your hand at it now.

Giveaway?!?

GIVEAWAY!! A fellow blogger is giving away the first book in the Passages series by Paul McCusker, Darien's Rise. Contest ends July 30th. Click here to post and for rules for the contest.

Block Party on July 3rd

We had a great time at the block party tonight. Sold some books, got a tan, made some friends and even met a couple of budding and published authors who I look forward to chatting with again someday soon. Oh...one more thing...shortly after setting up our display Allan got stung right on the elbow by a rogue bee with a temper tantrum. It was a hit and run kind of thing...we never saw the bee again. This is why I am afraid of bees.

The event itself was somewhat of an eclectic collection of several events all rolled into one. Part classic car show, part church carnival, part 4th of July celebration and part vendor fair. Somehow on paper it doesn't sound like it could work, but...by golly it was a HIT!

The event was hosted and directed by the Tacoma Alliance Church and a friend of ours from Lighthouse Christian Books. It was sponsored by Home Depot and had quite a good sized crowd turn out. Of course, Free Hot Dogs and Hamburgers were an added bonus. There were bounce houses for the lil' ones and dunk tanks for the older. While I didn't get to leave our booth very often, my 4 year old pretty much summed everything up by saying the part that he liked best was "everything!" He had a blast.

The evening concluded with the inflating and launching of a red white and blue Hot Air Ballon (which was amazing to watch) and a stellar fireworks show put on by the Tacoma Rainers directly across the freeway from the event (which we unfortunatly couldn't stay to watch - the kids were far too tired by 10pm). Wow, what a night!

We may have even booked a few school visits for this next fall. (Which reminds me if you know of a teacher or librarian at an elementary or middle school in Washington State...have them give us a call.)

We'll definately plan on visiting this event next year.