By Carolyn Miller @CarolynMAuthor

I’m excited it’s now less than two weeks until my next book, Muskoka Blue, releases to the world! This book was partly inspired by my love for LM Montgomery’s book The Blue Castle, which saw my husband and I visit the beautiful Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada (after I forced him to see Prince Edward Island due to my appreciation for Anne of Green Gables). God bless him – he came, and we enjoyed the gorgeous lake-strewn area LM Montgomery depicted as ‘Mistawis’ which is really Muskoka. We loved the water, the trees, the peace – all of which made it into Muskoka Blue.

This book was also partly inspired by another book I love: My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade. I love Christian fiction that delves into some of the depths of people wrangling through questions of faith, and this book shares some similarities, including a redheaded heroine, a hockey player hero, and the journey to overcoming depression to regain life ‘to the full.’ I love reading books that inspire me to live with hope, while still enjoying the swoony moments of a good romance. Such books help shape my own writing, and I’ve been so encouraged by the readers who have responded so positively to my historical and contemporary novels, especially those books in the Original Six series.

I want my books to reflect my faith, so it’s important for me to start each day with Bible reading. I have a chronological ‘read the bible in a year’ bible I’m reading through, which is great to put biblical events in context. I also read a psalm a day, as that’s a great way to stay heavenly focused.

My most recent fiction book is Nicole Deese’s All That It Takes. I really enjoy Nicole’s books, I like the spiritual depth, humor and realness of the characters. I’ve listened to a number of her books on audio as well, which is a fun way to connect with a story. I find it’s especially necessary to read good books after spending so much time writing and editing my own (I have lots releasing this year), so to enjoy books from quality authors helps me relax and takes me out of my own head.

Today Carolyn Miller tells us about her writing life. #BRRC #Reading #Readingcomunity Click To Tweet

I tend to read mostly at night, in bed, as part of my ‘wind-down’ routine, which is why I enjoy reading romance or something not too suspenseful. J I’ve recently enjoyed rereading some more Georgette Heyer books (they’re so funny!), and the latest Becky Wade, and I’m thinking of rereading Jane Austen’s Persuasion to compare to the latest filmed version. I find the types of books I read influence my writing style, so when I’m writing or editing Regency it helps to be reading those kinds of books, but when I’m doing contemporary it’s helpful to stay in a more contemporary frame of mind.

I love reading – with a librarian mother I suppose it was inevitable! – and view it as an essential part of each day.

Happy reading to you, too!

Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and LM Montgomery, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her contemporary romance series includes the Original Six hockey romance series, and the Independence Islands series, and her historical series include the Regency Brides and Regency Wallflowers series.  Go here to visit her website.