Better Fiction: The Blog

This is part six in our discussion on the book, Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow. Our guest reader for this book has taken the pseudonym, Tanya Furgway.

"Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow is an amazing book. I like the adventure and battle parts, even the scary ones.

"The authors are very creative, and when I read the book, it's as if it takes me into the story. There's a good variety of happy, sad, scary, and maybe even gross parts. Every word makes you want to know what's on the next page.

"I never thought I'd find myself reading a book like it, but I'm glad I did. It's a gateway to adventure."

Before I sign off on this three-day blog tour, I want to once again thank author and illustrator Allan Miller for sharing his time with us. Tanya's recommendation is a strong buy, but, if you're still not sure, you can check out the book for free at the Miller Brothers' website.

See what our other bloggers had to say:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Today, in part five of our (hopefully) six-part series on "The Codebearers" series, we talk to one half of the author / illustrator team of the Miller Brothers, Allan Miller. Together with his brother, Chris, they have authored two pictures books in the "Heroes of Promise" series and their first novel in "The Codebearers" series, Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow.

1) When you were seeking a publisher for your first series, "Heroes of Promise", how did you deal with the initial rejections?

A: Dealing with rejection, or any form of criticism for that matter, is a tough skill to learn for any artist. Chris and I had begun learning some of that skill through our time as students at the Art Institute of Seattle and it was further ingrained over our 11+ years of commercial design for clients. Because art requires you to pour out your creative energy, taking criticism on it becomes very personal - no matter how hard you try to steel yourself against it.

So... sitting in front of a acquisitions editor and having them hold a "piece" of you with a critical eye was(and still is) a bit un-nerving. Our first year pitching "Gid the Kid" (the first book in our "Heroes of Promise" series) we were thrilled to have the extraordinary chance to meet one-on-one with many of the top christian publishing houses. As we made the rounds, we were met with a lot of "We're not doing this type of book," or "Picture books are too hard to publish in this market" kind of answers even though they said they liked our work. It was pleasant enough, but in the end they were still rejections. So, we felt like we had struck gold when one of the publishers finally DID show real interest even advancing us through the acquisitions process until the Sales/Marketing team popped the bubble - they couldn't produce our book. Honestly, while there was certainly a feeling of rejection from the publisher, it mostly felt like a rejection from God. We'd felt like this was a life dream He had given to us and that He had opened this amazing door to all of a sudden slam it shut. It didn't make sense - it just hurt.

In the end, the truth came out that He was actually being gracious to us (Oh the shock!). The truth was that the time was not right yet, but in his gracious way, he was letting us know that our work was good enough to gain interest in this marketplace; giving us just enough taste of success to inspire us to try again. He had a better thing in store for us. The following year, he once again opened the door for us to gain audience with the publishers, but this time Warner Press was waiting. The year before, they were not even in the Children's Book market. Now, they were building a new division and looking for books just like ours. It began a wonderful relationship that has been a blessing to be in for the past years. We couldn't imagine a better situation. God knew what He was doing. Funny how that works, isn't it?

What we gained from this experience was a valuable lesson in trusting God. I think that this simple truth is probably the most practical way to manage rejection: First and foremost, we've got to firmly establish our work as God's. When we can keep the perspective that our work is done for Him, I think it helps take away the devestating sting that rejection can inflict (Remember, He's in control!) and also gives us the proper motivation for responding to criticism (We want our work to be excellent for Him!) There is a great prayer in the bible (Psalm 90:17) that is taped to our computer monitors as a daily encouragement to this end: "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us, establish the work of our hands for us." If we can keep this perspective in our work, we're well-equipped to handle the next "defeat", or "failure" that will inevitably come our way.

2) Can you compare your two series from a creator's aspect? Each must have had its unique difficulties.

A: Yes. They are quite different... but the same in many ways too.

Both have their roots in our childhood. Heroes of Promise was born out of a simple verse in Judges when it says, "In those days, there was no king and every man did what was right in his own eyes." Chris had read that in devotions and had the funny thought that "those days" must have been a lot like our more modern history of the lawless "Wild West" with no sheriff. Ever since we were kids, we'd been fascinated with the story of Gideon and been toying with the idea that someday we might write a story based on him. So, with cowboys and chili floating in our heads, we soon had the idea for "Gid the Kid". It sort of flowed out in metered rhyme as we began writing it and the rest is history. "Ten-Gallon Sam"s retelling of Samson soon followed (and we hope to add more someday soon). With it's picture-book design this series was naturally geared more towards the pre-school/elementary age group and seemed like a fine place for first-time authors to enter. It was comfortable.

As we were wrapping up the illustrations for "Gid the Kid", another childhood inspiration bubbled up to the surface. We had always loved Pilgrim's Progress growing up and had often thought how cool it would be to tell a modern-day story that could engage today's youth with a similar tale. The idea started simply enough, but soon we realized that this would clearly be an epic story that had to be told in novel form. This idea was NOT so comfortable. After all, we'd only written a 32-page picture book; we were not novelists... were we? But the ideas wouldn't stop coming and, perhaps a bit like "Gid" beating his chili pot as he took his stand against the "Black Bean Bandits", we finally took on our fears and stepped up to be the kind of heroes we were writing about. The result is a book that we felt we were missing when we were entering into the independent reader ages. We're excited to be able to continue that story in two more upcoming novels.

Naturally, by sheer size, the novels have been our biggest endeavor, requiring the most creative effort. There is so much more to develop with the larger scope of the 360+ page story than the shorter 32-page picture books require. However, the unique challenge of our Heroes of Promise stories is fitting it into the relatively small amount of words that they allow for while still telling the whole story. Of the two series, we've found that our Hunter Brown story has been the most rewarding to write - probably because we've poured so much more into it. But, there's something about reading "Gid the Kid" aloud to a first-grade class of kids that still holds a special place in our hearts. In the end, we find great satisfaction in seeing the truth we can communicate through our stories connecting with kids and changing lives.

3) What advice would you give Christian writers who want to see their work used by God?

A: The best advice is to make sure it's truly being done for God. Do it to the best of your abilities as a act of worship. Offer it up to Him and allow Him to take it where He leads (Psalm 90:17!) It's an exciting ride when we get to enter into the creative expression alongside our Creator.

4) Any tips for people considering beginning a collaborative project?

A: Make sure you like the person! Ha! Seriously, Chris and I have a great friendship to build our collaborative work off of. What seems to make our relationship work is having just enough in common, while still having our differences. It allows us to be "inside each other's head" while still bringing unique strengths to compliment the other. Chris tends to excel at the "big ideas" while I have a knack for details. I think in collaboration you need some of that ability - especially when writing a novel together! It also takes a lot of humility mixed with a good measure of grace; there are plenty of opportunities to butt heads over an idea. Ultimately, we've found the process quite enjoyable. We get an instant sounding board, a built-in editor, and encouragement for when things are not going so well in writing. Practically speaking, you'll also want to invest in a good change-tracking software. We haven't found the perfect one to recommend yet, but Word offers some features (There's nothing worse than having one of you save over the top of another's.) Also, another practical tip: work out the outline together and then each take a section to work on individually. Sometimes that means back-to-back chapters, or a particular character (if there are multiple storylines.)

Learn more about the Miller Brothers at their website. Or see what our other bloggers have to say:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Part Four: Though these postings are a three-day series, I am predicting five to six posts total dedicated to this book.

"I like it how they make Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow into a fairy tale, sort of, and yet they make it part of someone's real life," our expert reader, Tayna, says. She is about a hundred pages into the story, and says the last couple of chapters weren't as scary, except for Hunter's dream.

Meanwhile, the authors, the Miller brothers, are in the crazy last days of the deadline for the second book in the Codebearers series. Even so, Allan Miller says, "We are so excited to be highlighted in the CSFF blog tour. Thanks for taking your time to review our work and share it with your readers."

I have asked for some of Mr. Miller's precious time. He kindly responds, "I would love to answer your questions tonight when I'm doing some work from home later. Is that possible?"

Yes, that will work fine, but that means we will have to wait until tomorrow's blog for the answers. I hope you, "my readers", will be back to join us for the discussion. (Of course, that tomorrow is now today. If the discussion is not already posted, be sure to check back.)

I return to Tanya, asking how she would compare this novel to others she's read. "I have to admit, I don't read many books like this," she says, "but it might remind me a little bit of 'Castle in the Attic'. The main character is transported to a different world." She talks about battles and (again) the fairy-tale nature of the story.

How about "Redwall" or "Warriors"? I ask. She shrugs. Perhaps they have the violence in common. I ask her if she could compare it to a movie she's seen. She says no, but if she ever did see a movie like that, she wouldn't be able to see much of it...she'd be hiding under a jacket.

"I never thought I'd be reading a book like that, with sort of weird stuff happening."

Do you like it?

"Yeah, I do. I do."

Are you going to finish reading it?

"I already told you. I have to!"

She will not get a chance to do so until tomorrow, however. (Again, that's today, as you read this.) Hopefully, I will be able to make one final post with her thoughts, somehow squeezing it in between my twelve hours away at work and church that evening. Until then, I await a response from Mr. Miller, which will be included in either the aforementioned post or an additional one.

Discover more at the Miller Brothers' website. Or see what our other bloggers have to say:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Part Three: Though these postings are a three-day series, I am predicting four to six posts total dedicated to this book.

It will come as a great relief to you all that the book, Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow, did not keep me up last night. Or, rather, it did not keep my reader, Tanya Furgway, awake, which was surprising, since she had to read the book through a tiny peephole while otherwise covering herself with her robe. Apparently, bad guys can't get you through the protection of a robe. "A robe is like a cover, you know," Tanya explains. "When you're young you feel safe under the covers."

Yes, Tanya needs protection to feel safe while reading this christian novel for young adults. Last night, as I tucked her in to bed, she started to explain that the Christian aspect of the book centered on a character called "The Author". I told her it was late and she could it explain it to me tomorrow. It is now tomorrow, and as she is sitting next to me, I'll let her explain.

"It is never tomorrow, Daddy. You should know that by now."

Stay on topic.

"The book speaks of the bad guys as parasites and that made me want to wash my hands."

(Seriously, folks. I'm not making this up.)

"They made the parasites sound very scary, and I like how they use that as a bad guy. It surprised me, but it was interesting."

But what about "The Author"?

"Oh, yeah. I like how they make the 'Author' sound like God because in the book they say He wrote the world into place, and that was really cool. I'm worried about the name of the next chapter, though..."

Speaking of which, it's time to let Tanya read a little more.

Before we go, however, Tanya makes one more comment. "They talk in the book about the need to find the Author's son. I suspect the son will sacrifice himself to save the kids." With a smile, she adds, "And maybe rise again three days later."

Tanya now retreats to read more. Read the book for yourself, for free, at the Miller Brothers' website. Or see what our other bloggers have to say:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

In the discussion of the book, Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow, I have enlisted some expert help. Her code name is Tanya Furgway, and I left her with the book while the Mrs. and I sat down to enjoy a Hercule Peroit DVD. As the night drew to a close, Tanya knelt beside my wife's chair and whispered in her ear.

My wife looked at me in alarm. "You let her read a scary story?"

"It's terrifying!" Tanya confirmed. "Unfortunately, I'll have to finish the book, 'cause I'll die if I don't know what happens to Hunter Brown. The writers are very creative. I mean extremely creative. They write as if you're inside the book and can see what's really happening to the character. Some stories are scary because they're out of this world. This is scary because you can imagine it happening, and that makes it even more frightening."

Interested, I asked for some insight into the plot. Frankly, it sounds out of this world to me.

In the other room, as I write this, they are talking about the book even now. "Is this a children's story?" My wife asks.

Tanya repeats the question to me. Perhaps the truer answer would be "Young Adult", but I say, "Yes."

Tanya passes on my answer and adds that it's a Christian book. "Christian?" My wife calls out. "Why would they want to scare you? What makes it Christian?"

I hear Tanya repeating one of the plot points about the "Dispirits" not being able to enter the church.

Tanya enters my study, she says that, yesterday, when I first showed her the book, she read a few sentences and didn't want to stop reading. For tonight, she will have to stop. My wife says that if Tanya can't sleep and crawls into our bed...I'm getting kicked out.

These are the risks we run on the CSFF Blog Tour. Will I get to sleep in my own bed? Found out tomorrow as we continue our look into the first in the "Codebearers" series.

In the meantime find out more at the Miller Brothers' website. Or see what our other bloggers have to say:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson