Dragon Soul Press had an opportunity to interview Patricia Miller, an author featured in A Winter Promise.

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1) Introduce yoursel!

I am a US Navy veteran, sixth of ten kids born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and currently living
in Wisconsin, Land of Cheese. I hold a BS in Education an MS in Library Science. I started
reading at 3 1/2 after becoming obsessed with Batman. I am a weaver, quilter, raiser of roses,
and maker who is hooked on QI, British murder villages, bad SF movies, and professional
cycling. I am on the spectrum and consider that as an asset to my writing.

I write in many genres: science fiction, fantasy, horror, and romance.

My publications include short fiction in numerous anthologies, MetaStellar, Zooscape, and
Cinnabar Moth Literary Collection. Upcoming publications include stories in 99 Fleeting
Fantasies edited by Jennifer Brozek, Dastardly Damsels coming in Fall 2024 by Crystal Lake
Publishing, and an as yet untitled horror anthology from Brigids Gate Press in Winter 2024/25. I
am a member of SFWA and CODEX.

2) What prompted you to begin writing?

I attended a Catholic school and we were restricted to one visit to the library a week. We also
couldn’t check out more than two books. I read incredibly fast, always have, so I could finish my
books faster than I could get more. To tide me over, I started writing my own. Looking back at it,
I’m pretty certain I used writing to stim. It was an easy step to fan fiction – lots and lots of fan
fiction. I have a Star Trek novel in my trunk…

3) Do you have a favorite story or poem you’ve written? What’s it about?

My favorite story is one I haven’t sold, although everyone loves it (and it has made more than
one person cry). It is about the cities and lives we abandon due to circumstances beyond our
control. It is, as one reader put it, genre-defying – neither SF, fantasy, history except it is a blend
of all of them.

Picking a favorite published story is difficult, but I will always have a soft spot for my first sale, “A
Door Into Summer,” published online in the March 2022 Cinnabar Moth Literary Collection.

4) How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.

I don’t plan ahead –The stories come when they come! That being said, I am in the process of
revising a YA horror novel about a girl coming of age in an isolated small town run by a religious
cult. It’s filled with ghosts, witches, and a river inspired by the Bolton Strid. If you are unfamiliar
with the Strid, it’s worth looking up – what a horror story!

5) What is your writing process like?

I write most of my stories, start to finish, in my head before I ever sit down in front of my
computer. It is likely a carry-over from my childhood… I dictate a lot of voice memos into my
phone, jot notes on whatever paper is handy (I sketched out a horror story on a straw wrapper
once). I review the notes until one grabs me, then I bounce it around in my brain while I’m
walking the dogs or trying to fall back asleep at 3 AM.

6) Where do you draw inspiration from?

Music, song lyrics, found items on walks, documentaries, overheard conversations all play a
part, but I’ve also woken from a dead sleep because I was speaking out loud with enough
volume to wake myself up. Hearing myself saying things like “The Day The Mice Came” in the
wee small hours of the morning has resulted in three published stories!

7) Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?

Favorite author is Robin McKinley. Favorite book is damn near impossible to pick so I’ll give you
five which changed my point of view: The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye; The Goblin Emperor by
Katherine Addison; In This House Of Brede by Rumer Godden; The World Wreckers by Marion
Zimmer Bradley; Beauty by Robin McKinley. And yes, I’m aware of the highly problematic
inclusion of MZB – that’s an entire essay – but the Darkover series changed my life and there’s
no denying that.

8) What is one goal you have for your writing future?

I’d like to have someone tell me I wrote their favorite story.

9) What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?

I hope my writing makes people feel something – hope, joy, fear, sadness, cautious optimism
about the future.

10) Where can readers learn more about you?

A complete listing of my stories, my occasional blog, and more info about me can be found on
my website at: https://trishmillerwrites.com

I’m @MillerTrish42 on most social media platforms.