I spent last week sorting and shifting rooms around and packing up my daughter to move out of home for university studies. It was tiring, especially with my husband and son working interstate, so a lot of it fell on my shoulders. (Sometimes literally. Hello, old primary school books!) But in the midst of rediscovering things, like the fact I’ve finally got a room to write in again (hallelujah), and those old books that showed I’ve obviously enjoyed writing since the 1980s (!), there’s a bittersweetness, too. Saying goodbye to my new adult child (she turned 18 last week), knowing she’s launching into a life where she’ll be need to own many of her decisions, trusting God to lead and protect her. It’s a lot.
It got me thinking about life, and how we don’t always know what’s around the corner. As it says in Proverbs 16.9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (NLT) And I’ve found that can be true with writing too.
I don’t tend to plot my books too much, but I’m definitely a planner in other ways. I like my deadlines and schedules, knowing what’s coming so I know what I should work towards. I’m conscious too that I’m in the stage of life that allows for that, with healthy-enough parents, and children who are mostly-independent young adults. Life won’t always be as straightforward as now, which is why I’ve worked hard to produce a fair amount of books and book series in the past two years or so, knowing one day life circumstances will change and I’ll have to slow down.
But I’m now reaching a stage where numbers of these book series are nearing completion, which makes me wonder: where to next?
What books would readers like to see more of? I know I have a number of Regency fans, so more of those are definitely on the horizon. Same with my Christian hockey books. (God bless those readers!) And while I feel my Muskoka series is reaching a natural conclusion with a book that revisits the couple who started it all, that may well prove a series pause rather than a forever ending.
So yes, there’s a degree of sadness in saying goodbye to beloved characters, but there’s also anticipation in wondering what comes next. Who are the new characters readers will resonate with? What fresh settings and scenarios will readers enjoy exploring with me?
I’m hoping some of those readers will enjoy my upcoming book A Cameo for a Cowgirl. In this book, Cassie, the sister of the hero from Fire and Ice, deals with a Hollywood heartthrob on her ranch’s western town movie set (which is based on a real place!). This book has some rom-com elements but still with the strong Christian core that people enjoy in my books. And the fact it’s based on a real place definitely adds some fun factor!
Once upon a time I didn’t think I’d ever write a cowboy (or cowgirl) book, and yet here we are with A Cameo for a Cowgirl, and my books in the Trinity Lakes series. So who knows what may come next? It’s a good thing God does!
So if you want to know what’s next in my writing world then make sure you sign up for my newsletter where you can also get a FREE novella, Originally Yours.
Now let’s chat: what are your favorite genres / types of characters / settings / tropes? If you could ask an author to write a book to order, what would it include?
Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency and contemporary novels are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Koorong, etc
I enjoy friends to more, single mom, and rich/poor stories. Anything that has a Cinderella type feel to it!
welcome to this new stage of your life. it will be full of “emotions”, ups and downs, and so much more when relying on Jesus to guide our every day lives. I have completely enjoyed my time with two adult children. our daughter, who from birth chose to only be daddies little girl, ignored me as much as possible, moved to a different state for college. she has been there for almost twenty years now. we are closer than we have ever been and love talking to each other on the phone at least three times a day. our son who lives only twenty minutes away is now married and building a wonderful relationship with his dad. a man-to-man relationship. it is so wonderful to see. my parents who were healthy, suddenly both became sickly and died. they have been gone now for approx. ten years. treasure your family, but let them also fly. blessings
I love Marriage of Convenience books, as that was mostly what I read as a teenager. However, I’d love to read a book set in Australia!! And, who better to right about that world than you or Narelle??
I have been discovering so many different books now that I have been retired for almost 3 years. It used to be Amish romance was it for me. Now I have been reading contemporary romances, suspense with romance mixed in, cowboys (love those cowboys!), beside the Amish fiction. I look mostly now for clean, Christian stories. I thank God every day for you authors that show your love for Him. I also pray for you all regularly. I don’t know that I could dictate or taylormake a book. My creativity was all be dried up.
Enjoy your journey, both personally and professionally. Keep writing as long as God feeds you. Enjoy your family. Look forward, some day, to being a grandparent. There is nothing like it. Even better than parenthood. ❤❤
I have grown rather fond of Regency Era stories!
I like a variety of genres, characters, settings, and tropes. I’m not too picky as long as it interests me.
I love cozy mysteries and romance. I also enjoy small town settings and I love the Beauty and the Beast trope.
Good morning I like Secret baby tropes, Second Chances and I like small town settings. Your book sounds like a great read! And the cover is Beautiful. Yes I agree with you we plan and alot of times God changes our plans for our own good. Yes, our children grown and we must let them try their wings. I remember when I went through that with my own 2. My daughter went to college and became an RN , she met her husband who is also an RN and now their oldest , their daughter (my grandchild) is graduating HS in may and then she will be off to College, I know it is hard. Our grandson is in 10th grade and before we know it he will be doing the same. We must cherish each second we spend with our loved ones. It will be okay , God will watch over your daughter. Have a great day and a great week my beautiful friend.
Commissioned book…I would like it to have an intelligent and kind heroine who comes from a wealthy family, loves pink, dressing well and all things girly and is involved with a hero from a Christian motorcycle gang, they both don’t like each other a lot at first because she believes that a tattooed guy on a motorcycle cannot be a good Christian and he believes that it is impossible for her to be anything more than a black-tie Christian…they both have to work together for a common cause.
It would be a cute romantic comedy with romantic gestures and funny discussions also that neither of them is a single father or single mother or has young children in their care. I usually prefer comedies where the protagonists don’t also have to deal with sudden paternity.
Yes! I’m a big fan of those kinds of stories too. Thanks for the suggestion!
Oh, God bless you Lori. Thank you for sharing from your heart. Families can be complicated at times, can’t they, but also such a stronghold of love and support.
I’m so glad your relationship with your daughter has improved so much.
Ooh, I have a couple of novellas set in Australia. I also have a romantic suspense set on the south coast near where I live which has been quietly biding its time, so it’s definitely on the horizon!
God bless you Bonnie!
Thanks for your response. I’m so grateful for readers like you who step out of the mindset of ‘it’s got to be this genre and no other’, and now we have everything from celebrity to sports romance getting their moment to shine.
Us authors praise God for readers willing to take a risk on something new, and for all those wonderful people who write encouraging reviews and show their support by buying books. We can’t do this without you!
Have you now?
I might just have written a few that you may enjoy – with more in the wings!
Have you got a particular trope or style you prefer within that genre?
That’s always the tricky thing, finding the ’thing’ that piques someone’s interest enough for them to pick up the book. I started writing hockey books back in 2010, long before this recent hockey book craze which has seen lots of authors jump on the hockey romance bandwagon. I was told by various publishers nobody would read that kind of book. Well, ahem. I guess it shows it’s good to write about what you love because sooner or later someone else will want it!
Oh, that’s a fun trope! I didn’t realize until after it was published that Restoring Fairhaven, my first book in the Independence Islands series, was a Beauty and the Beast type story – except in an island small town :)
Oh, thank you Alicia for your encouragement. You’re right, it’s important to remember to make the most of our time with loved ones. And it’s important to trust them to God. It’s a process, isn’t it?
And yes, it’s a fun book that I hope readers enjoy!
Wow, Lilly – I love this concept so much!
Okay, challenge accepted.
I hope you’ll sign up for my newsletter so one day you’ll see ‘your’ book come out!
Already a subscriber and can’t wait to see what’s next :)
Favorite genre – romantic suspense.
Favorite tropes are fake relationships, amnesia.
If you could ask an author to write a book to order, what would it include? hm…a mystery!
I started reading regency romances in my teens, and I still enjoy them, but I now pretty much read any genre, recently I’ve been enjoy some romantic suspense which is new for me. My favourite trope is marriage of convenience, and I also loke books with military heroes.
I have signed up for your newsletter, looking forward to reading the welcome gift, thank you!
My absolute favorite trope is marriage of connivence but I also enjoy grumpy/sunshine, age gap, and single parent tropes. I enjoy reading about characters who are different but connect with each other. However I just like reading in general so I generally enjoy most books but I don’t usually like love triangles. There is usually a lot of drama with them.
I found you through your Regency books ,stayed because I love Australia, & have enjoyed everything you have written!!! Having been a teacher, school counselor, and now as a graduate school professor, I would love books about teachers- historic or contemporary rom-com type books. Really, just write! Your Love for Christ always shines through, and that is what matters the most!!!
And if you ever come to Texas, I’d love to take you to dinner!! 😄😄😄!
I like friends to more, second chance, single mom, single dad, small-town-type stories.
Romantic suspense or a bit of mystery, small town, friends to more in a mountain setting sounds like a wonderful book start for me. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I am subscribed in it! 💞
I like Regency, cowboys, and hockey/sports. My favorite tropes are marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, second chance, and opposites attract. I’m pretty sure whatever you come up next with will be great!
any setting
Ohhh, well fantasy is my absolute favourite genre and I adore fantasy romance, I just wish more of them were written by Christian authors & with more faith content. But I also love historical romances, contemporary ones (sports or not), as long as the plot sounds interesting I’m reading it!!
As for the tropes, I love soulmates, starcrossed lovers, love triangle (I know lots of people hate it but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine), found family, age gap, bodyguard, cowboy, mail order bride, marriage of convenience, small town, grumpy sunshine, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, penpals…
For the settings I’d love to see something I don’t see often. For example, there was this regency romance I read back in 2021 that was set in India. So basically something that isn’t set in the UK or US once in a while would be amazing.
And the characters, any type of outcast is cool with me :) so whether it’s because they don’t follow societal norms in historicals, or just dress differently & listen to different music in modern times I love them <3
Also seconding that MC romance idea someone commented, I'd LOVE to see that, it sounds perfect and right up my alley.
Like most tropes but favorites are probably secret baby or child and friends to lovers
Ooh, I like the sound of a mystery with amnesia and fake relationship!
Oh yay for readers who enjoy Regency (I’ve got a few you could check out 😉)
I hope you enjoy Originally Yours :)
I think I’m going to have to read more marriage of convenience books because it’s one of those tropes I want to like, but especially in a modern context, find it hard to read as realistic – but I know they’re out there. Any recommendations?
Oh, God bless you Jana – obviously I’ll have to come to Texas! Being a former high school teacher, I feel like I’ve written a number of books about teachers in various contexts, but maybe there’s room for more…
Thanks so much for your support!
Ooh, they’re fun to read. And fun to write. I’ve written two single mom stories, Hearts and Goals, and Muskoka Hearts (which links closely to Muskoka Shores, the first book in the Muskoka Romance small town series). Solo parent stories add a whole other layer of complexity dont they?
I like that scenario too! Thanks for commenting today!
Ha! Well, if they’re your preferred genres, I may know of some books for you ;)
Those genres are pretty fun – and some make an appearance in A Cameo for a Cowgirl…
Happy reading to you!
Fab!
I am really not very picky when it comes to books but I do enjoy reading books set outside the United States and learning about those places that I will likely never visit.
Oh, yay for the outcast! I loved writing about Sylvie in The Love Penalty because she felt like one. And I’m all for Regency set elsewhere. I enjoyed including a touch of Australia in Regency times in Misleading Miss Verity. That’d be fun to revisit.
And the MC romance idea – do you mean pink girly girl and tattooed motorcycle guy? That sounds fun. (And I might just have a not too dissimilar set up in my next hockey book, Pointe, Shoots and Scores…)
Ooh, can you please tell me your favourite secret baby books?
Yes! I’m similar in appreciating those books set in unusual places. I actually started writing a book set in Fiji that I may have to dust off one day…
Ooh! What a great location for a book! I love beaches so that sounds great.
It’s hard to pick favorites because o usually enjoy all the tropes. I also like both historical and contemporary, though lately I’ve been really getting into the more lighthearted rom-com books as a break from stresses in life.
I like friends to lovers and second chance story lines the best. I also love romantic suspense and time travel. I know that would all make for a very busy book, lol.
I tend to lean towards contemporary romance with a beachy setting although I like big city settings too. I like characters who draw me in immediately with an easy to read style. I find I’m enjoying more first person POV reads.
Ha! Yes, that would be an epic book! But I like it…
Okay, I’ll have to get onto it!
Gotta love a fun and breezy romcom, right? It’s also a lot of fun to write. I co-wrote a romcom Daring Mr Darcy (a modern day Pride and Prejudice tale) and had SO much fun writing it :)
Ooh, I love a fun beach setting. It was good writing the Independence Islands series as they were beach setting books.
Thank you!
I can’t wait to get to Sylvie’s book!! I’m only at Checked Impressions now, but I’ll get there :) Pointe, Shoots and Scores sounds awesome too. And yesss that’s the one. I’ll have to check out your regencies too 👀
Oh, this is kind of hard because I feel like sometimes you have to just accept that it won’t happen in real life :). But Carol Moncado has a lot of marriage of convenience. Season’s Scheming by Katie Bailey was really cute, it is a closed door romantic comedy though so it does have some innuendos. Better Together by Mandi Blake was also really cute!
I do love some drama and suspense, but that can be written into any trope/genre. I love it when the author writes what inspires them!
You mention that the series has to end, but why I wonder. If it is because you have finished the series, that’s fine, but readers will imagine what happened next – is there a next generation for stories, as you go through the stages of your life, so can the readers and the characters!
Write what you are inspired to and I truly believer the readers will follow you :)
Friends to lovers is best.
yeah Australia sounds good! I have a cousin living there and another friend on the other side of the continent. I’d love to visit one day.
So far I’m liking/preferring a variety of tropes – I love that there are books that have people living clean, faithful lives (they do NOT have to be perfect, none of us are, but overcoming their past and living with faith now appeals to me. I guess redemption stories). I love humor, witty banter, lighthearted (a few tears are fine, as long as it ends uplifting).
What about stories where people like someone but someone else likes them and they didn’t like them at first but then they sort it all out and figure out who their ‘happily ever after’ is with? That’s more real life than two people meeting each other and immediately falling in love yet hating each other and resisting then they realize they are actually in love and get together. (my opinion… or maybe I’m just reading too many of this type…)
I love cowboy books! Add in a movie set or a dude ranch and I know I’ll love it! I recently learned I really like hockey books thanks to the Sweater Weather series & your Original Six books. I’m currently working my way through them & can’t wait to start the Northwest Ice books!
I would love a good historical marriage of convenience. I do also love a good hockey romance. 😀 I’m eager for your Minnesota hockey story!
I like most books. If I had to choose, I would say it depends on my mood. I just finished Janet Tronstad’s Lilac Wedding in Dry Creek. I like happy endings.