Barbara Miller is mentor of many genres in the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction program. After decades in the technical writing field, Barbara built a career as a writer of Regency-set historicals under the name Laurel Ames. Oddly enough, much of her material is drawn from her experiences with horses and sheep on her farm in Western PA. The series of twelve Falls Bend mysteries and four Georgie YA stories also draws heavily on farm memories. Barb has just reissued her Falls Bend series of twelve locally-set mysteries on Amazon under Barbara Jean Miller. She is also experimenting with serializing short stories and posting writing tips on her Substack newsletter under https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com. Barb volunteers at the Mount Pleasant cat rescue group and is a member of the Friends of the Mount Pleasant Public Library.

Education

• M.L.S., University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Information Science

• B.A., University of Pittsburgh College of Arts and Sciences

Publications

• The Wild Rose Press: Likely Suspects, Two Hearts, Governess for a Week and Music Master in 2023. Coming in 2024, Fortune’s Folly and Reluctant Heir.

• OLD STAND PRESS: New series - Laurel Creek Antiques Mysteries: Case One: Rolltop Reliquary (2022) , Case Two Shadow Strokes & Case Three Gargoyles and Grotesques (2023).

• OLD STAND PRESS Reprints as Barbara Jean Miller in 2021: FALLS BEND SERIES - Barn Burner, Rendezvous, Relics, Regrets, Enough Rope, Dead Air, Legacy, Painted Lady, Shallow Graves, Festival Week, Surface Tension, Falls Bend Christmas.

• OLD STAND PRESS as Barbara Jean Miller: Impostors (2015), Georgie's Flock 4 novellas (2016), Regency Christmases 1 (2017), Regency Christmases 2 (2018), Kelly's Rules (2019), Romance in Season (2020).

• eTREASURES: Mew (2012), Rolltop Relic (2012).

• CERRIDWEN PRESS: Music Master (2007), Two Hearts (2008), Eye Walker (2009), Governess for a Week (2009), Reluctant Heir (2009), Viscount for Hire (2011). Knights Errant (2011), Fortune's Folly (2012).

• WOS PRESS: Proxy Wedding Knight (2005), Trill and Flutter (2005).

• POCKET BOOKS: Dearest Max (2000), My Phillipe (2000), Guardian (2001), Pretender (2002).

• HARLEQUIN writing as Laurel Ames: Teller of Tales (1993), Castaway (1993), Homeplace (1994), Playing to Win (1995), Besieged (1995), Tempted (1996), Nancy Whiskey (1997), Infamous (1998).

Awards

• Romance Writers of America RITA Finalist - Castaway (1994).

• Heart of the West Regency, honorable mention - Dearest Max (1995).

• RWA Kiss of Death Awards, finalist - Dearest Max (1998).

• RWA Kiss of Death Awards, fourth - Infamous (1998).

• RWA Smoky Mountain Contest, third - The Pretender (2001)

• Colorado Writers Award of Excellence finalist - Dearest Max (2001).

• RWA Write Touch Readers Award, third - Enough Rope (2001)

Organizations

• Cat Committee of Mount Pleasant, Friends of Mount Pleasant Public Library

Presentations

• Most Recently "How to Write Ghost Stories," part of the Y Writers' Voice Workshop series being presented at the Ligonier YMCA by the Ligonier Valley Writers and Greensburg Writers Group.

Certifications

Achievements

• Essay "Empowering Female Characters", Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction (2011) Headline books.