Serena B. Miller
Serena B. Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 20, 1950 Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Ohio Valley College |
| Genre | Amish Romance, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, Cozy Mystery |
| Website | |
| serenabmiller | |
Serena B. Miller (born January 20, 1950) is a USA Today's best selling American author of Inspirational Fiction, Historical Fiction, Amish Romance, and Cozy Mystery
Early life and education
[edit]Miller was born in Portsmouth, Ohio and grew up in southern Ohio. Much of her childhood was spent in an 1840s log house originally belonging to her great-grandfather. She attended Ohio Valley Christian College in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Writing career
[edit]Miller began to seriously pursue a writing career in her late forties after her sons were grown. She was first published in various periodicals including The Detroit Free Press Magazine, Billy Graham's Decision Magazine, Guideposts, Focus On The Family, Christian Woman, Woman's World, and Reader's Digest. After joining Romance Writers of America in 2001, she began submitting full-length inspirational novels to various publishers.
Her fascination with an Old Order Amish settlement that had recently moved into southern Ohio near her home resulted in Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (2010). Closely following were three more Amish novels: An Uncommon Grace (2012), Hidden Mercies (2013), and Fearless Hope (2014). Her interest in the post-civil war lumbering era in Michigan inspired a historical series beginning with The Measure of Katie Calloway (2011) followed by A Promise to Love (2012) and Under A Blackberry Moon (2013).
In addition to her fiction, Miller has authored several non-fiction works drawing from her extensive research into Amish communities. These include An Amish Wedding Invitation (2013), Inside an Amish Schoolhouse (2017), and her comprehensive parenting guide More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting (2015). These works demonstrate her authority on Amish culture and traditions beyond her fictional portrayals.
Miller has achieved USA Today bestselling author status with her blend of inspirational fiction and compelling storytelling. She established herself as primarily a series writer with several multi-book collections. Her largest series, The Doreen Sizemore Adventures, consists of eleven books beginning with Murder on the Texas Eagle: A Doreen Sizemore Adventure (2013). She returned to the Sugarcreek setting with the five-book Love's Journey in Sugarcreek series, further exploring the Amish community that launched her career. Her Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island series, comprising four books including Moriah's Lighthouse (2017), expanded her geographical scope beyond Ohio. Additional series include Uncommon Grace (3 books) and Secrets of Sugarcreek (2 books).
Miller's work has garnered significant recognition within the Christian and inspirational fiction community. Her novel The Measure Of Katie Calloway won the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America in 2012. An Uncommon Grace was nominated as a finalist for the 2013 Carol Awards. Her novel Under a Blackberry Moon was a finalist in the 2013 Christy Awards, and A Promise to Love won the Carol Award in 2013 from the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.
Three of Miller's novels have been adapted into television movies. Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio was adapted as a television movie for UP TV and aired in 2014. It was filmed on location in Sugarcreek, Ohio, and won the Movieguide Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV or Streaming Movie or Program in 2015. An Uncommon Grace was adapted by the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel in 2017, with filming taking place in Kentucky. Moriah's Lighthouse was adapted by the Hallmark Channel in 2022, filmed on location in France, including the Ploumanac'h Lighthouse in Perros-Guirec.
Miller has maintained a consistent publishing schedule throughout her career, with particularly productive periods in 2013, 2017, and 2025. Her most recent works include five new titles published in 2025, demonstrating her continued literary productivity and reader appeal after fifteen years in the industry.
Personal life
[edit]After several years working as a court reporter in Detroit, Michigan, she and her family moved back to their hometown of Minford, Ohio, where her husband, Steve Miller, became the minister of the Sunshine Church of Christ. He passed away in 2016 after a lengthy illness. Always her greatest encourager, he made her promise that she would continue writing after he was gone. Because of the brain fog of grief, for many months, she found it impossible to keep that promise. Her youngest son, Jacob, suggested she attempt to rewrite one of her earliest manuscripts, which had been rejected by multiple publishers.
One thing her husband had emphasized during the years she wrote and dealt with rejection was, “God doesn’t expect you to be successful, Serena. He only asks you to be faithful. Just do the work.”
With those words in mind, she rewrote the rejected manuscript, while her son taught himself all aspects of publishing. Soon, the family business of L.J. Emory Publishing was established, which has published all her titles since. The rights to the resulting novel, Moriah’s Lighthouse, was later purchased by Hallmark, and filmed on location at beautiful Ploumanac'h Lighthouse in Perros-Guirec, Hotel Castel Beau Site in Brittany, and Rochefort-en-Terre, France.
Bibliography
[edit]Stand-Alone Publications
[edit]| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 1. | Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio | Jul 2010 | 320 | Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio[1] has been turned into a made-for-TV movie which aired in 2014 on UP TV and then won the Movieguide Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV or Streaming Movie or Program in 2015.[2] | ||
| 5. | An Amish Wedding Invitation; An eShort Account of a Real Amish Wedding | Feb 2013 | Based on a real Amish Wedding in Tuscarawas County, Ohio attended by the author. | |||
| 12. | A Way of Escape | Dec 2014 | 312 | |||
| 13. | More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting | Feb 2015 | 336 | Non-Fiction Amish parenting book co-authored with Mennonite author, Paul Stutzman, using personal interviews with Old Order Amish, New Order Amish, and Swartzentruber Amish | ||
| 18. | Inside an Amish Schoolhouse: A Personal Account of an Amish Christmas Play | Mar 2017 | Base on a real Amish School play in Jackson County, Ohio attended by the author |
Amish Inspirational Romance
[edit]| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 16. | The Sugar Haus Inn | Mar 2016 | 346 | Love's Journey in Sugarcreek | 1 | A republication of the original Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (novel) establishing a new series under the trademarked series, "Love's Journey" |
| 17. | Rachel's Rescue | Feb 2017 | 344 | Love's Journey in Sugarcreek | 2 | |
| 22. | Love Rekindled | Jul 2018 | 314 | Love's Journey in Sugarcreek | 3 | |
| 24. | Bertha's Resolve | Sep 2020 | 314 | Love's Journey in Sugarcreek | 4 | |
| 28. | The Heart of Sugarcreek | May 2024 | 370 | Love's Journey in Sugarcreek | 5 | The Heart of Sugarcreek became a finalist for the Carol Award in 2025,[3] which is given by the American Christian Fiction Writers[4] association. |
| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 3. | An Uncommon Grace | Apr 2012 | 352 | Uncommon Grace | 1 | An Uncommon Grace was a finalist in the 2013 Carol Awards and in 2017, was turned into a TV Movie[5] for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel[6] |
| 6. | Hidden Mercies | Apr 2013 | 368 | Uncommon Grace | 2 | |
| 11. | Fearless Hope | Apr 2014 | 352 | Uncommon Grace | 3 |
Historical Inspirational Romance
[edit]| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 2. | The Measure of Katie Calloway | Oct 2011 | 320 | Northwoods Dreams | 1 | The Measure Of Katie Calloway won the prestigious RITA Award given by Romance Writers of America in 2012. |
| 4. | A Promise to Love | Oct 2012 | 336 | Northwoods Dreams | 3 | A Promise to Love won the Carol Award in 2013,[3] which is given by the American Christian Fiction Writers[4] association. |
| 9. | Under a Blackberry Moon | Oct 2013 | 352 | Northwoods Dreams | 2 | Under a Blackberry Moon was a Finalist in the 2013 Christy Award[7] for Historical Romance |
| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 19. | Moriah's Lighthouse | Aug 2017 | 170 | Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island | 1 | In 2022, Moriah's Lighthouse was turned into a TV Movie[8] for the Hallmark Channel[9] |
| 20. | Moriah's Fortress | Sep 2017 | 186 | Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island | 2 | |
| 21. | Moriah's Stronghold | Nov 2017 | 196 | Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island | 3 | |
| 23. | Eliza's Lighthouse | Oct 2018 | 190 | Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island | 4 |
Cozy Mystery
[edit]| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 7. | Murder on the Texas Eagle | May 2013 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 1 | ||
| 8. | Murder at the Buckstaff Bathhouse | Jun 2013 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 2 | ||
| 10. | Murder at Slippery Slope Youth Camp | Jan 2014 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 3 | ||
| 14. | Murder on the Mississippi Queen | Mar 2015 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 4 | ||
| 15. | Murder at the Mystery Mansion | Aug 2015 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 5 | ||
| 25. | Murder in Las Vegas | Apr 2021 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 6 | ||
| 26. | Mystery at Little Faith Community Church | Jun 2021 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 7 | ||
| 27. | Mystery at Alcatraz | Feb 2022 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 8 | ||
| 30. | Murder in New York | Feb 2025 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 9 | ||
| 31. | Murder in Egypt | Feb 2025 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 10 | ||
| 32. | Murder in Sugarcreek | Mar 2025 | Doreen Sizemore Adventures | 11 |
| Order of Release | Title | Published | Page Count | Series Title | No. in Series | Notes |
| 29. | A Stranger for Christmas | Feb 2025 | 200 | Secrets of Sugarcreek | 1 | |
| 33. | Searching for Samuel | May 2025 | Secrets of Sugarcreek | 2 |
Filmography
[edit]| Novel Adapted | Year of Adaptation | Category | Channel | Filming Locations |
| Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio[1] | 2013 | TV movie | Up TV | Filmed on location in Sugarcreek, Ohio and won the Movieguide Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV or Streaming Movie or Program[2] |
| An Uncommon Grace[5][6] | 2017 | TV movie | Hallmark Mystery | Filmed on location in Glasgow, Cave City, and Horse Cave, Kentucky |
| Moriah's Lighthouse[8][9] | 2022 | TV movie | Hallmark Channel | Filmed on location in Ploumanac'h Lighthouse in Perros-Guirec, Hotel Castel Beau Site in Brittany, and Rochefort-en-Terre, France |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Love Finds You in Sugarcreek (TV Movie 2014) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ a b "2015 Awards Archives". Movieguide® Awards. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ a b "Carol Award Winners | ACFW".
- ^ a b "Home". acfw.com.
- ^ a b "An Uncommon Grace (TV Movie 2017) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ a b "An Uncommon Grace - Hallmark Mystery". Hallmark Mystery.
- ^ "The Christy Award™ Archives". christianbookexpo.com. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ a b Scaini, Stefan (June 18, 2022), Moriah's Lighthouse (Comedy, Romance), Rachelle Lefevre, Luke Macfarlane, Valeria Cavalli, Hallmark Channel, Leif Films, Saga Film, retrieved April 29, 2025
- ^ a b "Moriah's Lighthouse (TV Movie 2022) for the Hallmark Channel". Hallmark Channel.
External links
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| National | |
