Meet Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Author of Cast the First Stone, CIA Fall Guy, Mrs. Lieutenant and other stories
Phyllis Zimbler Miller was raised in Elgin, Illinois, and majored in journalism at Michigan State University, where she met her future husband, Army ROTC cadet Mitchell R. Miller, on the State News editorial staff.
In May of 1970 Mitch went on active duty at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and Phyllis tagged along with him. Her women's friendship novel MRS. LIEUTENANT is inspired by the nine weeks they spent at Ft. Knox.
From September 1970 to May 1972 Phyllis and Mitch were stationed in Munich, Germany, where Mitch served with the 18th Military Intelligence Battalion.
Phyllis eventually got a security clearance and worked as a civilian with the 66th MI Group. Her romantic suspense spy thriller CIA FALL GUY is partially based on knowledge she learned on this job (reports she typed went to the Munich office of the CIA).
After Mitch's military service, while living in Philadelphia, Phyllis was an editor and reporter for the Jewish Exponent before earning an M.B.A. at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her Wharton experience is the starting point for her Los Angeles-based cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE.
(Two short stories in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE feature Rebecca Stone, the same protagonist as in CAST THE FIRST STONE. Both books include kosher recipes from Phyllis' 1992 Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION written with Rabbi Karen L. Fox.)
Phyllis and Mitch moved to Los Angeles in 1980, and Phyllis held positions at TigerAir and Max Factor. She then worked as a marketing consultant while their two daughters were young, and she was the founding president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime.
In 2008 Phyllis co-founded an online marketing company at the same time she self-published her novel MRS. LIEUTENANT, which was selected as a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist. Phyllis dove into the world of blogging, social media, and online book marketing.
Phyllis and Mitch have maintained an interest in military intelligence, and Mitch is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and the U.S. Naval Institute while Phyllis is a member of the Military Writers Society of America. Together Phyllis and Mitch wrote the military thriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS.
Phyllis frequently blogs about PTSD to help spread information about this. Her short story SOLOMON'S JUSTICE was inspired by her visit to the Los Angeles County Veterans Court.
Phyllis is experimenting with writing a novel entirely on the site Wattpad. You can read for free the chapters of THE MOTHER SIEGE: A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER by clicking the dropdown table of contents at http://budurl.com/MSintro
Phyllis and Mitch now live in Beverly Hills, where Mitch has been a tax lawyer for many years and Phyllis is busy working with online marketing clients as well as writing more books and blogging about author topics at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com.
In May of 1970 Mitch went on active duty at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and Phyllis tagged along with him. Her women's friendship novel MRS. LIEUTENANT is inspired by the nine weeks they spent at Ft. Knox.
From September 1970 to May 1972 Phyllis and Mitch were stationed in Munich, Germany, where Mitch served with the 18th Military Intelligence Battalion.
Phyllis eventually got a security clearance and worked as a civilian with the 66th MI Group. Her romantic suspense spy thriller CIA FALL GUY is partially based on knowledge she learned on this job (reports she typed went to the Munich office of the CIA).
After Mitch's military service, while living in Philadelphia, Phyllis was an editor and reporter for the Jewish Exponent before earning an M.B.A. at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her Wharton experience is the starting point for her Los Angeles-based cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE.
(Two short stories in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE feature Rebecca Stone, the same protagonist as in CAST THE FIRST STONE. Both books include kosher recipes from Phyllis' 1992 Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION written with Rabbi Karen L. Fox.)
Phyllis and Mitch moved to Los Angeles in 1980, and Phyllis held positions at TigerAir and Max Factor. She then worked as a marketing consultant while their two daughters were young, and she was the founding president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime.
In 2008 Phyllis co-founded an online marketing company at the same time she self-published her novel MRS. LIEUTENANT, which was selected as a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist. Phyllis dove into the world of blogging, social media, and online book marketing.
Phyllis and Mitch have maintained an interest in military intelligence, and Mitch is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and the U.S. Naval Institute while Phyllis is a member of the Military Writers Society of America. Together Phyllis and Mitch wrote the military thriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS.
Phyllis frequently blogs about PTSD to help spread information about this. Her short story SOLOMON'S JUSTICE was inspired by her visit to the Los Angeles County Veterans Court.
Phyllis is experimenting with writing a novel entirely on the site Wattpad. You can read for free the chapters of THE MOTHER SIEGE: A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER by clicking the dropdown table of contents at http://budurl.com/MSintro
Phyllis and Mitch now live in Beverly Hills, where Mitch has been a tax lawyer for many years and Phyllis is busy working with online marketing clients as well as writing more books and blogging about author topics at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com.
BBB: What inspired you to become an author?
PZM: I’ve been writing stories since I was a teen. I’ve always been a big reader, and telling stories comes naturally to me. My mystery novels got rejected for years until I finally self-published my women’s friendship novel MRS. LIEUTENANT. After that, I kept self-publishing, and I also write screenplays that have not yet sold.
BBB: What books have you written?
PZM: Besides a Jewish holiday book I co-wrote that was traditionally published, I have written several fiction and nonfiction books. I’m particularly proud of my three-book HOW TO SUCCEED series for teens and young adults that encourages following one’s passion.
PZM: I’ve been writing stories since I was a teen. I’ve always been a big reader, and telling stories comes naturally to me. My mystery novels got rejected for years until I finally self-published my women’s friendship novel MRS. LIEUTENANT. After that, I kept self-publishing, and I also write screenplays that have not yet sold.
BBB: What books have you written?
PZM: Besides a Jewish holiday book I co-wrote that was traditionally published, I have written several fiction and nonfiction books. I’m particularly proud of my three-book HOW TO SUCCEED series for teens and young adults that encourages following one’s passion.
BBB: Where do the ideas for your stories come from?
PZM: My fiction ideas come from situations that interest me. MRS. LIEUTENANT was inspired by my own time as a new Mrs. Lieutenant during the Vietnam War. CIA FALL GUY was partly inspired by my working as a civilian for U.S. Army Intelligence in Munich. My work-in-progress dystopian thriller THE MOTHER SIEGE deals with sticky issues such as genetic engineering and mind control. The short story SOLOMON’S JUSTICE is part of my outreach efforts to share information about getting help for PTSD.
PZM: My fiction ideas come from situations that interest me. MRS. LIEUTENANT was inspired by my own time as a new Mrs. Lieutenant during the Vietnam War. CIA FALL GUY was partly inspired by my working as a civilian for U.S. Army Intelligence in Munich. My work-in-progress dystopian thriller THE MOTHER SIEGE deals with sticky issues such as genetic engineering and mind control. The short story SOLOMON’S JUSTICE is part of my outreach efforts to share information about getting help for PTSD.
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
PZM: I write book-related blog posts at my author website at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com and some of my writing is on Wattpad at http://www.wattpad.com/user/ZimblerMiller
I also have three Amazon Author Central profiles:
Fiction at www.amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller
Nonfiction at www.amazon.com/author/phylliszmiller
YA short story at www.amazon.com/author/pzmiller
PZM: I write book-related blog posts at my author website at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com and some of my writing is on Wattpad at http://www.wattpad.com/user/ZimblerMiller
I also have three Amazon Author Central profiles:
Fiction at www.amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller
Nonfiction at www.amazon.com/author/phylliszmiller
YA short story at www.amazon.com/author/pzmiller
