The Lebanon News | Shawn Street | Photo Credit: Submitted Photo
Several years ago Honaker High School history teacher Brandon Miller asked his class to come up with a fictional story set in a particular time period. One student challenged Miller to do the same. “If I have to, you have to,” the student said.
Three years later that challenge has resulted in Miller’s first published book, Sundering Hearts: A Journey to Find True Love on America’s Frontier.
Set on Virginia’s colonial frontier just prior to the American Revolution, Miller’s book is the story of three friends who must confront perilous trials, unforeseen revelations, and profound sorrow. At the dawn of America’s fight for freedom, love will be the ultimate test of their unbreakable bond.
While teaching in his Appalachian History class, Miller gave the students an assignment to write or tell a story. That’s when the aforementioned student challenged Miller to do the same.
“I thought, you know what, he’s got a point,” Miller said. “Writing a book never entered my mind. I sat there at the computer and wrote 11 pages in 40 minutes.”
When he read what he had written to the students they wanted to know what happened next. “I don’t know,” Miller told the class with a laugh.
The next step to becoming an author came courtesy of a family vacation tradition. Miller always read stories to his nieces while on vacation and one particular year he was just not getting into the book he had purchased.
“I jokingly told my wife that I’d write a book instead,” he said. Once he returned to the computer, the story from his classroom came back to mind.
Miller said the three main characters are at an age of innocence during a time when morals mattered more than anything. The common denominator drawing modern audiences to them is something we all have felt — first love.
“Like the kids I teach, and you and I did it too, they are discovering that first true love, or what they think is love,” Miller explained. “They are trying to find their identity.”
Miller said he found himself pulled into their world while writing. “These characters wrote this book,” he explained. “They became family.”
Ultimately, Sundering Hearts became a reality because Miller wanted to leave something behind for his children.
“I was scared to death to have it published,” he said. “But I want to leave something for my girls. Something solid that my hands have made.”
Miller said he is currently working on the prequel of the book as well as a sequel.
Sundering Hearts currently enjoys a 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. Readers may order the book from there or buy a copy where Miller will be making appearances. He will be at Garden Days in Oakwood, the upcoming Cedar Bluff Festival and an appearance at the Washington County Library in Abingdon is also planned.