Serena B. Miller (born January 20, 1950) is an American author of inspirational fiction, historical fiction, Amish romance, and cozy mysteries.
Early life and education 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 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 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 died 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 at Ploumanac'h Lighthouse in Perros-Guirec, Hotel Castel Beau Site in Brittany, and Rochefort-en-Terre, France.
Bibliography
Stand-Alone Publications Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes1.Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio Jul 2010320Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio 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. 5.An Amish Wedding Invitation; An eShort Account of a Real Amish WeddingFeb 2013Based on a real Amish Wedding in Tuscarawas County, Ohio attended by the author.12.A Way of EscapeDec 201431213.More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish ParentingFeb 2015336Non-Fiction Amish parenting book co-authored with Mennonite author, Paul Stutzman, using personal interviews with Old Order Amish, New Order Amish, and Swartzentruber Amish18.Inside an Amish Schoolhouse: A Personal Account of an Amish Christmas PlayMar 2017Base on a real Amish School play in Jackson County, Ohio attended by the author
Amish Inspirational Romance +Love's Journey in Sugarcreek (Amish Inspirational Romance)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes16.The Sugar Haus InnMar 2016346Love's Journey in Sugarcreek1A 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 RescueFeb 2017344Love's Journey in Sugarcreek222.Love RekindledJul 2018314Love's Journey in Sugarcreek324.Bertha's ResolveSep 2020314Love's Journey in Sugarcreek428.The Heart of SugarcreekMay 2024370Love's Journey in Sugarcreek5The Heart of Sugarcreek won the Carol Award for Romance in 2025, which is given by the American Christian Fiction Writers association. +The Uncommon Grace Series (Amish Inspirational Romance)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes3.An Uncommon GraceApr 2012352Uncommon Grace1An Uncommon Grace was a finalist in the 2013 Carol Awards and in 2017, was turned into a TV Movie for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel6.Hidden MerciesApr 2013368Uncommon Grace211.Fearless HopeApr 2014352Uncommon Grace3
Historical Inspirational Romance +Michigan Northwoods Dreams (Historical Inspirational Romance)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes2.The Measure of Katie CallowayOct 2011320Northwoods Dreams1The Measure Of Katie Calloway won the prestigious RITA Award given by Romance Writers of America in 2012.4.A Promise to LoveOct 2012336Northwoods Dreams3A Promise to Love won the Carol Award in 2013, which is given by the American Christian Fiction Writers association.9.Under a Blackberry MoonOct 2013352Northwoods Dreams2Under a Blackberry Moon was a Finalist in the 2013 Christy Award for Historical Romance +Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island (Historical Inspirational Romance)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes19.Moriah's LighthouseAug 2017170Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island1In 2022, Moriah's Lighthouse was turned into a TV Movie for the Hallmark Channel20.Moriah's FortressSep 2017186Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island221.Moriah's StrongholdNov 2017196Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island323.Eliza's LighthouseOct 2018190Love's Journey on Manitoulin Island4
Cozy Mystery +The Doreen Sizemore Adventures (Cozy Mystery)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes7.Murder on the Texas EagleMay 2013Doreen Sizemore Adventures18.Murder at the Buckstaff BathhouseJun 2013Doreen Sizemore Adventures210.Murder at Slippery Slope Youth CampJan 2014Doreen Sizemore Adventures314.Murder on the Mississippi QueenMar 2015Doreen Sizemore Adventures415.Murder at the Mystery MansionAug 2015Doreen Sizemore Adventures525.Murder in Las VegasApr 2021Doreen Sizemore Adventures626.Mystery at Little Faith Community ChurchJun 2021Doreen Sizemore Adventures727.Mystery at AlcatrazFeb 2022Doreen Sizemore Adventures830.Murder in New YorkFeb 2025Doreen Sizemore Adventures931.Murder in EgyptFeb 2025Doreen Sizemore Adventures1032.Murder in SugarcreekMar 2025Doreen Sizemore Adventures11 +Secrets of Sugarcreek (Amish Inspirational Cozy Mystery)Order of ReleaseTitlePublishedPage CountSeries TitleNo. in SeriesNotes29.A Stranger for ChristmasFeb 2025200Secrets of Sugarcreek133.Searching for SamuelMay 2025Secrets of Sugarcreek234.The Quiet SoldierNov 2025Secrets of Sugarcreek3
Filmography Novel AdaptedYear of AdaptationCategoryChannelFilming LocationsLove Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio2013TV movieUp TVFilmed on location in Sugarcreek, Ohio and won the Movieguide Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV or Streaming Movie or ProgramAn Uncommon Grace2017TV movieHallmark MysteryFilmed on location in Glasgow, Cave City, and Horse Cave, KentuckyMoriah's Lighthouse2022TV movieHallmark ChannelFilmed on location in Ploumanac'h Lighthouse in Perros-Guirec, Hotel Castel Beau Site in Brittany, and Rochefort-en-Terre, France
References
External links
Official Serena B. Miller US web site