Writers4Higher: Tallahassee Florida

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Writers4Higher welcomes singer/songwriter Deanna Squeaky Miller

Welcome, Deanna.

This time, Writers4Higher takes a slightly different direction, highlighting the artistic writing and singing talent of Deanna Squeaky Miller.

Writing and giving back are the backbone of so many artistic endeavors. Enjoy learning a bit about his multi-talented entertainer!

Tell me about yourself. Your songs(s), your life, your inspiration.

I am a Tallahassee native. My city is my living, and I love it! Family, friends, community, and music is right here for me. Everything here inspires my art as a singer, songwriter, and performer. I truly believe God is Love and we should show love to one another through our actions, and words. My lyrics come from my heart. Some people see it as being too positive, but I think there’s enough negative music adding fuel to our burning fires. Spiritual soul does the opposite, uplifting and inspiring the listener to believe in the power of Love. So, when they hear “Give to You Love”, “Keep On Praying”, and “Good Medicine” the message is about gratitude and living in love.

Where do you see your singing career taking you in the future?

Well, it’s only been three years as an indie artist and this journey has opened some awesome doors. I’ve been blessed to share the stage with artists/musicians like Royce Lovett, Tim Guitargoodness Clark, Cody ChesnuTT, Isabel Davis, D Swint and international opera singer Mr. Curtis Rayam, Jr. ,to name a few, and many others I highly admire.

I see myself collaborating and writing with some big names in the music industry within five years, and want to do some touring , after I release my first full album. Hopefully that will be this year! It’s not an easy thing.... putting an album together. I am learning as much as I can about the art of singing, too.....I just want to be a better Deanna Squeaky Miller in every new opportunity presented to sing for the people!

How do you use your talents/time to help others?

Serving through singing means everything to me! That’s my purpose and I understand what is required of me to fulfill it! You have to have an unselfish mindset to serve, and I thank God that comes easy for me.

I perform at fundraisers and community events all the time. I mean to witness the joy on individuals’ faces, you know are in need of a moment to forget about their problems just gives me a sense of purpose! I love people and I love to serve. That’s why I call my music “love ministry”. It’s all about showering love in action through music to inspire and heal our community.

Wish to listen to a bit of Squeaky's magic voice? Tune into her YouTube channel or join her on Facebook:

Deanna Squeaky Miller on YouTube

Deanna Squeaky Miller on Facebook

Thank you, Deanna. Best of luck and love to you and your singing career.

Rhett DeVane, blogmaster

Southern Fiction author

www.rhettdevane.com

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Writers4Higher welcomes Becca Engelbrecht

Hi, Becca. Welcome to Writers4Higher!

1. Tell me about yourself. Your books, your life, your inspiration.

I was born in Tallahassee, Florida where I have lived my whole life, except for four years that I lived overseas in Scotland as a missionary. In Edinburgh and Bathgate Scotland, I helped with music and children’s ministries. My passions are music, writing, and working with children.

Although I have a serious side too, I enjoy being funny and making people laugh, feel comfortable, and feel like they belong and are valuable. If you ask nicely, I may even do my “famous” monkey sound for you ;0!

Relationships are important to me. I’d rather be with my friends and loved ones than alone. We can learn so much from each other. I had an awesome relationship with my two grandmothers (My two grandpas died in the same year when I was three, so I didn’t get to know them very well.). I believe that I am a better person today for spending such quality time and learning valuable lessons from both grandmothers. Now, I am watching my two boys build those wonderful relationships with my parents.

My first published book, Birthday Grandpa and Me, was written to celebrate those important inter-generational relationships. It is my hope that the book will celebrate life and bring people together.

I currently teach elementary school which I have done for a total of 12 years. In my free time, I enjoy making music, writing, and going on adventures with my husband and two boys (ages 7 and 3).

I started writing songs in my teens and my love for writing stories and books grew when I had the opportunity to teach writing in an elementary school. I earned a Master’s degree in Publishing from Napier Univeristy in Edinburgh, Scotland in hopes of gaining more knowledge for publishing my ideas. After graduating in 2007, I took some time off of writing to care for my husband (who was wounded in Iraq) and my two young boys. My husband is on the mend, the boys are growing, and I am now back in the swing of things and “making time” for my writing.

2. Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?

As a teacher, I have seen a decline in the love of reading due to competition with gaming and a resistance to rigorous standards. I want to help change that. The new educational standards don’t allow for as much imaginative and creative writing as there used to be. Kids want to have fun and enjoy reading fun things that make them laugh and feel good. I want kids and parents to know that they can still master the standards AND have fun loving to read and write at the same time.

I hope to continue publishing more children’s books that celebrate the joys of life, fun, relationships, love, and laughter that will give hope and bring people together. My second book, Goodnight, “I’m Not Charlie”, will be out later this year. It celebrates the joys of bedtime through a resistant little boy who comes up with all kinds of imaginative excuses as to why he can’t go to bed, until Mommy uses a trick of her own to get him into bed. I am actively seeking an agent to represent me so that I can publish traditionally. The company I used for my first two books is a hybrid (Tate Publishing) which I used in hopes of getting a start as a new author.

In addition to writing and sharing books with others, I am interested in providing workshops that will help other up-and-coming writers to gain more knowledge in the writing field.

Other than children’s picture books, I have ideas for chapter books (fantasy) and adult nonfiction relating to being a missionary and an army wife.

3. How do you use your talents/time to help others?

As a teacher, I use my time and talents to help others learn and grow on a daily basis. I enjoy watching students and parents bond in rejoicing over progress. I use my music and writing talents to inspire the families to courageously take on new challenges and desire to better themselves through reading, music, and the arts. I am also involved in the music and children’s ministries at my local church, where I participated as a lead role in our Christmas musical last year as Alice in The Christmas Post. That was so much fun- my first musical ever! Why did I wait so long to participate in one? Another thing I do is write commissioned poetry gifts for friends, family, coworkers, students, and parents. They give me information about someone, and I put it all together in a fun rhyming poem as a gift.