Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Writing began at an early age. I had a poem published in a magazine when I was seven and the urge to write has never left me. It’s kind of like malaria that way. I have periods of normalcy but always the writing fever returns. That is probably why I have around a hundred titles in various genres.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death Arts is the latest Miss Henry mystery. We have large Dias de los Muertos celbration in California and this seemed an ideal place to set a murder mystery.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have rituals but absolute quiet is a must. I used to write in the bedroom closet. I have gotten better at ignoring distractions, but the office is a dead quiet, peaceful retreat and the rest of life’s chaos is not allowed within the sanctum walls.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
It is many British writers that informed my childhood and which have probably influenced me the most. It is why I am not wedded to the idea of a single character pov (unless the tale is told in the first person). British writers also like descriptive narrative and provide a great sense of place which is important especially in historical novels where a reader might feel lost. I want those who follow me into strange lands to understand the world enough to have some anchor in its reality.
What are you working on now?
Right now I am illustrating a children’s book. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but with mice.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That varies because I write romance, mysteries, fantasy and children’s books and many promotion sites are specific to genres. It is important to have an up to date Amazon page and an attractive website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick to it. There will be so many circumstances where you will be tempted to give up– but hang in there. Stubbornness counts as much as talent.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Treat life as a 60-40 proposition. Always give 60 and only take 40. That way there is some extra left on the table for the times when life gets hard and you need the world’s goodwill.
What are you reading now?
MM Kaye has just been released in e format so I am having an orgy of historical stories in strange places.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up is a collection of old and mostly forgotten medieval nursery rhymes, for instance the oldest version of Old King Cole and the Queen of Hearts. It will be illustrated.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Only 3 or 4? Yikes! Well… a collected works of 18th century poets, Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod and Night In Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny.
Author Websites and Profiles
Melanie Jackson Website
Melanie Jackson Amazon Profile
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