Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I didn’t do the college thing until my late twenties but I finally graduated from the University of West Georgia in 2009 with a degree in interior design. That was a time when interior design was not a career you wanted to be in because the housing market was in such bad shape. I worked my way through an internship to gain experience and went on to work as a freelancer for a few years until I found a permanent position with an architectural firm. I made partner and spent a long time trying to succeed at a job I found I didn’t love, while still trying to find time to write. When I suddenly found myself jobless, it was a relief. I finally had the time and resources to actually finish my book! I still work as a part time designer, but I also make my living through writing, editing and providing other services to indie authors. You can find me at Melissa@thewriterlab.com.
My first book, Emerge: The Awakening was released in April of 2015 and my second book in the series, Emerge: The Edge was released later that summer.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I made the decision to write the Emerge series before I actually had the idea. I’d just come off a very disappointing reading stint where heroines in YA were just not measuring up. Every time I picked up a book, I was disappointed with the way young women were represented. There was no balance. Girls were either whiny and weak without their male counterparts to hold them up or they were hard and jaded, leaving their love interests to trail along behind them as a liability. There was zero equality, and that is a subject I am passionate about. I was inspired to write a story that could fill that gap, something that could show young readers that it doesn’t have to be one way or the other—that men and women can be equally strong together. Once I started thinking about what I wanted my story to be, I decided early on that my characters would be young Immortals with cool powers and that their parents would have interesting histories. Over the years, Emerge has gone through many different phases and it’s light years away from my original draft, but those core elements have always remained the same.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual, but I cannot write without music. I also can’t listen to anything that I could potentially sing along with if I ever expect to get anything done. Several years ago, I discovered Classical crossover music was my muse. The music is often contemporary played by a full orchestra or quartet, but sometimes it goes the other way, as classical music arranged to sound more like contemporary music. It’s upbeat and keeps me focused.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Books in general have heavily influenced my life. I don’t ever remember not having a book to read. I don’t know if I could pick just one or even ten favorites! I am most influenced by the fantasy genre. I love stories with incredible detail and complex plot. Quick, light reads aren’t really my thing. Sometimes, I just want to dive into a new world and get lost.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the next three Emerge books right now. I will soon publish Emerge: The Scholar, a fully illustrated character book as a companion to the series. This book will be free to subscribers and available in print on Amazon.com. But my main focus is on the next full length Emerge book to continue Allie’s story. I’ll be announcing the title and revealing the cover and release date soon. And my last Emerge project for this year will be another novella that will focus on Quinn’s story.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am constantly running free or 0.99 promotions on my books. As a new author with my debut series, my main goal is to increase my visibility to readers. I find when I have good visibility on Amazon, my books do quite well. So I do what I can to stay in the reader’s line of site. Promotions help me maintain a good sales rank and therefore increases my visibility. I also rely on good reviews and word of mouth. There is nothing more advantageous to an author than when readers tell their friends about the books they read.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Two things:
1.) Ask for help. Looking back over my own experience, I should have sought the advice of other writers and readers long before I finally did. Writing a book is like building a house. It takes a team of skilled individuals to create a set of construction documents and see it though from the foundation to placing the very last window. No one person can do it all. It’s the same with a book. It takes more than just one author with a good idea to tell a great story, and editing is the most vital part of that process. Educate yourself on what the editing process actually entails because it’s so much more than fixing typos and using correct grammar. It continually astounds me how many authors don’t realize that.
3.) Don’t listen to all the noise. This is a weird time in the world of publishing and everyone has an opinion about how and when authors should promote their books. Some of it is great advice, but take it all with a grain of salt. Keep your head down and write a good book because nothing else matters if your product isn’t the best it can be. Write a good book and all that other stuff will fall into place.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Relax! You’re never going to survive this if you can’t handle the criticism.”
That’s what my sister told me after I received my first really bad review. She predicted that the good reviews would by far outweigh the bad ones and I needed to come to terms with that. She was right, of course. I can look at the bad reviews and accept the criticism now knowing it will only make me stronger.
What are you reading now?
I am a staff reviewer for YABooksCentral.com, so I am always reading something new in the young adult genre. I just finished The Last Girl by Joe Hart and will soon start The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam (I’m a huge fan of historical fiction so I’m looking forward to this one). But I’m also extremely anxious to read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be continuing the Emerge series for quite some time, but I will also be working on a new series beginning late next year.
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?
I must have at least two Harry Potter books with me. I’d also want to have a classic, probably The Count of Monte Cristo, and at least one epic fantasy like The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett.
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