5th Blogiversary Celebration!
Continuing the celebration, today we have Author Melanie Moreland!!!
Now I’ve been a fan of Melanie’s since before she was a officially published author. I’ve been a long-time follower and fan of Melanie’s fan fiction writing and continue to love her books.
Melanie’s upcoming release, My Image of You is a beautifully written love story featuring a world-renowned photographer and a nurse. It releases on September 19th. We will feature My Image of You here at Girls With Books as the release approaches.
As a long-time fan, I had the opportunity to interview Melanie in conjunction with our 5th anniversary. Here it is!
GWB: What book are you reading now?
Melanie: I just finished So Good by Nicola Rendell. I loved it! Max and Rosie were a great read and their chemistry was explosive!
GWB: Is there a particular author that you “drop everything” to read their latest release?
Melanie: Lauren Blakely, JR Ward, Carrie Elks, just to name a few—all very different authors, but I love them. I have others, but the list would take a while. LOL
GWB: What books have influenced your life most? Or is their one book in particular that you reread often?
Melanie: I think books I read in my earlier life that inspired my love of reading, and then writing stick out in my mind the most. Little Women, The Anne of Green Gable books, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings series. I often reread all those.
GWB: What inspired you to write your first book?
Melanie: Prior to publishing, I was active in online short story communities. I met a lot of delightful friends as a reader and beta. One dear friend encouraged me to share my stories with others in the online community. From there, the writing became bigger to contain. If you’ve read my first book, Into the Storm, you’ll see a dedication to Kate. It grew from there.
GWB: I found you through my love of Twilight and fan fiction. What is it about fan fiction do you enjoy? Aside from Twilight, are there any other fandoms you would enjoy writing about?
Melanie: I love The Twilight fandom. As many did, I fell in love with Edward and Bella, and couldn’t let them go. I wanted more of them. I enjoyed reading it, and then writing my stories. I still use it as an escape. It’s like a guilty pleasure—a favorite old sweater that brings you warmth. That is the only fandom I have ever been part of.
GWB: What’s your writing process like? Do you make an outline or just start writing?
Melanie: Both actually. I usually dive in and start with only an idea. The story grows and changes as I get to know the characters more. I have written outlines, and I will refer to them, especially when I hit the wall, but most of the time it is me and the characters learning as we go together.
GWB: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Melanie: Go with your gut. Love what you write and do it for you—otherwise you will never be happy.
GWB: Out of all of your books which character did you enjoy writing the most? Or one character that you most relate to?
Melanie: Richard from The Contract was fun to write because he didn’t care. He said what he thought and felt with no filter. As a shy polite person that is not my style. It was quite liberating to write him. I relate most to Kourtney in Over the Fence. She is very much me, and that book had many of my own life experiences in it.
GWB: With your upcoming release, My Image of You, was there anything in particular or an event that inspired the story?
Melanie: I had the image of a man, broken, and alone, about to face the love of his life and demand to know why she had left him. I could see him getting ready to confront her and finding a note in his pocket from when they were together, and I felt his pain. The story grew from there.
GWB: With the release of My Image of You, what’s up next from Melanie Moreland?
Melanie: I am working on a three-book series which I hope to have out in 2018. It is the story of three young men who meet in college, and form a lasting friendship that encompasses every part of their life. Each character will have their own book.
Connect with Melanie on Goodreads and social media
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7355350.Melanie_Moreland
https://www.facebook.com/authormoreland/
Thank you for having me! It was fun to do the interview!