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URL:
melissaschroeder.net
Contact:
melissa@melissaschroeder.net
ABOUT
MELISSA
Born to an Air Force family at
an Army hospital, Melissa has always been a little bit screwy.
She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and
her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after
accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. From then on, she
was hooked. She read close to 300 novels in one year and decided
romance was her true calling instead of the literary short
stories and suspense stories she had been writing. After many
attempts, she realized that romantic comedy, or at least romance
with a comedic edge, was where she was destined to be.
Influences in her writing come from Nora
Roberts, Jenny Crusie, Susan Andersen,
Amanda Quick, Jayne Anne Krentz, Julia
Quinn, Christina Dodd, and Lori Foster.
Since her first release in 2004, Melissa
has written close to thirty short
stories, novellas and novels released
with seven different publishers in a
variety of genres and time periods.
Those releases included a 2005 Eppie
Finalist, Two Capa finalists, and an
International ebook best seller in June
of 2005.
Since she was a military brat, she vowed
never to marry military. Alas, fate
always has her way with mortals. Her
husband is an Air Force major, and
together they have their own military
brats, two girls, and an adopted
dog-daughter. They live wherever the
military sticks them, which, she is
sure, will always involve heat and bugs
only seen on the Animal Discovery
Channel. In her spare time, she reads,
complains about bugs, travels, cooks,
reads some more, watches her DVD
collections of Arrested Development and
Seinfeld, and tries to convince her
family that she truly is a delicate
genius. She has yet to achieve her last
goal.
She has always believed that romance and
humor go hand in hand. Love can conquer
all and as Mark Twain said, "Against the
assault of laughter, nothing can stand."
Combining the two, she hopes she gives
her readers a thrilling love story,
filled with chuckles along the way, and
a happily ever after.
INTERVIEW
Q: When did you decide to
write romance?
A: Back in 1999, I accidentally picked
up a Linda Howard book. I was a
thriller/mystery reader (and aspiring
writer) at the time, and the book was
shelved in suspense. After that, I read
every romance I could get my hands on. I
knew that romance was the genre for me.
Q: What is a normal writing day
for you?
A: First off, normal and me usually
don't go together. I tend to write in
cycles, but on a writing day I start by
getting my demon seeds off to school.
Then, I answer the bazillion emails I
get over night. Then, I try and write,
but I am usually interrupted by IMs or
calls. Or, hey, then I have to watch the
latest Castle that I taped on the DVR.
Toward noon, I give up, open up Dr.
Wicked's Write or Die and force myself
to get a word count in for the day. All
through the day, it is a fight to keep
my brain focused because I suffer from
ADD. But I try and hold myself to a word
count (depending on the project I am
working on at the moment) each day.
Q: You write in so many genres, do
you have a favorite genre?
A: That is one question that is always
hard for me to answer. I have to say
that contemporary is my favorite overall
because it is my strongest voice. But
historical comes a close second because
it's my favorite genre to read. Then,
futuristic. I love the action adventure,
getting to shoot things up.
Q: What is the easiest/hardest
part of writing?
A: The easiest part is coming up with
ideas. I have four or five boiling in
the background all the time. They
sometimes almost overwhelm me. The
hardest part is to keep going when
things don't go right. Publishing is a
hard business and sometimes it is hard
to keep going in the face of rejections,
bad reviews, etc., and then there are
the times when the story or your
characters don't cooperate with you. It
can be very frustrating sitting down in
front of a computer every day. But it is
what I love to do, so I would rather
have a horrible day writing than a day
at a job I hate.
Q: Do you have any advice for
aspiring authors?
A: Number one, read everything you can
get your hands on. The good, the bad,
the ugly. In and out of the genre you
write in. Then, NEVER GIVE UP. It isn't
easy to get rejected, but it is part of
being an author. I had five rejections
in one week (that was a big chocolate
week, lol). But I got through it and you
will too.
Q: Are your books more plot or
character driven?
A: I have to say character driven. I do
have big plots, especially in my
futuristics or paranormals, but the
characters, with their quirks,
conflicts, goals and motivations, keep
the book going.
Q: This is your first full ménage
romance. Do you plan on more?
A: YES! I actually have two follow up
books to Conquering India. Then, I am
working on a new idea with three
brothers called The Hammons' Woman. I
also have an idea for a few paranormals.
Q: What is your favorite part
about being an author?
A: I love to live in an alternate
universe of my own making. And I love my
readers. They are some of the kindest,
most supportive people I have ever met.
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