About Melissa

Where were you born?
I spent my formative years in a tiny, magical town in Illinois with the impressive population of 800.

Do you still live there?
No, in 2014 my family and I moved to a small town about an hour north of Los Angeles, California.

Your novel features several astrological signs.  What’s yours?
I was on the cusp of Cancer and Leo, and took pride in my Leo membership for years–until a few years ago when the powers that be returned the 13th Constellation into the mix. So, now I guess, I’m a full-fledged sun-loving crab. Not quite sure how I feel about that yet!

What are your favorite things to do when you’re not writing?
Roller Skating—especially with my kids. Hanging out at the La Quinta Resort in SoCal (Frank Capra and I agree it’s a little slice of heaven right here on earth.) Visiting my kids in New York and Hawaii! I also love researching, watching movies, road-trippin’, and long walks on beaches in the South.

What’s your all-time favorite beach?
Atlantic Beach in Florida.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Micromanagement. It’s a tool of the enemy.

How about some obsessions your readers can watch out for when they troll your social media accounts?
Nothing too crazy. Poldark, Outlander, Keanu Reeves, my dog and her squirrel friend, Chuck—in no particular order.

What are your favorite books?
The Great Gatsby. Any and all of Mary Higgins Clark’s novels. A Discovery of Witches. The Lore of the Old Testament. Bible studies that focus in on the Hebrew aspects of the text.

We’ve heard you have quite the quirky personality. What music inspires you?
I’m all over the map, but some of my favs are: The Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, Train, The John Butler Trio, Matthew Perryman Jones, Elle Holcomb, Audrey Assad, The Frights, Shane and Shane, Paul Wilbur, Ingrid Michaelson, Cage the Elephant, Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, and Pachelbel.