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So what does a girl with a criminal justice degree
do with her life? I write romance novels, of course. Dabbling in my first novel
writing experience in the 80's, I fell in love with romance after reading Kathleen
Woodiwiss. Books have changed a lot from those days, but my love of reading and
writing romance has not. In the past, I've written westerns for Leisure under
Lori Morgan and Pirate adventure books for Berkley under Laura Renken. I like
to think of myself as a passionate believer in happy endings, so don't put me
in front of a movie or give me a book that suffers a tragic ending. :-) I will
not be happy. I thrive in the magic and passion of a great story.
I currently
live in the Chicago (USA) area where I am also the former president for the Windy
City RWA chapter. I have a twenty-two pound cat named Dog who was actually a character
in one of my books for Berkley. Currently, I pen stories for AVON/HarperCollins
under my name, Melody Thomas. Wild and Wicked in Scotland, the first book in my
new Charmed and Dangerous series will appear on shelves January 2007. A lot of
suspense and a lot more passion make for fun reading. |
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Angel
In My Bed
Avon/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0-06-074233-x Buy
book now! | ROMANTIC
TIMES BOOKCLUB TOP PICK 4 ½ Stars |
He thought his
wife was dead…until a hasty chase of a suspected thief reveals otherwise.
An exciting tale of lies, love, and deception. “Melody Thomas' vivid
writing and gift for creating intriguing, wonderfully complex characters blend
brilliantly in this captivating tale of danger, deception and desire”
~~ John Charles, Chicago Tribune “Thomas merges adventure and romance
to perfection and has you yearning for more.” ~~ Kathe Robin~Top Pick,
Romantic Times Bookclub "Grab your tissues and get ready for Victoria
and David’s heart wrenching tale as you read ANGEL IN MY BED. Melanie Thomas
presents us with a story that is jam packed with enough deceit, lies, and treachery
to keep you guessing to the very climactic end. "- Romance Junkies. >>>Read
rest of review | 
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Three
reasons why I would read and write historical romance
more than any other
genre.  |
As most authors will attest, writing isn't something
an author chooses to do. The writing chooses the author, and oftentimes that spark
is a major driving force. A writer, being the creative person he/she is can either
drink to drown out the voices, lol, or she can write and put that muse to work.
For me, I've chosen to put that muse to work in, what I consider, the greatest
profession in the world. I like to think my stories reflect that passion I hold
for this genre. So, I've listed three reasons why I love the historical romance
genre best of all. | 3.)
Adventure. I get to visit all places in the world, see all levels of society,
experience danger and excitement without leaving the comfort and safety of my
home. I love adventure. But would I climb a mountain with
my bare hands? Venture into the dangerous catacombs beneath the cliffs of a gothic
house to ferret out thieves and smugglers? Travel the Sahara? Or be caught dead
on a real pirate ship with real pirates? Hmmmm. No. But I totally enjoy creating
a world where someone else can do all that for me. Also,
it's amazing how connected I feel to a place I visit when I am writing characters
who have lived and breathed there. I recognize the houses they once lived in and
even visit churches and cemeteries where they might now be buried. Of course,
if I told this to anyone else but a fellow romance reader or writer, I might be
committed. 2.) Romanceland is reality in visual sound bites.
But so what. I love happy endings. All we can hope for as
people in this life is that when our time comes we can say that we did everything
we wanted to do and lived life the way we wanted. In romance land, the life of
our characters, for the most part, takes place off stage. They had a childhood,
and, when the book is over, they have decades more living to do that we never
see. What you read is a sliver of those characters' lives. Critiquers of romance
claim that characters in our books do not reflect real life. Well, I say they
do. They struggle, they fight, they're hungry, and by the end of the book they
have usually learned something about themselves that will make them a better person.
Real romance readers know that happy endings are just the beginning and that the
road will always be paved with bumps. But our characters are smart enough to know
how to work through those bumps. So, let Oprah wallow in pain and agony with stories
that end tragically. I, for one, feel more empowered to read about the hope of
a happy-ever-after. 1.) Who wouldn't want to be a heroine?
Who wouldn't want the power to tame the man in her life? Romance
heroines, by virtue of their starring roles in books, are not only usually endowed
with strength and courage, they also possess beauty and brains. They may not be
the most beautiful, but to the man in her life, she is. Over a period of 400 pages
rather that 7 or 8 decades in real time, romance heroines get to live life to
the fullest, or at least what I consider full. In the end, they have not only
survived their ordeal, but along the way they've, experienced adventure, had fantastic
sex, AND tamed the man of her life, who usually happens to be the best man in
the entire world to have. Men are always so much wiser and smarter in romanceland.
This is a fantasy I can live with. So enjoy a great romance
book and feel empowered.
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****** Fan favorite Melody Thomas dazzles
once again with a new series featuring sexy men who spy for the crown and the
women who love them... First book in the Charmed and Dangerous series
"WILD
AND WICKED IN SCOTLAND is a fabulous read! Melody Thomas has written a page turner."~~New
York Times Bestselling author, Cathy Maxwell
****** | |
I
have over a thousand reference books in my personal library, all behind glass.
Picking three to five is difficult. LOL
Dictionary of Etymology
(Can't write historicals without this book)
Great Britain and Ireland
tourist Motoring Atlas
(I have my character's lives mapped all over this book.
It's important to know where they all live and how long it takes to get from one
place to another <g>)
Great Houses of England and Wales by Hugh
Montogomery-Massingberd & Christopher Simon Sykes
(I actually have six
excellent books about houses and furniture in old houses in England. I live in
these old historical books)
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Contest:
Questions: What is the first name of the hero in my upcoming January
release book, Wild and Wicked in Scotland? Answer can be found on my webpage at
WWW.Melodythomas.com.
Winner will be chosen in November and will receive a signed copy of any of
Melody Thomas' backlist, including those books now out of print and written under
her other pseudonyms. Please submit your entries with the
book you would like to win to: Melody@Melodythomas.com.
Also Melody has an ongoing monthly contest for her listserv members. Qualify to
win a book every month just by joining her listserv.
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| Q:
If you had one day completely free of obligations, how would you most like to
spend it? Melody:
One
day isn't long enough to do anything. LOL. I'd probably write because I love writing
and I couldn't think of anything more relaxing and energizing than sitting down
and writing a great scene that actually works. <<Read
more of her Interview |
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Now
that fall is upon us, I can honestly say this is my favorite time of the year,
which makes September and October my favorite months. The weather is cooling after
the hot, humid days of summer. Foliage begins to take on beautiful colors, like
walking outdoors and glimpsing the sunset at all ours of the day. I love the smell
of woodsmoke and morning dew that layers the grass. Fall brings to mind the start
of school for me a child, the smell of new school supplies before I had to ruin
them by actually using them, new friends, marshmallow roasts, Halloween, Reeses
Peanut Butter Cups, and Friday nights at the football stadium. I marched in my
high school marching band, so I will always have our fight song firmly imbedded
in my head. Fall also brings to mind my first year in Quantico, Virginia as a
new bride. That year along the Smoky Mountain Corridor was the most beautiful
fall I had ever seen--a great omen, I think, for a romantic at heart. |
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