I'm excited to introduce Melanie Pronia, Author of Psychological, Paranormal Mysteries and Thrillers. Melanie is visiting with me this week. We met on Facebook and once I saw her books, I knew I had to chat with her. Plus we have a lot in common.
Melanie resides in Florida with her family and is busy crafting stories for her Mortality Series.
Louise: Melanie, welcome to my blog! I’m so excited you
could join me for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be
published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.
Melanie: Thank you, Louise, for having me. After I finished
writing my first novel "Journey of Souls",
I started marketing for a literary agent. I was rejected so many times that I
have since lost count. In July of 2010,
I was offered my first publishing contract by a brand new company,
unfortunately six months later the publisher closed up shop and did not live up
to her end of our contract. I was devastated, but I thought about it and
decided that I was tired of waiting to be discovered and self-published.
Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release.
Melanie: My most recent and third novel is Five Sisters. This story is bold and
blunt and meant for the open minded. My characters are Pagan and a few of them
are lesbians as well. They are a coven of Witches, who also happen to be a
renovation and cleaning team and are contracted to renovate an infamously
haunted house, Willcraft Manor, which was built by a man suspected of
Witchcraft.
Set in the bible belt of Jacksonville , Florida
, Five Sisters Renovation and Cleaning, is a brand new company that also
happens to be a coven of Witches, headed up by their fearless leader and high
priestess, Martie.
The House
The Palm Breeze Inn, formerly known as the historical,
Willcraft Manor, is a three story antebellum that has sat in the quiet town of Palatka , Florida
for over one hundred years. It was built as a family home by Lucien
Willcraft who was rumored to be a Witch.
The Ghosts
In the year 1915, every member of the Willcraft family was
murdered in their home, excluding Lucien, who seemed to have just disappeared.
Even today, the mass murder remains unsolved.
Can a team of hand tool wielding Witches right the wrongs of
Willcraft Manor and get out alive?
Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start
a story or do they develop as you write?
Melanie: I always plan out the main and supporting
characters. I create a character sheet and really try feel and think about how
my characters would react to certain things. I like to get to know them very
well before I start writing their story.
Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you
found any cool tidbits to share?
Melanie: For Descent,
I had to do a lot of research of both Scizophrenia and Anti-freeze poisoning, I
like to know what I’m talking about. For Journey
of Souls I had to research a bit about historical places and events but for
Five Sisters, there was very little
research, as my own hobbies and life styles easily meshed with those of my
characters.
Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write
by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?
Melanie: It’s definitely a combination of both. When I wrote
Descent, I just went with my
emotions, there was no outline, and I wasn’t even sure how I would end the book
until I got there. Journey of Souls was completely outlined while Five Sisters was just a basic outline.
Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you
became a writer or still do?
Melanie: I do write full time now, but only because I was
laid off from a really good job as a Human Resources Specialist that I loved
and have been unable to find other work. I am okay with that though as my
writing isn’t yet paying the bills but it is starting to take off and I am
forming a fan base.
Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing?
Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.
Melanie: Nope, no ritual at all. I write when I can, when it
feels right, when I need to meet my self-imposed deadlines and the only item I
need is my computer.
Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.
Melanie: Up early around 7:00 or so, write until about 10:00
and often times I’ll take a break and nap. Sometimes I’ll pick back up around
2:00 in the afternoon, and most often I do my writing at night, very late into
the night.
Louise: I’m a night owl too and do most of my writing in the
wee hours. Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the
horizon?
Melanie: This summer I expect to release two books. One is a
non-fiction called, "Amateur Ghost Hunters
– A Guide for Beginners", which I hope to have out this month and the other
is my Strange Girls series, which is
inspired by true crimes and about the odd things that young women do to
themselves and each other. I am currently writing, "Heathen Child", which is the second book in the Mortality Series and
prequel to "Journey of Souls" which I
hope to publish a month before Christmas. There are several more books in the
works. One is a Fairy Tale Erotica collection and another is "In the Shadow of Death", a paranormal
thriller.
Louise: Good luck with the sequels. Readers like to know
what books authors like to read and who inspires them. What is your favorite
genre to read and who is your favorite author?
Melanie: I enjoy mysteries, thrillers, drama and paranormal
(when paranormal novels are done right). The author whom I respect the most is
Stephen King.
Louise: I got to see Stephen King when he came to Savannah! You’ll have to
check my post from February in the Blog Archives. Is there anything else you
would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?
Melanie: Support your local, Indie and Self-published
Authors, we are the future of writing!
Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find
your books on the web?
Melanie: Readers can fine me on my Web site www.melaniespronia.com
And my Books on Amazon
Readers, I'd like to gift one lucky commenter an eBook (winner's choice). Drawing will be held Saturday, June 16.
BIO:
Melanie S. Pronia is a novelist of mystery, thrillers and
paranormal romances. She is also an amateur ghost hunter, herbologist and
tarot reader. Melanie was born in south New Jersey
and moved around the U.S.
quite a bit, but spent most of her time growing up in Virginia Beach , Virginia
as a Navy Brat. She currently resides in Orange Park, Florida
with her husband and two sons. She considers, Descent, her best
work thus far.
Five Sisters Book Trailer
Excerpt
“I’ll stay if you want me to,” he
whispered.
“No, you go home, get some rest, we’ll be fine,” she could see the hurt look in
his very blue eyes as he stepped back before swiftly jerking her against him
and sealing the emotions with a forceful kiss.
“Wow,” Cynthia breathed out, “someone’s got it bad.” They watched his
tail lights becoming smaller and smaller before they quickly disappeared.
“Nah, he’s just worried,” Martie answered, hardly paying any attention.
“I wasn’t referring to him, Martie.”
Martie glanced over at her before looking down at her knees,
“Yeah, I know,” at the moment she didn’t sound very happy about it.
“You know, if you had wanted him to stay, he could have,” Daphne spoke quietly.
Martie looked at her both surprised and happy that Daphne was in her own way,
giving Martie her blessing.
“I know, but then we would have had sex,” she simply answered.
“And oh my god! That would have been terrible! You slut!” Cynthia jeered
sarcastically before laughing.
“No,” Martie jumped up, “I mean,” she walked in a circle while Daphne and
Cynthia stared at her with barely concealed humor, “I don’t know what I mean,”
she quickly stopped and stared at them with bright, beseeching eyes.
“We get it,” Daphne said, and without missing a beat, “you’re scared.”
“No!” Cynthia placed her hand across her chest dramatically, “Not Martie! She’s
not afraid of anything.” Finally Martie was able to laugh with
them.
When the silence returned, Cynthia stared straight forward and mumbled quietly,
“At least you’re not a cougar.”
“What,” Martie asked her as if she had gone insane.
“Jessie, he’s only twenty five,” Cynthia said quietly.
“Oh no! And you’ll be what, 80 in two months?” Martie gasped, “oh, the
horror!” she finished dramatically.
“Stop it!” Cynthia tossed a leaf at Martie, trying not to laugh. “I’ll be
30, but I might as well be 80. My little brother whom I still consider a
kid is a year older than Jessie.”
“Well then,” Martie smacked her hands together loudly, very pleased that she
was no longer the current topic, “We’ll just have to get you a chastity belt so
that you don’t commit statutory rape, you fucking pedophile!” As both
Martie and Daphne burst into cackling laughter, Cynthia attempted to glare at
them seriously before she started laughing with them.
