Interview with Melanie Pronia, Author of Psychological and Paranormal Thrillers

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.

The Women

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.

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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.