TQ: What inspired you to become a writer?
Melanie: Thanks for inviting me here today! Deciding to become a writer happened so early in my life I’m not sure if I was struck with inspiration or not. After I went through my “I want to be a babysitter” phase, my next response to “what do you want to be when you grow up” was “writer”. Books were always in my house growing up – packed in the basement, lined on shelves in the living room, piled in a corner in the family room, and in every bedroom. Everyone in my family read and I devoured books like the rest of them. I suspect, if I had even a glimmering of inclination to write, I would have become a writer.
Now that isn’t to say I didn’t stray from the idea of writing once I started to get older. I enjoyed music and art and theatre as well, and really had no idea what I wanted anymore by the time I went to university. I ended up in the psychology program—not necessarily a bad place for a writer to spend some time studying—and, faced with 3rd year statistics, realized I didn’t want to pursuer a career in psychology. I wanted to be a writer.
So I suppose you could say my less than fabulous math skills inspired me to be a writer, although I’m pretty sure it was in my blood all along.
TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?
Melanie: Finding a balance between writing, editing, promoting, and my family. It can be a real juggling act. Some days I’m successful and some days I’m not.
TQ: What writing achievement are you most proud of?
Melanie: I think the thing I’m most proud of is that my hero, Ward, found a home. He’s not a typical hero and I knew that when I wrote him. I also knew being unusual might make it difficult to find a publisher who believed in him as much as I did. And then Entangled Publishing came along and embraced my awkward, reluctant, endearing hero.
TQ: What one thing should everyone know about your writing?
My goal is to write fun, entertaining stories. I want to take my reader on an adventure and help them escape their everyday life, if only for a little while.
TQ: Please tell us about your latest and upcoming works.
Melanie:
Ward Against Death
Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.
But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.
However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…
TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.
Melanie: Thank you for having me!
Ward Against Death
Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer 1Entangled Publishing, August 2, 2011
Trade Paperback and eBook, 286 pages
New Adult/Upper YA Fantasy
Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.
But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.
However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…
About Melanie
Today she continues to spin tales of magic in lands near and far, while her cat sits on the edge of her desk and supervises. When she’s not writing, you can find her pretending to be other people with her local community theatre groups.
Connect with Melanie: Facebook / Twitter @melaniecard / Goodreads / MelanieCard.com
Great book. It surprised me. Very unusual and definitely something new. I am so over vampires and werewolves! lol. Can't wait to see what else she writes! Thanks for interviewing her!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds interesting. You caught my attention with just the blurb. :) How many books do yo plan in the series?
ReplyDelete