Guest Post: Paranormal Romance Author Melissa Fox

Welcome One of My Favorite People in the World: Melissa Fox

It’s no secret; I adore her. With her paranormal romance debut set to release RIGHTNOW, Melissa agreed to stop by and tell a quick story. She cracks me up daily. I know she’ll make you laugh, too. Without further babbling, here’s Melissa.

Paranormal Romance debut

Oh, Behave!

Melissa Fox

The people in my head don’t listen to me.  Yeah, that sounds alarming, and believe me, it is. I’m a pantser, not a plotter, but I do usually sit down in front of my computer with some sort of plan in mind, whether a scene popped into my head in the shower, while walking the dogs, or I actually map out what I want to write and how events will unfold. I grab a drink, settle the dogs, flex the old fingers, and…start arguing.

Me: No, no, no. You’re supposed to be doing this. Remember, we talked about it? Decided this was what you’re supposed to be doing today?

Character: Pfft.

And off we go.

My naughty, really bad boy hero who is supposed to get redeemed in the end is embarrassed by the actions I have all planned out and insists he’d never do that. Uh-uh, no way. Digs his heels in, shakes his head, sets his mouth in that pretty but stubborn line, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

C’mon, I wheedle. I promise I’ll make it all better in the end.

You’re out of your mind, he responds. This will go much better if I’m nice. Then it makes what that nasty villain is planning all the more awful—what did you eat last night, by the way, to come up with that?

Sometimes I wonder.

Or my clever, sweet hero, who is supposed to be charming and amusing the heroine with witty dialog and silly antics, says: You know, I’m really in the mood to get laid. Let’s write me some sexy times.

Me: Oh, noooooo.

Him (with a wicked and completely irresistible grin): Oh, yes.

Occasionally, it’s not just scenes or events, but an entire personality and plot—and on one memorable occasion, an entire genre—they cheerfully kick to the curb. What do you mean, you want to be a demon slayer and not an investigator? Are you kidding me? A Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer, not an FBI agent? What do I know about Mounties, for crying out loud?

Sometimes, there’s just no reasoning with them.

More from Melissa

An author’s greatest resource is their support system. Without Jen, Conor and Merry’s story might have seen the light of publication eventually, but the road would not have been anywhere near as much fun. When it came to doing a blog on release day, there’s no where else I’d rather be than with my dear friend, critique partner, cheerleader, reality checker, and talker-downer from more ledges than I care to count. Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me, and thank you Jen for all the good times. Here’s to many more! Sláinte!

About Melissa Fox

After being rationed books by my parents like most kids get rationed candy, I turned to writing to tide me over between fixes. Having lived in the suburbs of the Mid-West, desert of the Southwest, foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I’m now on an island in the Puget Sound with my husband and dogs.

My debut paranormal romance, WRAITH REDEEMED, is now available in print and all e-formats from The Wild Rose Press.

Wraith Redeemed Excerpt

(This is a new one that no one else has, because I’m special.)

“God, Conor. Yes. I’ll go to dinner with you on Saturday.” He knew how his lilting brogue affected her, the bastard. “Where are we going?”

“Well, now.” He kicked back, crossing his legs at the ankles and his hands over his stomach as he regarded her with satisfaction. She fought a scowl. Somehow, he’d wrestled back control of the situation. How did he do that? “That’s a decision needing some thought now, isn’t it? Seeing as how I haven’t had time to do that as yet.”

He lifted a brow, reminding her she’d surprised him by telling him to ask her out on a date.

“I need to know what to wear.” Striving to imitate his casual insouciance, she leaned back in her chair and forced herself to leave the bottle cap on the table. He grinned, and her heart leapt into a heavy, rapid rhythm.

“As soon as I figure it out, I’ll let you know. I promise,” he added when she opened her mouth to protest. “I’ll give you plenty of time to plan your campaign, darlin’.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered, not looking at him, because of course she did.

“You’re planning on making me crawl.” His smile faded and turned wry. Her gaze shot to his as an automatic protest formed on her lips, but he shook his head and sat forward. “Yes, you are, and you deserve it. I deserve it, Merry. I owe you that at least. And I’ll dance to your tune, my girl, until enough is enough, until you’ve had your due and then some, but then we’ll have our reckoning.”

“I don’t want…” Good manners and a desire to keep her plan a secret prompted the half-hearted beginning of the protest, but her innate honesty and inability to fool him won out. She chuckled. “Yes, you’re right. Seeing you crawl will do my wounded feelings some good, O’Shea.”

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Welcome to THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP!

Discover a New Sports Romance

What is a blog hop? It’s a way for readers to discover new authors. With bookstores closing and publishers not promoting new authors as much, blog hops are a way to introduce readers to authors they may not see in the local bookstore.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is a great chance to find many new authors. Here you’ll find information about what I’m working on now – FINAL SCORE. Also, see links after the questions and answers and find five other authors you might like to check out.

I’d like to thank fellow author LISA HANNAH WELLS for tagging me to participate. Click the link below to find out about her latest book BE STILL MY LOVER’S HEART

In this particular hop, my fellow authors and I, in our respective blogs, have answered 10 questions where you get to learn about our current work in progress as well as some insights into our process, from characters and inspirations to plotting and cover decisions. I hope you enjoy!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

What is the working title of your book?

Final Score

Where did the idea come from for the book?

After attending a Nashville Predators game, Jen had an idea about a hockey player and a chef. I’d been talking about writing a story with a hockey hero – one of my favorites – and we thought, why not? Since I know nothing about cooking (and Jen does), and Jen knows nothing about hockey (and boy, do I), it was pretty easy to delegate writing responsibility. Many fun hours of “what if…” later, we had ourselves a story.

What genre does your book come under?

Contemporary romance, though we’re not averse to the sports romance and hockey romance labels.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

We’ve always envisioned model Ralf Baumgarten for Brody and actress Sarah Drew from Grey’s Anatomy for Anna.

Hockey romance heroine

Hockey romance hero

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When NHL bad boy Brody Clark gets checked by pretty redheaded chef Anna Bloom, his free agent days just might be over.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

FINAL SCORE is a work in progress, in the last stages of self-editing before the manuscript is ready for submission, but Jen currently has YA novels published with a small press, and Melissa has a paranormal romance published and another contracted with another small press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first rough draft took approximately nine months to write, and we’re still going through edits!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is comparable to hockey sport romances by Deirdre Martin and Rachel Gibson, although there are other great writers taking on hockey players as heroes—and even heroines!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Live hockey games, hockey players, and the excitement they generate. Read the story, go to a game. You won’t regret it!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Conditioned athletes, celebrity, paparazzi, travel. Hockey. Attraction and tension. Set goals, reassessed priorities. Good food, good friends, good times between consenting adults.

Between the two of us, we have intimate knowledge of both the restaurant business and hockey players, so hopefully that adds a fun depth to the story! 😉

Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

Sandi Layne

Ahem…Attention Please

I have some fun news of the book variety, and probably a bit of a surprise for many. For the past nine months or so, Melissa Fox and I have been working on a contemporary romance novel about a fiery chef and a hot hockey player. We were tagged by Lisa Hanna Wells in The Next Big Thing blog hop and thought this would be the perfect time to unveil the book. There was just one small problem.

We had no title.

Never fear! I work with a team of skilled writers who were all too happy to share their inspired suggestions. Thanks to Robert Coles, Jasmine Henry, Richard Foshee, and Jonathan Illig, we had the following possibilities from which to choose:

Trapped In The Penalty Box

Love Between the Blue Lines

Forking and Pucking

Of Pucks and Men

Icing the Cake

Pucks and Prejudice

Crosscheck My Heart

Pucks and Petit Fours

Love in Slippery Places

As brilliant as these titles are, we’re happy to announce the working title is Final Score, and we have a little blurb to share with you.

Chef Anna Bloom studied and sacrificed for years to open her own restaurant. Her dream finally within her grasp, she doesn’t have time to get knocked on her ass by a NHL bad boy, no matter how gorgeous he—and his abs—might be.

Connecticut Clippers star Brody Clark likes his life just fine. He’s put his wild rookie days behind him and has the Stanley Cup in his sights. But when he gets checked by a pretty redheaded cook, his free agent days might be over.

‪Crazy schedules and roaming paparazzi are just part of the deal, until Brody gets mixed up with the wrong publicity-seeker on the biggest night of Anna’s life. Anna’s star rises, while Brody’s takes a hit and crashes the boards.

In the midst of a celebrity machine hungry for scandal, Anna and Brody reach for the most ambitious goal of all: falling in love.

Next week, Melissa and I will be back to answer some questions about Final Score, and we’ll tag some more authors so you can go see what their Next Big Thing is. In the meantime, take a trip over to Melissa’s site and check out her debut, Wraith Redeemed, which will be released in print in just a few short weeks.