Author Interview: Melony Paradise

I'm here today interviewing another author writing some romantic speculative fiction. Here's a bit about her.

​Just a laid-back chick with eccentric tastes who loves writing, reading, graphic design, music, horror flicks, and unusual things. Melony lives in South Carolina with her wonderful husband and their lazy cat Gyzmo.  She writes science fiction romance and paranormal fantasy that’s dark, steamy, and a little bit snarky. 

DP: How did you decide to write in your genre?
MP: I’m a big fan of urban fantasy, and when I began writing seriously, I knew that was the genre for me, but that wasn’t the genre I first published in. My first novel, Broken, was actually science fiction romance. After many years of not writing, I woke up one day after a strange dream that felt like I might need to write down. Two days of thinking about that dream and putting all the pieces into something I could outline led to me finally fulfilling my lifelong dream of publishing a novel.

DP: What's the easiest or hardest thing about writing for you?
MP: The hardest thing about writing for me is sticking to a routine. I’m not very good at getting my words in every day. Usually, I write sporadically and in big chunks of time. This year I am trying to keep to a schedule.

DP: Tell us about something in real life that inspired a character, setting, or plot in one of your books.
MP: My sci-fi romance series, Discordant Earth, reflects a lot of the current state of our society, but with aliens. I didn’t intend for it to be that way, but that’s just how inspiration happens sometimes. My paranormal fantasy series, Vamp Tales, is inspired by all my favorite paranormal and urban fantasy books. I like to have fun with this series, and name many of my characters after family and friends. I enjoy creating a world where anything can happen.

DP: What do you do when you're stuck on a scene?
MP: When I get stuck, I refer to my outline, take a break, or go back and re-read what I have written so far. Usually, if I’m stuck, it’s because a scene got away from me and I need to reorient myself with where I initially wanted the story to go.

DP: What does a typical writing day look like for you?
MP: When I write, I need zero distractions. I put my headphones on, turn on a rain storm video on Youtube for white noise, and shut the world out to write until I’m too tired to think straight. It’s exhausting, hence the goal of establishing a routine. It’s an ongoing process.

DP: Is there a common theme or element in your work?
MP: I like to write intelligent women who grow with the story. I have one main character who is a bit naïve in the beginning, and another who is a lot like me, introverted with issues that reflect her not so pleasant past. Throughout both series, these women come out of their shells to view their worlds with open eyes and assert themselves in ways they never would have imagined.

DP: Where can we find your books? Which one should a new reader start with?
MP: All of my books are available at Amazon, and most can be found in Kindle Unlimited as well. Vamp Tales should be started with book one, Along for the Ride.  This is a short story series with six books available in season one. Season two will be coming in the second half of 2019.
Discordant Earth should be started with Broken, then Unchained, but there are two freebie prequels, The Interview and New Enemies, that can be read anytime. Book three in the Discordant Earth series will be releasing at the end of January. For updates and new release notifications, readers can sign up for my newsletter at MelonyParadise.com