Hi Melisa and welcome to my blog. I am excited to talk about books and writing with you today. I loved your book “The Complexities of Love”. It left me with a whirlpool of emotions, and even though I read Mark’s story already a while ago, I still come back to it in my thoughts.
You have chosen a difficult topic for your debut novel. Nowadays we can discuss freely such topics as sexual orientation, exploring one’s sexuality, and problems between family members. But it wasn’t like this even a few decades ago.
Eve: What made you interested in writing a story of someone who struggled with these issues when talking about them was condemned and even forbidden?
Melisa: Hi Eve, thank you for having me on your blog. I have three gay relatives and I know what they went through growing up in the 70s. People tried to hide their sexual orientation back then and decades before that. In recent years, gay marriages are allowed in Australia. However, they still face hostility, harassment, and discrimination. In some countries, the LGBTQ Community is still frowned upon, and people aren’t allowed to get married. I wanted to write a novel to let people in the LGBTQ Community know that they are not alone.
Eve: You are an avid reader. What inspired your love for books?
Melisa: My parents used to buy me Little Golden Books and Enid Blyton Books. Those books transported me into another time and place which I loved and made me want to read more.
Eve: You are also a poet. I understand that it’s not an ethical question for a creative person, but I’ll still ask it. What feels more satisfying for you, writing poems or prose?
Melisa: That’s a good question. Both are equally satisfying, and they can both be challenging.
Eve: Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?
Melisa: My husband is incredibly supportive. I read what I’ve written, and he sits and listens. Sometimes, I think I must be boring him. He tells me if it has merit, or if I should change it. I wish my dogs could talk because they listen too and always sit with me while I’m reading or writing.
Eve: Please share with us your future writing plans. I am certainly looking forward to reading your next novel.
Melisa: Thank you, Eve. I loved reading your Neglected Merge Trilogy and I’m also looking forward to reading your latest novel, Finding Your Way. I’m not sure when my latest novel will be out. I’ve edited it and received the proof, but I’m still waiting to receive the book cover. Next, I am going to write a book about how to write a six-word story or a poem and include some of the responses I’ve received on Twitter. I still need to ask everyone’s permission to include their stories and/or poetry in my book. Several people have direct messaged me and asked me if I’d write a book and include pictures for them to use. So, I’m thinking I might write a bit about my journey in writing and then the rest of the book will be a workbook. I’m hoping the exercises will help people who have writer’s block, and that people will have confidence to put pen to paper and just write something without fear of being critiqued.
Eve: On which social media you are most active? Where your readers can interact with you.
Melisa: I am most active on Twitter. I interact with readers and writers as well as other creative people on there. The Writing Community are supportive and I’m grateful to be a part of the community.
Eve's Book Diary 
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