A Conversation with Melanie Shawn, a Romance Author

NYT & USA TODAY bestselling author Melanie Shawn lives in Southern California and is a mama to two adult people (she doesn’t know how that happened…they were babies like two seconds ago!). She loves all things romance from books (of course!), movies, songs, and even reality TV…please don’t judge. She writes small-town romances that are filled with sweet and sassy heroines, cinnamon roll alphas, casts of supportive friends who put the fun in funny, toe-curling combustible heat, and sugary sweet “aww” moments that will have your hearts and e-readers melting. When she’s not writing or reading, listening to love songs on Spotify, or binge-watching TV she loves spending time with her dog Romeo, teaching Zumba classes, and drinking copious amounts of Dr. Pepper. Oh, and she also has a girl crush on Julia Roberts and is a die-hard Dawson’s Creek fan. #Pacey4Ever

Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.

Q1. If you could be transformed into one mythological creature, which one would you choose?

Unicorn. Specifically, a princess unicorn.

Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?

OAD (on a deadline) aka Vampire shifts: 4 or 5 a.m.

NOAD (not on a deadline) 10 or 11.

Q3. What are the least-likely three words someone would use to describe you?

Feral. Cocksure. Persnickety. (although granted, they are fun to say)

Q4. Where did you go on your last vacation/staycation?

Couch. Annual Dawson’s Creek marathon. #Pacey4Ever

Q5. Would you rather find your dream job or win the lottery? You can’t do both.

Dealer’s choice, as long as I rescue ALL the dogs.

Q6. What is one thing you regret spending money on?

Le Mer face cream. What in the name of Tom Hardy was I thinking spending $400 on a moisturizer?

Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?

 Besides my mind/sanity…blue light glasses.

Q8. If you were a spy, what would be your codename?

Princess Unicorn.

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Q9. What secret about the universe would you most want to learn?

What’s up with time travel? Yay or nay?

Q10. What never fails to make you laugh?

My kids (who are adults people now). They are hilarious.

Q11. What was one “before” and “after” in your life?

Closed Captioning for British crime dramas. I never realized how much dialog I was missing. Life changing.

Q12. What do you think people misunderstand about you?

It’s cliché, but a lot of people mistake my silence for ignorance, calmness for acceptance, and kindness for weakness. In reality, I just refuse to waste time or energy arguing with idiots.

It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Melanie.

You’ve answered our rapid fire so well, Melanie. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.

Q. Tell us about your journey.

I started reading romance after my divorce when my kids went to spend two weeks with my ex-husband. I didn’t know what to do with myself because my entire life was dedicated to being a mom and working. I went to the library for a distraction and picked up Hot Stuff by Carly Phillips. I read through her entire catalog within a week and moved on to Lori Foster, Susan Mallery, Rachel Gibson, and more. Their work inspired me to write my own stories, which I’ve been doing for the past fourteen years.

Q. So, what books have you read more than once in your life? 

Carly Phillips Hot Zone and Chandler Brother Series, Virgins by Caryl Rivers, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg, The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Q. Interesting. Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?

In my personal life, my parents are my biggest cheerleaders. They read everything I write and always give me glowing reviews (although they may be a little biased). As far as other writers, Violet Duke is incredible. She’s been a huge support for me. She’s helped me navigate the industry in ways I can never thank her enough for.

Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Absolutely. I LOVE Easter eggs. All of my series have a throughline that is either a theme, event, or subject that connects them. For instance, in the last series I released, Firefly Island: Southern Nights, chapter one in all four books began with the heroine being hungover. In the series before that, all the couples shared a slow dance. It’s fun when the readers figure out what the common thread is and then message me.

The other Easter egg that is in every book I write is a reference to Julia Roberts in some form, either a film she’s been in or one of my characters are named after a character she’s played in a movie. Because besides being a die-hard Dawson’s Creek fan, I am a HUGE Julia Roberts fan.

Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews? 

The short answer is, I don’t deal with negative reviews. I happen to love mayo, but my dad hates it. I love my dad and respect his opinion on a lot of things, but there’s no way I’d ever give up eating mayo for him. Other people’s opinions are none of my business. You’re not going to make everyone happy, and if you try, you’ll end up not having a voice at all. The only time I even consider them is if they are constructive criticism that would help either my writing or the book. That is the only value I place on a negative review.

Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

Both. I can get inspiration from anything, a conversation I overhear at a coffee shop, a couple I see walking in the park, a lyric in a song, a scene in a movie or television show. Something will spark my creativity and then I build the world around that. 

Q. How do you develop your plot and characters? 

I find the best way to develop both the plot and characters is to write. I wish there were a shortcut, but even a strong outline and character profiles don’t always help. Until I see my characters in the scenes, I don’t know who they are. Until I read the flow of the book, I don’t know if the pacing is working.

Q. You got 100 points. You need to divide them on the basis of how relevant and important they are to you as a reader and a writer for your book or someone else’s as a reader. Your options are Plot/Story, Dialogues, Book Cover, Marketing, and, Reviews.

That is a cruel Sophie’s choice question. They are all important for different reasons. No one is going to see your book without marketing. Once they get to the sales page, if you don’t have a good cover, they won’t stay on it. If you get them on the sales page and have a good cover  but have horrible reviews, then you won’t buy your book. If you have great marketing, a great cover, great reviews, they buy your book and your plot/story/dialogue sucks, then you lost a reader who won’t ever buy your book again and will most likely tell everyone how bad the book was.

Q. So, now, about your book. Talk to us about it. No major spoilers.

My latest release is Sunsets & Slow Dances. SASD is a second chance, single dad, found family, sworn-off relationships sassy FMC, MMA fighter MMC, slow burn reunion, small-town romance. This HEA is a lifetime in the making and has oodles and oodles of fan-yourself-swoon-worthy heat and warm and fuzzy heart along the way.

Q. What part of the book did you enjoy the most while writing?

I always love writing the end of books the most. I am a sucker for a happy ending, which makes sense considering my job. Give me a HEA wrapped up in a bow, and I’m a happy girl.

Q. What is your kryptonite as a writer?

Scrolling on the internet. Going down rabbit holes on YouTube or social media. It takes a lot of discipline not to take a quiz and find out which Sex and the City character you are or watch YouTube videos of soldiers coming home.

Q. Would you and your main character get along in real life? 

Abso-freakin-lutely. I love most of my main characters. I have never written a main character I didn’t love or relate to in some way. If I wrote in a different genre, that might not be the case, but in romance, most of the time I feel like I’m writing my best friends.

Q. What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I am a little bit of both. I go into every book with an outline, but then the story can definitely take on a life of its own. I let it go where it wants to go even if it is in a direction I hadn’t planned on it going.

Q. Let’s talk about the process of writing. Do you do research while writing a book to add more authenticity? What kind of research?

Yes, I always research when I’m writing a book. We are so lucky to live in a time when there is so much information at our disposal. I research everything from careers, illnesses, traffic in cities, recipes, clothing, smells, sounds, and environments. I try to get as much information as I can to bring the story to life.

Q. What was your hardest scene to write?

The hardest scene I ever wrote was in a book called Too Hot to Handle, where the main character is raising her cousin’s child, and she finds a letter her cousin wrote to the father of her child when she knew she was dying. I cried the entire time I wrote it. My kids were younger when I wrote it and the thought of not being around to raise them was almost too much for me to handle.

Q. Well, this has been great. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?

The only advice I give to writers is to write. It’s that simple. You have to sit down and write. You can’t edit a blank page. So, no matter how you feel, or what is going on in your world, just write. That is what makes you a writer, you write.

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