An Interview with Melonie Johnson

Love 4 Books:
Congratulations on publishing your first book!

Melonie Johnson
Thanks so much! It’s an exciting and scary time in my author journey.

L4B:
What parts of the writing/publishing process did you find the easiest?

MJ:
Easiest part of the writing process is dialogue. I hear my characters talk to each other, so that part really flows for me. And as an actress and director, I’m used to working with scripts and playing with dialogue a lot, so I think that helps too.  

L4B:
Most difficult?

MJ:
The part of the writing process that has been most difficult is what I have taken to calling “the spinning of many plates.” I thought I was an expert multi-tasker, but with three books releasing back-to back-to back, this past year has taught me a whole new meaning of the word. With books in various stages of development going simultaneously (proofing one book, revising another, drafting a third, marketing conversations, copy edits, more revisions, whee!), it was a lot to get used to.

L4B:
Does your background as a narrator influence your writing?

MJ:
Just as my background in theater plays a role in how I write dialogue, yes, I definitely think my work as a narrator influences my writing process as well.

L4B:
How?

MJ:
Lots of ways, big and small. I actually teach a workshop on how writers can use a narrator’s tools and tricks in their writing process. One big way: narrating a book requires you to really get inside the characters’ heads, developing deeper point of view and a stronger sense of voice. One small way: I’ve never found a better way to spot the sneakiest of typos than reading a text out loud.

L4B:
Are you planning on publishing an audio version of your books?

MJ:
Yes! All three books in the SOMETIMES IN LOVE series are scheduled to be released in audio.

L4B:
Are you planning narrating them?

MJ:
I am! It’s thrilling and terrifying at the same time. When I first discussed the possibility of narrating with my publisher’s producer, I was very wary of my ability to handle the accents. I’ve had voice and diction training, but still…  I recorded some sample scenes and the producer was pleased with my work. Still nervous, I knew that the opportunity to voice my own characters was too good to pass up, so I went for it.

L4B:
As a former English teacher I’m sure you’ve read a lot.  What are some of your favorite books?

MJ:
On the classics front, I do enjoy Austen and Shakespeare. I adore the IRISH CENTURY series by Morgan Llywelyn. And my favorite romance novel is FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by Laura Kinsale. I recently did a guest spot on the Whoa!mance podcast and we read and discussed this book. So fun to revisit this story, even better to discover it still stands up more than 20 years after it was published.

L4B:
Who are some of your favorite authors?

MJ:
In romance, I am a big fan of Laura Kinsale (aside from FLOWERS FROM THE STORM, some of my other favorites from her are THE PRINCE OF MIDNIGHT and MIDSUMMER MOON). I also am a total fangirl for Karen Marie Moning. Her Highlander time-travel romances are on my keeper shelf and are my go-to comfort reads. I also really enjoy historical fiction based on the Tudors, THE SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN by Robin Maxwell is a particular favorite.

L4B
What is the best advice you’ve been given, either personally or professionally, that you wish more people knew?

MJ:
Take time to celebrate. We get so caught up in climbing the next rung, reaching for the next star, it is easy to forget to acknowledge how far we’ve come. It’s important to recognize and celebrate those milestones when we reach them, and all the hard work that went into achieving them.

L4B:
If you had the power to time travel, when and where would you go?

MJ:
I have long been fascinated by the Tudors, and the court of Henry VIII, so even though I’m sure it would not be anything like what I’ve envisioned in my head or seen on the screen, I’d enjoy poking about the palace.

L4B:
If you could have any super power, what would it be?

MJ:
Invisibility, I think. Which would probably come in handy if I did time travel to the court of Henry VIII. No chance of getting into trouble and beheaded.

L4B:
Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

MJ:
Princess Leia. (though Artoo is a close second)

L4B:
Why?

MJ:
She is principled and confident. A will of iron. And yet, her feathers can be ruffled by a scoundrel and her heart is tender. As for Artoo, how can you not adore the loyal and brave little smartass?

L4B:
What’s your favorite Shakespeare play?

MJ:
This is almost as hard as picking a favorite romance! Ugh. I’m going to have to say A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. It’s just a lot of fun. I’ve been involved in several productions in various capacities, and always enjoy the experience.

L4B:
Character?

MJ:
Oooh… I think Beatrice in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

L4B:
Why?

MJ:
I love her dry wit, her self-deprecation, the rapid fire banter between herself and Benedick.  And then there is the softer side – the hope and yearning to love and be loved, as well as the fire and passion that begin to reveal itself over the course of the play.

L4B:
What’s next?

MJ:
The next two books in the SOMETIMES IN LOVE series arrive soon! Bonnie and Theo, the best friends of the heroine and hero in GETTING HOT WITH THE SCOT cross paths again in SMITTEN BY THE BRIT out on May 28th. After that, Sadie has a second chance at love with her childhood sweetheart, Bo in ONCE UPON A BAD BOY, coming June 25th.

Melonie Johnson published her first book Getting Hot with the Scot on April 30, 2019.

A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, she met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. Today, they live happily ever after in the magical land midway between Chicago and Milwaukee with their two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a trio of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.

Find out more about Melonie Johnson by visiting her website.