Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She’s a member of RWA and has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers. In addition to the Love Along Hwy 30A series, she is the author of The Summer Before Forever, Falling for Forever, and Courting Carlyn (Entangled Teen).
Jann: We’re chatting today with contemporary romance and young adult author Melissa Chambers about her contemporary romance series Love Along Hwy 30A.
Jann: Great name for a romance series—Love Along Hwy 30A. Why did you select beach town settings for the series?
Melissa: These books are set in the real communities along Hwy 30A in the panhandle of Florida between Destin and Panama City. For those who have never been, this area is absolutely magical. Each community is uniquely picturesque from Seaside with its pastel houses (The Truman Show was filmed there) to Alys Beach and its Mediterranean feel, to Rosemary with its London Tudor look. I have vacationed there many times, and the area was begging for a series to be written about it, each book focusing on a different community. The setting in these books is as much of a character as any of the people in the books!
Jann: Did you start with characters first or the story plot first for Seaside Sweets, book one in the series?
Melissa: I always start with characters first. Actually, I typically start with a setting I like, then add the characters and let them tell me their story as I go. I’m a pantser, so I type away until I see a story forming, then once I have the shape of it, I go back to the beginning and start over. Lots and lots of rewrites with the way I do it, but I’m really bad at plotting blindly, so it works for me. But warning, if you do it this way, you have to be willing to delete tens of thousands of words if necessary!
Jann: Whose story is it—Seanna’s or Blake’s? Why?
Melissa: Ooh, good question! Writing in dual POV, each protagonist gets their fair share of page time, but really, Blake is the one who makes the toughest journey. Not to take anything away from Seanna, because she comes a long way, too, but he’s the one who’s got the biggest roadblocks ahead of him.
Jann: You have book two, Seacrest Sunsets and book three, Seagrove Secrets, in the series available that our readers can check out. Is there a book four on its way?
Melissa: Why, yes, there is! I’m really mean and tease the story for the next book in the series at the end of each book. So readers who have made it to the end of book three already know the hero and heroine for book four. I’m working on it now, and it’s a blast! It will release in March, just in time for Spring Break! I’ve also got stories in mind for books five and six. Readers keep telling me they want Cassidy’s story, and I hear you loud and clear! It’s on its way!
Jann: Do you have any writing rituals? Schedule?
Melissa: I have a full-time day job and a family, so I have to have a writing schedule. I wake up anywhere between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning and work till 6:30 when it’s time to get moving for the day. I hate it, because when I’m on a roll, it’s pretty much torture to shut the laptop. But we do what we have to in the time constraints we’re given.
Jann: What’s the best thing a fan ever said to you?
Melissa: I recently had a friend who has read all six of my books tell me that reading romance novels makes her a better person. She said it helps fuel the relationship with her husband and makes her a nicer and generally happier person. Just knowing one of my books could make even one person feel that way about herself, I could quit now and be content. (But I won’t!)
Jann: Melissa, I want to thank you for taking time today to chat with us here on A Slice of Orange. Love Along Hwy 30A is a great series jam packed with wonderful characters looking for their HEA. Wishing you a fantastic 2019!!
Love Along Hwy 30A
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Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play […]
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Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play […]
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What a beautiful post! Thank you so much for having me, Jann, and A Slice of Orange! I so enjoyed chatting with you!
Melissa, it was truly my pleasure. Have a wonderful 2019!!