Today my Gentle Readers, we have Melissa Carrigee, an editor and creative director for a small publishing company, who has her own debut book coming out this year. In our usual style here we will put my questions/comments in BLUE, with Melissa’s responses in GREEN.
Melissa, thank you for stopping by to chat with us today. Let’s get the ball rolling with an easy one. How did you get your start as a reader?
I started off as an avid reader when I was young. The teenage years I was too busy with boys to be bothered with books. In my twenties I picked up Glory Lane by Alan Dean Foster and that was it. I knew my passion was books and reading.
Sounds like one I will have to check out when I get some free time. What genre, or genres, do you enjoy the most?
I love horror and thrillers but I read anything. I love children’s stories and have a huge collection.
Variety is the spice of life they say. What brought you to the other side of the page? From reading the stories of others to writing your own?
I think when I read Glory Lane I started becoming a writer. I had always written when I was young, poems and short stories as a way to deal with my crazy emotions but after I read Glory Lane I started putting all the components together and outlining bigger stories. That is when I became a writer.
Do have plans to stick with the genre your debut is in? Or do you have plans to expand your repertoire?
No. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into any one genre.
Varied reading and writing tastes, how exciting. I hope you will keep us informed of new releases as they become available. How did you get your start in the literary world?
I worked as a literary agent for almost two years trying to expand my knowledge of the business. I got to know a lot of people in the business. I started to attend conferences. I was then offered a job at an upcoming new, independent publisher over their children’s book line. I accepted that job and now I am involved in all aspects of getting a book published. Some people might think it would make it easier for me as a writer but it actually has made it tougher.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I work as the editor and creative director of a small publisher. I have one boy in the Air Force and another in junior high school. I also have a bulldog who keeps me busy.
Very exciting. I have a son in junior high as well. Busy time transitioning from elementary to a more grown up regimen of homework and studying. You had something else about your debut to tell us, correct?
My book is out for pre-sale right now but won’t be officially released until August 2017.
I wrote I Dream of Dragons when I was in college getting a graphic design degree. It was for an illustration class. I remember hating the illustrating part but I absolutely loved writing the story and the outcome. I wrote the story for my son, who is now in the Air Force.
Please thank your son for his service. And thank you again for stopping by to talk with me today. Keep us posted on your upcoming work. If anyone would like to find out more about Melissa’s book and even pre-order it, you can find her at the below links.
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Father, Author, Blogger, Publisher 