Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Spotlight: Melanie Stinnett


Meet Melanie ! 



I have enjoyed reading and writing since I was very young. Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of spending time with my mom or grandma reading a good book. Over the years, it never crossed my mind that writing my own novel would be an attainable goal. After reading several independently published novels by Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover and others, I decided I needed to give that dream a chance. So, here I am.

My first novel, Crossing Paths, will be released on August 29, 2013!

When I’m not reading and writing, I enjoy spending time with my three favorite guys: my husband and my two little boys. We live in Southwest Missouri and love doing things outdoors. Life can get pretty hectic with two kids under 3 years old but I wouldn’t change anything!

I also work as a Speech Language Pathologist. I provide therapy to adults who are dealing with speech, language, cognition or voice deficits. My day job is rewarding in many different ways and I love having the opportunity to help others in a time of need.


Upcoming from Melanie:

Book: Crossing Paths
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Release Date: August 7, 2013
Release Date: August 29, 2013

Synopsis:

The crossing paths of friendship, family, love, and loss are often complicated.

June Deckert and Caroline Smith sparked a friendship in college that carried them through graduation. Although they are complete opposites in every way, they have spent the last four years inseparable.

That is, until now.

June finds herself falling for a man who seems unattainable. As she works side by side with him on a new media campaign, their feelings for each other come alive. But when his actions start to speak louder than words, she wonders if she’s missing something.

Meanwhile, Caroline is fighting against her feelings for a recent acquaintance, and she decides to keep her new love interest a secret from June. Overwhelmed by these new emotions, her moods change swiftly, swinging up and down like a yo-yo.

While June and Caroline try to maneuver their way through new relationships, Caroline starts lying to June to protect her from a truth that threatens to break her heart and tear them apart.

In the end, Caroline’s deceit will test their friendship, and June will have to decide if her chance at love is worth putting her heart on the line.



Add to you TBR list !


AND A LITTLE TEASER OF WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.....

Caroline
“June, have you seen my grey pencil skirt?” I yell out while searching through my closet. “June?” Damn it, she isn’t here. I forgot she’s on a plane headed for the wonderful New York City. She should be back late tomorrow afternoon and I might just kill her if she comes back with the exact pieces of clothing I can’t find.
      My best friend, June, and I lived together the last three years of college and are now renting an apartment while we dive into the real world. Most mornings in college were spent with me making fun of her drab attire while she laughed at my brightly colored dresses and high heels. I guess the saying opposites attract can be true for friends as well. The only major similarities we have are that we speak English and our dating history is a little spotty. We met at a party, although I am not sure June knew what it meant to party at that point. We were college freshman taking it all in. That particular night I was sliding along the railing of a stairway trying to pass by a couple with their tongues so far down each other’s throats I was worried they would stop breathing. As I came to the bottom of the stairs I tripped on the last step, launching my drink into the back of a guy’s shirt, who then spilled his drink on someone else. This domino effect continued for about 4 or 5 people until June got a plastic cup full of beer directly in the face. I apologized profusely as she was wiping liquid from her eyes. When she looked up at me she was smiling, laughing even.
      “That’s okay. I was looking for a reason to get out of here anyway.” June said through her laughter. “I think I’ll just go get something for dinner. It’s still pretty early.”
      “Can I join you?” The party was so lame and I had already embarrassed myself enough for one night.
      And so our friendship began. We left the party, got a change of clothes at June’s dorm room and headed to Denny’s. Breakfast for dinner - I don’t think there is a better meal. June and I were both far from home and beginning to miss home a bit. That night June spit her drink all over me while laughing at a stupid joke I told. We called it even and from that night forward we were inseparable. We saw each other through general education courses, many more parties and some crappy relationships. After freshman year, we rented a two bedroom duplex and lived there until graduation. At the holidays we would go our separate ways to visit family but when we arrived back at school it was like no time had passed by.
      As graduation neared, we started to look at job options. We both got calls about our job offers in Houston, Texas on the same day and accepted without pause. We had already talked about how perfect it would be to get a place and start our careers together.
I would have loved to go with her to New York City today. That city can be a lot of fun, even if you have less than 24 hours. The shopping and spas are amazing! I had already been planning out where I might get a full massage and the stores I needed to hit first. Too bad my job requires that I actually show up.


2 comments:

  1. The book sounds great. Congrats on your upcoming publication!

    My boys are 5 and 3. It's easier than it was a couple of years ago, but they're still a handful!

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  2. Thank you so much! I am doing my best not to wish they would grow faster, because I know it all goes by in the blink of an eye as it is. It will be nice when they can both feed themselves. Ha!

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