Exclusive Interview with
Melissa Bell
When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2012. I had just resigned from working for an abusive boss and I decided to write drawing on my personal experiences and emotions.
What makes writing your passion?
Building worlds that can give people an escape from the everyday drama going on in their lives.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing off and on for about seven years.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
I was absolutely terrified. I still hold my breath when I hit publish in anticipation of what my fans think of my latest work of fiction.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
I find inspiration everywhere. I might see someone walking down the street and think wow that person needs to be a character in one of my books.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Never having enough time in the day and my fingers not moving fast enough to keep up with my brain.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
When it strikes I usually move to another one of my works in progress and see if I can shift the block.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
My passion for the written word is what keeps me going. Never give up. Always keep going. Even the best authors have received their fair share of no's if they gave up we wouldn't have libraries filled with books.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
I would tell myself not to wait so long to act on wanting to be a writer. There is nothing like it.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
I do read reviews. It's how I grow and improve. Negative reviews can be constructive in letting me know what I could do better. I think the trick is not to take them too personally because not everyone is going to like what you write.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Exhilarating! It means that for a short period of time I managed to capture that person's imagination. Whether they were riding on a train or bus to get to work, flying for business or pleasure. Sunbaking on the beach or sitting in front of a fire while it snows outside. Or sick in the hospital, I have given them something else to occupy their mind and that's my ultimate goal.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Yes, all the time. I use the emotions and events that I have experienced to help me build the worlds, situations, and characters.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
I think there is a little bit of me in all of my characters. The females are sassy, strong and not easily told what to do. The males are strong alpha men who are keen to win over the females in their book.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Absolutely, a great book can be overlooked if it doesn't have a cover that catches the eye at a glance. There are so many books published every day that it comes down to have the cover that really stands out among the rest.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I love hearing from my fans. I still connect with my first ever fan. She has bought autographed paperbacks from me.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
I love it! I am totally ready for the world to know me through my books.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
Laurann Dohner - I love the way she writes. The characters she creates and the worlds she builds within my mind. I first fell in love with her through her New Species Series.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
I would like to be big enough to have a TV Series, maybe a movie. I would like to be as big as Anne Rice, Gina Showalter, Christine Feehan. Maybe even as big as Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse Series.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
I might consider revising them but I wouldn't rewrite them. You can't go back to the motivation and inspiration of what produced the original story.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
I would switch places with Julia Quinn because she currently has several books on the New York Times Best Sellers List, and her Bridgerton Series is now a Netflix Series.
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
I strongly believe in Karma. There are two types of Karma. One is what I like to call instant Karma, while the second may take time but has no less clout when it hits.
What would you say to your readers?
I hope you love reading my books as much I as Ioved writing them.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I live in Brisbane - Australia.
I was born in Brisbane. I am still friends with people I went to school with both elementary and high-school.
I used to be a punk and I loved going clubbing in Brisbane.
I love music and my favourite bands are Powderfinger, Birds of Tokyo and Karnivool. I listen to music when I write.
I married my soul mate on the 18th of April 2018.
What is your day job if you have one?
In January 2021, I was forced to resign from my fulltime position in Account Management for one of Austalia's biggest telecommunication businesses due to a degenerative spinal condition.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
My first love is writing, and listening to music. When I am not writing I am reading or catching up on Facebook. I also make my own swag which I will be selling on my website so watch that space.
Did you have a happy childhood?
No, I can't say it was. My father was an alcoholic until I was sixteen or seventeen. He was a nasty drunk with a sharp tongue and he liked to flog you so hard you felt like your toosh was on fire for an hour.
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
I had always wanted to but had never acted on it until a couple of weeks after I quick working for an abusive boss. She became the horrible boss in my first novel and I used the book as a way of therapy. It helped me release a lot of my built-up emotions at the time.
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
Yes - I have a number of projects I am currently working on getting finished. Some of them are part of a series or trilogy and others are #1's in new series I want to start.
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
I think the education system has teachers who have lost their passion for moulding young minds. They no longer want to plant seeds or encourage the next generation of writers. They sadly become resentful bullies who hinder the creative mind.
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
To be a super successful author. To be pain-free. To be a size 12.
What is your favorite music?
I love Australian music - Powderfinger, Karnivool, Birds of Tokyo, C.O.G, Regurgitator, Hilltop Hoods, The Butterfly Effect, Dead Letter Circus, Something for Kate, Sia. I grew up going to live concerts and music festivals such as The Big Day Out and Soundwave.
My two International bands are Imagine Dragons and Bastille
Share a secret with us 🙂
I haven't killed the plants on the kitchen sink yet but I generally kill any plants I buy and I used to work in a plant nursery. Go figure! Wait, I take that back I killed an air plant last week. Seriously how do kill something that doesn't need very much attention?