Celebrating Melissa Foster
Melissa Foster has built a powerhouse career in contemporary romance. Her stories blend steamy small-town romances with deep emotion. She creates unforgettable characters and tells heartfelt, meaningful stories. Melissa is also known for addressing real-life issues with honesty. Millions of readers have connected with her work and storytelling.
In this special guest post, Melissa shares how she went from an adventurous, dream-chasing young woman to the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, and how Barnes & Noble Press has supported her along the way.
My Writing Journey
A Guest Post by Melissa Foster
My journey into Romancelandia took me by surprise. When I was younger, I wanted to be a Green Beret (Ha!). I attribute that to growing up as a competitive girl with a gaggle of brothers and my adventurous spirit. And maybe a little Rambo. Eventually, I outgrew that dream and realized I just wanted to be as badass as a Green Beret. My aspirations turned to wanting to be a journalist or a lawyer, but severe test anxiety nixed those dreams.
I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. And, when life led me down a different path, I jumped in for the wild ride. I bought my first house at twenty-one, quit my job a week later, and started an HR consulting firm, which I ran for many years and loved.
Fast forward to a few years and two children later, I was hit with the writing bug.
While one of my boys was napping, a story I hadn’t realized I’d been stewing over came to me so strongly I wrote for two hours straight while he slept. I craved writing every minute of every day after that. But with two young boys and a business to manage, I didn’t have the time to dedicate to the craft. Writing was put on the back burner, reduced to notes about future books and worlds. That is, until fifteen years later when I finally had the time, and the means, to focus on writing.
The morning I put my fourth son on the bus for kindergarten, I sat down at a tiny desk in my kitchen, and wrote until he came home. From that moment on, I wrote while my kids were in school, pouring the story my heart had been holding onto for all those years onto the pages of what would become my first novel, Megan’s Way; a very personal story that was published three years later, in 2009.
A Dare to Dream
My foray into writing began with literary fiction, then moved on to mystery, thriller, and historical fiction, all of which had romantic threads. But a dare led me to the romance genre.
One summer on Cape Cod, a friend dared me to write something that wouldn’t tear her heart out (Thank you, Brenda!). It was that dare that threw me into the romance genre. I devoured every romance novel I could get my hands on. And wrote my first women’s fiction/romance crossover, Sisters in Love, the first book in my Snow Sisters trilogy.
Of course, the first question I asked myself was, “Who can I kill?”
Old habits die hard.
Needless to say, I fell madly in love with crafting every aspect of my Love in Bloom world. I loved building characters and backstories, exploring the angsty push-pull of the romance. And, of course, the happily-ever-afters.
Writing Without Limits
I don’t chase trends or write formulaic stories. Romance allows me to wrap my love of other genres into my books. I write emotionally complicated love stories. I love taking risks and pushing myself to write difficult stories about often-silenced subjects in the genre. Things like differently abled characters, a heroine who is blind. Another who receives a cancer diagnosis during the story and chooses to amputate her limb. I also enjoy writing about situations like homelessness and substance abuse, PTSD, adult children taking care of aging parents, and other real-life circumstances. All in an effort to bring attention to situations others might shy away from.
I delve deep and get gritty, because I believe everyone deserves a voice that isn’t stunted or used as a crutch for a story. Instead, my stories cover the hows and whys. The torments and the victories.
Keeping it Over 100
I found my passion in romance, and 124 books later, I’ve never looked back. One of the best aspects about my stories is that they are all written to stand alone, without cliffhangers or unresolved issues. But I’ve also kept all of the characters in my Love in Bloom world alive with cameos and updates in series other than their own. This way, readers never lose track of engagements, weddings, or births.
My latest release, Flirting with Trouble, is the first book in my new Silvers at Silver Island series. This epically funny, steamy small-town romance features Wells Silver, a charming reformed player, and Victoria Braden, a “black-cat widow.” In their story, we see and hear about characters from previous series. Here’s a fun fact: Victoria is a cousin to my original Bradens at Weston!
A Partner in Publishing
All of that said, my career would not be as successful or fulfilling if not for Barnes and Noble and B&N Press. In 2009, indie publishing was snubbed by the masses. When B&N Press launched in 2010, I eagerly jumped on board. heir easy interface and incredibly helpful and supportive staff make it exciting to self-publish.
Barnes and Noble, like many of my fans, has been there for me throughout my career. Along the way, I realized I didn’t need to be a Green Beret to be surrounded by strong thoughtful heroes who would go to any length to protect the people and world they love. I just need to create them.
About Melissa Foster
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 novels. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, always family oriented, and feature fiercely loyal heroes, smart, sassy heroines, and complex relatable issues.
Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name, Addison Cole.
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