Author’s Choice with Melissa Roos

Please welcome Melissa to Author’s Choice.

Dear readers, here’s where you get to play along. The author will tell us two truths and one lie (ed comment –I randomized the order). At the end of the questions, we’ll reveal what really happened. Remember, we write crime fiction, so lying is in our nature . . .

Two Truths, One Lie

Truth or Lie? I walked soy beans as a teenager.

Truth or Lie? I grew up in a big city.

Truth or Lie? I have water-skied on the Mississippi River.

Eight Quick Questions

Now for some fun insight into today’s author. Here are eight forced choice questions.  

1.        First draft: longhand, keyboard, or dictation? A keyboard with lots of sticky notes and scratch/ripped pieces of paper with scribbled ideas. (Some of which are written in the dark!)

2.        Plotter, pantser, or plantser (that chaotic middle ground)? Definitely a pantser!

3.        Editing as you go, or vomit draft first and fix it later? I edit as I go. Part of it is structural, part of it is line-level, but it’s really about clarity—I can’t move forward until the scene feels solid. I need to know it makes sense, that the emotional beats land, and that the right clues are in place. Once that foundation is there, I can keep building.

4.        Writing snack: sweet, salty, or "I forget to eat"? Sweet drink- Dunkin' Donuts Refresher - Strawberry Dragonfruit with green tea.

5.        Character names: meticulously researched, stolen from real life, or whatever sounds right? I tend to choose whatever feels right. A name has to match how I envision the character—their appearance, their personality, even their quirks and idiosyncrasies. When it clicks, it just fits, and the character starts to feel that much more real on the page.

6.        Writer's block: push through, step away, or "it's not real"? I step away. I go for a walk, dance in the kitchen, or lie down on the couch, depending on how bad it is! 🙂

7.        Social media for authors: necessary evil, genuine fun, or absolutely not? Necessary evil, it can be fun, but I  could certainly live without doing it!

8.        Happy ending, bittersweet, or gut-punch finale? Happy Ending. I always want to leave my characters in a fairly good place.

About the Book

Enough about you, let’s turn to three questions about your book.

Q: If your main character in this novel showed up at your door right now, what would be the first thing they'd say to you (and would it be a complaint)?

A. Lexi would ask - When can we go back to the edge and watch the sunset?

Q: What's one thing you hope readers take away from this book?

A. Life doesn’t always go as we plan. Don’t be afraid to admit that you made a wrong choice.

Q: What question did you want me to ask, and what is your answer? 

A. Are there parts of your stories that friends or family would recognize as coming directly from your own life? Yes—absolutely. I often weave in small comments or moments drawn straight from my own experiences and those of the people around me. I also like to leave subtle “clues” throughout my stories—little details that only my family or closest friends would recognize, almost like secrets waiting for them to find.

The Big Reveal

Now let’s see how good a sleuth (or guesser) our readers are. Please reveal all.

The lie is that  I grew up in a big city. In reality, my hometown had fewer than 4,500 people, and my graduating class was just 66 students. The truths are a little more me. I’ve water skied on the mighty Mississippi—and it was every bit as exhilarating as it sounds. 

And from the time I was twelve until I was twenty, I spent my summers walking beans. It meant starting before sunrise, reaching the edge of the fields in that quiet, blue-gray light before daybreak. By the time we finished, we’d be soaked from the dew, boots caked in mud. It was hard, physical work—but there was something peaceful about it too. Watching the sun rise over the horizon, seeing deer scatter through the rows… out there, in all that quiet, I never really minded the work at all.

Here’s a blurb for and some links where you can find Melissa's latest:

Book Blurb

Lexi has spent years surviving. Until Collin W. Radcliff walks in.

He’s powerful, charming, and absurdly out of her league. A man who could have anyone—yet somehow, he wants her.

One glance. One choice. Everything changes.

Collin’s her chance at a new life… or her most dangerous mistake. Money can buy anything—except trust.

Because the truth lies at the edge of love and deception.

[Amazon]       [Bookshop.org (Indy Bookstores)]       [Author's Website]

Want to know more?

For more information about Melissa Roos www.MelissaRoosAuthor.com