New Books /COMING SOON :
Speaking:
Melissa writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages to date and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, etc) as well as various countries overseas. She is best known for the Wicked Lovely series for teens and Graveminder for adults--and her utter inability to stick to one age demographic, format, and genre.
Wicked Lovely, her debut novel, was simultaneously released in the US and UK by HarperCollins in 2007 (with translation rights also sold in twenty-some countries). It debuted as a NY Times Bestseller and evolved into a multi-book series with myriad accolades and international bestseller lists.
Her debut adult book, Graveminder, released to strong critical reception in 2011. Following that she has edited anthologies with Kelley Armstrong (Enthralled and Shards & Ashes) and with Tim Pratt (Rags & Bones), and released a second adult novel (The Arrivals) in 2013.
With Kelley Armstrong, Melissa is the co-author of the Blackwell Pages trilogy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), a children’s trilogy about the Norse myth of Ragnarök.
Her first picture book (Bunny Roo, I Love You) was released in April 2015. It was written while she was in the hospital with her baby, who was very sick. To date, Bunny Roo has reached over 200,000 unit in English, as well as rights sold in French, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Bulgarian.
Her second picture book, Baby Dragon, Baby Dragon!, released in 2019. A third, Bunny Roo and Duckling Too (also a national bestseller!) followed 2021. All of her picture books are with Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books.
Under the name Ronnie Douglas, Melissa has written several adult romances as well-- the self-published Unlawful, as well as Undaunted and Unruly (via HarperCollins).
Additionally, Melissa has published a YA thriller, written (and edited anthologies of) assorted short fiction, and essays in charity anthologies.
In more recent years, An Audible Original edition in 2020 of her psychological thriller based on Bluebeard, Pretty Broken Things, drew interest in experimenting with indie publishing.
So--during the pandemic--she published indie books: Cold Iron Heart (a prequel to Wicked Lovely), a new Urban Fantasy series (faeries, magic, & draugr), and the ebook & print version of her Audible Original Thriller, Pretty Broken Things.
Between 2020 and 2022, she also had a new middle grade (The Hidden Knife via Penguin), a Wicked Lovely sequel (Dark Sun), and Wild Horses (a photography picture book via Penguin),
2023 brought Hidden Dragon, another middle grade (Penguin).
In 2023, Wild Horses was selected for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Blue Ribbon pick (sent out to hundreds of thousands of children).
2024 was Family is Family, a picturebook (Penguin), the first of a pair of fantasy novels in a new world (Remedial Magic, Tor/Bramble), and The Strange Case of Harleen & Harley, a graphic novel (D.C. Comics).
In late 2024, Wild Horses was again selected for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Blue Ribbon pick (sent out to hundreds of thousands of children), but this time in a bilingual edition.
It also brought the re-issue of Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, Radiant Shadows, Darkest Mercy AND the YA edition of Cold Iron Heart from HarperFire, the UK arm of HarperCollins.
2025 will bring Toni & Addie Go Viral, a contemporary sapphic novel (Tor/Bramble), as well as the re-issue of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange (HarperTeen).
Currently, Melissa resides in Arizona with her partner of several years (Amber). Together with the children's father, they raise a hyper son and a college-age son.
Born: July 25, 1972
Partner/Wife: Amber
Current Job: Mom & Writer
Random Jobs: Some months I am a MFA Faculty (I teach at the MFA program at SNHU); occasionally I am a freelance editor.
Religion: Jew By Choice
Politics: liberal/progressive
Upcoming & Recent releases are
- The Strange Case of Harleen & Harley, a D.C. Comics Graphic Novel.(October 2024)
- Reluctant Witch, a sequel to Remedial Magic, via Bramble/Tor, 1 April 2025
- Re-Issue of Wicked Lovely & Ink Exchange, HarperTeen, April 2025.
- Re-Issue of 5 Original Wicked Lovely Books + YA Cold Iron Heart via HarperFire, November 2024,
- a picturebook via Penguin, Family is Family (February 2024)
- Adult fantasy via Bramble/Tor, Remedial Magic, March 2024
- Middle Grade novel via Penguin, The Hidden Knife paperback (Jan 2023),
- Comic included in Wonderful Women of the World (Sept 2021)
- Dark Sun, a Wicked Lovely sequel (2022)
- a book of photography via Penguin on Wild Horses (June 2022)
- Middle Grade novel via Penguin, The Hidden Dragon (Feb 2023)
FUTURE: - Toni & Addie Go Viral, via Bramble/Tor, August 2025
- Greta (Actual Title to Come), via Bramble/Tor, 2026
Writing Accolades
Partial List of Writing Accolades:
• New York Times Bestseller
• Los Angeles Times Bestseller
• Wall Street Journal Bestseller
• Publishers Weekly Bestseller
• USA Today Bestseller
• Spiegel List (German Bestseller)
• Livres Hebdo Bestseller List
• Scottish Book Trust pick
• International Reading Association Notable Book
• Good Morning America Summer Pick
• Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award
• Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple Award finalist
• State Reading List (TAYSHAS) in Texas, et al
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library Blue Ribbon pick (once in English, and again in a bilingual edution)
• Mark Twain Nominee/ Finalist (2023-2024)
OfficiAL :
•Panelist, NCTE/ALAN, 2008.
• Panelist, Brooklyn Book Festival, 2008.
• Panelist, Texas Library Association, 2008.
• Speaker, Celtic New Year Festival, Castle Sforzesco; Milan, Italy;
2010
• Panelist, American Library Association, 2010.
• Panelist, Bologna Book Fest; Bologna, Italy; Fantasy Bar Camp, 2011
• Panelist on Young Adult to Adult, Book Expo America, NYC, 2011.
• Panelist, Northwest Book Festival; Seattle; 2011
• Speaker, National Book Festival, Washington DC, 2012
• Panelist on Young Adult, Book Expo America, NYC, 2012.
• Panelist, American Library Association, 2012.
• Panelist, Texas Library Association, 2013.
• Panelist, Virginia Festival of the Book; Charlottesville, VA; 2015.
• Panelist, Miami Book Festival, Miami, 2015
• Panelist, Texas Library Association, 2015.
• Panelist, LA Times Book Festival, LA, 2016
• Keynote Speaker, Headstart for Early Readers, Phoenix, Spring 2017
• Panelist, Phoenix Fan Fusion, 2022
• Speaker, MPIBA, FallCon 2023
• Panelist, Phoenix Fan Fusion, 2024
• Panelist, Apollycon, 2024
• Featured Author, Steamy in Seattle, Clarion West, 2024
• Romance Con, 2025 **