I'm headed to Jim Thorpe to work on my next manuscript. Hi all! It's official. I'm on submission with Pining for You (PfY). What does that mean? It means that editors at publishing houses are considering the manuscript for publication. Cross your fingers, y’all. In honor of going on submission, I’ll share the elevator pitch for the book: PINING FOR YOU is a contemporary romance inspired by real events about a mature romance author who finds love with a rugged woodsman in the

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. New Year's Eve is my birthday, and I spent it with some dear friends who I adore. That's me contemplating what story I plan to write next and me vibing in the Dimmick Memorial LIbarary in Jim Thorpe. I've got that look in my eye...lol Today I’m in Jim Thorpe and it’s snowing! It’s time for a Pining for You update to start 2026. First, for those of you that are new to my blog, I’m Melissa. I write rom-coms, contemporary ro

Time for an update on Pining for You (PfY). It's been a busy few weeks for me with events for my cat rescue and the semester coming to an end, which meant no time for writing blog posts. But there is much happening behind the scenes for PfY and December 22nd is almost here! More on that date later. I have gotten back the manuscript from my editor with minimal edits. The pitch and synopsis have been written, and she loved the addition of the villain! Yay! What does all this me

Time for another theme from Pining for You! Okay, for this post I want to explore one of the very important side characters in Pining for You. I will get back to exploring another place in Jim Thorpe next time. But for now, let me introduce you to… Josh. Josh is fun-loving, honest, and loyal. He’s the best friend type—a man that every woman dreams of having in their life. The guy who watches movies with you with your feet propped in his lap, makes you laugh uncontrollably whe

Time for a Pining for You update. Since handing back my manuscript to my agent, I’ve had time to reflect once again on the setting of the book. I know you are all aware of my love for Jim Thorpe. My agent commented that she was excited to “go back to Jim Thorpe” for her second read of the manuscript with my changes. She’s told me one of my strengths in writing is world building. It’s funny because that was something I was always worried about when I first started writing nov

Yes, I'm Freddie for Halloween. Yes, I put a scary alien head next to the toilet to scare my guests for a Halloween party. And, yes, Zoe is adorable as a bat. Time for a Pining for You update. I have completed developmental edits and turned the manuscript back in to my agent. We are so in sync with our vision for this book. I’m always so grateful for her expertise. She’s an amazing partner on my publishing journey.  I’ve added another 10k words or so. There are some new chapt

Quick note on Pining for You… This was my view in one of the coffee shops this past Friday. I love the Alice in Wonderland theme, and there’s some really great privacy in this side room. I've also discovered Hill Rd. It's where my future house might be. The half-mile walk down is easy. The walk back is intense and difficult and I LOVE IT. Some of you know I'm a fitness nut and I never shy away from a challenge. it was definitely a work out. The burn was real and had me smilin

Hello all! Just wanted to drop an update. Things are happening for Fireflies, my young adult romance about alien symbiotes that takes place in the Appalachian Mountains. More on that soon as I know more… Now for another Pining For You update. This past Friday I spent time enjoying Jim Thorpe instead of working. I needed the break. I’ve been working so hard between teaching and the book, that I definitely needed to blow off some steam. So I had a mini-vaca with a friend who ha

Time for another update about PINING FOR YOU. This is train car 22. It plays a major role in Pining for You. I still haven't ridden in it yet, but hope to soon. In this post I'm talking about love. I mean, it’s a romance novel, it was bound to come up, right? Many romance novels, including my own, follow a similar pattern of how the main characters fall in love. Slow burns are popular and feel both authentic and filled with excitement and tension. I especially like an enemies

Time for another update! PINING FOR YOU is in draft form and currently with my agent and beta readers. I'm hearing good things so far.  I wanted to share another beautiful picture of Jim Thorpe that I took while pondering my recent writing journey. I had quite the view. It was near the Asa Packer Mansion, which I have yet to tour. The experience of writing this book has altered my mindset in ways I'm still comprehending. As my fellow writers and authors know, writing is a ful