[Author, Emerald Barnes] She is a mother, an award winning author, and creator of The Women’s Nest and the new WoMen’s Literary Cafe amongst other things. She helps other authors promote their work and feel like a community. She’s always sharing the love with her tweets on twitter and giving helpful tips to writers and readers alike. It is with great pleasure that I introduce Melissa Foster.
Can you tell us about yourself?
Sure! I’m shorter than everyone in my house, including my ten-year old son. I’m addicted to ice cream, Skittles, and fat free French vanilla cappuccino, and I love the outdoors. I walk when I’m not writing, and music makes me happy. I’m hardly ever in a bad mood, and apologize when I am. I trust everyone, and I believe that people are good–but don’t lie to me, or I might never trust you again. Giving back is high on my daily to-do list, and I’ll always fight for what’s right. Writing and my family are my passion, and I’d go without groceries to spend my summers on Cape Cod.
Megan's Way
You have two books out. Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda. What are they about?
Megan’s Way touches on parental fears and explores just how far a mother will go to protect her child. It is a story that explores the depth of the mother-daughter bond and the intricacies of friendships. It uncovers the ways secrets bind relationships together and also tears them apart, while Chasing Amanda explores a different type of parental fear. Chasing Amanda is a suspense novel about a woman who witnesses an abduction–only she doesn’t realize it is an abduction, until three days later when the little girl’s body is found. She escapes the memories in the city and moves to a small town. Nine years later, when a little girl disappears from the close-knit community, she’s forced to relive the memories, and risks her marriage, and her life, to try and save the missing girl. My next book, Come Back to Me, will be released in early November, 2011.
You are starting the WoMen’s Literary Cafe. Could you describe that for us?
After helping a number of authors with their promotions, I realized that authors are writers, but not necessarily
Chasing Amanda
marketers, and there are thousands of authors meandering through the marketing aspect of being an author. With twenty years of marketing experience, my goal is to help others learn to market their books, and provide a venue for reaching out and growing a cross-promotional community. The WoMen’s Literary Cafe is a free venue for the literary community to unite under one umbrella. The primary focus will be to help authors expand their readership and followers without associated costs. Eventually, we will have launch parties, reader/author get-togethers, and several promotions each month. We currently have almost 1000 members, and I expect that to skyrocket once we launch. Alone we are one. Together we are a force to be reckoned with.
As an author, how important was it for when it came to starting the WoMen’s Literary Cafe?
WoMen’s Literary Cafe is about helping authors learn to promote their work and creating a literary community that supports one another. It is more important to me as a person, then as an author, to create this site. I just happen to be an author. Beyond that, I’m simply a person who likes to market and believes in sharing knowledge.
When will it be up and running?
I wish I could give you a definite date. I’m getting closer to the launch everyday. I’m working through donated time first, then moving to paid programmers if need be. I hope to have the site launched before the end of October. Right now there are a few promotions being held on Facebook.
More about Melissa Foster:
Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of two novels, Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, and WoMen’s Literary Café, a literary community. Melissa is currently collaborating in the film production of Megan’s Way. Melissa has written for Calgary’s Child Magazine, and Women Business Owners Magazine. She hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa is currently working on her next novel, and lives in Maryland with her family.Melissa’s interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod. A portion of every book sold is donated to Provincetown Cares.Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.Awards:Megan’s Way
2011 Beach Book Award Winner (Spirituality)
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Fiction/Drama), Finalist (Women’s Fiction)
2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist (Spirituality)Chasing Amanda
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Paranormal), Finalist, (Women’s Fiction, Mystery)
2011 Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards, Winner, (Paranormal)PUBLISHER’S MARKETPLACE: Melissa FosterMember: Maryland Writers’ AssociationMember: RABMAD, Read a Book Make a Difference.
Melissa Foster is a New York Time and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page.