About
A letter from the author:
Hey friend,
If you have stumbled across this letter for whatever reason: you found me on social media, you read my book, or you got here by accident, I want to say that I’m happy you’re here. Writing this series has been a life-long dream of mine and the fact that you are reading this right now, is nothing short of a dream-come-true for me. I want you to know that, whoever you are, however you know me, I hope to be someone you can trust to tell stories that matter.
I was born in a place that I never really felt like I fit in. I was always too loud, too opinionated, too weird, too ready to question what I was told. Then, when I grew up and finally decided I didn’t care how “too” I was, I realized I wanted to write books for the kids like me. I like to call us, the “Too Kids”, because for whatever reason, someone in your life maybe made you feel like something about you was too “something” for them. But, I want to tell you that you’re not “too” anything, and that somewhere in the world there are people out there who can’t get enough of you. And at least one of those people is me! I want to write books with characters that make you feel like you can be exactly you, and whoever that “you” is, they are worthy, and powerful, and significant. So, I hope you love my books, because I love writing them for you.
Too Much Love,
Melissa E. Day
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FAQs
- Why do you want to write YA?
When I was a teenager, I found my own power through characters like Tally Youngblood (The Uglies, Scott Westerfield), Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins), and Maerad (The Naming, Allison Croggon). I believe that your teenage/young adult years are the most important of your life– you are learning who you are and what you want, and books are such a powerful tool, because they allow you to experience the world from multiple perspectives. They make us more informed, more imaginative, and more empathetic. As a writer, it would be the greatest honor of my life to help other young people find their power through my characters and my stories.
- Why do you talk so much about “diverse” representation in books?
Because it’s important! I know how powerful it was for me, growing up, to see characters that looked like me, doing cool and important things, and I think that everyone deserves that. That is why I make sure that my characters come in all different shapes, sizes, cultural backgrounds, sexual preferences, and everything in between. On my own, I could not hope to represent all of those communities well or accurately, so I work hard to seek advice from people who have lived those experiences in order to portray them well without centering myself within their story.
- Is The Last Traveler going to be a series?
Yes! When I began writing this book, I knew right away that it was going to be a trilogy. I am so excited to spend the next few years exploring the world of Terra and discovering these characters. I have written many stories, but so far, this one is my favorite, so I knew I couldn’t stop at just one. There will be The Last Traveler (Coming Feb. 2023), The Record-Keeper’s Secret (TBD), and The Commander’s Daughter (TBD).
- What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I am passionate about good food and a good party. I love to host get-togethers for my friends and family complete with themes, and sometimes, multi-course meals. I will readily admit that I am a little bit “extra” when it comes to well… most things, but especially fun. I am a firm believer in “work hard, play hard”. I also love a good thrift store haul, a little self-care day, and like the rest of the millenial/gen z’s out there, I’m obsessed with TikTok.
- Do you write for a living?
No, not at this point anyway. I am currently a marketing manager for a textbook publisher. It sounds boring, I know, but is actually pretty fun, and gives me more time to work on writing. This is a fairly new job transition for me, as I have been a middle school English teacher most of my career, which further ignited my passion for YA. I loved my students, and wanted to write stories they would want to read.
- What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on the sequel to TLT, The Record Keeper’s Secret, as well as some fun little adult romance side projects when I have time.
Enter a new A New World
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join the journal & Receive a free download of the prequel “The fall of the watch.”