DarkLight On... Melanie Pickering!

Welcome Melanie!

You write urban gothic romance. What attracted you to this genre?

I've always loved mysteries that were a little bit spooky and once I was old enough to appreciate romance, I went looking for stories that blended the two. From Scooby-Doo to Scream, we know that feeling scared can intensify romantic feelings!

Writing gothic romance allows me to indulge both these loves while producing the sorts of stories I always wanted to read, but could never find.

You also have YA stories. Can you tell us about them? How is the market for them?

I cut my teeth writing YA. Adrift (part of the Mermaid Kisses anthology) was my very first publication and based on a nightmare I had about a mermaid couple who lured humans into the sea, so they could drown them and use their bodies on land.

My debut novel, Spill, was a homage to everything I loved - ghosts, teenage first love, and an ambiguous timeline. It's angsty, gritty and doesn't shy away from bad language or hard-hitting themes - one of which was self-harm. It was difficult to market and I still don't think it's found its audience.

Then came Ghosted, a purely-indulgent Holiday romance. It's light and sweet but with a whimsically dark edge. A Christmas Carol / Groundhog Day mashup set during a typical Aussie summer - it is illustrated by my daughter, Hannah, so will always have a special place in my heart.

While I've parked writing YA for the time being to focus on regular adult stories, I still have a couple to write.

Are you a plotter? Panster? Or somewhere in-between?

I started out as a meticulous plotter, but suffered paralysis-by-analysis when I didn't know what came next or if I veered off track. Now I am about 90% Pantser. I still need to write out everything I know about the idea of a story - this usually ends up being my synopsis or blurb - and I always do this first. Just don't ask me about GMC, or beats, etc. as I tend to figure these out organically, in my head, and having to think about them will have me running from the room (and you)!

Do you have advice for aspiring writers?

Write your own way - and don't be afraid to try a multitude of ways before you find "your" way. Trust your instincts - you'll know when something's right for you or not.

How do you fill the creative well?

I love to make things, but working full-time has run the well a bit dry. When I need inspiration, I like to head outside for a walk. The shower is also a good substitute. It's ridiculous the amount of ideas that come to me when I'm showering! I also read every single night before bed - without exception.

What is next in the future for you?

I'm currently working on a 6-part workplace-romance-psychic-mystery series, called Deadly Possessions, about a collection of ill-fated antiques and their secret histories.

Tell us about your latest release and your inspiration behind it. 

I've just released Book 1 in the Deadly Possessions series: Hounding the Truth. The whole series was inspired by the idea that our possessions - be they ordinary objects or heirlooms - carry stories that refuse to fade, intertwining with the lives of those who uncover them. If your antiques could talk, what stories would they tell?

Melanie Pickering

Hounding the Truth

Book 1, Deadly Possessions

Like your cozy mysteries a little dark, with bite, and slow burn sizzling romance?

When Emily Sloane starts her new job at Jared Bell’s prestigious auction house, she’s thrilled to prove herself with a high-profile assignment: cataloging the life-sized bronze statue of a hellhound once owned by notorious gothic horror writer, Victor Barrow. But as Emily delves into the statue’s history and taps into her uncanny ability to sense its past, she uncovers dark secrets linked to Barrow’s untimely death.

As the auction draws near, Emily and Jared are drawn into a dangerous game involving a ruthless publisher and a ghostwriter with a grudge. Amidst the gothic gloom of Barrow’s legacy and the growing attraction between them, Emily and Jared find themselves entangled in a web of danger that threatens their very safety.

Will they unravel the dark secrets of the Barrow estate in time, or will they become the latest victims trapped within their own gothic nightmare?

Hounding the Truth is the thrilling first addition to the Deadly Possessions series, where each antique hides a dangerous secret, and revealing the truth comes with its own distinct price.

Buy

Melanie Pickering

Melanie Pickering writes urban gothic thrillers with mystery, romance, and a supernatural twist. Her new dark cozy series, Deadly Possessions, follows psychic art historian Emily Sloane and her dangerously charming boss as they uncover the cursed secrets behind a trail of deadly antiques.

If you like your mysteries with bite, your romance slow but sultry, and your heirlooms haunted, Book One: Hounding the Truth is out now!


Visit Melanie at: melaniepickering.com