THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Summer Sounds
Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Mel Walker's Summer Sounds (book ten in the Summers of Seaside multi-author series)
***Synopis***
Welcome to Summers in
Seaside, a small town located along the Oregon Coast and home of the Seaside
Festival. This brand new series of short contemporary romance stories will be
filled with sun, sand and summer adventures that will tug at your heart strings.
This series will give
you a taste of eighteen new stories in a shared world. Each book will be a standalone
story that will include crossovers connecting some of their characters and
settings.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or
was that decided before the story began?
Summer Sounds is a small town friends-to-lovers opposites attract romance. The character led me to these subgenre tropes.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I am more character driven.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep
them separated in your mind? Do you have
a story/vision board above your workspace?
I have a playlist and photos of the main characters and settings to keep me focused.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a
life of their own. Were any of the
characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of
where you initially wanted them to go?
That is normally the case however with this story the characters pretty much followed the script. Part of that is because I had a story vision of this story from the minute it initially hit me.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Yes. I based a lot of the main character on my son who is a sound engineer.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
Not anyone I know personally but someone who I admire and have seen in concert a number of times. Anyone who reads the novel will be able to figure out who rather quickly.
Was there any one character/scene
that was harder to write about than the other?
There is a very emotional scene at the end of the second act between the three siblings.
Secrets are revealed and a lot of hurt is brought to the surface. It proved to be a scene that I kept returning to and adjusting for weeks.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
For “Summer Sounds” I have all the love in the world for the main heroine, Hailey.
She’s appeared in three of my other books but this is her first time as the lead.
How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?
I let the characters lead the way. They always lead me to the proper HEA.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for
you? Why?
For me, it’s the first time we see Hailey step to the microphone on stage. It’s a magical moment that sparks everything that happens in the book.
How long did it take you to write this book?
The first draft took a month.
Tweaks, edits, beta feedback, another round of edits and proofreading took another five weeks.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Every book in the series is based on Summers in Seaside and has the word Summer in it. Based on my story Summer Sounds was a natural.
If you met these characters in real life would you get
along?
Absolutely – best buddies 😊
If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
Bonnie Wright and Michael B. Jordan.
Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect
next? Whether a new book and series or a
sequel to an existing series? Can you
share a small tease?
Yes – I have new release only a few days old – July 28th called The Right Guy. It’s a small town fake romance. (Note from Reading by Deb - check out my review using the link below)
Blurb:
My ex is bringing my replacement to our friend’s wedding, what do I do?
Option A: Leave the state
Option B: Find a fake boyfriend for the week
Catherine March is what many would call an unparalleled success. With tons of friends from coast to coast and outstanding success as the manager of a premier event space in the state, she has overachieved in every aspect of her life except one - finding a partner. Finding the right partner.
Returning to her hometown for a friend’s wedding she is confronted by her ex, the man who predicted she’ll always be alone. And to make matters worse, he's troting his replacement all around town.
Faced with a tough choice, Catherine decides the solution to her problem is to find the perfect fake boyfriend for the week.
But being an overachiever has its own set of challenges, even her fake relationship appears real to everyone, including herself.
New city, new job, new challenges.
Hunter Farro is far from home and he's looking to stand on his own without the assistance of his powerful family.
It sounded simple enough. That is until a stranger kisses him and ropes him into being her pretend boyfriend for her friend's wedding
She is a beautiful distraction, and he has his reasons for agreeing but as the charade grows he realizes the danger. The fake relationship isn’t the only secret he is hiding behind and if the truth comes out everything he’s worked for may disappear.
If you love small towns, fake relationship stories, moments that will tug at your heartstrings and a swoon-worthy happy ending, then you'll love this sweet romance.
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/07/author-at-glance-mel-walker.html#more
Mel Walker has been writing fiction most of his adult life. Specializing in Short Stories and Contemporary fiction and Romance Novels. A native New Yorker and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan. He loves to write about ordinary people placed in difficult situations, especially as it relates to their closest relationships.
Mel Walker is a rare bird, the male romance author. Specializing in heartfelt small town romance, he enjoys telling compelling romances with all the feels. A native New Yorkers and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan, he enjoys long walks, bike rides and taking in the energy of the city.
Connect with Mel:
Hailey
Stop the world I want to get off. I gave up my career to race home and save my family, only to be overwhelmed. We are behind on the mortgage; our family band is struggling, and my two younger brother’s constant bickering has escalated to Def Con three. The Seaside Music Festival is our last best shot – if we don’t land a music deal, everything will be lost. So why exactly am I kissing a stranger under the boardwalk?
Marshall
I’m a music producer that lives in the land of tweaking mainstream music consumed by the masses. My reputation is taking a beating, and I’m losing clients. I’m at the end of my rope, failure is knocking at the door holding a stack of applications to mind-numbing desk jobs. Kill me now. It’s time to take a risk - all I need is one special artist. So why am I kissing a stranger at the Music festival?
Two souls in search of redemption discover the sweetest sound is the beat of their own hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment