Melissa F. Miller already established as one of the top legal thriller writers on the planet. Her Sasha McCandless series continuing with a novella about the main character. The new title A Mingled Yarn was published in July and is standing solidly with average 4.8 Amazon stars from 30 plus reviews. Our next guest is USA Today bestselling author. It’s a great joy to welcome Melissa Miller at Land of Books .

Credits: Frances Civello Photography

– Melissa, what is your book A Mingled Yarn about?
– My latest release, A Mingled Yarn, is actually a novella that takes place between two full-length novels in my Sasha McCandless legal thriller series. This is the third novella I’ve written in this series. The novellas focus more on the characters’ personal relationships rather than the plot-driven thrillers. In this novella, Sasha is about to give birth, and the experience has her reconsidering her views on issues ranging from responsible gun ownership to working motherhood.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– I wrote previous novellas when Sasha became engaged (Lovers and Madmen) and when she was married (A Marriage of True Minds). I have a core of readers who want to know more about her relationship with federal agent Leo Connelly (now her husband), so when I left Sasha pregnant at the end of Irrefutable Evidence, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that this novella would follow!
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– For this particular novella, the biggest challenge was to write Sasha realistically as a full-term expectant mother. As my readers know, she’s a fierce, little person. So I had to imagine how someone as capable and tough as she is would respond to the scenario of being pregnant.
– Tell us something more about your main character Sasha McCandless? Is she close to someone from your real life?
– Sasha McCandless is a very petite, whip-smart civil litigator who also happens to be trained in Krav Maga self-defense/hand-to-hand combat. She’s consistently underestimated by opponents in the courtroom (because of her gender) and in combat (because of her gender and size). She’s also somewhat of a trouble magnet who manages to find herself in the middle of life-threatening conspiracies, scandals, schemes, and plots with alarming regularity! Theres are pieces of her personality that remind me of lawyers with whom I’ve practiced (including myself), as well as of friends and family, but, no—she’s not modeled on anyone from my life.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– Because this is a fairly short work, I probably spent somewhere in the neighborhood of three months drafting and revising it with another month devoted to editing and finalizing it.
– Irreparable Harm is by far your most famous novel. Did you expect such a success when you start writing it?
I don’t think I ever thought about the book’s eventual reception when I was writing it. I had this idea for a story that I couldn’t stop thinking about, so I started writing. The rest, as they say, is history!
– What the readers will find in your Aroostine Higgins series?
– Readers who’ve read my Sasha McCandless series will see some similarities—the Aroostine Higgins series is also a legal thriller series featuring a strong, smart female protagonist. But at the same time, they’re very different. The Aroostine Higgins books blend dangers that arise from cutting edge technology with Aroostine’s Native American cultural background. Aroostine is a woman struggling to find her place without forsaking her heritage.
– Who are you (Would you describe yourself with few sentences)?
– I’m a former attorney, a full-time writer, a mother of three, a wife to my business partner/husband, and a coffee lover!
– What are your writing habits?
– My habits, such as they are, continue to evolve. When I was practicing law full-time, I did most of my writing very late at night or very early in the morning. Now I’m no longer a practicing attorney, but I am homeschooling my children and we are doing a lot of traveling as a family, so my schedule varies depending on where we are and what’s going on with the kids. The one habit I try to maintain no matter the circumstances is to write consistently—every day.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– I’m sure every author dreams of having more readers, and I’m no exception! But I’m very happy and grateful that my books have found an audience who enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. I never imagined I’d see my name on a bestsellers list (and now I have—twice!), and I’m thankful every day that I can do what I love.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– At this point in this series (seven full-length novels and three novellas), I mainly focus on letting the readers on my email list and those with whom I interact on social media know when I release a new Sasha title. The ebook version of Irreparable Harm is available for free download on all retail sites, and I find that a very effective way to introduce readers to the series and give them a risk-free way to see if they would enjoy it.
– When we will see your next novel Informed Consent and would you unveil something more about it?
– Informed Consent is the eighth full-length novel in the Sasha McCandless series. It’s available for preorder now and will be released on October 13. 2015. In this book, Sasha and her husband Leo Connelly are adjusting to their roles as new parents when Leo’s past intrudes on their life. At the same time, Sasha takes on a case where the rights of individuals to make informed decisions about medical research collide with a researcher who believes that the ends justify any means. Both Sasha and Leo will be forced to make a series of very difficult choices.
– Why you preferred the profession of writer and gave up the one of a lawyer?
– I practiced law for fifteen years in several capacities—I worked for two different large, international law firms in major cities, I clerked for a federal judge, and, for the past six years, I ran a two-person law firm with my husband in a rural area. Those diverse experiences were rewarding and challenging, but I find writing to be personally fulfilling in a way that practicing law wasn’t, at least for me. When I receive an email from a reader who fell in love with one of my books, it’s immensely gratifying. (Also, I can write in my pajamas!)
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be?
– You don’t really write in your pajamas, do you?
I really do, but only sometimes.
Thanks so much for interviewing me!

To learn more about Melissa F. Miller check out her Website
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Take a look at her books
Irreparable Harm
A Mingled Yarn: A Sasha McCandless Novella
Informed Consent (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 8)
Rosemary’s Gravy (A We Sisters Three Mystery Book 1)
Critical Vulnerability (An Aroostine Higgins Novel Book 1)