Melanie Harlow just finished her trilogy Happy Crazy Love. The last part of the series Some Sort of Love was published at the beginning of February. We wanted to get in touch with our next guest in the last few months, but she was busy completing her last book.

Finally, we are glad to welcome Melanie Harlow at Land of Books. We will concentrate our chat around book 2 of Happy Crazy Love series.

– Melanie, what is your book Some Sort of Crazy about?
– It’s a friends to lovers romance about Miles and Natalie, who spent their summers together as kids and always had great chemistry but never gave in to it before.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– I was inspired by the idea that Natalie, who thought she had her life all mapped out, would get a prediction from a psychic that said her life was about to be upended by a stranger.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– I had to write it quickly! But it was a fun book with a light tone, so it wasn’t as challenging as the first or third books in the series.
– Tell us something more about your main characters Natalie and Miles? Are they close to someone from your real life?
– Nope, they are pure fiction! Well, Miles was inspired a little bit by one of my younger brothers. He has that same devil-may-care attitude and things always seem to come easy for him.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– It took me about two and a half months.
– What the readers will find in your other popular series Frenched and Speak Easy?
– Speak Easy is a historical romance in the 1920s with lots of suspense—it’s my favorite thing I’ve written so far! I really love the Prohibition era, and Detroit has such a rich history from that time—the bootlegging and illegal clubs and expansion of organized crime…I’m just fascinated by it. The Frenched series follows three friends—Mia, Coco, and Erin—on their journeys to love. Book one (FRENCHED) is free everywhere! It’s set in Paris, a city I adore.
– Who are you?
– I live just outside Detroit, MI with my husband, two young daughters, and our pet rabbit, Peaches. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, teaching dance, running, or doing laundry! At night I like to eat dinner, drink a martini, and watch an episode of whatever series I’m into. Currently I’m watching Billions on Showtime.
– What are your writing habits?
– I write while the kids are at school, so between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM. After that the house gets too hectic!
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– Yes, it has been a wonderful build so far. Each release is bigger than the last, so I’m very happy.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– I have a team of early readers who help me get the word out, and I give away hundreds of ARCs. Early buzz helps. I do a release blitz and a review tour, blog takeovers, and ads on Facebook.
– When we will see your next novel and would you unveil something more about it?
– Well, I just published SOME SORT OF LOVE, the final book in the Happy Crazy Love series, so you won’t see anything from me for a while. I need a little break to get refreshed and inspired. After that, definitely another romance!
– Do you remember the moment when you decided to start writing romances?
– Yes! I’d always loved reading my mother’s paperbacks, but for the longest time I thought I’d write YA romances. It was early in 2013 when I decided to write the Speak Easy duet as adult rather than YA—and I’ve never looked back!
– You are fan of TV series. Would you rate your favorite Top 3 of all time?
– Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, and Breaking Bad. I know that’s 4, but I can’t help it. I love to see good people behaving badly!
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be? (Don’t forget to answer)
– Hmm. A lot of people ask me about advice for new writers, and I have 3 tips: 1. Write the best book you possibly can, something YOU’D want to read, and get beta experienced readers you trust to be honest. 2. Be prepared to invest in your business—don’t do things cheaply. Hire a good editor, a good cover designer, a good formatter (or use Vellum, which is my favorite new tool), and some help with PR. Don’t go into debt—just save up until you can launch yourself right. 3. Be nice to people—other authors, readers, bloggers. Reach out politely, say please and thank you, and promote books you didn’t write. Make friends! You’ll need them. 🙂

To learn more about Melanie Harlow check out her Website
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Take a look at her books:
Some Sort of Happy (Skylar and Sebastian)
Some Sort of Crazy (Natalie and Miles)
Some Sort of Love: A Happy Crazy Love Novel
Frenched (Mia and Lucas)
Speak Easy