Tag Archives: contemporary romance

Melanie Jayne: Spending Time with Old Friends

The first book I completed was A Change for the Good. It was one of those times when the idea came to me complete. I knew the characters’ names, and scenes were fully plotted. I fully intended it to be a one-and-done. I was new to publishing, and I had so many ideas.

However, Forde and Layla popped into my head, and I couldn’t shut them up. Better was the first book that I couldn’t stop writing. I would open my laptop to write a quick one hundred words here and there whenever I got the chance.

With that book, The Change Series was born. I had no plan, only ideas. I used it as a way to try different things. I wrote about interracial couples, male/male, dealt with mental illness, women who did not want to settle down, and characters who didn’t want children. They were imperfect heroes and heroines who were making changes to get what they wanted.

I finished the last book in 2020 and moved on to other series. Three years ago, a member of my team suggested that I update the covers for the series. Every six months, she would remind me of all the reasons why it was necessary and enlisted others to encourage me to do so.

Last fall, I paid for new covers, and since the ladies who were working on the project had read the books, they had great ideas and insights. We tried to position the series for Contemporary Romance and Women’s Literature (Chick Lit.)

Because I could not leave well enough alone, I decided to go back and reread each book and make a few fixes. I thought it would take forever, but the books are easy reads, and I was done in a few weeks.

As I read each book, memories of the struggle to tell the couples’ stories came back to me. The excitement of knowing that I was on the right path when the words came easily and the pain deep in my chest when they thought they might not make it.

I rediscovered my old friends. In Best, I created the best friend that I wish I had. Billie has been through so much and is damaged. She has PTSD and a horrible mother. She moves to Indianapolis to start over. Soon after, she meets Zoe Alessi from Good and becomes a part of the Forde Limited family and finds the love of her life.

Next came A Change in Perception, where I explored the issue of child abuse and made the mother the aggressor. A book club in Michigan read the book and I was shocked to learn that one of the members was furious that I wrote “that garbage.” The reader believed that a mother would never hurt her child.

I’m still amazed at people who refuse to see.

Cress was a tough character to write. She works so hard but really only lives half of a life. When the book opens, she is trying to take some control over her disaster of a life. She doesn’t have a plan except to make changes. I needed to create a character that didn’t know herself, but she wanted to. She was smart and dumb at the same time. Her new friends and lover gave her a safe space to learn and the patience to make missteps.

My plan when writing A Change of Plan was to make Ramsay Kent, who was a ball-breaker and mistake-maker, likable. When the reader meets her in prior books, she is prickly and selfish. When things get tough, she takes off. Rereading her story years later, I saw a deeply wounded woman who was doing the best she could. It was ingrained in her that she was not worth people sticking with. I paired her with Osi Browne, who is a loner. He’s big and scary and intimidates all. He also has infinite patience and the drive to figure the elusive Ramsay out.

Immediately, I saw similar traits between Osi and The Novus Pack’s most popular male, Lore. They have a personal code. They care for only a few, but if you are one of “theirs,” then they will be loyal.

I clearly remember creating Campbell Talbot from A Change of Direction as a woman who made her own rules. She was single and enjoyed being so. Men were a want and not a need in her life. She was unapologetically independent.

In a different life, I could be her. In some ways, I am.

When she meets Sly, neither are looking for a relationship; however, their chemistry cannot be denied. He puts up with her dating rules because they amuse him. When he finally meets her two besties, he gains valuable insight into Campbell.

She needs to feel that she has control because, in her failed marriage, her husband controlled her with money. When she wanted her freedom, he fought and delayed the divorce to watch her suffer.

The final book in the series takes place during the holidays. I devote a chapter to each couple and give an update on their lives and a hint of their future. The story arc is about Billie and Tye moving into their dream house and their fertility journey. The final scene is during the group’s Christmas lunch. I wrote the damn scene, and I read it with tears falling down my cheeks. I was happy for all of my old friends, but especially for Billie.

After reading the series, I realized that I was writing about what I wanted from my friendships and what I wanted to give. I had gone through a period where I lost my closest writing world friends. There was no big blow-up, and to this day, I still don’t know what happened. One day, we were in a four-person Messenger group, and the next…it was disbanded.

In the Change Series, I created female characters that I wanted in my life. Women that were loyal and could have a problem with one another and not ditch a friendship.

As time passed, I made new friends. I probably moved more slowly with them because I was wary. I wanted to be sure they would be honest with me and understand that I’m far from perfect. I was looking for friendships where we celebrated the good times and pulled one another through the bad times.

Taking the time to reread the books gave me the opportunity to see how much I have grown as a writer and as a person and friend. Hopefully, I’ll be much better.

*~*~*

You can learn more about Melanie Jayne:  http://www.readmelaniejayne.com

And the Change Series: http://www.readmelaniejayne.com/change-series.html

MALCOLM is out! And it’s FREE in KU!

It’s heeerre!

If you’ve enjoyed my bounty hunters so far, you’ll love Malcolm and Darleen’s story! This is a transition book as well. There are hints aplenty of where the hunters are going next and who’s going to be front and center in the next series. So, if you’re eager to start the new series, you’ll need to read this one! I’m excited for you and me. There are many more adventures to come.

For now, Malcolm is available at Amazon in both eBook and print. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get the book for FREE! Happy reading! ~DD

Malcolm

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: DEAD HORSE, MT
Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

Two fiercely independent bounty hunters must fight their attraction while learning to trust each other as they work together to bring in a dangerous skip.

Former SEAL Malcolm Winslow was looking for a change. He’s been bounty hunting on his own since leaving the teams and has missed the camaraderie of fellow warriors, so he accepts a job with the Montana Bounty Hunters. His first hunt takes a turn when the MBH team discovers that another lone hunter has found their target first. Not wanting to infringe, they stand by just in case their competition needs help.

Darleen Crockett has things well in hand. Sure, she’s alone, without a weapon (because where would she hide it in her skimpy outfit?), and the skip she’s determined to take down is one mean MF, but Darleen likes to ride that dangerous edge between victory and disaster. She’s an admitted adrenaline junkie.

When her skip attacks, she has things well in hand but is suddenly rescued by a rugged, tattooed man who makes her heart pitter-patter. What’s up with that? She’s quickly recruited by Malcolm’s agency and finds herself on the biggest hunt of her career. Denying her attraction to her temporary new partner isn’t possible when they spend so many hours alone, but what she doesn’t expect is finding something more with the equally footloose and independent Malcolm. Things get thorny between them when Malcolm can’t seem to get past the fact she’s a woman to trust that she can handle herself.

When the agency prepares to track an old adversary preparing to flee justice, Malcolm and Darleen are quickly folded into the team heading to Lander, Wyoming, to find their dangerous skip.

Order your eBook now!
Also available in print!
Read an excerpt!

Signing at TURN THE PAGE

Signing in Boonesboro, Maryland

WRECKED

I’ll be at Turn the Page in Boonesboro, Maryland on Friday April 19th from 11:30 – 2, along with:

Mary Burton/Mary Ellen TaylorDarynda JonesDorien KellyJane PorterSarah WendellGrace BurrowesSally MacKenzieAlethea KontisAllison Leotta,  Hope Ramsay,Nora Roberts/J.D. RobbChristine TrentWilla BlairRebecca YorkP. J. O’Dwyer.

If you can attend, that would be awesome.  Make sure you check out the signing etiquette… this is the store owned by Nora Roberts’ husband and they have some seriously awesome signings.

If you aren’t in the area but would like to order one of my books, this is a great time.  This is a wonderful option for my international readers.

TTP can do online orders via their store and they can also order quite a few of my backlist books, if you give enough notice.  Basically, they need to know now.  Books take about a week to get in and the signing is at the end of next week.  I’ll sign the books while I’m there and they’ll ship them out to you.

The books they’ll have at the event are Wrecked and The Reunited and probably a few of my more popular titles.  If you want one of my older ones, just contact them and see if they can get it.

You can call the store at (301) 432-4588, email them at info@ttpbooks.com  or use their contact form.  But if you want one of my older titles, make sure you contact them ASAP.  They need enough time to get the orders in!