5 Questions with Debut Author Meline Nadeau!

Just a few months ago, I learned my debut novel would be published by Crimson Romance, a division of Adam's Media. Along with my first time, several other authors are having their first times, too. 


Author Meline Nadeau is one of those first-timers ~ but to read her book, you might think she's got all the experience in the world. It's a fun, fast read. And now, on with my 5 questions!


Kristina: Do you have (or do you aspire to have!) a writing process?


Meline: When I have an idea for a new book, I start by writing the first couple of scenes.  Then, once I’ve gotten a feel for the characters and the setting, I stop writing and spend a good month plotting the story, beat by beat. I like to know exactly where I’m headed when I write. Laying the structure gives me the freedom to let the characters reveal themselves. That said, things do change along the way.


Kristina: When the writing gets tough, where do you get going?


Meline: When the writing gets tough I push through and keep writing.  Bad pages are better than no pages at all.  They can be edited and rewritten.  I set a daily page count and don’t stop writing until I’ve met it.  Once I’ve hit my daily goal, I reward myself with time spent with my loved ones, yoga, photography or shopping. The yoga forces me to slow down and still my mind, photography allows me to capture magical moments in time, shopping is my guilty pleasure and cuddling with my husband, Russ, and daughter, Chloë Echo, fills my heart with love and gratitude.


Love this attitude, Meline! Pushing through is a hard habit to learn - but a necessary one, especially with an infant around. Nothing is better than a baby cuddle, by the way!


Kristina: What are you listening to right now and does your listening choice influence your writing?


Meline: These days I’m listening to City and Colour, Gotye and Adele. A lot of my plot and story ideas come to me while I’m driving and singing along to music but I prefer to write in complete silence or to the animated chatter of a busy café.


Kristina: Coffee, tea, soda, hot cocoa w/ extra marshmallows  – what's your beverage of choice?


Meline: I love a double Americano with cream and sugar in the morning and a glass of white wine in the evening but I haven’t had either in months - I’m breastfeeding.


Kristina: Tell us one interesting thing about this book or its characters that didn't make in 'between the covers'?


Meline: The fictitious town of Watford, MA is a prison town and so this book originally included a third point of view, that of one of the Watford Penitentiary’s inmates.  Without revealing too much about the story, I can tell you that writing from such a different perspective really helped me build the climax.


Hot Off the Press is the story of Leigh Cameron who, following the death of her father, returns to the sleepy seaside town of her youth, where she’s shocked and surprised to learn she’s inherited the family paper. For a seasoned journalist with the country’s largest daily, running a small town newspaper should be a piece of cake.


She hadn’t counted on having to share the reigns with David, her father’s right hand man.  Leigh sees him as an arrogant tyrant who believes that his way is the only way. David can only see her as the private school brat who’s had everything handed to her on a silver platter.  To top it all off, the paper’s in serious financial trouble and the town’s people are keeping some ugly secrets about their correctional facilities under wraps.


Despite their differences, Leigh and David are going to have to work closely to save the failing paper – very closely.  Their major scoop and saving grace comes by way of a prison break from the local penitentiary.  And when an escaped convict highjacks the presses and holds Leigh hostage, only one person can come to her rescue.

Buy the Book: Crimson Romance Amazon Barnes & Noble