Writer Wednesday: Meet Marliss Melton

Marliss MeltonIt’s with great pleasure and pride I bring you Marliss Melton as our guest today on #WriterWednesday. Marliss is a fellow romance-writing Virginian (specializing in military romance), whom I was privileged to meet in person at the Charlottesville Festival of the Book in March – and she definitely impressed me with her explanations of how thoroughly she crafts her characters (Myers-Briggs and other personality guides play a large role!). She writes some seriously kick-ass heroes and heroines, y’all.

I hope you enjoy this chance to get to know Marliss and her work a little better – and feel free to show her some love in the comments!


What inspires you to write? 

Navy SEAL medal and dog tags.

Reading biographies and autobiographies written by U.S. Navy SEALs inspires me to write military romantic suspense.

Books like LONE SURVIVOR, SERVICE, AMERICAN SNIPER, and THE INTUITIVE WARRIOR have not only familiarized me with military tactics and jargon but they’ve given rise to my fictional heroes.

Back 2005, before LONE SURVIVOR was ever released, I had read a newspaper article about the sole surviving SEAL of an operation-gone-wrong, and that article alone inspired my fictional account of such a SEAL. NEXT TO DIE was published two years later, the same month and year as LONE SURVIVOR, by the same umbrella publisher! I was honored to present the real SEAL with a copy of my book, and Marcus Luttrell signed copy of his book for me!

Which type of romance do you love most and why?

Man in military uniformIt’s got to be obvious that I love military romance. There’s just something about a man in uniform—especially one who can run longer, swim deeper, and kill a bad guy a hundred different ways.

Having grown up in the military environment and married both an Army officer and a Navy man, I understand what it takes to commit to a man who risks his life for the sake of his country.

But I bet you didn’t know that I also write medieval historical romance. The precursors to Navy SEALs were the warriors of old, so I’m also quite content reading sweeping historical romances set in the Middle Ages.

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.

Cover of Intuitive WarriorMy upcoming release, FRIENDLY FIRE, debuting May 13, 2016, was inspired by the autobiography THE INTUITIVE WARRIOR, by Michael Jaco.

I was astonished to discover that Navy SEALs have adopted a special skill used by American Indians called “remote viewing.” This skill involves tapping into one’s intuition in order to envision with accuracy the path on which one travels. SEALs, of course, want to develop this skill in order to avoid walking into an enemy ambush.

Michael Jaco has refined his intuitive abilities to such a degree that he can “see” miles ahead of his location, as well as sense an imminent terror attack in time to avoid or disrupt it. How cool is that? It’s no wonder he inspired my upcoming hero of FRIENDLY FIRE.


Cover of Friendly FireA Bit on FRIENDLY FIRE (coming May 13, 2016):

Boarding a cruise ship bound for Mexico, Jeremiah “Bullfrog” Winters is struck by a terrifying premonition. At the same time, he runs into the only woman he has ever loved and lost.

Emma Albright might still teach Romantic Lit, but life has taught her there’s no such thing as everlasting love. While she made a promise to enjoy her vacation, she has no intention of falling for the younger man who captivated her years earlier.

Persuading Emma to love again becomes Jeremiah’s newest mission. But when violence disrupts their magical vacation, wooing her takes a back seat to survival. Love may be the only weapon powerful enough to save them, if only Emma can bring herself to believe in it. 

Cover of Next to DieBuy Links for Marliss Melton’s Books:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Marliss+Melton+books
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Marliss+Melton?_requestid=178397
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=Marliss+Melton
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=hard%20landing%20marliss%20melton&c=books&hl=en
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hard-landing-echo-platoon/id980911097?mt=11


A Bit on Marliss:

Pen in handMarliss Melton is the author of two very disparate genres—medieval historical romance and military romantic suspense. Yet she creates in both a common theme: Men of Valor, Women of Strength.

Daughter of a U.S. foreign officer, Marliss grew up in various countries overseas. Exposure to different languages led her to teach high school English, Spanish, and—her favorite subject—History of the English Language which she taught at the College of William and Mary, her alma mater.

Marrying into the military, Marliss Melton’s love of British history existed side-by-side with her appreciation for the selfless sacrifices of the military community. With many contacts in the military and Intelligence communities, she was well-equipped to write realistic romantic suspense featuring U.S. Navy SEALs and agency heroes.

Marliss resides in Williamsburg, Virginia with her husband and their youngest daughter. Be sure to “friend” her on Facebook! Visit www.marlissmelton.com for more information.


 Thank you so much for giving us some of your time today, Marliss! It was a pleasure.