An Interview with Melissa De La Cruz
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Melissa De La Cruz as our guest today.
Melissa is here to discuss her book, Frozen, which she co-authored with Michael Johnston. Frozen was released today, and is the first book in their new Heart of Dread series.
Our review of Frozen is below this post.
Let’s meet Melissa.
Hi Melissa. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book, and it is a pleasure to have you here at The Reading Café.
TRC: Will you please tell us about yourself?
Melissa: I am the author of many series including Blue Bloods, Witches of East End and the co-author of Frozen, the first book in the Heart of Dread series I am writing with my husband.
TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing? Have you always liked to write?
Melissa: Ever since I was eleven years old, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I grew up reading the Sweet Valley High series, and when I found out the writers of that series were girls in their 20s, I thought, that could be me when I grew up!
TRC: How did you come up with the idea of your new Heart of Dread series? Can you please tell our readers the premise of this series?
Melissa: It came from wanting to write a "cool" epic fantascy, that had all the grit and military action of our favorite Ridley Scott movies, like Aliens, as well as wanting to write a "futuristic" Generation Kill meets Lord of the Rings. It's a tribute to all the classic sci-fi and fantasy we loved as teenagers – a nod to Dune, Lord of the Rings and Piers Anthony's Xanth.
TRC: How many books are you planning for Heart of Dread?
Melissa: Right now I think we are planning three or four books. Not quite sure how the arcs will play out although we know all the big scenes and our big ending.
TRC: Frozen is the 1st book in your Heart of Dread series. Can you give us a brief description of the book?
Melissa: It's a post-apocalyptic tale about Nat Kestal, a 16 year old blackjack dealer in New Vegas who is looking to find the mythical land of the Blue. The world is a frozen wasteland, science and technology have broken down, and something new is coming from the ice. It has romance, magic, adventure, survival, devastation and hope.
Links to order Frozen: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
TRC: Winds of Salem, which is the 3rd book in your Witches of East End was just released last month. Can you please tell us the premise of this series, for those who may not have started this series?
Melissa: It is about a family of witches in Long Island who are also immortal Norse gods. It's about mothers and sisters, brothers, lost fathers, lost loves, curses and dark and light magic.
Links to order Winds of Salem:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
TRC: Witches of East End is slated to be on television. Can you give us a little more information as to when, and where we can watch this? Is this a TV movie or a series?
Melissa: It is a series that will premiere on Lifetime on October 6th. Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Rachel Boston, Madchen Amick, Daniel diTomasso and Eric Winter star in it.
It is one of the most wonderful and surreal experiences I've ever had in my life, I'm incredibly excited and proud of the TV show and all the people who have worked so hard to make it. I couldn't be happier or prouder of the show. I'm the fairy godmother of the show and I love it.
TRC: A wonderful cast. 🙂 Look forward to watching it.
TRC: You recently ended your Blue Bloods series, but you have a special 4 e-book spinoff from that series. Can you please tell us about this?
Melissa: Wolf Pact is about Bliss’s journey with the hellhounds.
TRC: What are you working on now?
Melissa: I have a new series, my royal soap opera called THE RING AND THE CROWN coming out in April from Disney Hyperion. Mike and I are working on the second book in the Heart of Dreads series, STOLEN, and I also am working on the spinoff to Blue Bloods called THE VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN.
We have a bunch more book projects in the works, we're always working on many projects at once.
TRC: You write a few genres. Do you have a favorite?
Melissa: I enjoy writing for young adults, whether in contemporary or paranormal or fantasy. I love writing for teenagers.
TRC: What is your writing process? Do you have a favorite spot or time? Do you like to outline your stories or just go with the flow?
Melissa: We outline our stories, we have very detailed outlines that we flesh out. We have an office at home and an office in a building down the street. I also like to go to writer friends' houses and write with them. I can write anywhere, really. I don't have a favorite spot. I often have to write on tour and during book festivals so I have to adapt.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Melissa: Looking forward to seeing our readers on our Frozen tour! Please come and see us!
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Filipino
Favorite Dessert: Chocolate anything
Favorite Movie: Moulin Rouge
Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad / Game of Thrones / Walking Dead
Milk or Dark Chocolate: Milk
Favorite character (male & female) not written by you: Aragorn from LOTR
Thank you, Melissa for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you in the future. Good luck with Frozen.
Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
Melissa lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her family.
Melissa has graciously offered to give One member of The Reading Café a hard copy of her new release, Frozen.
1. Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.
2. If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.
3. Giveaway open US only.
4. Contests runs from September 17 to September 21, 2013
Great interview ladies, and welcome Melissa, to The Reading Café. Many of your books fall into the genre I most love to read in. Not sure how I missed you as an author, but I plan to remedy that situation soon. Congrats on all the success of you and your husband. Excited to check out your novels, and the TV show 🙂
Wonderful interview, thanks for coming to chat with us Melissa! It’s so nice to meet the authors behind our favorite stories. Your books sound really interesting and fun, and congrats on the TV show, I look forward to watching it!
I too love being able to discover authors we have not read. Thank you for stopping by, and I plan on looking at your series. Also going to check out your new tv show.
Wonderful interview, ladies. I think it’s cool that you are able to write a book with your husband. I agree on chocolate anything.
Melissa, thanks for this great interview. I wanted to wish you good luck with the new tv series. Also, I am a huge fan of Game of Thrones and Walking Dead.
Melissa, it was so nice to get to know you better. I have loved your books for ages and I am SO excited about the TV series. I saw the promo and I love all of the actors!! Congrats again!
Great Interview, Melissa and Barb. So nice to meet you Melissa, and I am adding October 6th to my tv schedule to check out your tv series.
Thanks for the great interview Melissa. And love Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad…omg…this week was amazing…on BB
Melissa I loved the Blue Bloods series and can’t wait to read this new release. Hoping to win a copy. dberry192001@hotmail.com
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Frozen and I loved it. This is my first book that I have read by Melissa but I can’t wait to read more. Thanks for such a great giveaway and interview. bridget.howard(at)hotmail(dot)com
Great interview. I’m already looking forward to Witches of Eastwick being on television. Good luck.
I logged in via Twitter, so my email is klaragon73 at gmail dot com
Not only does Frozen sound awesome, but I’ve neglected your Blue Bloods series for far too long! Yes, I’m admonishing myself. How did your Witches of East Wind escape me?! That contains nearly all of my favorite elements. I will most certainly catch the network premiere (as well as read it!). This is me getting my TBR in order! 🙂
Congratulations on all of your hard work!
alzgalz4 at verizon dot net
Great to see you here, Melissa. I love your books. Cannot wait for the television series.
I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE. YOUR NOVEL SOUNDS INTRIGUING. I’M GETTING MORE INTO PARANORMAL AND MYSTERY NOVELS!!!
I have been a Blue Bloods fan since the beginning and even though the series is kinda over in a way I still love the books I always will I re read them alot and personally I have to every Blue Bloods book signing in NYC well in Manhattan when she was here. I admire Melissa as an author and I have to say I’m truly addicted to her books and her as I author who I have met on book signings I love and I appreciate her being an Ollie fan like me . I look forward to watch the television series when it comes out cause if its anything like the Blue Bloods series I know it will be crazy and mysterious beyond that which is what I love especially being a mystery nerd. Counting the days until it comes on tv XD -LC email pastelsskullls19@aim.com
Congratulations on your new book. It sounds like an interesting series and it must be nice to be able to work with your husband.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Definitely adding these books to my list. Thanks for stopping by TRC and giving us a chance to get to know you. Kudos for being able to work with your husband. Not all of us could resist the temptation of causing bodily harm…
Congrats on your new book , and another congrats on the TV series . It all sounds so amazing i’m sure it all keeps you busy.
I enjoy the review and interview! Congrats to Melissa on the new release and I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the chance to win!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
I cannot wait to get started on the blue Blood series – it is new to me… congratulations on the TX series! Yeah!
NIce interview ladies. Always fun
Great interview ladies and welcome Melissa. It’s so nice to have the authors tell us a little about themselves and how they created their stories. Gotta say I love Game of Thrones and Aragorn from LOTR’s as well. Two of my all time fave things. 😉
Congratulations on your book and series. I can’t wait to read your new book!
I am a huge Blue Bloods fan!!! I am excited that it’s going to be a TV show! I am totally looking forward to reading Frozen! I definitely try to keep up with your work Mel ! Thanks to The Reading Café and Melissa De La Cruz for this giveaway!!!
I enjoyed the interview and the chance to learn more about Melissa De La Cruz and her books. Since I haven’t read any of the books yet, I think starting with Frozen might be a good idea. It sounds like an amazing story and i’m looking forward to reading it.
Very nice interview. It is nice to learn about the authors. I do want to read Frozen, sounds very good.
Great interview. I think Frozen is going to be killer :). I’ve liked every book I’ve read by Melissa. She has no problem killing off beloved characters 😉 – gotta love it!
Thank you.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
This is a new author for me but it sounds like an exciting read and something I would really enjoy. Thanks for the chance.
catslady5(at)aol.com
Great interview Ladies! And Breaking Bad is almost done -boooooooo !
Great interview! Love the covers! I think I would enjoy reading this series. Congrats on the TV series- I’ll be looking forward to watching it as well.
luvs2read4fun(at)gmail(dot)com
I definitely love her books!!! This particular series is definitely on my TBR!!
email: dragon20077@yahoo.com