Welcome! This weeks Author of the Week is Manda Mellett. Manda has many books under her belt and was kind enough to take time out to answer these questions! And we got nosey!
So Manda, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in Essex in the UK with my husband – we’ve been married 32 years—and two crazy Irish Setters. I’ve a 27 year old son who lives away, but we are very close. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and keeping fit. I like walking and riding my bicycle, and, recently I’ve just bought myself a motorbike – I used to ride back in the day, (memorably riding out with the local Harley Owners’ Group) but am sorely out of practice, so getting back in the saddle is still a work in progress.
I used to live in Essex myself Manda, small world isn't it? Can we get a list of your books!
Blood Brothers:
Stolen Lives
Close Protection
Second Chances
Identity Crisis
Dark Horses
Hard Choices
Satan’s Devils MC
Turning Wheels
Drummer’s Beat
Slick Running
Targeting Dart
Heart Broken
Peg’s Stand
Rock Bottom
Joker’s Fool
Mouse Trapped
Blade’s Edge
Truck Stopped
plus novella Heart Mended
Satan’s Devils MC Colorado Chapter
Paladin’s Hell
Demon’s Angel
Devil’s Due
Devil’s Dilemma
Ink’s Devil
Devil’s Spawn
Satan’s Devils MC Utah Chapter
Road Tripped
Stormy’s Thunder
Satan’s Devils MC San Diego Chapter
Being Lost
Grumbler’s Ride
Coming soon:
Avenging Devil (Part I)
Avenging Devil (Part 2)
Satan’s Devils MC Second Generation
Amy’s Santa
Hawk’s Cry
Twisted Throttle
That's a lot of writing Manda, how wonderful. What got you into writing?
I think it’s more that writing got into me! I wrote songs from the age of eight, and used to sing at clubs in my teens. One day in my early twenties an idea came into my head. I put pen to paper and two weeks’ later I had a 120 thousand word book – unpublishable off course. I wrote several other ‘never to see the light of day’ novels over the years. In 2015 I was commissioned by a publisher to write a non-fiction book. Once that was published, I turned my hand to fiction in earnest, and published Stolen Lives in 2016.
Sounds like it's a major part of you. What’s the main thing you love and hate about writing?
I love being able to give voice to the characters in my head. I hate it when they stop talking to me, and the words don’t flow.
That can be very frustrating. Who is the worst villain you’ve ever written, and why?
Now that’s a hard one. I like to have a protagonist people can hate in most of my books. I can’t really say one’s been worse than another. If I was to name one, it would be the person who led the conversion therapy described in Joker’s Fool – the chilling thing about this is that it’s real and it happens.
Sounds like something we all should avoid. What is next on your list to write/publish?
I’m writing the third and fourth books in the San Diego Chapter, Avenging Devil parts 1 and 2. It was going to be just one book but Niran had too much to say. So I’ve had to split it. This will be my first time writing a cliffhanger, but knowing some readers hate them, I’ll be publishing both books quite close together. And naming them parts 1 and 2 should give a hint they go together. These books will be very dark, and not for the fainthearted.
They sound interesting. Who is your favourite author, and why?
There are too many to mention. Off the top of my head I’d say MariaLisa Demora as I love the way she crafts her words. AJ Downey as her stories flow so well and I love her descriptions. Lila Rose, Lilly Atlas – I could go on and on.
There's so many authors out there it's hard to chose from. Who encouraged you the most to write?
My husband. He’s been behind me all the way and is one of my beta readers. Also my son, who’s proud of his mum, and promises to read one of my books one day.
Its wonderful when your family support your in your dreams. Are you as avid a reader as a writer?
Oh, definitely. How can you write if you aren’t in awe of the skill of others?
That is true, what’s your favourite genre?
Currently MC romance.
Do you listen to music when you write?
Nope. I can’t stand background noise, it’s too distracting. However give me a long car journey with music on the radio and it often inspires me. A phrase out of a song has led to the plot of more than one book.
If you could interview any famous author who would it be and why?
Stephen King. Although I wasn’t a fan of his later books, I devoured his earlier ones and learned so much from his work, ‘On Writing’.
Now we're going to get nosey, tell us a secret that none of your fans know!
I have long hair as I hate going to the hairdressers.
Tell me what your main character would say about you!
Well, that would be Drummer, prez of the Satan’s Devils mother chapter, and I hate to think. He’d probably focus his steely glare on me, and tell me to write faster.
Lol, it's funny when a character dictates to you. Finally, any words of advice?
To anyone wanting to get into writing, the best advice I can pass on comes from Stephen King. Write, write, and write. And if, one day, you’re not feeling it, just sit in front of the screen and tap something out one word at a time. Never walk away and give up. On those days when getting words out felt akin to getting blood out of a stone, this advice has served me well.
Thank you, for taking the time to sit down and for the wonderful interview and that great piece of advice! To keep up to date with Manda please find her at,
Author Website: https://mandamellett.com
Author Email: manda@mandamellett.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mandamellett/
Facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mandasbadboys/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01KOC5R9W
Twitter: https://twitter.com/manda_mellett
Website: http://www.mandamellett.com
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