Melonie Johnson

Today I’m happy to welcome Melonie back to the blog. She’s answering a few questions and telling us more about her upcoming release. Please help me welcome Melonie!

Featured Author Q and A:

What is your newest/upcoming release? Tell us about the book and series.

My next release is TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT, a slow burn friends to lovers romantic comedy featuring Kat Kowalksi, a florist and hopeless romantic who is tired of always falling or the wrong guys, and Mick O’Sullivan, a scruffy jack-of-all-trades at his family’s funeral home who’s trying to figure out where he fits in. This book follows TOO GOOD TO BE REAL, and features the group of best friends from that story, but can definitely be read as a standalone. There’s also an adorable adopted hedgehog and a salty, swearing cockatoo. 

It arrives on February 28th, 2023 (and yes! I’m going to have early copies to sell at CMC!)  Here’s the official blurb for the book:

A swoony, slow-burn rom-com, Melonie Johnson’s Too Wrong to Be Right features a true romantic on a mission to find her happily ever after.

After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.

Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for…

What drew you to the Coastal Magic Convention? What are you looking forward to most at Coastal Magic Con 2023?

Well, having a reason to escape the brutal Chicago winter for a few days of sun and sand in Daytona Beach certainly appealed to me, even if it’s going to be too cold to enjoy the beach that much, it’s still not Midwest cold. But more than that, I’ve heard so many great things about this con, and how engaged the community is. From the time I’ve spent with the group of readers, I can definitely say this is true! Plus, the organizers are fantastic. Caring and attentive. I know this event is going to be well planned and well run! I’m most looking forward to spending time with readers, and soaking up ocean views. 

What inspired you to write your first book? 

My very first book was a paranormal story featuring a ghost hunter and a photographer who didn’t believe in ghosts, or love at first sight. It was inspired by an episode of the X-Files about a type of ghost called a “fetch.” The unpublished manuscript won several awards in various writing contests, but I set it aside (aka, hid it under the bed) when I got the idea for what would become my first published book, GETTING HOT WITH THE SCOT. I’m a lover of the Outlander series and the Karen Marie Moning Highlander novels, so time-traveling Scotsmen are often on my mind, ha. One day a scene popped into my head involving a kilted man hidden in the wall of a Scottish castle…only, as my heroine soon learns, he’s not what he seems. That story was such a joy to write and launched my career. It will always have a special place in my heart. 

What are a few of your favorite reads from 2022?

My favorite read of the year so far has to be A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS in PARIS by Adriana Herrea (who I believe will also be at CMC23!), I’ve also enjoyed THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP by Danielle Jackson, AFTER HOURS ON MILAGRO STREE by Angelina M. Lopez, and A MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone. 

CMCon Quickies:

Mountains or Water (lake, shoreline)? My dream is to live by water, a house off one of the Great Lakes with a shoreline that feels like an ocean view.

Dukes or Cowboys? Hmm… a cowboy who is secretly a duke?

Stranger Things or Bridgerton? Stranger Things, though I’d love to see Bridgerton in the Upside Down, ha!

Ketchup, Mustard, or Mayo? Always ketchup, NEVER mayo.

Coffee or Tea? Coffee. Bold, dark, and rich.

THANKS so much for playing along!

Now let’s learn more about Melonie’s newest title:

Always Be My Babka by Melonie Johnson

From the authors who brought you the hilarious, steamy rom-com holiday anthologies Jingle Balls and Tinsel & Tatas comes Holiday Heart-On featuring 19 brand-new hilarious, steamy rom-coms in a delicious holiday anthology that supports women’s heart health. My story blurb: A surprise ingredient leads to an accidental fake engagement when widowed bakery owner SARI SOLOMON donates a cake to a charity fun-raiser and catches the attention of ASHER EFRON, aka “Dr. Heartthrob,” who can’t keep his eyes off her babka…or her.

Title: Always Be My Babka
Book: Holiday Heart-On charity anthology
Series: MILFs Just Wanna Have Fun novella
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/HHO
*the book is on sale for 99 cents until Oct 18th, then will be 2.99 til the limited run ends on Nov 4th

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Melonie Johnson―aka #thewritinglush―enjoys sipping cocktails that start with the letter m. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband and their two redhead daughters. A former high school English and Theatre teacher, Melonie now spends her days in her Star Wars office, dreaming up meet cutes. Declared a “writer to watch” by Kirkus and a “fizzy, engrossing new voice” by Entertainment Weekly, her smart funny contemporary romances include TOO GOOD TO BE REAL, a Buzzfeed and Goodreads pick for best romances of the summer, and her award-winning Sometimes in Love debut series: Getting Hot with the Scot, Smitten by the Brit, and Once Upon a Bad Boy. Her next rom-com, TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT arrives Feb ’23.

social media links: 

Instagram: @thewritinglush https://www.instagram.com/thewritinglush/

TikTok: thewritinglush  https://www.tiktok.com/@thewritinglush

Twitter:  @MelonieJohnson https://twitter.com/MelonieJohnson

Facebook: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MelonieWrites