Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Today Lisa meets Melanie Toye

Lisa meets Melanie Toye author of  Entice Me. for all you chick lit lovers.


What is your book about?
Entice Me is about three women who are living their lives unsatisfied and unfulfilled but are unsure how to break free and live the life they really want. Which begs the question – what do they want from life? It is not until life forces them out of their daily routines that they are forced to discover what the world has to offer. Complication arises when one woman is set out to be the best in the business and when things don’t go her way no one suspects what she will do next.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Entice Me was created when I had just left a very demanding job that I loved but was treated very poorly. I had never felt fulfilled in any of the jobs I worked in and had spoken to many people who had worked in their careers for decades yet were unfulfilled, they were stuck. I wanted to create Entice Me to hold a motivating message through an entertaining story to not wait for life to force you to change paths, but to think about what are your ultimate dreams in life and each day work towards it.
After writing Entice Me, it seems my life has also changed directions, writing is my dream and at the time I didn’t realise it. I wanted to escape the rat race but I was not sure what I wanted to do. It seems I have been writing and telling stories all my life I just never realised it was my dream career until recently. Now I want more than ever to share with everyone to chase their own dreams. It can be daunting and push you out of your comfort zone to the max, but it is incredibly rewarding.
What makes your book different than others in your genre?
Entice Me is a chick lit novel that pushes the boundaries that this genre would not normally write about. Drama, suspense, eating disorders, fraud and even suicide make this chick lit a book that will have you hooked to your seat wanting to read more.  What makes Entice Me even more compelling are the characters which can relate to anyone in any stage of life.
Who is your favorite writer? Why?
Currently it is Janet Evanovich, I love her characters, her writing style and the fact that I can’t put her books down.
What strange writing rituals do you have?
Now, I write mainly in the evening, so I like to have a cup of herbal tea and something to eat as I sit down and write. For sanity purposes I have a pen and notepad in every room of the house as well as in my bag and in my child’s pram because when I get a thought for a good story or just a conversational piece, I have to write it down as soon as possible.
Is your writing style similar to any well-known writers?
If so, which one(s)?A good chick lit novel is one filled with girly fun and adventure, which is light and entertaining that will leave you smiling throughout the read. Entice Me portrays this and adds even more thrill to your read.
I don’t think I could really compare my writing to any one else’s, as all writers add their own uniqueness and specialty. I would say my story telling is combined with self-help as I want to inspire and send a message through my novels to chase your dreams in life but be sure to have fun on the way.
Who is your Muse?
My motivator is my son. I was writing before he was born but he motivated me to self-publish my novel and become a freelance writer. I love that I am showing my son that I am chasing my dreams and he can too.
What are your hobbies?
Writing! Generally all my spare time is spent on writing and marketing. But I love it. I love spending time at the beach and exploring new adventures and places too.
How long did it take you to write your book?
Longer than one would appreciate. I spent two years writing Entice Me, when my computer crashed I lost everything except for three chapters. I took four months off, when a friend suggested perhaps it was a sign to start again. Then I rewrote Entice Me again adding in Sally and Mr Perfect to really spice up the storyline. I believe most of the story changed but for the better. Took me another 1 year and a half to write Entice Me again. I was also working full time in another role. I would write in lunch breaks, at night time and on weekends
What was the most difficult thing you have learned being a writer?
When writing Entice Me I had to be absolutely focused to finish the novel. Then once I finished it, I had to let go of all my fear of rejections and go out and spread the word to the world about Entice Me.


To find out more about Entice Me be sure to check out the following links:

Entice Me Fan Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Entice-Me/491350774212219?ref=ts
Entice Me on Amazon.com only $2.99 -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VBTWZO  

Entice Me on Smashwords only $2.99 -https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/234817 

Entice Me on Goodreads -http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16034263-entice-me  

Entice Me onWordpress: http://enticemenovel.wordpress.com/

Author blog: http://melanietoye.wordpress.com/

Author Fan Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-Toye/146863872056871


Don’t just hide Entice Me to yourself tell all your friends they have to read it too. Then discuss which character each of you are most similar to.