Let's give a warm welcome to young author Melissa Burmester! Melissa has been writing about vampires and the supernatural since the age of twelve. Her first novel, Ginger High, is Book I in a series of books about vampires and she's already working on the sequel. She is presently attending Westhampton Beach High School, and is planning a career as a writer and a teacher. For more information about Melissa, please visit her website and her blog.
Thanks for the interview, Melissa! Were you an avid reader as a child?
Yes, I always loved to read. My mother would read to me every night. Sometimes she would tell me ghost stories, and that was when I got hooked on reading horror, mystery and fantasy.
When did you first start writing stories?
When I was in middle school, I had so many wonderful ideas that I started a journal. There were so many characters that I had developed that I was able to write many short stories. I started my first novel Ginger High when I was twelve, and it was published when I was fourteen.
Tell us about your novel, Ginger High. What is it about?
Ginger high is a school for students with special powers. The story opens in 1901 where a series of murders take place and all the victims have bite marks on their neck. Could it be a vampire? The story then advances to modern day where a young girl, Daisy, attends Ginger High after her old school burns down. Daisy befriends Amanta, Matthias, and Tearu who traveled through a portal from the Kingdom of Animist. Animist is a parallel universe where the people living there have supernatural powers. They were sent to the school to help solve the mystery. The plot includes the supernatural powers of vampires and magical powers of those who can teleport, heal others and create fire. Daisy realizes that she has a special power and has to learn how to live with it. The book combines murder, mystery, horror and fantasy.
Why vampires?
When I was younger, my mother would always watch the series Angel. I watched with her, and that’s where I got the idea to write about vampires. They intrigued me because they were mysterious and also horrifying.
How did you set about publishing the book? Did anyone help you?
I had sent the manuscript to many agents and it was rejected. I felt very frustrated, so my mother helped me to self-publish. I was so excited when the first copy arrived at my doorstep.
What do your classmates and teachers think of all this?
When my friends found out that I had written a book they were so excited. All my teachers in middle school that I wrote very well and they said I should write a book. The students in eighth grade this year were so excited they invited me to graduation and I was given an award. I felt so proud that day.
Are you disciplined when it comes to writing?
Yes I am. I try to write at least two hours a day.
Is there a second novel in the works?
I am working on the sequel to Ginger High, but I have not decided on the title yet. Another novel I am working on, Do You Know Me, is about a vampire, his friends, and the secrets that they are keeping from each other.
Thanks, Melissa, and good luck with your writing endevours. It looks like you have a promising future!
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