Author Discovery: Melissa Tagg

 Melissa Tagg is still a fairly new-to-me-author, though I know a lot of my Goodreads friends have read and loved all her books.  I've only read one series so far The Walker Family series, but I have a few of her books in my TBR, hoping to read it soon!

So, why did I enjoy her books and would recommend her work? 

Her characters was lovable and relatable, with some swoon-worthy romance scenes, characters with a past, looking for a second chance.  And some dashing down-to-earth heroes and a lot of fun, family banter and interactions.

And from what I saw on social media, Melissa Tagg, is also a humble, what-you-see-is-what-you-get person with a great heart and openness, which comes across in her writing.

Here is some interview questions to get to know Melissa Tagg better:

1. Tell us, in two sentences, about you.

In addition to being a writer, I’m a marketing and communications strategist for an amazing nonprofit, my nieces’ and nephews’ biggest fan, and a complete and total bookworm. I love baby goats and would eat Pop-Tarts every day if I could convince myself they were even slightly healthy.

 

2. Who had the most influence in your life?

Hands-down, my mom and dad. They’re simply the very best people I know and I’m beyond blessed to have been born to them. They’ve encouraged my dreams, pointed me toward a faith that’s become my own, and put up with my flaws for my whole life.

 

3. What is your greatest accomplishment to date?

Oh, wow, this is a hard one…on the one hand, I tend to be a pretty achievement-oriented person, so my temptation is to list this accomplishment or that award. But on the other hand, the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve really tried not to measure my worth in what I do or achieve…but that is very much a work in progress. So, hmm, I think I’ll say this: balancing a full-time job that I love while also pursuing a writing career is probably my biggest challenge and the fact that I’m still juggling both after eight years of publishing books . . . well, that feels like an accomplishment. Haha!

 

4. What is the biggest mistake you have made?

I think I’ll harken back to that last answer and say that probably my biggest mistake in the past has been measuring my worth or significance in what I do or accomplish…and along with that, comparing myself to others. Any time I’ve let myself go down that road, it’s turned out to be a mistake and has only left me feeling stressed out or overwhelmed.

 

5. What do you love about the characters you create?

Oh goodness, I could spend paragraph after paragraph answering this because I fall hard for all my characters…especially my heroes. I love my heroes because I tend to infuse them with the kind of characteristics that would make me swoon in real life BUT I also give them flaws and wounds that help them feel real. I love my heroines because they tend to end up embodying whatever emotional journey I also happen to be on at the time…even when I’m not trying. Haha! I love them because they help me process my own emotions and faith and journey, even if my journey doesn’t look anything like theirs.

 

6. Why do you enjoy writing? 

I simply LOVE stories. I love reading them, I love telling them, I love sinking into them. I process so much of my life and faith through stories…they’re how I see the world.  

 

7. What genre do you enjoy reading?

Though I write contemporary stories, my favorite books to read tend to be historical romances. I looooove that genre! I also love stories with dual timelines…and even though I read more historical than anything else, I also enjoy plenty of contemporary romance, some women’s fiction and even YA now and then.

 

8. Which authors is on your auto-buy list and give a short reason why. 

Joanne Bischof, Amanda Dykes, Lori Benton Roseanna M. White, Laura Frantz, Mimi Matthews…and all for the same reason: They write historical romance that never, ever fails to mesmerize me!

 

9. Which of your books would you recommend a reader to start with? 

At this point, I would say either From the Start, which is the first book in my Walker Family series, or Now and Then and Always, which is the first book in my Maple Valley series. Both of these books give readers a good sense of my writing flavor and if you like the first in the series, you’ll probably like the rest!

 

10. Final preference questions: 

10.1 - kindle/paperback/audio – I loooove paperbacks for nostalgic reasons, but I looooove my kindle paperwhite for traveling reasons. 😃

10.2 coffee/tea – Coffeeeeeeeeeee!!

10.3 sweet or savory – Can I please say both? Because I love ice cream but also chips. I love chocolate but also pizza. I want it all!

10.4 rain or sun – Hmm, that’s a toss-up depending on the day, but considering we’re the midst of a hot, humid summer, I’m definitely gonna say rain today.

10.5 morning person or night owl –  Morning person, by far and away!

10.6 favourite reading spot – ooh, that’s a hard one. But one of my favorite things is to wake up early on a Saturday when I don’t have to do anything else and get my coffee and stay in bed and read and read and read. So I’ll go ahead and say my bedroom.

So readers, after getting to know Melissa Tagg, are you also looking forward to delving into her stories and meeting her characters?