Back when I was in elementary, they rolled out new standards for reading. Every day students had to sit quietly and read for twenty minutes.
I was the student who already had their book out on their desk. I was the kid who would get in trouble for reading when the teacher lectured. I was that kid who practically skipped into the school library and the library was Cheers because everyone knew my name.
Hi, my name is Melissa Blue and I'm a word nerd. I know words that I can't pronounce because I've only read them. I can spell obscure words like a champ. I am that geek in the family who is at every family function with a book just in case.
I also love Harry Potter, and one day I'm totally going to dress up like Bellatrix for Halloween. Bow ties are cool. I don't believe in hiding under your covers when you're scared. I think you should fill a shot gun with rock salt and put a devil's trap underneath your bed. Time can be traversed with a DeLorean. I own a ton of shoes and some carry epic level status that can ward off even the scariest boss. I can kill you with the power of my mind. And if that doesn't work, I have a Scooby Doo gang that can research ways to put you down.
I am a geek. So it's only natural that I write a series that features geeks. Yet, I told myself I probably shouldn't. Taking on fandoms and the people in them was asking for trouble. What if I got the Batman cannon wrong? Or misquoted something in the Whedonverse? (Come on. Have you seen a mob of angry geeks? They are vicious. Let's ignore the fact that I am sometimes one of them.) What if I talked about leveling an Alliance Druid and got back nothing but blank stares? What if no one bought into the idea that a guy who wears glasses and loves defunct Sci-Fi shows is a hottie who is a dirty, dirty beast in bed?
Then I remembered the first rule of writing. Write what you know.
And I know what's it's like to feel like I'm on the fringes. I know exactly how it feels to make some obscure joke and lo and behold people laugh. I know exactly how gratifying it is to wave my geek flag and find people who feel the exact same way.
They were the kid who couldn't wait to read twenty minutes a day in class.
They read during the teacher's lecture.
The school librarian knew their name.
It's the age of the geek, baby.
So, look out for TO ONE HUNDRED. It'll come out Jan. 7th. The follow up (DOWN TO ASH) will hit in March. 2016 will be the year of the geek. I'm calling it.
*****
When they met online they were equals...Then she walks into his classroom.
For four months Eva March shared almost every secret with a handsome stranger. It was easy when she didn't have to meet his gaze in real life. The online flirtation was fun. She could be a strong, put-together woman without a sordid past. Most importantly, he'd never know the truth.
Grady Addison takes his job as a professor seriously. He doesn't sleep with co-eds, much less his students. Eva doesn't even fit his leggy, peppy blonde requirements, but he can't walk away now. He's spent too much time fantasizing about her, her smile and the way her eyes darken when she thinks of her past.
And her past is a problem. The secrets she hasn't yet told him could end his career and for Eva, her life could just come crashing down...again.
*****
You can add this to your GoodReads shelf HERE.
You can preorder it at these places:
Don't worry. I'll keep you updated as the preorder links go live on other venues.
100 days until I wave my geek flag.
