by Melissa Hope
Step into my home and you will find model ships displaying on the bookshelf, conch shells on the dresser, palm trees outside the window, and a Marine-Biologist husband working in the den. Is it any surprise that I wrote a swashbuckling tropical adventure?
Sea of Kings began with a concept of the world. While my husband was tagging sharks for work in the Bahamas, he wondered: what if each island had its own kingdom? After sharing his vision with me, he and I worked together to write the first draft of Sea of Kings.
Sea of Kings was the first novel I ever completed, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. I spent years teaching myself the ins and outs of publishing a book. It’s one reason why I’m so adamant about helping aspiring writers, and why I’ve created a YouTube channel devoted to free writing and publishing tutorials (you can find me at HopeFullHappenings).
Although the story began with a world, the brothers who are at the heart of the story emerged almost immediately as I started writing. Noa and Dagan’s sibling relationship felt natural and real to me, so it became one of my favorite things to write. Soon a magical map emerged into the story followed by the one-eyed pirate who wanted to take it for his own, and suddenly I found my boys sailing across the high seas to save their family, battling slimy Blue Men and dodging electric octopus along the way! I took inspiration from my own sibling life, Pirates of the Caribbean, and one of my favorite T.V. shows at the time: Malcolm in the Middle. You’ve got to love the mischief, right?
After years of edits, I took a chance and pitched my book in a Twitter contest. Kelsy Thompson, an editor at Jolly Fish Press, requested the rest of the book and bought Sea of Kings soon after. I’ve loved working with them, and I absolutely love my cover. I’m so glad they let me have a large role in the cover design and let my two brothers be the focus. I’m excited to share these two fun, lovable brothers with the world!
Watch the Sea of Kings trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K733xgRd7CE
Attend the Live Book Launch with Tombolo Books: https://www.facebook.com/events/178179094132780/
Author Bio: Melissa Hope is passionate about helping writers improve their craft and connect with the writing community. She escaped the frostbite normalcy of Canadian winters to live in Florida with her family, bipolar cat, and growing collection of scuba gear. Visit her website www.authormelissahope.com to watch free writing tutorials.
Website Link: https://www.authormelissahope.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hopefullhappens
EXCITING NEWS! Melissa is giving away a copy of her book with signed bookplate.
Please share this post on Social Media and comment here as to where you shared for your chance to win. Feel free to tag Melissa @Hopefullhappens and @Literally_Lynne on Twitter. Melissa will choose a winner on June 30, 2021.
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