Have you ever been loved by a dog? Because it changes your life. Dogs are the most faithful friends you will ever make. They love you unfailingly—even when you don’t deserve it. Perhaps especially then. They share your life with you and only ask for a kind word, a comforting pat, a bit of your

I’m often inspired by my five rambunctious dogs. Sometimes that inspiration is more subtle, and others it’s glaringly obvious. I wrote A Girl’s Best Friend for my non-stop barking, eating, and derping machine. For my Corgi, Michael Biscuit. He’s my husband’s special guy, his favorite furry friend, and there is never a dull moment. I

Would you consider yourself a tomboy or a girly girl? Maybe you’re like me, and you really, truly don’t fit in either camp. Growing up, I loved books, animals, and learning. Not sports or makeup. Now that I have a daughter to call my own, I’m learning a lot about things I missed in my

Today I’d like to tell you about a sweet little romance I wrote for my family, Must Love Movie Star. Dan is based on my brother, and Josephine Hannah is based on his real-life wife, Hannah. Dan is really a firefighter-paramedic—though in Michigan, not Anchorage. They are a great couple and truly in love even

Today I’d like to tell you about my favorite book in the entire Alaskan Sunrise Romance series. It’s Must Love Miracles! Right from the start, I was rooting for this interfaith couple, and I hope you will too. P.S. My husband provided all the falafel content. He had me laughing out loud!

Today I want to tell you about one of the first romances I ever wrote. It’s had a few different titles over the years but is now called Must Love Mustangs. Honestly, I have no idea why I wanted my first contemporary romance to be a Western. Maybe because from the start, I knew I

I have a confession to make. My husband helped me write Must Love Moo. I know, I know… But I wanted to write a football player hero, and I really do not understand the sport. Or most sports, if I’m being completely honest. Still, writing believable and authentic characters is important to me, so hubby

Dogs are the most wonderful, loyal creatures you will ever meet in your entire life. Sure, sometimes they destroy your favorite pillow, steal food from the counter, or even relieve themselves on your antique rug, but still I wouldn’t trade my dogs for the world. Nope. Never. The fact that so many of these lovely

I think I first knew my husband was the one for me when I saw how much my pets loved him. Of course, my golden retriever loved everyone at first sight, but my husband also won over my ornery sun conure who used to bite everyone except me. That very first day Mr. Storm ushered

Why do we read, write, learn, live? For me, the answers are all one and the same. I write in order to explore deeper questions, in order to think and get others to think, in order to stretch the bounds of my imagination, in order to grow. This is especially true of the First Street

Do you like crafting? I do! Writing is my preferred creative endeavor of choice, but I’m also a published cartoonist, Etsy shop owner, and former knitter. I had to quit knitting when the carpal tunnel in my hands got to be too much though. Aargh! Art has always been such a huge part of my

Today, I’m going to tell you the story behind my book Love’s Trial… Both Tobias and Sally had a lot to prove—to themselves, to each other, to the world at large. Too many people in their lives had told them they weren’t enough. And they’d internalized these words, allowing them to become enormous roadblocks to

Do you love Christmas? How about when it’s nowhere even close to season? That’s the true test of a holiday lover: to keep loving it all year long! I absolutely love the winter, the snow, and Christmas. My husband is of the bah-humbug variety… But that’s okay, because it gave me the idea for one

Aren’t weddings the perfect blend of happiness, love, and unrelenting stress? Me? I skipped all that by eloping with Mr. Storm just three months after we first met–and nine years later, we’re still going strong and living our best life side by side. As for Ben and Summer, whom you first met in Love’s Prayer…

Have you ever had to explain death to a child? My little girl’s best friend was our elderly Golden Retriever, Polo. He was sick and it was getting close… And I just didn’t know what to do. That’s part of the reason I wrote Love’s Prophet. In the third First Street Church Romance, six-year-old Molly

This my first really big book–as in you’ll be able to find it at bookstores and supermarkets *big*. Yes, Home Sweet Home is available as an eBook, large print, and in mass market paperback, too. It includes 3 sweet stories, one by me, one by my good friend Donna Kauffman, and one by the legendary

I’m writing today with news of a new book that is very close to my heart, indeed. Much of the story takes place during the month of November don’t delay in getting started with Manic Monday, Inc. I’m very open about my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and have learned how to live with it in a

Wednesday Walks & Wags is all about friendship, second chances, and fur babies (yup, all my favorite things!). How do we move on past grief to find new hope in life? Bridget and her hearty team of rescue dogs is about to find out that sometime help comes from the last person you’d expect… And

My book The Sunday Potluck Club deals with themes of loss, grief, anxiety, and working to push through to the other side. Ultimately, that’s what we’re all doing now. Maybe I can’t make things better for you, but I can let you know that you’re not alone. Sometimes hardship is easier to endure when you

Peer pressure doesn’t disappear just because we graduate, get married, get jobs… become grown-ups. In fact, it intensifies. How often do you feel yourself being pushed toward your limit—and then past it as well? In The Darkest Hour, Sofia’s story shows just that slippery slope of adulthood. One wrong step and we’re in danger of

There are bad people in the world. People who will repay your kindness with scorn, people who may never even give you a chance. Who knows? Sometimes that bad person could even be you. The truth is, none of us are perfect. We all have our own priorities and needs. My husband and I finally

Growing up, I always felt like an outsider. Maybe because I preferred books and animals to people, which made me different and awkward in school. Maybe because I didn’t really know my bio dad and was only a “half” among my siblings. It could have been so many things. But that uncomfortable, uncertain feeling followed

I am not Melissa. I’m her husband, Falcon. I was so happy when Melissa told me that she wanted to write sled dogs into a series, and I freely offered up my experiences as a junior musher to her story. Remember being a child and running as far and fast as you could and feeling

What’s your favorite fairy tale? Me? I’ve always had a soft spot for Beauty and the Beast–both the classic animated tale and the newer live action version. My little girl, on the other hand, is absolutely smitten with Cinderella. Long before she ever even saw the movie, she insisted we call her “Phoenix Cinderella.” Yes,

People often say that I inspire them. Because I’m willing to share my struggles, they also share in my triumphs. They also share their dreams and aspirations with me. If only I could write the story I’ve been carrying in my heart all these years… If only I could make more time for family, for

Sometimes our dreams seem impossible. Could it be because of a lack of faith, or rather because we are wishing for the wrong things for ourselves? Daring to dream means knowing tomorrow can still be better than today. It means refusing to accept things the way they are and instead appreciating them for what they

Home is such a tricky concept. Some people never feel as if they belong in their surroundings while others feel as if they can never leave that special place they’ve made all their own. Oh, I definitely had my Harmony (the main character from A Fresh Start) period growing up. I hated the small Michigan town

I was born in the 80s, though I hardly remember them. I really feel like I missed out on something fun by being too young! I adore both the music and the teen movies from that era. But even more than that? I long for the 50s. I don’t need to have lived through them

Everyone knows I love dogs, but let me tell you how that led to a huge milestone in my author career that I honestly didn’t even believe could be possible for me. It was July in Denver. I was attending the Romance Writers of America conference (my first) and missing my Sky Princess like crazy. At

I did it! I traveled outside of my cozy, little introvert bubble and got out there to meet real people in the real world! I’ve been part of the online romance community since 2011, but I’ve met very few of them in person. Mostly because I feel confident when chatting on Facebook, but am terrified

Recently a reader shared a poem with me. It was one she had written herself in memory of her best friend, a friend of the four-legged, giant-hearted variety. I was so touched by her poem and the relationship it honored that I asked if I could share it–and, thankfully, she said yes. As you read,

Quick, what’s your favorite charity? Are you passionate about literacy, animals, the homeless? Perhaps your heart is so big, you care about all of these causes and many more. Some people equate charity with writing a check and hoping the chosen organization uses it in the right way, but charity isn’t just a once-per-year tax

What do you love most in this world? Like truly love? Perhaps your children, family, God, career, a hobby, maybe even writing (like me). Okay, now how much time do you spend wrapped up in that thing you love? Is it easy to make that time? Is everything roses and sunshine, or do you sometimes

I believe in miracles. I’ve had them happen to me. And it’s why I write the kind of books I do–to share that hope with others. One of the things I love most is when readers turn around and share their stories with me! One such reader is Robin. She emailed me after reading my

December already! Time really does fly, except for in November. For whatever reason the month of November was shockingly slow this year. Anyway, December is pretty much my favorite month in the entire year. You’ve got Christmas and Channukah–my family celebrates both. You’ve got good cheer, joy to the world, and above all, I’ve got

It’s like I’m in high school again. That awkward feeling of not quite fitting in, of hoping the cool kids take notice of you and decide to show that they think you’re cool too. I’m talking, of course, about my cat, Schrodinger with the two dot things over the O in his name. Yes, I

I have struggled with poor self-esteem my entire life, and I still struggle. But things are also starting to get a little bit better. And I owe it all to my one-year-old daughter, Phoenix. Back in 2013 when the doctor first revealed that I’d be having a little girl, I was truly frightened. A boy,

It’s almost two years to the day since I decided to stop writing. I remember the decision well. What I don’t remember is deciding that I’d remove one of the most important pieces of my life for two entire years. At the time I decided to stop, I had two incomplete manuscripts (one for a novel

My blog entry for September 14, 2014, the day I finally admitted I needed to have gastric bypass surgery, my confession, my Kristina Rose moment: * * * I have a secret. Sure, I’ve let it out in bits and spurts, but fully admitting it has been hard to do. I try my best to

Today, I’d like to share my writing, publishing, and marketing plan moving forward. As you’ve probably gathered by this entire series, I’m super excited about this new direction in my writing career, and I have incredible passion for the world I’ve invented in The Pearl Makers. Sure, some of you know my writing from previous

Welcome to part four of my big announcement series. This is the day I’ve really been looking forward to. Today, I’m going to share my inspiration behind starting over. Not the why, I’ve already covered that. Not the how, that’s coming tomorrow. But the what–what was so inspiring I felt the need to start over,

Hi, again. I’m so glad you’ve come back to learn more about my big shift. A 5-post series is no small undertaking–to write or to read! I started this series with a personal announcement in a post entitled, “Embracing the New Me.” Yesterday, I continued the discussion by deconstructing the bad choices I’ve made thus far

Hi, again. Thanks for following me even deeper into my rebranding journey. If you missed the first post in this series, “Embracing the New Me,” be sure to check that out first. Today’s post will probably be the most difficult of the series, but it is also the most important in explaining why I decided

Hi, I’m Melissa Storm—although you may know me better under my other name. So why not just introduce myself that way then? Because I don’t want to be known as that person anymore. I’m sure you think I’m crazy, or that I haven’t thought this through. I’ve worked toward building my brand and catalog under

On October 15–just two short months ago–I welcomed a beautiful, “little” 11 lb 6.4 oz girl into this world. And I feel as if I’ve changed so much throughout pregnancy and new mommyhood, too. I’m not as quick-witted as I once was, I rarely have time for anyone or anything other than my precious, little

I’ve never been a girly girl. As a child, I preferred bugs to dolls and books to dresses. Yeah, I’m not that much different as an adult, either. As my life experience invariably grew year after year, I found myself becoming embittered, cynical, and suffering a bad case of the mully grubs. A string of