BOWERSOCK, Melissa
(Amber Flame)

PERSONAL:

Born in the United States; married.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail—mjb@melissabowersock.com; mjb@newmoonrising.net.

CAREER:

Writer and hypnotherapist. National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ, administrative assistant.

WRITINGS:

Goddess Rising (novel), Elderberry Press (Oakland, OR), 2001.

The Pits of Passion (romantic satire), New Concepts Publishing (Lake Park, GA), 2003.

Remember Me (romance novel), Draumr Publishing, 2005.

Superstition Gold (historical romance novel), iUniverse (Lincoln, NE), 2005.

Also writes under the pseudonym Amber Flame.

SIDELIGHTS:

Melissa Bowersock told CA: "I started writing stories at the age of five; it appears that I can't NOT write. If I'm not working on one or two books at any time, I'm keeping a journal and jotting notes.

"Flashes of inspiration influence my work. I've found I can't write [mechanically,] but must be inspired. Any time I have attempted to consciously write something commercially viable, I end up throwing it away because it's not coming from the heart. Reading good writing inspires me, as do my dreams. My favorite books are: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Six of One by Rita Mae Brown, The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser, and all my own books! I've read them all numerous times. Obviously I write what I like to read!

"I'm a very undisciplined writer; if the inspiration isn't there, I don't write. Once the [flow] begins, I grab it with both hands and write as long as it lasts. I often write in longhand so I can take my notebook with me wherever I go. I have gotten ideas from dreams or simply from stray thoughts that seem to develop on their own. I have found that if I am open to the process, whole [chunks] of stories will drop into my brain fully formed. Then it's just a matter of tying it all together. When I write, I actually [see a movie] of the action unfolding in my head, and I simply describe what I see. I hate to rewrite and seldom do, except for minor corrections. When I write, I feel as if I am building a wall, and each course of [bricks] is laying the foundation for what will follow. Each sentence builds on the one before. To go back and change earlier aspects of the story destroys that foundation. I would say that all my books are at least ninety percent of my original writing, probably more.

"I'm often surprised at how much I come to care about my characters. They are very human—flawed, sometimes foolish or arrogant—but I find that I enjoy their company and look forward to spending time with them again. They become my friends.

"I write in several genres, and each of my books is the favorite of that particular genre, so it's difficult to pull out one. However, I have to say that Goddess Rising is the book I am most proud of. That book arose from a dream and occupies a special place in my heart. The story and characters came together in a way that was much larger than anything I have ever written, and I actually feel that it claims me more than I can claim it. It's less my creation than a gift to me.

"I hope my books invite people to think. I hope they raise some questions that the reader may not have entertained before, that they open the door to possibilities not contemplated before. I like to see growth in my characters—not just the resolution of a conflict, but some change that the character undergoes, willing or not, so they are stronger, smarter, more capable by the ending. The story line of outward action is never enough without the transformation of the characters. That's the real story."