Hello Everyone!

I am happy to share with you a beautiful author who won our October Go Indie Now! Excellence in Literature Award!

E. Mellyberry is a gorgeous romance author.  Her writing is bittersweet and real, and you just fall into her stories and fall in love with her characters.  She won our literary award for her novel My Lea, and it is highly recommended.

From Our Awards Website

E. Mellyberry won the October 2016 award for her romance novel, My Lea.  Her writing is bittersweet and beautiful, and leaves the reader changed once they are done reading her work.

SCORECARD

• Editing: 4/5
• Originality: 5/5
• Plot Structure: 5/5
• Character Structure: 5/5
• Message: 5/5

When Lea Amelia landed her feet in San Francisco for her overseas study, her idea of freedom was simple, like eating junk food ten times a day, sitting in front of the TV in her PJs, or going out late with her friends without the need to check in with her mother constantly. Then she met Andrew Jaya, her brothers’ best friend. A twenty-two-year-old guy whose physical appearance looked like he was crafted straight from God’s heavenly hands, but possessed a past as bleak as if it was drawn by Evil himself. A conflicted guy who wore sadness like nobody’s business beneath his mask, a perfect-looking mask she slowly peeled away. He was also the guy who hurt her. Suddenly, everything about her was no longer simple. Andrew Jaya had convinced himself that not feeling was good for him. He’d been doing it splendidly for almost his entire life. But that was before his best friend’s sister stepped into his life and ruined it. After weeks of knowing Lea, all of those warm and wonderful feelings he’d long ago denied to himself started to reappear. Problem was, the brighter the light, the bigger the shadows that came with it. His traumatic past refused to let him go. When the unthinkable happened, the easiest thing to do was to run. But life often proves that the easiest way is usually the hardest.

Author Interview

What is the first memory you have of writing?

I remember I won my first writing competition when I was eleven. Writing and reading have always been an integral part of me growing up, I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing them. I was the nerd girl who carried books in her bag no matter where I went.

Which authors inspire you, and why?

When I was a kid, it was Enid Blyton with her Famous Five series. I love how she was able to write heart-racing adventures, and at the same time mesmerized me with the sibling love among her characters. I always felt like I belonged to Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy’s family.

I love J.K. Rowling (who hasn’t?) and J.R.R. Tolkien. Fantasy is a genre I love, love, love. It’s also the toughest genre to write. Anyone who could write an epic High Fantasy deserves my undying love and admiration.

As I took my writing more seriously, I became more aware of the existence of indie authors and their books. One who stands out is Colleen Hoover. She’s such an amazing person and author. She inspires me—and millions other young writers—with her magical and amazing writing journey. She makes me believe in my dream. She makes me believe I can do more with my stories, that I shouldn’t be afraid to try. She is the true Cinderella in our book universe.

What is your favorite genre to read, and why?

It’s always between Fantasy and Contemporary. I connect the best with these two. But to be frank, I read literally everything, as long as it’s not horror and Sci-Fi.

What is your favorite genre to write, and why?

It has to be Contemporary. I love capturing emotions and writing about them. Presenting conflict is my addiction, and I think I work best when I’m not distracted by, let’s say, the world building and magical elements in Fantasy or Paranormal genres. Every fiction I write carries the truth of what we have in real life. My characters and their personalities are compilations of many real people—family, friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, strangers—I met in my life. Writing can be very emotional for me because I see the real faces behind my characters.

What are you currently working on?

I’m now in the final editing stage of my Young Adult manuscript, FLY. It’s a diverse, interracial love story about a geeky Hong Kong boy and an Indian teen model. Hopefully I can share it with the world before summer 2017.

Author Bio

Melly has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, but not until 2011 did she publish her works. She writes children’s books under the name mellyberry, and novels under e. mellyberry. She used to work in school and is very passionate about education.

Melly was born in Indonesia and grew up in a multi-language environment. When she talked, she could accidentally string words from different languages into one sentence. When she does that, simply reminds her to speak properly.

Her ideal vacation always involves a beach; usually it’s the Nusa Dua beach, Bali. She spent a few years in Singapore and USA to complete her Master degree. It was during that time she’d fallen madly in love with San Francisco and the Bay Area.

How to connect with E. Mellyberry

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Blog  Goodreads  Website

In May, one of our authors will win the yearly title of “Standout Author of 2016”.  To vote for your favorite author, simply like their post on this website.  The author with the most likes will win the award.