Dr. Melissa Caudle is an American author best known for her psychological thriller series “The Keystroke Killer.” Other novels include “Never Stop Running” and “A.D.A.M. The Beginning of Life.”
BOOKS FOR AUTHORS
As a bestselling author, Dr. Caudle wrote the book “How to Launch and Market a Book: The Six Month Countdown” and “How to Write a Logline to Increase Sales: Everything an Author Should Know But Wasn’t Told about Loglines for Nonfiction and Fiction Books.”
HANDWRITING BOOKS
As an award-winning Principal of the Year, Dr. Caudle received recognition for her work with children and teens. She has authored several children’s books including “A Day at the Zoo,” and “The Creek Dweller.
She has several series of handwriting workbooks and coloring books for children including
* Book 1 – Tracing and Writing the Cursive Alphabet in Lower and Uppercase from A – Z
* Book 2 – Cursive Writing Numbers, Colors, Seasons, Months, & Names
* Book 3 – Writing Short Words and Sentences in Cursive
* Book 4 – Lined Cursive Writing Practice Book
Additionally, “The Cursive Beginning Writing Workbook for 2nd – 6th GRADE: The Big Coloring Book to Learn Upper and Lowercase Cursive Writing That Includes the … Numbers, Names, Short Words, & Sentences” and the companion practice lined paper workbook.
Dr. Caudle didn’t stop there as she as created cursive handwriting books for teens and young adults.
COLORING BOOKS
For adults she created a series of coloring books, “Abstract Faces” Volumes 1-6 is a collection of her drawings for the adult colorist.
TELEVISION AND FILM BOOKS
Dr. Mel is also a reality show creator and producer with more than two decades of experience in the film and television industry. She has worked on reality shows such as “The Girls Next Door” and “The Little Couple.” She has produced feature films including her latest project “Dark Blue.” “The Reality of Reality Tv: Reality Show Business Plans” is one book out of the series of books on reality show creation and production. Other books include “150 Ways to Fund a Reality Show,” “The Reality of Reality TV Workbook,” “The Reality Show Handbook,” and “EPK for Reality Shows.” Dr. Caudle is a screenwriter and producer of feature films. Visit her website at http://www.drmelcaudle.com for more information.
Where are you from? I am originally from Emory, Texas, a small town about two hours from Dallas, Texas. However, I have resided in New Orleans, Louisiana for the last 37 years.
Why do you write? I have always liked writing, and I wrote my first book when I was in seventh grade with my best friend. I’ve never stopped writing, I have over 90 books, and I am a bestselling author in both fiction and nonfiction.
What do you write about? As I referenced earlier, I have 90 books, and my genres vary. For instance, I have over 40 children’s books, and the most recent series is for children to learn cursive writing. This all came about after the Pandemic, and we were all locked-down. My grandchildren wanted to learn cursive handwriting. So, I tapped into my teaching experience and designed worksheets for them. The only problem, my grandchildren, range in ages from five to 18, so the worksheets had to be age appropriate. By the time we were finished, I had the cursive handbook. We also wrote a children’s story called “The Creek Dweller in the Bayou” together, which comes out on Thanksgiving. The grandkids gave me the ideas, the plot, and each of them has a character in the book. When it came time to illustrate it, we had fun hiring an illustrator who could capture the kid’s looks etc.
Do you have a specific writing style? I think after that last answer, I would have to say no. However, when writing fiction, I do have a style – I never use dialogue tags. I find them distracting. Also, I am a firm believer that if an author can’t present a character through their actions and dialogue, they haven’t done their job.
What are the obstacles that come in the way of writing? I don’t have impediments that divert me from my writing as I always set time for myself. However, I own Absolute Author Publishing House, where I publish books and provide an editing service, so this keeps me busy. I also own EZBOOKBLASTER.COM, a software that I designed to send organic traffic to any book’s URL or an author’s website. Between all of that, I stay focused and engaged.
What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work? One reader wanted to know where I get my inspiration for my characters. In this example, they asked me about the serial killer in my novel “The Keystroke Killer.” When I told them that my inspiration came from my oral surgeon, they couldn’t believe it. You see, I had oral cancer, and I had to have eight of my front teeth removed, the cancer removed, and my palate rebuilt. It took about two years to complete everything, including the bone grafts and teeth implants. Every time my oral surgeon put me under the gas to work on my mouth, I pretended he was the serial killer. All sorts of things came about in my overly active brain. To make that serial killer authentic, I also went to Death Row and interviewed three serial killers. Talk about an awakening; it was easy to find the inspiration.
What is your work schedule like when you are writing? I get up every morning at 6:30 a.m., drink my coffee and relax. By 7:00 a.m., I am at my desk reviewing my tasks for the day. Between 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., I work on my next book or books. Then, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. I concentrate on running Absolute Author and Ezbookblaster as I edit other’s work, format it, promote them, or market them. I don’t work on Sundays.
How long does it take to write a book? I can write a book in weeks. However, editing it is the time-consuming part, and the beta reading part can take up to eight months. I never rush a publication.
Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? Yes, practice and always improve your craft. Attend classes and seek out a writing coach, which I am one of the best, and offer one-to-one coaching services on Fiverr.
So, you offer services on Fiverr, what kind? I specialize in all things that have to do with writing, editing, publishing, and promoting a book. You can visit my seller dashboard here
I am proud to announce that I was selected by Fiverr as one of the top-rated sellers on Fiverr and was interviewed by their public relations representative about my journey on Fiverr as a seller. I felt incredibly honored.
What does your family think of your writing? At first, my family considered my passion for writing as a hobby. That all came to a halt when I became a bestseller, published ninety books, and have a readership topping 1.25 million on my blog, earning my living by writing. I can honestly say that I make a living by writing, and it is my career.
Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers? First, I’d like to that all of my readers. They support me relentlessly. Second, check out all of my books as I have a variety.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? I always knew I’d be a writer. I have kept a journal since I was five. In fact, just this week, my husband pulled a box down from the antic, and I found my journal from 1982, and it was filled with my dreams. I wrote them out back then, in long-hand, and in short story format. Now, I feel as if I hit gold as I am now writing a short story collection based on these. It is quite exciting to find these after all of these years.
My links:
www.drmelcaudle.com
Blog: www.drmelmessage.com/
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrTwMI1gR2Ec1OR1IMhNqw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrMelCaudle
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