Meet the Newbies (& Giveaway): Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Welcome to Meet the Newbies! Meet the Newbies is a blog event dedicated to introducing you to the “newbie” published debut authors. In this event, expect to learn more about the authors, their books, and silly fun facts!

Today, I'm featuring Melissa Gorzelanczyk, author of Arrows!

Nickname: Missy (Most of my family still calls me that)

First Day of School: January 26, 2016

Homeroom: Delacorte Press

Grade: Young Adult Contemporary

Extracurricular Activities: Music (Piano & Singing), Yoga, Art and Culinary (because she needs someone to cook for her, please!)

Favorite Class: Anything but Math

Favorite Quote/Motto: “This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it.” –From the Holstee Manifesto

The Interview:

Alyssa: Hi, Melissa! Thank you so much for joining me today on my blog! 

Melissa: Hello again! I'm honored to be here, as always. *squeezes Alyssa*

Alyssa: My first question - how has the post-debut period been? It's been three months since Arrows was published (woah!).

Melissa: WUT?! *checks calendar* *checks for new gray hair*

It's amazing to me how slow publishing can feel, and then in a wink a book is published and has been out for three months. I think the biggest change for me is that I'm feeling a little more relaxed (most of the time) and focusing on writing new books, which makes me happy. I've been fortunate enough to bring ARROWS on book tour to places like the NoVaTEEN Book Fest in Arlington, VA, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of my 2016 events. You can find the whole schedule here. Come say hi!

Alyssa: What is something that you wished someone told you, about the period after the publication of your debut?

Melissa: Luckily because of joining The Sweet Sixteens and The Class of 2K16 author groups, I had a lot of opportunities to ask questions about what to expect after launch. I think the consensus is that you will never feel like you are doing enough to promote your book. The important thing to remember is that you can't do EVERYTHING. You'll burn out and it won't be pretty. With that in mind, I'm trying to enjoy the process. I'll never have a debut year again. It's been pretty special  so far and I don't want to ruin it by constantly feeling overwhelmed. It's a work in progress. :)

Alyssa: Has anything changed for you, in terms of your writing process?

Melissa: Leading up to launch, writing took the back burner. I'm happy to report that is no longer the case.

Alyssa: What's something that was cut from Arrows, that you wished could have stayed?

Melissa: I can't think of anything! The edits we made were, in my opinion, for the best of the story.

Alyssa: Can you share anything from your current project (or one of them)? A teaser, a line, an unofficial synopsis, a tiny spoiler? ;D

Melissa: Since I have four books in progress, I'll share part of my YA contemporary, a crime mystery involving sibling drama and broken hearts.

Last year, I painted the dresser across from my bed blue, a layer of white swirls on top. Words scattered the surface. Max and Coral in love forever and ever and ever and ever, around a curve, like that. The knobs were pink roses, my great-grandmother’s favorite flower. I was named after her. Coral.

Now, with a graphite pencil shading the edge of my open sketchbook, and my gaze on that dresser, I wrote:

Paint it black. 

Alyssa: Oooo, sounds intriguing. Thanks for joining me! I can't wait to read more from you in the future. :)

Melissa: Thank you so much! It's always a pleasure.

The Author:

Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a former magazine editor and columnist who believes love is everything. A dreamer for life, Melissa has been writing books since she was nine years old when she penned her first story about a beloved black horse. She is a member of the Class of 2k16, the SCBWI and The Sweet Sixteens. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

The Book:

Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: January 26, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow. 

Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma and Danny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.

A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?

This fast-paced debut novel explores the internal & external conflicts of a girl who finds herself inexplicably drawn to a boy who seemingly doesn't reciprocate her  feelings, touching on the issues of love, sex and responsibility, with a heroine struggling to control her destiny--perfect for fans of Katie McGarry's novels and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

The Giveaway:

Giveaway #1:

Win a copy of Arrows! This giveaway is hosted by the author, and it's USA only (sorry, non-USA peeps!).

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Giveaway #2:

1 Pre­Order or Finished Copy of Any Debut Novel Featured on Meet the Newbies

International (as long as The Book Depository ships to your country)

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