writing

Get to Know Melinda Call

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While I do have a biopage, sometimes pictures speak louder than words so here are a 5 things to help you all get to know me.

All the books are photos of physical copies in my personal library. Swan Song is actually the second battered copy as the first one completely fell apart after reading it so many times. Honestly, picking only 5 was difficult but these are the ones that really stuck out. Please note, all but Swan Song are part of a series so I consider the entire series influencial.

I love movies! Narrowing it down to four was nearly impossible but I felt this shows the broadness of my favorites. “On your left” still makes me tear up to this day. I’m a SAP when it comes to emotional scenes. Give me an entire box of tissues. I’m gonna need them. Missing from this list is What Dreams May Come. I don’t care who you are or where you are in life, watch this movie and prepare to sob. Its good to let it out sometimes.

I took bellydancing for several years and actually performed both in recitals and paying gigs. It is still one of the best and fun workouts. I’d recommend it to everyone, young and old. My day job is Laboratory Liaison at a large cancer center but I did work at the lab bench for decades in virology, neuroscience, and cancer research before transitioning to my current role. I am terrified of inside birds, yet my first writing award was an essay on the Rocky Mountain Bluebird. Go figure.

I think everyone dabbles in random hobbies but baking and gardening have stuck with me the longest. There is actually a bread recipe in my upcoming cozy mystery. Dirt therapy and the love of making outdoor spaces beautiful come from my parents. My garden is hanging on through this crazy heat so I might not be canning nearly as much as I’d hoped this year but there should still be plenty to eat at time of harvest. (Looks at 3 tiny tomatoes from last weekend with pride).

Somehow, my love of animals didn’t make the cut. I’ll make sure to share all my crazy animal adventures in another post soon. Until then, keep reading and hope to see all of you at an in-person event soon!

Summer Update

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2026 has been a rollercoaster with some unexpected hard turns. Not all were bad but have challenged me greatly and forced me to take a deep breath and reset some goals. Including taking a break from everything to go on a vacation with the hubs later this year.

The first thing I’ve had to do was be nicer to myself and realize not all my goals were realistic with all the change happening. For someone who likes to plan to the nth degree, this has been a challenge in itself. The good news is I’m still alive and making progress, even if it is a bit slower than originally planned.

There are still lots of in-person events happening in the second half of this year. Make sure to check my Events 2026 page often as I’m still booking several in October/November/December. Some will be markets and some will be in local bookstores. If you are in Seattle-area, you won’t want to miss the Seattle Book Blast in September.

Eden’s End Book 1 will still be coming this fall with AMAZING new series related swag. This book has been a labor of love including LOTS of research. With all my “life” changes, getting this ready to share has taken longer than anticipated. Rather than a mid-September release, we are now looking at October. This is still perfect as the book is set IN October. I will be shouting release parties from the rooftops as soon as I have a firm release date.

There have been a lot of times I just wanted to give up and hide in my bed, but bills still need to be paid and books need to be written. Every kind word, book review, and new reader who stops by my page or booth keeps me going. Thank you all for sticking with me through the tumultuous first half of 2026. Here’s to a better second half, or at least better gas prices.