SITDOWN WITH MELISSA KOSLIN

By Patricia Bradley

Join me today for a sit-down with Suspense Sister, Melissa Koslin, as she talks about her new book, Endless as the Rain (she's giving away a digital copy). But first, a little about Melissa.

Patricia: Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel, Endless As The Rain?

Melissa: A young woman is kidnapped by the son of a mobster. Alec is certainly dangerous, but is he a threat to her, or is he truly trying to protect her from attempts on her life? She must uncover the truth of his past, how it entwines with her own, if she wants to survive.

Patrica: What inspired the title Endless As The Rain? What sparked the first seed of this story—an image, a question, a character, or a “what if” moment?

Melissa: The title of the book comes from the poem “Long-Felt Desires” by Louise Labe from the 1500s, which includes the line “endless as the rain.” 

The spark came when I was watching an interview with a writer, and she’d mentioned she came up with her story idea from a dream. I know that might sound silly. But as I thought about it, I realized I had a story that I’d dreamt about years before when I was a young teenager. It was one of those ones that sticks with you for some reason. I remembered how intense the emotion had been. I picked up a random notebook and started writing the story. I haven’t stopped writing since.

This book has actually been published before. I had written for a long time under a different pen name. It was romantic suspense mostly, but not yet explicitly Christian. I have since devoted myself strictly to Christian fiction. I removed all past books from publication and deleted social media profiles and my website- everything. But I decided this book series was too special to leave in the trash pile. I rewrote it to bring it up to my current standards, and the Christian element naturally wove into the story. It makes it make more sense. The book is now as it always should have been, and I’m extremely excited about that.

Patricia: Where did the inspiration for Alec’s character come from?

Melissa: I felt like the book needed a dark, brooding, wounded, but powerful hero, and Alec fills that role perfectly. There is so much in his past that has shaped him in unique ways that other people won’t really understand.

Patricia: What’s your favorite scene? And why.

Melissa: I’m not sure I can nail down just one. I think something I really love is that we know the whole book Alec is hiding things. We know he’s got his hands in some way with the criminal element. We know he’s powerful and feared. And yet, we feel his goodness as well.

Patricia: Where did the inspiration for Adriane’s character come from?

Melissa: I picked the name due to its similarity to the word rain. Adriane sees herself as invisible due to pulling away from the world after her father died five years ago. Yet, she is anything but. I wanted the invisible girl to find her voice and be the hero in a lot of ways.

Patricia: What was difficult about writing this book?

Melissa: This was the first book I ever wrote. It’s been rewritten literally more times than I can remember. When I came at the editing this time, I came with fresh (and more experienced) eyes and completely rewrote large swaths. AND I changed it from 1st person to 3rd person—THAT was a lot of work!

But I think even more difficult than that was how obsessed I got. I had to make sure I didn’t let real life responsibilities slide while I did the rewrite. There is something about this book that has always made me passionate.

Patricia: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Melissa: The mystery, the constant taunting about who Alec really is and what his real goals are.

Patricia: What do you hope readers will take away from Endless As The Rain?

Melissa: Trust God when he nudges you. His path is always better than our own. Talk to God and ask for guidance. He’s always there ready to listen, eager to guide—no matter how dark your past is.

Patricia: What keeps you at the keyboard, especially on days you would rather do something else?

Melissa: The stories. That’s what keeps me excited after all these years.

Patricia: Is there a part of the book that comes from your own life?

Melissa: Funnily enough, my job in property management helps me write his business a little more realistically. The lion’s share of his business is real estate investing, so I am able to include some details that the average person may not think about. It’s not an exciting aspect, but it made writing those scenes a lot easier and accurate. 

Also, he’s a skilled martial artist. His first introduction to martial arts was traditional Taekwondo simply because that’s where the bulk of my training is. I’m a 4th degree black belt. I love writing fight scenes.

Patricia: How long does it usually take you to write a book from thought to finish?

Melissa: This varies widely. It could be a month (my quickest book), or it could be a year. Before I had our daughter, it was closer to a few months, but now it’s closer to a year.

Patricia:  A couple of fun questions now. What’s your favorite beverage? Coffee, tea or something else?

Melissa: I don’t like coffee. I don’t even like the smell. Never have. 

But I like some tea. I go for the mild ones, not spicey. My favorite right now is Tazo lemon loaf (literally tastes like lemon cake).

Patricia: What are you working on now?

Melissa: I am doing two things right now. I’m finishing up the rest of this series—almost done rewriting the last book. 

And I’m working on a new speculative fiction book—it theorizes that the Amazons are real (though not all the myths are accurate) and that they started due to being inspired by stories of Deborah (Judges chapters 4 and 5).

I researched the Amazons and potential inspirations of the original myth. Some will say past religions and cultures held women up in power, but what I found was almost all about intimate physical aspects of womanhood (mostly related to temple priestesses, who were really just temple prostitutes). It was never actual respect for them as people. But the Bible introduced the radical concept that women are of equal value as men. I can only imagine how that affected the people of that time. 

Patricia: Where can our audience go to connect with you?

Website: www.MelissaKoslin.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaKoslin/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissakoslin?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissa_koslin/?hl=en 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melissakoslin/ 

To be entered in a drawing for a copy of Endless as the Rain, be sure to leave a comment with your contact info! You can let us know if you've read any of Melissa's books! Or just say "hi"...

Endless as the Rain by Melissa Koslin

For Adriane Graham, the real question comes down to whether she's Alec Kaden's guest or prisoner…

If she's a guest, then that means Alec freed himself from his family ties to organized crime and that he's telling the truth when he says he's protecting Adriane from dangerous men. It means they both can shake off the shackles of haunted pasts and begin anew together.

If she's his guest, then Adriane Graham is no longer alone. She's safe. And maybe…just maybe…she can finally find the strength to love.

But…

If Adriane is Alec's prisoner, that changes everything.

It means his tenderness is simply a ruse to keep her under control; his kindness is just poisoned hypocrisy. It means Alec is a cruel liar, and that somehow, by some desperate way, she's got to get out of this charming man's well-guarded house…before it's too late.

Troubling questions pour like fountains through Adriane's heart…flowing…

Endless as the Rain.

Join Christian author Melissa Koslin as she explores the fine line between love and danger.


And I didn't forget that today is the anniversary of 911. My prayers are with all of the families who lost loved ones on that date. And pray for this country, that history doesn't repeat itself.