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Melanie Tays

Author of young adult novels

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About Melanie Tays

The Book That Started It All

September 18, 2020 by Melanie Tays Leave a Comment

I consider myself an avid reader, but I don’t always have a book I’m reading. I guess I could best describe myself as a yo-yo reader (It’s like a yo-yo dieter, but just with books instead of food). I’ll read twelve books in two months, and then nothing for the next three. But even so, I read a lot and I enjoy it.

My favorite genre is young adult dystopian. That probably doesn’t surprise anyone who has read my books. The book that started it all for me was The Giver by Lois Lowery. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it.

I was eleven or twelve the first time I read it. It was my first introduction to the whole concept of dystopian societies, and it fascinated me. The entire idea of how humanity’s attempts to manufacture perfection brings about the exact opposite was both startling, chilling, and profound.

I feel like every dystopia I read makes me seriously think about what it means to be free, to be safe, to be good, and even to be human.

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t help writing my own YA dystopian series to examine what it really means to be human and how those characteristics are fostered, dismantlement, or regained.

What do you think the ideal society would look like? What problems would it have to overcome? What problems could it inadvertently create?

When you really start to dive into the subject, it’s like trying to unravel a knot of a thousand threads. Solving one problem just leads to new ones, and finding the “perfect” solution to all of society’s ills is a lot harrier problem than we initially imagine.

What would your dystopia look like, and how would it have come to be?

Filed Under: About Melanie Tays Tagged With: dystopia, favorite books

My Favorite Books

April 28, 2020 by Melanie Tays Leave a Comment

Before I started writing, I loved reading, and that has not changed. I probably read an average of a book a week. My all time favorite genre is young adult dystopias, but I read all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction—so my favorites span a lot of genres, topics, and age-ranges.

Here’s a list of just some of my all-time favorites (in no particular order).

Fiction

  • The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • The Declaration Trilogy by Gemma Malley
  • Lost December by Richard Paul Evans
  • Caraval by Stephanie Garber
  • Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
  • Delirium Triology by Lauren Oliver
  • Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  • The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clarke and Alafair Burke
  • The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
  • Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
  • Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
  • Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
  • The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
  • Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Non-Fiction

  • The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
  • Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Todd Gilbert
  • On Fire by John O’Learey
  • Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
  • Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull
  • The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky
  • Wired for Story by Lisa Cron

Filed Under: About Melanie Tays

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

March 12, 2020 by Melanie Tays 5 Comments

  • Melanie Tays is actually my maiden name. Since 2004, when I married my husband, Chris, my name is Melanie James. I write under my maiden name because it’s unique.
  • I had a few detours in my early adulthood before finally deciding to pursue writing as a career. I started out as a registered nurse. On the first day of my critical care rotation, my professor asked us all what we would have wanted to do if we could do absolutely anything and couldn’t be a nurse. I said I would be an author. When I told her I would write fiction because I hate research, I don’t think I impressed her very much (oops). I lucked out, though, and got to do both: seven years as a nurse (mostly working in home healthcare) and now I spend my days weaving stories to share with you.
  • I am the designer of the card game Launch Pad, published by Stratus Games. I came up with the game in a single night, and 90% of it never changed through all our play testing. I think more than a few fights have started over the strong take-that factor in the game. It turns out some people are a lot more serious about their game play than I am (oops again).
  • I love to play board games and card games. My husband and I own over 650 games. Of course, this is also because we are the creators of Casual Game Revolution and Casual Game Insider Magazine, so it’s not all fun and games—pun intended.
  • I’m incredibly entrepreneurial. Just for fun, I like to think of ideas for new start-ups or how to market a business. It sometimes drives my husband a little crazy (“Why can’t we just go to Disney Land without spending half our time there discussing the logistics of starting a theme park?”) So, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m super fun at parties.

So that’s me. Now I would love to hear about you. What’s something quirky and interesting about you? What do you like to read? Send me a message, or leave a comment and let me know.

Filed Under: About Melanie Tays

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