Hello all! Today’s tour stop includes our interview of E. Mellyberry, author of Fly FOr Both of Us!! This is a young adult fantasy you’re not going to want to miss, especially if you love romantic stories about staying in love despite the miles!
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and about Fly For Both of Us?
Hi. My name is Melly. Before settling down in Indonesia, I lived in San Francisco and Singapore for a short while. I’ve been writing since I was in high school. My first novel was released in 2014, and FFBOU is my third. All of them are own-voices novels with Asian traditions and cultures as the background.
FLY FOR BOTH OF US is a love letter to every nerd and geek teens out there. It’s also my dedication to soft-hearted boys and ambitious girls. It was so fun to write because I could go full on Star Trek mode on it. Once you read the book, you’ll know what I mean 🙂
2. How did you get started writing, and what was your writing process like for Fly For Both of Us?
I am a slow writer. Drafting is normally fast, but the revising process could take from 6 months to 4 years. It took me 3 years to complete FFBOU. It’s gone through many changes, but the heart of the story – the soft-hearted hero and the strong-willed heroine – didn’t change despite some feedback to make the hero more Alpha.
I only start drafting when I know how the story would end. From there, I drag the story backward. Probably not the most common way to write, but it works for me 🙂
3. What was your publishing journey like?
I started out as a children’s books author. I signed with a traditional publisher in my own country, but after a while, I felt that my true calling was being a novelist. It was so hard in the beginning because my first language was not English. I’m lucky to earn readership with my first two novels. Some of them still stay with me after those many years.
4. Which character was your favorite to write dialogue for?
I love when Ben and Kai are together. One would say something ordinary, and the other would reply with something outrageously funny. I had the greatest time of my life writing their banters over food and Ben’s nerdy habits.
5. What do you think Ben and Kai would be up to this time of the year?
Ah, I think they would stay in Hong Kong and work from home, which would drive Ben crazy because Kai was not the most organized person to live with. Like most of us, they would worry about the future of the world in regard to Covid-19 and the future of their own country.
6. What is something you absolutely must have when you’re working on writing?
Snacks! Especially the Brown Sugar Boba Latte 🙂
7. Favorite reads of 2020?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune
Beach Read by Emily Henry
A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (my number one favorite author of all times)
Have you guys read any of those? I INSIST YOU MUST.
8. Any hints to what you’re currently working on?
It’s another own-voices novel. I branch out to Adult Contemporary now. It’s heavily inspired by the movie 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, but it’s told from an immigrant’s point of view. I’ve done my drafting and each day I fall more in love with the story. Cannot wait to share it with the world.
Thanks for having me. And thank you so much for reading Ben and Kai’s story.
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