Melanie Snitker- An Interview

These days it's hard to find good, clean stories that seep into the heart and soul. When I was growing up, the term 'Christian Romance' was an oxymoron. However, since I've been writing my novels, I've found many authors that can spin a good story about romance and tug at your heartstrings, all the while filling your thoughts with the sweet Spirit of God.

Melanie Snitker is one of these authors. She has just published her fifth book. Finding Faith is the fourth book in her Love's Compass series. Welcome to my blog post Mrs. Snitker!

MS: Hi, Alisha! Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog today.

Me: You’ve embraced the world of indie publishing. What do you see as the main benefit to being an indie author and what advice would you give to someone just starting out, especially if they’re trying to combine writing with a day job?

MS: The main benefit as an indie author is having complete control over my books. I like getting to choose the titles, covers, publishing schedule, etc. It can be a lot of work, but it's always worth it. For anyone starting out, my best advice is to write whenever you get the chance. If that's for a half hour after the kids go to bed or during the fifteen free minutes you have during your lunch hour, it's better than nothing. And it all counts up! I'm a homeschooling mom to our two children and I find that my writing schedule is always changing. Some days, it just doesn't work and I don't get any writing in at all. But I try to go with the flow and somehow it comes together.

Me: Do you have a favorite character? Or a character that has been very difficult to write?

MS: I have a favorite pair of characters, does that count? lol I absolutely love Lance and Lexi from Finding Hope. Their chemistry is awesome and I really enjoyed how both of their personalities came to life when I was writing their story. As far as difficult characters, Serenity was probably the hardest for me. I always say that my characters have to talk to me in order for me to write their tales. In Serenity's case, I had planned to tell her story in the third book in the series, but it took longer to really get a feel for what I wanted to write about. Even then, it wasn't one that flowed as freely as others have.

Me: What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

MS: I love writing the stories that mean a lot to me and sharing them with others.

Me: How long have you been writing? And publishing your works?

MS: I've been writing for just about as long as I can remember. When I was young, I'd write episodes for cartoons I liked and it just grew from there. The time I spent writing ebbed and flowed depending on what was going on in my life. I finally made it a priority in 2014 and published my first book, Calming the Storm, in August of that year.

Me: How do you kick back, relax, and recharge your batteries?

MS: Spending time with family is one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy photography, reading, watching some of my favorite movies, and listening to music.

Me: What’s one piece of advice someone gave you that you’d like to pass on to aspiring writers?

MS: I remember reading about how, if you don't have a set amount of time to write every day, you'll never become successful. It was a stressful notion to me. I found a lot of freedom when someone told me that it didn't matter how much time I spent writing, or that I wrote a certain number of words. It was more important that I wrote when the inspiration struck me. So that's what I'd like to pass along. Write when you are inspired to do so. There will be times in your life when you'll be able to devote more attention to writing than others. What you have to share with the world is important so don't give up!

Me: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

MS: You can drop by my website at http://www.melaniedsnitker.com/ and sign up for my newsletter there as well.