Tucson, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/07/2014 -- Since coming to the United States from England decades ago, NovaMelia has traveled across the nation and lived, painted, grown orchids, raised Siamese cats and married the love of her life.

Her true dream though – to write and publish a book – was realized with the release of her debut novel, ‘The Saving of Aris’. Gritty, searing and raw, the book attracted the attention of many readers, and it was all the encouragement that the author needed.

Since then, NovaMelia has released two more books and has plans for a fourth.

“Although I create the characters,” says NovaMelia. “they sometimes develop their own personalities and even decide their own destinies. I think that’s most evident with my newest book, ‘Wally Wander’, about a female who lives solely within her own mind and dreams. I love writing across many genres and exploring the brains of different characters. With ‘The Saving of Aris’, I wrote in the voice of a young man, who created his destiny while thinking he was following it. And with ‘Duckegg’, I wrote primarily about a community and how the townspeople are affected by a large company disrupting their daily lives. Duckegg is an onlooker, young and inexperienced, mostly poking his nose where it doesn’t belong.

I find it fascinating to dive into other worlds and other minds. And it’s wonderful to be able to unleash my creativity and have such a generous and lovely response from readers.”

Synopses:

Wally Wander
When Wally is young, she learns that being her friend can be dangerous to your health. As she goes through life, the idea of her deadly contamination persists and is even reinforced. As a result Wally begins to spend some of her time living somewhere else, upstairs in her head.

Wally wanders into her space bubble which floats somewhere just below God's space. Sometimes Wally gets puzzling signals. She learns from her mother that she, Wally, may be turning into a cabbage and that refrigerators can tell lies. From her sister-in-law, she learns that her brother, Norman, works in a black hole and that he might even own one. Her brother, who is a physicist, tells her that time is in another dimension and that she cannot go back and change things unless she first goes into another dimension.

Wally comes down from her space bubble from time to time and checks to see if things have changed. She talks with her family and especially with her favorite nephew, Nigel, whom she believes will one day rescue her from where her family have put her. She tells Nigel that music is magic, but Nigel doesn't truly believe her until he sees it for himself and he witnesses the magic happening.

Duckegg & Persons of Interest

A Small Town Goes Mad
A large pharmaceutical company begins operations in a small outlying community in New England. Interdependence, intrinsic distrust, confused rumors and local ethics all become part of the mix. A local school teacher leads a group of concerned citizens who are suspicious about the research being conducted by the company. Honesty and morality and a menagerie of animals become part of the debate.

There are the weak and the strong and sometimes there is bullying in the Company and among townspeople. In all of this Duckegg moves between his sense of not belonging to his often dysfunctional family and the pride of being a hero. He is honest with himself but sometimes blatantly dishonest with others. He suffers the sorrow of loss and the shame of unintentional harm done by him.

The balancing act between the Company and the Town's people, the personal conflicts and the clashing of personalities, the bullies and the bullied, the clever and the not so smart; the conniving and the innocent, ultimately culminates in a town gone mad, at least for a day.

The Saving of Aris
This is the story of Aristophanes Ball, a young boy whose life is tossed about by circumstance and fate and who constantly seeks to sort some meaning out of its tangle. He searches inside himself and he searches outside himself. He wants to be one of them, but he's not sure who they are. He wants to belong, to fit in. He wants to find out why other kids make fun of him and call him names.

His source of truth is his uncle Joshua, whom he believes at first is his father. Joshua would sort things out for him, telling him what was the truth and what was made up stuff.

Aris also believes he may have two mothers, but he isn't sure of that. He discovers that he can learn a lot by listening at doors, especially when there's an argument going on. But, as his uncle Joshua had predicted, he eavesdropped once too often. He finds out that Max got his head cracked wide open, but he doesn't know who Max is or why he got his head cracked wide open. He learned some things about himself, too that he didn't know before. Ultimately success comes by fate from a chance meeting in an alley. And it comes from one avenue he didn't explore, his own ignorance.

Since she began writing, NovaMelia’s work has garnered glowing reviews from readers.

“The control one has over their own fate is always up to debate. "The Saving of Aris" tells the story of Aristophanes Ball, as he tries to find the medium in his life through a long chain of events that leaves him confused and uncertain about his own future. He learns much about the world through these vents and soon learns the power to take control of his own life. "The Saving of Aris" is an uplifting read of facing the harshness of life, recommended,” wrote Midwest Book Review.

“NovaMelia's "Duckegg”, is a wonderfully written tale of a "company town" in New England. The characters are well drawn, each with their own inner struggle. At the center is troubled teen, Terrance Duckworth, aka "Duckegg," an unlikely hero who uncovers the truth of what's really happening behind the locked door at the pharmaceutical research lab. NovaMelia builds the story one brick at a time culminating in a town gone mad for a day. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story,” wrote Nicole McNamara.

“NovaMelia has a consistent way of unearthing these fascinating personalities and making unlikely heroes out of them. Reading her novels is a trip. But like an adventure - once you come to the end of it - you want another!” wrote Penny Styles.

Purchase Links:

‘Wally Wander’: http://amzn.to/1f8OkPE
‘Duckegg & Persons of Interest’: http://amzn.to/1hNh6tw
‘The Saving of Aris’: http://amzn.to/1fIrVIW

About the Author: NovaMelia
NovaMelia was born in England and came to America (on a Greek boat named Neptunia) when she was 17 years old. She landed in Hoboken, New Jersey, and spent a brief time on Ellis Island before finally entering the USA. Later she attended the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Creative Writing and Psychology. While living in Pennsylvania she became a licensed private pilot.

After graduating from Pitt, she moved with her husband, George, to Massachusetts where she worked as a substitute teacher and began to pursue her hobbies of writing and painting in oils. She now is a self taught artist working primarily on portraits.

Since leaving Massachusetts NovaMelia has lived in several other states, including Connecticut, California, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. While living in Florida, she did freelance writing, raised aquarium fish for the local pet store, bred Siamese cats and grew orchids.

NovaMelia is now settled in Oro Valley, Arizona and still spends her time writing and painting.