While growing up, Melanie's family traveled from Hawaii to Maine. Her favorite memories include horseback riding, seashell hunting, and hiking the Appalachian Trail. These experiences and family stories encourage her everyday to preserve the past, walk in the present, and look forward to the future.

In third grade she wrote her first story. In high school Melanie wrote for fun. In college, meteorology, mathematics, and music studies required research papers. So, she was still writing.

When Melanie got married, she and her husband started a family and writing took a back seat to Popsicles and playgrounds. In the meantime she worked many book-related jobs. Finally there was time; the kids were bigger and the stories were almost ready, too.

Melanie’s family is precious to her. Everyone loves to read, play music, compete at games, and laugh. When they get together it’s a party!

"Writing is a blast and in every story there’s an adventure." One of the best adventures Melanie ever had was being a Boys' Life journalist and going on NASA's, Weightless Wonder, the zero-gravity astronaut trainer--the Vomit Comet!

With the publication of her award-winning book, Phoebe Clappsaddle and the Tumbleweed Gang, Melanie entered into book published status. As of 2006, she has 13 books in publication; picture books, nonfiction, easy-readers, and more on the horizon.