DiscoverThe Thriller Pitch PodcastMelissa Roos on Writing from Emotion and Instinct in Tennessee Wishes | EP14
Melissa Roos on Writing from Emotion and Instinct in Tennessee Wishes | EP14

Melissa Roos on Writing from Emotion and Instinct in Tennessee Wishes | EP14

Update: 2025-10-14
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Author Melissa Roos joins me to talk about Tennessee Wishes — a romantic-suspense set in Nashville where a dream, a spark, and a shadowy crime wave collide. We get into how she writes from instinct as a self-described pantser, why the opening took several passes to finally “click,” how beta feedback shaped the book, and the choices behind a grumpy, coffee-fueled detective and a memorable K-9 who feels like a character of his own. We also touch on grounding the story in real places (Broadway, honky-tonks, a concrete silo), giving every character emotional weight (including Dorothea), and keeping the tension rising in short, fast chapters. If you like hearing how a story finds its shape through emotion, place, and revision, this one’s for you.


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Melissa Roos on Writing from Emotion and Instinct in Tennessee Wishes | EP14

Melissa Roos on Writing from Emotion and Instinct in Tennessee Wishes | EP14

Mark P.J. Nadon