Use my contact form! Or connect with me on Facebook, Patreon, Instagram…whichever! I love to communicate with my readers and I always try to respond.

It’s not a simple process, I can tell you that much upfront. I’ve researched online, read books, and attended writer’s conferences to gain the knowledge I have.  I intend my upcoming podcast to answer general questions on the subject of writing and publishing, including query letters, synopses, pitches, etc. Stay tuned to listen along and learn what I know and discover!

Yes and no. I’d love to help you out, but there’s a catch. Time is precious. Between working, writing, and editing my own novels, as well as family priorities, I don’t have a lot of time left over. But if you really want me to read your novel, and you’re willing to reciprocate in kind, let’s talk!

After 15 years of querying agents to publish my work, I met with a prominent agent from NYC in person, and learned that right now the traditional publishing houses aren’t looking for my kind of novels. They say High Fantasy is dead. I respectfully disagree. Following this conversation, I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn the ins and outs of self-publishing. I’ll never look back.

Years ago I learned that someone with my legal name had already been published. Alarmed by this, I scrambled for a pen name. It ultimately came from my family history. My legal last name is derived from Woodscourt. The legend goes that my ancestor was part of Robin Hood’s merry men, which held court in the woods. Thus, Woodscourt. Pretty cool, eh? The M. stands for Melissa and H. is taken from my long-time online handle Hikari – which means light. I’ve since calmed down about sharing my legal name with a fellow author, but the pen name has stuck, and I love it.