T Melissa Madian

AUTHOR BIO:

T. Melissa Madian is the Chief Fabulous Officer at TMM Enablement Services Inc. As a mechanical engineer, she loves taking the science of what is possible and imagining stories around the impossible. She is a storyteller, mom to a precocious cat, and auntie to her human nephew. She hopes that this book serves as a reminder to people – adults and children – that even the weirdest and most unusual creature just wants and deserves to be loved.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a Mechanical Engineer by background and have spent the past 25 years in the corporate world. I am currently Founder and Chief Fabulous Officer at TMM Enablement Services Inc. I was one of the first people to pioneer the “sales enablement” role within an enterprise corporate structure and am maniacal about championing a positive sales and customer experience; so much so, that I wrote a book about it: Enabler? I Hardly Know Her! How to Make the Sales Experience Not Suck. When I’m not focused on my consulting firm, I love to write and tell stories; It came from the SCIENCE LAB!!! is my first children’s book! I love cats, champagne, wine and my husband (in that order). I’m reasonably active on Instagram, if anyone wants to follow my shenanigans!

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Some of my earliest memories as a child were writing poems or stories about silly characters getting into far-fetched adventures. When I was in grade school, I wrote and illustrated a series of comics about a sardonic mouse… so I guess that means I have always been a writer! When I entered the corporate world, most of my writing was focused on business. I decided to write this children’s book when I found my old story notes during a basement clean-up and my passion for fiction writing was reignited… now it’s all I want to do!

What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?

I am a fan of science-fiction, adventure and fantasy novels; especially ones that have a humorous angle to them. It came from the SCIENCE LAB!!! is a little bit of science-adventure, but I wouldn’t say that I write exclusively in the genres I enjoy reading. I do write for business, and have just released a book related to my consulting firm’s expertise; but my plan is to continue to write adventure books for children and young adults.

Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
It’s for children, or for adults who would like to read to their kids (or grandkids!) My hope is that the tale of Bartholomew Blob will inspire children to get excited about STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) as a place to explore their creativity. And to appreciate that even if someone is odd or weird, that they have a place in this world. Any profit I make from this book will be donated to STEM charities.

What is your current release or project?

In addition to It came from the SCIENCE LAB!!! I have published a book related to my consulting business: Enabler? I Hardly Know Her! How to Make the Sales Experience Not Suck. It’s a fun read for anyone who is interested in how to make their sales teams more effective in their role. Next up: My husband and I have a 1-year old cat named Pickle who is a furry little hooligan. We think he’d make a fantastic character for a children’s book, so that is my current project in development.

Tell us about the key characters

Bartholomew Blob turns the concept of a “monster” on its head – he is a character born of a scientific mistake who is curious, innocent, and thoughtful. A character who is interested in learning and exploring, not destroying. He changes color when he feels or touches things, which motivates him to investigate using his senses. He has no gender or specifically human features, which makes him different from those around him. He really just wants to fit in and be accepted for who he is. As humans, our instinct might be to fear or to ostracize Bartholomew; but this book shows that with a bit of compassion and interest, anyone can make friends.

What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?

It was business as usual at the Acme Science Lab, until one day a massive explosion sent the scientists fleeing for safety.

But out of the smoke and chemicals emerged an amazing new creature… Bartholomew Blob!

With the lab destroyed, Bartholomew leaves the comforts of the only home he has ever known in search of new friends and a place to live.

As he travels through golden fields his body changes color with every emotion he feels.

Life can be lonely for a blob, but Bartholomew discovers there’s kindness and love to be found in every adventure.

Share an excerpt

Smoke and chemicals mixed, and strange sounds came from the now empty lab. Sounds like… gurgling and burping? The door of the lab smashed open and out came…

… a small, roundish shape! It was midnight black and had the size and form of an upside-down cereal bowl. It slithered instead of rolled. It looked like melted dark chocolate but had a perfume like smell.

Suddenly, two roundish holes opened and turned pale blue. It had eyes! It could see! What in the world could this creature be?

Why… it’s Bartholomew Blob!

Do you have a favorite scene?
My favorite scene is when Bartholomew is created from a science experiment gone wrong. Typically in fiction, when science experiments are performed, disaster happens. The explosion of colors and his confusion is so bright and wonderful that it makes me happy Bartholomew was created.

What advice would you give a beginner?
Create a plan. A plan of who and what your story is about. Who is the protagonist? What journey do you want the protagonist to experience? Do they come out better or worse at the end of that journey? Is there an overall theme, or are you just having fun with the story? A plan will help you to shape your story and set a course for you to write it, so you don’t end up with nowhere to go.

CONNECT WITH MELISSA:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20605306.T_Melissa_Madian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissamadian?lang=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamadian/?originalSubdomain=ca

Website: https://melissamadian.com/buy-my-books

BUY LINKS:  

AMAZON.COM: https://amazon.com/dp/0228835186

AMAZON.CA: https://amazon.ca/dp/0228835186

KINDLE: https://amazon.com/dp/B08DJBG3M3

BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/books/it-came-from-the-science-lab-9780228835202/9780228835189

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-came-from-the-science-lab-t-melissa-madian/1137396719

BOOK DEPOSITORY: https://www.bookdepository.com/It-Came-From-the-Science-Lab-T-Melissa-Madian-Lan-Nguyen/9780228835189

INDIGO CHAPTERS

Paperback edition

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/it-came-from-the-science/9780228835189-item.html

INDIGO CHAPTERS

Hardcover edition

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/it-came-from-the-science/9780228835202-item.html

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

T. Melissa Madian will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js