Melissa didn’t know she had a Jersey accent until she moved to Philadelphia. She thought everyone spoke the same way, called things by the same name; subs, sprinkles, pork roll, etc. It was quite the struggle. Proper names of food and household items notwithstanding, being a hardcore reader (thanks to those endless days at the library with her Mom) helped shape her desire to produce stories of her own. Inspiration is endless, from movies, to board games, to more books and more movies.