Meet the Author – Melissa Ferguson

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Dating Charade
By Melissa Ferguson
Contemporary Romance, Christian
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 336 Pages
December 3rd 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Just when you think you’ve met your match . . . the charade begins.

Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.

No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

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About the Author

Melissa Ferguson is an adjunct professor for Bible and religion at King University. She lives in the charming town of Bristol, Tennessee, with her husband, twin toddlers, and baby girl. She used to have hobbies like running and backpacking the Appalachian Trail outside her door. Now her hobbies include admiring the Appalachian Trail out her minivan window while singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” en route to the library.

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Author Interview

I always enjoy a Q & A with an author. Thank you Melissa for answering my questions today.

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

Well, I found myself after a surprising turn of events living in an Extended Stay for a while with my husband (a traveling general contractor at the time). Because we had expected the job to only last a few weeks, which kept extending, and extending, and extending to a year, I never sought a job. So, for that first year after I graduated from seminary I was in a new town with no job and no friends and no seeking of employment. About a week into this life I found myself reading a book and thinking, “I wonder if I could try to write books that are as fun and adventurous as this one, but also carry a deeper message of some of the things I learned in my seminary experience?”

When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?

When not writing, I’m a mother of twin 4-year-olds and a 2-year-old daughter, and they stay all day with me. I also teach Bible and Religion online primarily for my alma mater, King University.

What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?

My favorite genre to read is rom/com (fitting, huh?), but I also love speculative fiction, Christmas romance, all the children’s books, and nonfiction theology/religion books.

What is your favorite holiday? And why?

Christmas! Jesus’ birth and all the family traditions. It’s pretty lovely too now that my children are old enough to get so excited about everything!

Because I am a K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
There is no way I could pick a favorite. I read more children’s books than adult books 100 to 1 and am such an addict. It is a weakness of mine, buying children’s books. So, I’ll tell you my favorites this week: Toot & Puddle I’ll Be Home for Christmas, all books by Cynthia Rylant (especially Mr. Putter and Tabby), The Autumn Visitors (the illustrations are lovely!), Katie and the Impressionists, Charlie Brown Christmas.

Every year I organize a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants  to be an author? 

My advice would be to go to a writer’s conference as a teen. It may be overwhelming but you definitely will learn a lot and stand out by your youth!

Thanks for joining us today, Melissa and giving us a little insight into the author behind the book.

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