Felany Melanie: Prequel to the movie Sweet Home Alabama

The many hats of Author/editor Chris Eboch 

Author/editor Chris Eboch has her foot in two worlds: children’s literature, as Chris Eboch and M. M. Eboch, and as Kris Bock, in adult literature. Chris has written over sixty books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Chris’s books on writing, You Can Write for Children, and Advanced Plotting, and posts on her blogspot, Write Like a Pro! A Free Online Writing Workshop, are chock full of down-to-earth advice for authors interested in honing their craft. Chris has been a member of SCBWI-NM for many years, has served as Regional Advisor, and currently serves in a new capacity as Published Authors Coordinator. Chris takes an active part in helping fellow authors succeed. We are very fortunate to have her. Read more about Chris in my WOTM February 2019 post: "Writing Tips from Author Chris Eboch".

As Kris Bock, Chris writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. And novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes include The Mad Monk’s Treasure, The Dead Man’s Treasure, and The Skeleton Treasure.

And now Chris has embarked on a new young adult romantic comedy series with her brother, author and educator, Doug Eboch. The new series features “Felony Melanie,” Jake, and their friends seven years before the events of the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Doug wrote the original screenplay for Sweet Home Alabama as his master’s degree thesis script at the University of Southern California (USC). The box office hit, which came out in 2002 and stars Reese Witherspoon, is still a popular romantic comedy frequently found on TV. Chris and Doug’s new series is a natural extension of the movie.

In the first novel, Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium, Melanie qualifies for the Miss Alabama Princess Pageant. The prize could be her ticket out of Pigeon Creek. But can a “trailer trash” girl outshine the snooty debutantes? Meanwhile, Jake and his buddies suspect someone is sabotaging the pageant. In order to save the pageant and Melanie’s chance to win, the gang must show they’re more than what people see on the surface.

The authors held an online video book launch in May. The actors who played Clinton and Wade in the movie answered questions from the audience in a lively chat. The launch recording is on YouTube at "Felany Melanie" on YouTube.

Doug currently teaches screenwriting at Art Center College of Design and at Loyola Marymount University, both in California. He has published books on script writing as well as novels and short stories as Jacob Love. The Hollywood Pitching Bible: A Practical Guide to Pitching Movies and Television, by Doug Eboch and Ken Aguado, “a book that tells the truth about the art of pitching in Hollywood,” is now in its 3rd edition and is available on Amazon.

Have you ever thought about writing a screenplay? Several members of SCBWI-NM have done just that. Consider it. If you're an author, you already have what it takes in abundance: tenacity and determination.

Visit Chris at: www.chriseboch.com; https://www.krisbock.com/; and her Amazon page:  https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Eboch/e/B001JS25VE/ .

My writing partners and me

enjoying The Ghost on the Stairs,

one of Chris's ghost stories

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 150 articles for adults and children, and several short stories for children. She has recently become editor of the New Mexico SCBWI chapter newsletter, and is working on several projects for children. Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery, Linda's first book, will be out soon. Follow Linda on https://www.lindawilsonauthor.com.