by  Melanie Stevenson

I was born in England, and at the age of five, my family immigrated to Ontario, Canada. As far as my memory reaches, I was a creative soul. I delighted in dancing, performing plays, creating stories, writing poetry, and painting and drawing. For me, being creative was as natural as breathing. Creative pursuits filled my free time and served as a natural outlet for my curiosity and emotions. Even now, creative endeavors continue to nurture my soul, untangle my complex emotions, and give depth and meaning to my life experiences.

At twelve years of age, I wrote my first novel to a fan base of two: my best friends, who would keenly listen as I read my work aloud and eagerly await the chapters I had yet to write. During high school, I started writing poems and keeping a journal. When I became a Christian at eighteen years of age, those hard-covered lined pages transformed into prayer journals. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve filled with praises, prayers, and petitions, my handwritten script looping letters and thoughts together to sort through life’s complexities. Over the years, the poetry I’ve written has helped me to understand that every word is meaningful and to choose words specifically and sparingly in my writing.

Two years after we were married, my husband and I started Natura, a natural mattress and bedding company. Like any start-up, money was tight, so I created the company logo and was responsible for all the writing and design work. Business writing also compelled me to select specific words and taught me to write within tight word counts. Fun fact: with my modeling background, I was the face on all the packaging and presented our products on the shopping channel for many years.

Join us today on Pages of My Life while author Melanie Stevenson tells us about her writing journey #BRRC #Reading #Writing Share on X

As our kids came along, we began to hire designers, and although I still provided input at Natura, for the next nineteen years, I embarked on the full-time job of homeschooling our four children. During those busy years, I was also the drama director at our church and the drama teacher at a homeschool co-op. I also wrote plays and magazine articles and maintained my blog.

When our fourth child decided to go to school, I took a leap of faith and published my first book, One More Tomorrow, a romance novel I had written when my children were young, which, to my surprise and joy, won Best Romance at the 2020 Word Awards. Two months later, I published Soul Focus – Trials, a 31-day devotional book to encourage those navigating struggles. This book was inspired by my own experiences and the years I had spent prayer journaling.

In 2024, I wrote a novella entitled “Where My Heart Belongs” (a Selah Finalist) and part of the Christmas anthology, I’ll Be Home, written with my dear writer friends Sara Davison, Helen Smrcek, and Darlene Turner. We jokingly call ourselves The Fab Four. This group of ladies has been a great support and joy to me, and their friendship has had a profound impact on my writing life.

Presently, I have two other novels awaiting publication—a romantic suspense and a British rom-com. I am currently working on a non-fiction book along with writing the next novella in the 2025 Fab Four Christmas Anthology. Along with being the Faith Editor for BE Magazine, a regular contributor to Christian Life in London Magazine, and maintaining my blog and newsletter, I have enough writing to keep me busy, not to mention two kids still at home, two grandkids, and two pets… a dog and a cat!

My creative journey has been both a personal and spiritual one. Knowing God as the Master Creator, I feel most alive, peaceful, and connected to Him when I utilize the creative gifts He has given me, whether through writing, painting, or gardening. There has been no end to the inspiration I find in everyday experiences, as well as in the reflections I jot down in my prayer journals. If God shows me something or brings me through a difficult season, I share it with others, believing it won’t be wasted but may inspire others in their faith journey. For me, writing is not only a divine purpose but also a way to magnify God and help others experience greater intimacy with Him.

 

 

Melanie is an award-winning author and speaker and lives in Ontario, Canada, surrounded by her husband, four children, and two grandchildren. She attended the University of Waterloo and obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Melanie’s first novel, One More Tomorrow, won Best Romantic Fiction at the 2020 Word Awards. She also received Best New Canadian Author at the Word Awards the same year. Her novella, “Where My Heart Belongs” is a 2025 Selah finalist. In 2019, she published Soul Focus – Trials, a collection of devotionals. She maintains a blog and is also the Faith Editor at BE Magazine, an online magazine for the modern woman of faith, and a regular contributor to Christian Life in London Magazine. Melanie weaves in beauty with unusual depth and humor while encouraging the reader that although we are collectively flawed, hope and goodness can be found. Her mission is to create stories of excellence that impact hearts and lives. Paper, canvas, and dirt are her favorite blank pages.