Melissa Welliver - TO THE DEATH available to pre-order NOW!
@melliver.bsky.social
YA Speculative Author | Rep: Lucy Irvine PFD | Writer of YA Dystopia | TO THE DEATH out with Hachette Children's Group March 2026 | Co-Host of The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes podcast | she/her
Huge thank you to @melliver.bsky.social for a great #ukteenchat! Can't wait to hunt up a copy! And of course to our host-mistress extraordinaire @finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social ☺️
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#ukteenchat thank you, that was so fun! Always here if anyone has any writing questions 😊
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo agoThat hour has absolutely flown by! Thank you so much for being a wonderful guest @melliver.bsky.social, you are more than welcome anytime on #ukteenchat 😊
Great advice over on #ukteenchat tonight!
Melissa Welliver - TO THE DEATH available to pre-order NOW!@melliver.bsky.social · 4mo ago#ukteenchat something I had to relearn recently: 1. Find the writing joy and 2. Don’t let go of it when you get negative feedback/reviews. You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t want to. Make sure you’re writing what YOU love and you’ll find your people! Reviews are for readers, not authors!
#ukteenchat something I had to relearn recently: 1. Find the writing joy and 2. Don’t let go of it when you get negative feedback/reviews. You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t want to. Make sure you’re writing what YOU love and you’ll find your people! Reviews are for readers, not authors!
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago10, Do you have any writing advice or tips you’d like to share? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat I just handed in line edits on TO THE DEATH 2, so that’s almost wrapped up now! And I’m just putting the finishing touches on my first ever adult speculative time-travel portal fantasy with a dash of dark academia, coming soon to editors’ inboxes 👀
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago9, Can you tell us anything about what you’re currently working on, or is this sworn to secrecy right now? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat I am SO BORING I write at my desk, with my dual screens and fancy chair, in silence. I can’t do cafes but sometimes can do a library. If I get stuck I like to listen to movie themes from scenes with a similar vibe to help set the mood!
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago8, Do you have any writing rituals or a favourite place to write? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat my first draft is all about nailing the plot, so I don’t have major rewrites later. The second draft is fleshing out characters - usually what their needs are, versus what their wants are. Then I work on the world building. Kinda like layering up a lasagna! The more layers the better!
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago7, From previous chats, I know you’re a mega plotter, could you tell us a little bit about your approach to creating stories, please? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat well 👀 for anyone lucky enough to have got their hands on an early copy, they might find this page in the back of the book…
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago6, Will there be more books to come in the world of To The Death? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat my Pyres are a hybrid of vampires and zombies. They burn in sunlight but are otherwise lean mean fast killing machines that can only be taken down with a bullseye to the head or the heart. So yes I would be dead minutes after the first wave hit thanks for asking 😂
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago5, If you had to survive your own game show in To The Death, how well do you think you’d do? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat grief and survivor’s guilt is a HUGE part of the story and something readers can relate to in an otherwise fantastical world. I dedicate the book to all our Inner Monsters, aka learning to love the parts of ourselves that sometimes we lie awake at night just regretting we ever let out.
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago4, Survival stories often reveal the darkest and most human sides of characters. Without spoilers, what kind of emotional or moral challenges do your characters face on the island? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat when I pitched this book to my agent her exact words were “you always have wanted to write a zombie book”, which is so true! I’m a die hard zombie fan, and while writing I was hooked on the traitors, so I think the two things meshed in my head! But zombies first, they’re so fun to write!
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago3, The book blends a deadly game show with vampires (Pyres), which is such a brilliant hook. What came first for you, the idea of the game or the Pyres? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat even though it’s set in a fictional world I did find myself delving into six months of sign language lessons for one of my Deaf characters, Cass. We also engaged an authenticity reader and my partner has been diagnosed as Hard of Hearing in that time and is getting hearing aids soon!
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago2, Did you need to do any research you needed to do for To The Death? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
#ukteenchat of course! Welcome to Blood Island, where the fight for survival against the bloodthirsty undead is recorded for live entertainment. Meet Astrid, a girl with a shadowy past who hates the limelight, but is forced to participate in Bloodwatch’s latest game show with fit outsider, Luke 👀
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 4mo ago1, Could you please tell us a little bit about your new YA, To The Death, please? @melliver.bsky.social #ukteenchat
Welcome one and all to tonight's #ukteenchat, featuring the fabulous @melliver.bsky.social. Have your questions at the ready and give us a wave if you’re here 🙋♀️ Remember to use the # so your questions don't get missed 😀 #ToTheDeath #writerslife #writingcommunity #writementor
#ToTheDeath by @melliver.bsky.social is a gory #BattleRoyale for fans of survival fiction with a slice of reality TV Island ✔️ Zombies ✔️ Cash Prize ✔️ Survival ✔️ Marginalised Islanders ✔️ Fight to the Death ✔️ Corrupt Broadcasters ✔️ = Screams, Betrayal, Death and an excellent read!
Today we're interviewing Melissa Welliver @melliver.bsky.social about her latest book, TO THE DEATH, a dystopian contest with zombies! We also have a chance for you to win one of two copies over on our insta and tiktok (link in thread) #UKYA #UKYASpotlight ukyaspotlight.co.uk/2026/03/23/a...
Author Interview: TO THE DEATH by Melissa Welliver
An interview with Melissa Welliver, author of TO THE DEATH
ukyaspotlight.co.uk
With my @ukyaspotlight.bsky.social hat on, I got to interview Melissa Welliver about her latest, TO THE DEATH @melliver.bsky.social @hachettechildrens.bsky.social #UKYA #UKYASPotlight ukyaspotlight.co.uk/2026/03/23/a...
Author Interview: TO THE DEATH by Melissa Welliver
An interview with Melissa Welliver, author of TO THE DEATH
ukyaspotlight.co.uk
Join us tonight, Tues 24th March 8-9pm GMT for #ukteenchat with the fabulous @melliver.bsky.social - who will be chatting all about her new #dystopian #YA, #ToTheDeath. All welcome to come and join in the chat 🙂 #writerslife #writingcommunity #UKYA #writementor
Emma Finlayson-Palmer@finlaysonpalmer.bsky.social · 5mo agoNext #ukteenchat will be on Tues 24th March 8-9pm GMT with the fabulous @melliver.bsky.social - who will be chatting all about her new #dystopian #YA, #ToTheDeath. All welcome to come and join in the chat 🙂 #writerslife #writingcommunity #UKYA
Thank you to Hodder Children's Books for the review copy of To the Death by the fabulous @melliver.bsky.social - a fast-paced dystopian YA perfect for fans of The Last of Us and The Hunger Games 📚 #ToTheDeath #YA #dystopian #ukteenchat #horror #reading
Loving @melliver.bsky.social's new dystopian YA - TO THE DEATH from - but I'm not sure I should be reading it in the dark so late at night. Worried about the Pyres now, eek! #ToTheDeath #YA #dystopian #vampires #zombies
🚨JANUARY SALE🚨 Is this the year you polish that manuscript and get agent attention? I offer a service for that! For ALL my editing services booked in January I’m offering 20% off the list price at the link below! Start your writing year with a💥! melissawelliver.com/editorial-se...
#ToTheDeath is on the Waterstones #WPreorder campaign! To get 25% off: 🔗 Head to the link: www.waterstones.com/book/to-the-... 🛒 Hit “PRE-ORDER” to add to basket, then “CHECKOUT” ⌨️ Type OCTOBER25 into “Add Promotional Code” 📦 Wait for TO THE DEATH to arrive for only £7.49 plus postage!
It's the most magical time of the year - tax time! Here are the % of income streams for my writing in the last financial year: ALCS - 0.41% PLR - 0.23% Appearance Fees - 1.42% Editing Fees - 5.35% Mentoring - 25.96% Advances - 34.04% Writementor Day Job - 32.59% More below 🧵1/4
There was a gap in the middle there but we got here eventually! Grab a ticket for @NYALitFest and start your author journey - watch me go from babby reader to full time author! 📅: 19th July 2025 💰: only £3! 📍: UCLan Preston Campus 🎟️: www.lancashire.ac.uk/events/listi...
My niece’s nightstand. @melliver.bsky.social’s book I bought her in lieu of an Easter egg, and @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social’s book was bought buy her mum* I’m so proud. *I took her to the launch where my not so inner nerd was horrifyingly present
Are you an author with a finished manuscript, struggling to hook an agent’s attention? I am a published author offering editing services with 100+ happy clients. This summer I am offering 15% off ALL my services with code TOTHEDEATH - just quote when you email! melissawelliver.com/editorial-se...
You say my website's had a makeover? And that I'm offering 10% off ALL my editorial services to anyone that tells me the name of my March 2026 book in the email for booking? I wonder where you might find that out... 😉 melissawelliver.com
THE NEWS IS OUT! I have THREE new dystopian romance books coming with the ineffable Hachette! The first, TO THE DEATH, is The Last of Us meets The Hunger Games and will be coming at you 2026, with a sequel in 2027! 🔗: amzn.eu/d/hHXyZtd
My German publisher are putting on a vote for a SPREDGE on Soulmates and Other Ways to Die! 🇩🇪 If you’d like to vote, click below! The options: Love is a Choice 💜 OR Is Love a Choice? 💛 Would love those who have read it to vote for what fits best! www.instagram.com/p/DIOoqxaq7E...
You know, I’ve decided to give up on dystopian fiction. It’s just not popular in the wonderful, peaceful, perfect world we live in 🤷🏻♀️ Think I’ll write some contemporary uplit instead, from now on.
