CHRISTIE MELLOR:
FEARLESS ACTRESS, AUTHOR, ARTIST and MOM
When pursuing a career in the arts, you not only have to be fearless, but passionate too. And if passion were a sport, then Christie Mellor could write the playbook. This actress, author, and artist proves that you can raise a family and do what you love and maybe even profit from your life experience. I first came across this talented writer when I picked up a copy of The Three-Martini Playdate - an irreverent look at the way kids are raised today. Christie's laugh-out-loud book is one of the highest-ranked parenting books on Amazon and the amazing part of her success is that she did not have a huge promotional campaign behind her; rather word of mouth drove the title into a runaway hit.
Even without the help of an agent, Christie managed to secure a publishing deal. How did she do it? She passed her manuscript along to a friend who worked at Chronicle Books who offered to put it on the desk of one of the editors there. As fate and good taste would have it, the editor loved Christie's writing and offered her a book deal. From there, The Three-Martini Playdate was born and Christie became a first-time author. Following the publication of her first book, Christie pitched a few ideas which showcased her talents as an illustrator, but unfortunately, they weren't received as strongly as her first book was. Undeterred, she set out on a search for the perfect literary agent who would share her passion for both writing and illustration. Incidentally, Christie illustrates all of her books.
After many meetings, Christie found an agent who saw the whole Christie package. The agent not only sewed up a second book deal with Chronicle for Christie's sequel to The Three-Martini Playdate, the aptly titled Three-Martini Vacation, but she also sold her two additional book pitches - one a non-fiction guide for twentysomethings and another, an illustrated book for adults, to major publishing house Harper Collins.
If you think becoming a best-selling author and mom is enough to keep things interesting for Christie, well, think again. Before she began typing away on her first manuscript, Christie pursued a career as an actress. Today, she can be seen in dozens of commercials and heard on the airwaves through her voiceover work. Christie says her roles these days are not much of a stretch - she usually plays the foolish mom who bought a really bad cleaning product; the ticket taker in an American Airlines commercial; or the memorable role of a mom driving a minivan - hmmm...I think we can all relate to that one!
In her down time - as if she has any - Christie is mom to two sons, ages 14 and 9, who obviously have provided her with plenty of fodder for her entertaining books. THREE-MARTINI VACATION will be released by Chronicle Books in Spring 2007. To find out more about Christie Mellor, visit her website at www.christiemellor.com or to visit the Role Mommy home page for more inspiring and entertaining stories.