Meet Melissa Velasco | Author of the book series, The Hollywood High Chronicles

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Velasco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a choreographer, stage manager, and author, my career in the Arts has largely been risky. I believe all artists must face the fear of risk, both monetarily and psychologically. I’ve never experienced professional risk quite like I do as an author, though. I strategically chose the self-publishing route when I started my book series, The Hollywood High Chronicles. As I faced the realization that I was producing a sixteen-book series, I initially ran the math. I quickly crumpled the paper, tossed it, and chose to live in a land of oblivion, fueled by maniacal tenacity and relentless effort.

An artist has two options. The first is to decide if our artistic fire burns bright enough to warrant the often-underfunded hard work required for a long-term career. If the answer is yes, then we must decide what acceptable measure of success we plan to leverage our art against. For most artists, success is measured in creation. To measure success in monetary value short-changes an artist’s truest potential. To put this into perspective, I’ve been a part of MANY productions in the festival, theater, and dance world that were hugely successful from a creative standpoint but fell short monetarily. The creation process and audience enjoyment warranted the work.

The risk of exposing yourself as an artist is enormous, but the price of not creating that which fuels an artist’s soul is a far greater risk. I must realize my purpose.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been an artist in one capacity or another most of my life. It’s a vulnerable endeavor built of giving away pieces of myself through creation. My art as a writer is my most encompassing journey. My book series explores the breadth of human emotions, quandaries, and realities while readers journey through fictional mayhem. Artists draw from their own unique understanding of the world. In the case of my book series, this has been a double edge sword. On one hand, I’ve got age and life experience on my side. On the other hand, man alive have I evolved and grown through stages of myself that I’m not proud of. . . Stages that I must explore to fully develop teen characters in peril. It has been jarring, to say the least.

The book series started accidently. With all my other artistic outlets put on hold due to the COVID lockdown, I was antsy. I embarked on a story writing journey that started off such a sweet adventure; a real opportunity to hang in my imagination with amazing friends from the past. It didn’t stay that way for long. The characters, initially inspired by people I actually know, started to morph into pure fiction. My fingers flew on the keys, while my mind spiraled. The story started to warp, the characters shifting, as a new reality took shape. Not only was a book forming, but I was no longer in charge. This monster was growing, earning teeth and claws. This wasn’t what I intended! I didn’t sleep for days. I barely ate. Disheveled and confused, all I could do was increase my typing skills rapidly. When I emerged from a writing vortex, thoroughly spent, what would become Book One: Intuition of my series sat in an enormous file on my laptop. This was no longer a lonely Covid lockdown distraction. A new career was born, and I knew I was in big trouble, because Book Two: Dark Water was boiling up. My fingers landed on a fresh page on my computer, and I started another heart racing sprint.

One of my proudest accomplishments in the Hollywood High Chronicles book series is the creation of a heroine who has layers and quandaries. She’s sweet but vicious. She’s capable of extreme rationality but also so stunningly irrational. She’s bored but overwhelmed. She’s pragmatic but riddled with guilt. She’s all these things because I’m sick of heroes that have the answers. I don’t have the answers and don’t know anyone who does. We need a messed-up hero who barely treads water as the worst possibilities try to drown her. The storylines and characters are purely fiction, but they’re well rounded and relatable in their lack of perfection. Relatability is key, and I’ve infused my short-comings, mistakes, and mishaps into the series. While that was a difficult journey of self-realization, that’s the heart of art. We give the good of ourselves, but we also must be brave enough to reveal our flaws, because the audience deserves a trip through relatable realities of human experience.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let’s GOOOO! I love this question. I would take a visitor of Southern California to so many incredible places. We’d start with the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset. The pizza is so good that it alone warrants a visit. History, though, that’s the true draw to the Rainbow. So much Rock and Roll history was created at this incredible location, and it’s a beloved spot of legends of the music industry. So many important pieces of musical madness grace the walls. I’ve been there a million times, but each visit stretches long as I slowly wander the two-story building, taking in the pictures and instruments.

Next, we’d head to the world-famous Whisky a Go Go. We wouldn’t see just any show, though. The Whisky is known for launching musical careers, and I want to see an up-and-coming band that’s getting their big break. There’s magic in that incredible building. You feel it as a hopeful band, chock full of talent, fires up.

A trip to Melrose Blvd is a must. The collection of vintage t-shirt shops, couture boutiques, and cafes offer a brilliant leisurely stroll.

Venice beach, with its quirky laid-back vibe, is another must see. Rollerbladers, volleyball, the world-famous Muscle Beach, surfing and sand offer never-ending entertainment and relaxation.

Last, but never least, Musso and Franks Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, is a trip through time. The steakhouse, founded in 1919, hasn’t changed. You can feel the history of the entertainment industry in the building. While known for its incredible food, there’s also a deep history of contracts and negotiations hashed out by film executives over dinner, who are responsible for so many of our most cherished cornerstone movies of the entertainment industry.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to readers! In an age of rapid media at the tips of our fingers, a reader is heroic in my eyes. To slow down and take the time to read the written page is an act of patience and grounding. Without readers of my book series, where would I be? Fans of the Hollywood High Chronicles are a never-ending source of laughter, love, and energy. Writing can be a very solitary endeavor, but the messages I receive have a sense of community that I cherish. Their commitment to the series knows no bounds, and I feel every ounce of their dedication.

Website: https://www.melissavelascobooks.com

Instagram: @melissa.velasco.31508

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodhighchonicles

Other: Book music lists, and character playlists, can be found on Spotify: The Hollywood High Chronicles

Image Credits
Chess Game- Photographer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography

Four Book ad- Photographer and Designer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography

Melissa Velasco at the Rainbow Bar and Grill- Photographer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography

Melissa Velasco speaking at the Los Angeles Book Festival Awards Ceremony- Photographer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography

Melissa Velasco book signing photo- Photographer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography

Melissa Velasco and the typewriter- Photographer: Alan Osterholtz

Melissa Velasco Bookcase Photo- Photographer: Tino Duvick Broken Chain Photography