Author Melissa Roos joins me to talk about Tennessee Wishes — a romantic-suspense set in Nashville where a dream, a spark, and a shadowy crime wave collide. We get into how she writes from instinct as a self-described pantser, why the opening took several passes to finally “click,” how beta feedback shaped the book, and the choices behind a grumpy, coffee-fueled detective and a memorable K-9 who feels like a character of his own. We also touch on grounding the story in real places (Broadway, honky-tonks, a concrete silo), giving every character emotional weight (including Dorothea), and keeping the tension rising in short, fast chapters. If you like hearing how a story finds its shape through emotion, place, and revision, this one’s for you. Melissa Roos' book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/9X6cIJZ Follow Melissa on her website: https://www.melissaroosauthor.com/ Join the After Show on Patreon and get my free novella Cognitive Breach, bonus stories from guests, early access to episodes, and the chance to submit your own questions for future authors.https://patreon.com/markpjnadon Today's SponsorMark P.J. Nadon's novels: https://mybook.to/marksthrillers Authors: Want to be a guest?Apply here → https://markpjnadon.ca/the-thriller-pitch-podcast Bonus question not shared anywhere else:• Subscribe to the newsletter → https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1441401/156148451269150067/share Explore thrillers by Mark P.J. Nadon:• https://markpjnadon.ca/novels/ Follow Mark on his Amazon Author Page:• https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-PJ-Nadon/author/B0D572CK4Y?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1753025997&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=229df4e7-ebe3-47d8-b0dd-0a03704db684 Follow on Social:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markpjnadonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_pj_nadon/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_pj_nadon