Melanie spent her formative years in the sailing town of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. The tightly-bound community, maritime history and captivating landscapes of the southern Island were all sources of inspiration for the fictional town of Wellow in which Mistress of the Storm is set. Melanie lives in Suffolk, near the seaside town of Southwold, with her husband Lucien and their two sons, Joe and Ben. Mistress of the Storm is her first book.
A really gripping magical debut with a strong girl heroine The Bookseller 20100416 Straight away you are thrown into a world of intrigue and questions that keep you guessing and captivated with every turn of a page My Child Welsh's prose is lovely, her characters are well-drawn, and the atmosphere of the town is palpable. In creating a place in the world where a story read aloud can become true, Welsh offers a benediction of sorts to readers, that every child who is alone or out of place will find the friends they need, and the love they deserve Publishers Weekly 20110503 Verity is the unlikely heroine in a story that combines elements from Joan Aiken, Cornelia Funke and J.K. Rowling ... The setting and cast of characters are so richly described readers will see the scenes, which cut from one to another, as if watching a movie ... This is an exciting debut - with the promise of more to come - that will leave readers clinging to their seats Kirkus 20110504 If you like stories that are full of adventure, magic but with a firm footing of solid friendship try this - a wonderful book My Favourite Books 20110713