Melanie Meadors, Author at GeekMom

‘How We’ll Live on Mars’: The Book that Inspired the TV Series

March 5, 2020March 4, 2020Melanie Meadors

Check out this review of Stephen Petranek’s book ‘How We’ll Live on Mars,’ the inspiration behind Ron Howard’s series ‘Mars’ on the National Geographic Channel!

The Scientific Method: It’s Not Just for High School!

February 25, 2020February 24, 2020Melanie Meadors1

How are scientists using the scientific method to solve the mystery of Enceladus’s icy plumes? This tool isn’t just for high school students!

The Hunt for Extraterrestrial Life Focuses on Orange Dwarf Stars

January 18, 2020January 17, 2020Melanie Meadors

Find out why “Goldilocks stars” are more likely to host planets with extraterrestrial life!

From Star Stuff to Life: ALMA’s Groundbreaking Discovery in Astronomy

January 15, 2020January 14, 2020Melanie Meadors

As Carl Sagan famously said, “We’re made of star stuff.” Astronomers are now one step closer to understanding how.

Dust Towers on Mars: Have Scientists Solved the Water Mystery?

January 11, 2020January 10, 2020Melanie Meadors2

Where did all the surface water on Mars go? Scientists working with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter think the answer might lie in dust.

Cold Water Fishery Resources: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

July 13, 2019July 12, 2019Melanie Meadors

Last week Melanie Meadors took part in a volunteer program to test the water in a local cold water fishery resource and report it to the local watershed monitoring program. Read on to find out why this is important work!

Asteroid Day Is June 30th!

June 28, 2019June 27, 2019Melanie Meadors

On June 30th, it will be Asteroid Day, an annual event celebrated by 192 countries around the world! Here are some things to make your Asteroid Day cool.

I Heart Zombies: A Guest Post by Koji Steven Sakai

May 6, 2019May 6, 2019Melanie Meadors2

Please welcome guest Koji Steven Sakai to the site! Koji is a screenwriter and author, as well as a comic book writer. His latest project, collaborated with John Mayer, is Santa vs. Zombies, in its last days over on Kickstarter!

Geeking Out While Writing ‘Seraphina’s Lament’: A Guest Post From Sarah Chorn

February 19, 2019February 18, 2019Melanie Meadors

Sarah tells us what inspired her while writing her debut novel, “Seraphina’s Lament,” available on February 19th.

Thiassi’s Eyes, Stars in the Viking Skies

October 9, 2018October 8, 2018Melanie Meadors

If you were to pick up ‘The All Father Paradox,’ a new fantasy adventure novel by Ian Stuart Sharpe, you’d see a very interesting dedication in the front of the book. Ian was kind enough to share with us the story behind his dedication, and the Norse myth that inspired it all.

I Am Not A Good Writer: A Post By Elizabeth Vaughan

September 14, 2018September 13, 2018Melanie Meadors2

‘USA Today’ bestselling author Elizabeth Vaughan tells readers why she is not a good writer—and how that helps her become a better one.

Author S.L. Lahna Talks Espionage, History, and Queer Culture

March 16, 2018March 15, 2018Melanie Meadors

Author S.L. Lahna has penned a novella that will appeal to fans of espionage thrillers, speculative fiction, and history. Find out what made them geek out while writing ‘The Silver Bullet Affair’!

Deborah A. Wolf on Real World Inspirations in Fantasy

May 26, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

Deborah A. Wolf’s debut epic fantasy novel, ‘The Dragon’s Legacy,’ has been hailed as ground-breaking and complex. She joins us this week to tell us the real-life inspirations behind her fiction!

Author Laurie Forest’s Geeky Inspirations Behind the ‘Black Witch Chronicles’

May 11, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors1

Young adult fantasy author Laurie Forest tells us what made her geek out while writing her debut novel, ‘The Black Witch.’ Be sure to check out her Pinterest page, where she has a lot of images of her inspirations as well!

Western Steampunk Adventure and Espionage! Five Things That Inspired ‘Buffalo Soldier’

May 4, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

This week we welcome back author Maurice Broaddus to tell us what inspired him to write his new steampunk novella from Tor.com, ‘Buffalo Soldier’! Not only does this book have a fantastic cover, but it has some very interesting origins. Read on!

Middle Grade Author Barbara Dee Geeks Out About Shakespeare!

April 26, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors1

Middle grade author Barbara Dee’s new book ‘Star-Crossed’ has been called “a fine choice for middle school libraries in need of accessible LGBTQ stories and a great option for students reading or performing Romeo and Juliet” by School Library Journal, and having read it, I whole-heartedly agree. The story also has a very engaging voice and a main characters tweens will be able to relate to. I asked Barbara Dee what made her geek out while she was writing ‘Star-Crossed’. Please welcome her to Geek Speaks…Fiction!

Wyverns and World Building and Tattoos, Oh My! Elizabeth Vaughan Geeks Out About ‘WarDance’

April 12, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

This week on Geek Speaks…Fiction! fantasy author Elizabeth Vaughan talks about what she thinks is the best part of writing fantasy, and what made her geek out while she was writing her newest book, Wardance, which is available now!

Author Megan Ryder Geeks Out About Baseball Research

April 6, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

Romance author Megan Ryder is a big Lord of the Rings and fantasy fan, but is also just a teeny bit of a baseball geek as well.

5 Things That Inspired ‘The Voices of Martyrs’ by Maurice Broaddus

March 31, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

This week we welcome author Maurice Broaddus to Geek Speaks…Fiction! Maurice has written many pieces of wonderful speculative fiction that have appeared in places such as ‘Lightspeed Magazine,’ ‘Weird Tales,’ ‘Asimov’s,’ and more. In this article, Maurice talks about five things that inspired his new anthology, ‘The Voices of Martyrs’!

Battle Borne: J.L. Murray on Writing ‘Monstrous’

March 25, 2017December 15, 2017Melanie Meadors

J.L. Murray is known for dark speculative fiction that is poignant and insightful, and has been known to make grown men weep. Here she is on this week’s Geek Speaks…Fiction!, talking about how setting and character can work together to pack an emotional punch.