Melanie is originally from Somerset, Pennsylvania where she attended both Shanksville-Stonycreek and Berlin Brothersvalley schools. She is an alumna of Allegany College of Maryland and West Virginia University.

She began writing for children in 2006 and was first published in 2011. She has won writing awards, written poetry for journals and been a guest on podcasts and talk shows.

Besides being a children's book writer, she teaches dental hygiene at Allegany College of Maryland and is also a practicing dental hygienist. 

She lives in Maryland with her loving husband, four poodles, and three cats in a cottage surrounded by trees and flowers and a few weeds. Her grown daughter lives in sunny Florida.

Melanie loves people, animals and the earth, as well as the clouds and sunshine. She is not a big fan of icy roads but enjoys a good snowstorm.