Melanie Abrams is a writer, teacher, and developmental editor. Her last book, The Joy of Cannabis: 75 Ways to Amplify Your Life Through the Science and Magic of Cannabis is a comprehensive guide for the cannabis curious to the cannabis connoisseur. With a curated set of 75 activities to expand the mind, move the body, unlock creativity, boost productivity, fortify meaningful connections, and spark wonder, The Joy of Cannabis is a road map for an ancient plant that’s been bringing healing and happiness for thousands of years.
Her novel, Meadowlark, delves into the lasting effects of childhood trauma and the resulting choices we make for our children while exploring the power and danger of being extraordinary and what it means to see and be seen. It was named a Most Anticipated Crime Book of 2020 by Literary Hub, a 2020’s Must Read by Book Riot, and an editor’s pick for California Magazine. About it, Kirkus wrote, “Abrams gorgeously depicts the spellbinding world of closed communities, in which being noticed as special means everything. A compelling, taut portrait of love and broken promises.”
Her novel, Playing, is an unflinching look at the irrevocable consequences of giving into our most secret passions, and the freedom and imprisonment that comes with true self-knowledge. About it, Publisher’s Weekly said, “Abrams’ debut novel is a revealing look inside the mind of a woman who… allows herself to be bound and whipped, fulfilling her desire to “play”… The narrative moves fast, and the stark swirl of sex, violence and near-madness will please readers” and Robert Hass praised it as “part fable, part romance, this disturbing, tender, sometimes terrifying first novel announces, emphatically, the arrival of a very gifted new writer.”
She is currently at work on her third novel.
