Melissa was working as a middle school teacher in Auckland, New Zealand when she swapped the noisy, yet vibrant classroom for a peaceful writer's study. Then in her late twenties, she knew she wanted to share the compelling characters in her head with the rest of the world—all in the name of love!

The mum of two started writing using a version of her own name, Melissa Pearl. Her first series was originally inspired by Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. She wrote a paranormal adventure about a girl who could travel through time. It took her three years and is still one of her proudest achievements. The Melissa Pearl pen-name evolved over time, covering a variety of genres from paranormal/fantasy adventures to romantic suspense. 

But years later, the love lives of teens with big lessons to learn and adversity to conquer began to dominate her imagination, and it was time to give birth to the name we know and love today: Jordan Ford. The Jordan Ford books are her best sellers, with hundreds of thousands of copies sold world wide. 

With variety being the spice of life, Melissa also writes heartfelt adult contemporary romance under the pen-name Melody Sweet, which combines her passion for romance and music. And most recently, she's had the privilege of teaming up with Maggie Dallen to create the O'Sullivan Sisters series by Sophia Quinn. 

Now living in Hamilton, New Zealand, Melissa is still loving every moment in her writing space where she continues to create a plethora of novels for you to enjoy.