When she's not wandering through worlds of her own invention-where her characters delight in defying the limits of reality and magic-Melita spends every spare moment writing her way deeper into fantasy. Occasionally, she remembers there's a real world beyond her imagination and returns to it, usually with some reluctance. There, she enjoys being outdoors with her endlessly patient husband and their dog, who listens politely as she debates the essence of a scene with herself and acts out her characters' emotions in search of the perfect description. Reality, she's found, makes an excellent rehearsal space.