Today we’d like to introduce you to Malissa Lee.

Hi Malissa , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Contrary to what you think, I hated storytelling at first!

It all began in the third grade when my teacher assigned us to write a short story about aliens. It wasn’t just the fact that Little Malissa, who was all about her princesses and whimsical fairytales, hated the idea of writing about these gross and green aliens. But she struggled to churn out the words that would take the ideas in her head and bring them to life on paper.

I remember I was so dramatic about the whole thing. I decided to forget the assignment and run away, so I could avoid doing it. I didn’t get very far, obviously. My mom caught me packing my barbies into a little hacky sack in the basement, and sat me down to ask me what was wrong.

From there on, she helped me tell the story little by little. My mom would ask me questions to help steer my creative direction. She’d challenge me to put myself in the alien’s shoes and see the world through this supernatural creature’s eyes. She didn’t know it then, but this process has become so fundamental to how I tell my stories now.

Eventually, the short story was done and dusted, but I still didn’t love writing. I thought it was hard and tedious (that hasn’t changed). However, I started to notice that after I wrote my first story, other ideas started popping up in my head. I’d see a rock and ponder if there’s little fairies living under there. Or I’d see a shadow, and think about a story where a demon is stalking a little girl in a creaky mansion.

I got so fed up with these ideas swirling around my head 24/7, I begrudgingly wrote them down. Then, gradually, with every new word I wrote, every new world I built, and every new character I met, I began to love telling stories so much that it became my entire purpose.

To this day, I’ll always be so thankful for my mom. If she wasn’t there guiding me from the start, I don’t think I would be where I am today.

That’s where my pen name comes from: Malissa Lee. I wanted the last name I publish under to honour my mom and her influence on me as an author, and I’m incredibly proud to do what I get to do.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I remember travelling down a road in rural Laos that was riddled with potholes. The car was jostling and I was gripping tightly onto my things, hoping nothing would break apart on our journey.

My time in publishing is very similar to that experience.

I went from working at a very solid job in communications before deciding that it wasn’t for me, and I dove headfirst into fulfilling the dream I’ve always thought about: publishing a book. When you do something like that, though, you have a lot of people who are like: “That’s so stupid! Publishing is so unstable. How are you gonna do this? How are you gonna do that?”

I’m a recovering people pleaser, so having that energy surround you while you work towards your dream was extremely difficult. Even though I was happy about the path I was trekking on, the road was riddled with a lot of doubt and a lot of anxiety and fear. I still find myself asking the questions, ‘What if this is wrong? What if I’m doing this all wrong?’

Fighting to maintain your confidence and have conviction in your decisions in the face of doubt will always be a big struggle.

At the same time, I love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am the Canadian indie author of the hockey romance novel Until We Burn. While the official blurb has yet to be released, my debut follows a romance between star-crossed lovers who become friends with benefits in the backdrop of scandal and competition. Until We Burn is set to be released in Fall 2025 through Amazon and KU. More details are being released in the next few weeks, and I’m so excited to share them!

For the time being, I specialize in hockey romance. Until We Burn is book one of a three-book series that are interconnected standalones.

What I am most proud of is that I get to tell love stories where BIPOC women are seen, loved, and respected in erotic literature. Right now, there’s a lot of ridicule around authors who write smut and I want my work to be a force of resistance and rebellion. I believe sex is such an important topic that should be explored, rather than villainized because women deserve to feel empowered to discover the things that bring them joy and pleasure without shame. In that regard, my brand of romance will always involve open-door spice and I’m incredibly proud to tell these stories where BIPOC women get railed, get their dream man, and get their happy ever afters.

What does success mean to you?

My definition of success is being able to do what you love as the most authentic version of yourself while you’re surrounded by people who support and root for you every step of the way. With every new opportunity you’re given, you grow in your wisdom and your capabilities to multiply the things that you’re being blessed with.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dearmissmalissa
• Other: Threads: @dearmissmalissa