Born in historic Morristown, New Jersey, Melissa Desmond has been a passionate animal lover all her life. Enjoying the companionship of cats, dogs, hermit crabs and fish from a young age, Melissa has always had a deep bond with her pets, enjoying the immense unconditional love they offer.
Moving with her family to Sydney, Australia when she was 13 years old, Melissa attended Hornsby Girls High School, where she became a talented writer and public speaker. It was here that she would become lifelong friends with Joanna Yetman (now Blaylock), who would later go on to illustrate Tyson's Tail, Melissa's first published book. While Melissa had experienced the deaths of her beloved pets as a child it was the tragic death of her beloved cat Tyson as an adult, and the incredible experiences that followed, that inspired her to write Tyson's Tail.
Based on a true story, Tyson's Tail is Melissa's own personal experience of losing her much loved, crazy cat Tyson, who chased one too many possums, and was hit by a car in the fall of 2008. As a mother of two girls, Arabella and Indiana (aged 8 and 5) and an intuitive and empathic healer, Melissa wanted to share her magical, spirited story in an effort to heal the hearts of animal lovers of all ages. She hopes to uplift, inspire and empower readers to go on a seldom spoken journey from life to death to rebirth, understanding that true love and spirit can never die.
The immense grief that Melissa experienced in the wake of Tyson's death became a catalyst for personal growth and spiritual awakening, leading her to study life, death and the afterlife. Now residing in beautiful Tampa, Florida with her family, Melissa enjoys writing, her beloved pets, spending time connecting in nature, and sharing Tyson's Tail with the world. Thank you for being part of our story!
