Mel Chesneau was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia. In her early twenties she bought a one-way ticket to Europe and worked her way around the continent to fund her travels. Sixteen months into it, she met and fell in love with a Frenchman. After knowing him for less than a month, she took a leap of faith and moved to France to live with him.

Apart from Australia and France, she has lived as an expat in New Zealand, Sweden, UK and now lives in Paris, France with said Frenchman, their three children and French bulldog.

Mel developed her love of writing when she began this interior and lifestyle blog in 2012, and has since had articles published in various magazines. She is expanding on this further, currently studying part time for an Arts & Humanities degree, specialising in Creative Writing.

Besides writing, she loves starting the day with yoga, spending time with her family, travelling, hiking, the feel of the salty ocean on her skin and curling up with a good book.

Many Loved Before Us is her debut memoir.