Meet Melody Brunsting | Award-winning public relations and marketing specialist.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melody Brunsting and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my business in a small community of about 5,000 people. My main purpose was creative freedom and assisting non-profits in the local area.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was a cut-and-paste graphic artist when I began my business. A writer, journalist, and editor, I had little faith in my drawing talent until I started a street painting festival for the city of Temecula. The event required fine artists to use professional pastel chalk on asphalt to create giant murals. Our event had grown to over 90 murals and 120 artists creating 10’x10′ murals in a weekend.

Through this event, I learned pastel painting, oil, and palette knife painting. My artwork hangs in many facilities around the valley.

During my tenure with the city of Temecula, I also created the Temecula New Year’s Eve Grape Drop, designing a 12-foot by 6-foot bunch of illuminated grapes. I called myself the architect and my friend LeAnn Azevdo the true designer. She had an uncanny sense for perfect balance and placement of various-sized illuminated balls to create a bunch of grapes.

After 25 years of promoting special events like the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festiva, Street Painting Festival, and NYE Grape Drop, Covid hit and killed the event business. I shifted to a firm that specializes in social media strategy and public relations. This shift has allowed me to pursue a long-time desire to write and illustrate rhyming and comic books.

I am proud of the many projects I helped or started during my first 25 years. This included public relations for the Community Recreation Center building fund,(built in 1994), the Old Town Temecula Theater, the building of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce office, and starting the formation of Visit Temecula Valley, a tourism marketing organization.

However, I am excited to be writing and creating my own projects. I have written and illustrated “Norm, the Normal Dog” a rhyming picture book, “Franger Chicken, the Time-Traveling Fowl” comic book, and “Ancient Chicken” cartoon. “Norm, the Normal Dog” is book one in a three-book series that I am currently completing. “Franger Chicken” is an ongoing comic book now on Webtoons and GlobalComix. I have exhibited these publications at WonderCon in Anaheim in 2023 and 2024. past. The comics are published under Chivalread Publishing, a division of my corporation, Melody’s Ad Works, Inc.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To create a healthy balance, I would start with a hike at the Santa Rosa Plateau, a 9,000-acre multispecies reserve with vernal pools. We would then grab some nibbles-to-go at E.A.T.S Marketplace and head to Wilson Creek Winery. (I’d let Bill Wilson know we were coming. )This family-owned and operated winery started in Temecula 24 years ago. Known for the hospitality, we always get a great tour and a little Chocolate Decadence. We would then head to Robert Renzoni Vineyards to one of the best views of the equestrian side of wine country, and good Italian wine to sample. My paintings are here.

We’d then proceed to Europa Village with three wineries, Spanish-Bolero, Italian-Vienza, and C’este Le Vie – French. Aside from a beautiful view of the side of Temecula Valley Wine Country, this is a long-time dream come true for a local pillar of the valley, Dan Stephenson. Their chef recently won a top award for his culinary excellence.

I would hope my close friend would not be afraid of heights and be able to spend the night. We could awake at 5:30 a.m. and head back to wine country for an amazing hot air balloon flight over the valley.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My business began with the encouragement of several business owners encouraging me to start my own advertising and marketing firm. Bruce Brill from Temecula Carpets, Mike Azevedo from La Masters of Fine Jewelry, and Allan McDonald, a local banker and president of the local chamber of commerce. Additional supporters included Mary Huntington, (owner of Huntington Public Relations) and Carolyn Fritchey, (marketing director at the local shopping mall).

Website: melodysaworks.com frangerchicken.com cocobienartgallery.com

Instagram: FrangerChicken /melodysadworks /cocobienartgallery.com

Linkedin: Melody-Brunsting-apr

Twitter: SoCalWineCntry Melsprwrks

Facebook: Melody.Brunsting /Franger.Chicken /cocobienartgallery /Melodysadworksinc