Melissa Ann Pollack is showing off her brains, beauty and balance with an upcoming book called "Unleash Your Power!" In the meantime, she's focusing on her beauty with a swimsuit calendar.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Melissa Ann Pollack really believes age is just a number. You're as old as you feel, and if you dream it, you can be it.
At 44, the former Miss West Virginia-Venus and Mrs. West Virginia USA has written a book encouraging self-esteem. "Unleash Your Power!" is scheduled for release next year.
The book is an introduction to a motivational program Pollack is developing, which she hopes to expand into speaking engagements and seminars.
"Really, this is about me trying to help people," she said.
As admirable as her goals are, at least right now, everybody is really interested in the "cheesecake." In advance of the book's publication, Pollack has released a slick, 16-month swimsuit calendar for 2010 called "Brains, Beauty, and Balance."
It's not the most revealing swimsuit calendar on the market; there are no itty-bitty micro bikinis or rear-riding thongs. But Pollack thinks her calendar is revealing enough. For 16 pages, she frolics and poses by ocean scenes, wearing a variety of swimwear.
The calendar is being sold online through Pollack's Web site, www.melissaann.net. The price is $18.52. Out of the sale price, $4 will go to support veterans through the West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs.
"My father served in the Army and I lost a cousin in the service," she said. "Supporting the troops is important to me."
She acknowledged that not everyone is going to like the swimsuit calendar. "But I think I can handle the heat."
Pollack is proud of how she looks, though she doesn't consider the calendar as much as an exhibition as an affirmation.
"I'm not saying every 40-something mother of three should do something like this," she said. "I'm just trying to say it's possible. Regular women can look great."
Regular is relative. Pollack has modeled and won pageants, but she says getting by on her looks was never her intention. It didn't seem particularly likely to her to begin with.
Pollack grew up poor. Her parents moved to Charleston from Gilbert when she was very small.
"They just wanted a better life for us," she said. "More opportunities."
While her father worked as a long-haul trucker, Pollack's mother stayed at home and took care of the kids. In junior high, Pollack was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curving of the spine. As treatment, she had to wear a cumbersome brace.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Melissa Ann Pollack really believes age is just a number. You're as old as you feel, and if you dream it, you can be it.
At 44, the former Miss West Virginia-Venus and Mrs. West Virginia USA has written a book encouraging self-esteem. "Unleash Your Power!" is scheduled for release next year.
The book is an introduction to a motivational program Pollack is developing, which she hopes to expand into speaking engagements and seminars.
"Really, this is about me trying to help people," she said.
As admirable as her goals are, at least right now, everybody is really interested in the "cheesecake." In advance of the book's publication, Pollack has released a slick, 16-month swimsuit calendar for 2010 called "Brains, Beauty, and Balance."
It's not the most revealing swimsuit calendar on the market; there are no itty-bitty micro bikinis or rear-riding thongs. But Pollack thinks her calendar is revealing enough. For 16 pages, she frolics and poses by ocean scenes, wearing a variety of swimwear.
The calendar is being sold online through Pollack's Web site, www.melissaann.net. The price is $18.52. Out of the sale price, $4 will go to support veterans through the West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs.
"My father served in the Army and I lost a cousin in the service," she said. "Supporting the troops is important to me."
She acknowledged that not everyone is going to like the swimsuit calendar. "But I think I can handle the heat."
Pollack is proud of how she looks, though she doesn't consider the calendar as much as an exhibition as an affirmation.
"I'm not saying every 40-something mother of three should do something like this," she said. "I'm just trying to say it's possible. Regular women can look great."
Regular is relative. Pollack has modeled and won pageants, but she says getting by on her looks was never her intention. It didn't seem particularly likely to her to begin with.
Pollack grew up poor. Her parents moved to Charleston from Gilbert when she was very small.
"They just wanted a better life for us," she said. "More opportunities."
While her father worked as a long-haul trucker, Pollack's mother stayed at home and took care of the kids. In junior high, Pollack was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curving of the spine. As treatment, she had to wear a cumbersome brace.
"It was ugly," she said. "I was very insecure."
But not so insecure that she couldn't go out for the cheerleading squad. She made the team.
"I only took the brace off to cheer," she said. "They let me do that."
Eventually, she didn't need the brace anymore.
Pollack got into modeling while attending Nitro High School. Friends talked her into entering the Miss Regatta Pageant, which she won. In 1986, she won the Miss West Virginia-Venus pageant, then in 1989 took the crown as Mrs. West Virginia USA, where she competed in Las Vegas for the Mrs. USA pageant.
She didn't win overall, but won the swimsuit competition.
She got out of pageants in the 1990s, did some consulting work, more modeling, and eventually settled down. She got a nursing degree and had children. Her 30s drifted by.
"I really feel like I put my life on hold for the past 10 years," she said. "My life has mostly been about being a mom."
Doing something else didn't even seem possible, not until her youngest was in school.
But then she wondered, "Now what?"
With no real background in writing or publishing, she started on a book.
"I had to really dig down deep inside," she said and laughed. "I read mostly romance novels and Cosmo."
But she finished the draft. Afterward, she contacted an old acquaintance with some publishing contacts. He helped her find a publisher willing to work with her. They found Renaissance Publishing, a small publishing house out of Canada that specializes in self-help/psychology books, parenting and children's books.
So far, the response to her calendar has been mostly positive. She says her kids think it's cool their mom has her own calendar. Her parents and husband have also been very supportive. It's also got her back into modeling again.
"That's starting to blow up," she said. "I've had some things show up in Europe. It's nice to see that happen."
Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5195.
