What is the title of your latest release?
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS CAROL
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A storm forces Carol Langstrom’s flight to land in Michigan, and Carol (AKA Ms. Scrooge) spends the holidays on her estranged aunt’s snowbound farm instead of the sunny Bahamas where she’d hoped to escape Christmas (bah humbug!). But her unplanned visit helps her discover the real meaning of Christmas…and a bit of a romance.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Because I set so many books in the Pacific Northwest, I try to stretch my borders. I needed a setting with an old-fashioned farm and charming small town, plus potential blizzard conditions. And I remembered driving through Michigan farmland a few years back and thought that could be perfect.
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! Both Carol and her widowed aunt felt like familiar old friends to me, or friends I’d like to know. That’s probably because they’re both composites of people I’ve known and know.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Dissatisfied, creative, energetic.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I’m not sure I learned anything new, but I was reminded of how God works in mysterious ways to repair old relationships as well as to create new ones. And I was reminded of how Christmastime needs to be about people and relationships, not just holiday tasks and material things.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I do both. I do quick edits – to update what I recently wrote – but I don’t dwell on it edits too much because it slows down the creative process. It’s always easier to go back and fix things once I’ve got the body of work done. It’s not how everyone writes, but it works for me.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate
Describe your writing space/office!
It’s a very small office within my house. There are two desk/tables, a sofa and large bookshelf (full of my titles) and a TV which I keep on low for background sound/music since I have difficulty writing in silence. I have Native American art for décor and an exterior door that I like to leave open in good weather.
Who is an author you admire?
I like so many authors, it’s hard to just name one. But I do admire Jane Kirkpatrick and Robin Jones Gunn for a number of good reasons.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Of course, I have to say the Bible. But I like to think almost any good book can change me by broadening my viewpoint and understanding.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was employed at an international adoption agency when my editor (Lonnie Hull DuPont) called me at work. It was very exciting—and my coworkers were thrilled to hear about it.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Contemporary Women’s Fiction
What’s your favorite movie?
Just one? It really depends on my mood. It could be something as silly as Overboard when I need a good laugh, or Sound of Music when I want beauty and music, or Leap Year when I want to “see” Ireland again. It really just varies.
What is your favorite season?
In the middle of a hot summer, it’s winter. In the middle of winter, it’s summer. LOL. But I really do love autumn, the fall colors, putting on boots and sweaters, crisp sunny days….
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
To be honest, I usually don’t celebrate. Not sure why, but it just never seems a big deal to me.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I recently discovered Marie Bostwick (after a friend compared her writing to mine) and I really enjoyed Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly and am currently reading The Book Club for Troublesome Women, which I’m really liking too.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian
What do you do when you have free time?
Garden, read, visit with friends and neighbors.
What can readers expect from you next?
ALL BOOKED UP
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Melody Carlson
A Christmas Novella
Carol Langstrom hates Christmas. Being born on December 25th and growing up in a dysfunctional home has turned her into a modern-day Scrooge. Her plan: to escape this holiday in the Bahamas, but storms reroute her flight to Michigan. Amid the snowy landscape, she gets stuck on her aunt’s farm and rediscovers a different kind of Christmas—one wrapped in love.
Romance Historical [Revell, On Sale: September 2, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800744731 / eISBN: 9781493451401]
Buy ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Melody Carlson
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with combined sales of more than six million. She is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, Christmas at Harrington’s, The Christmas Cat, The Christmas Joy Ride, and The Christmas Angel Project. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon.
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