1–What is the title of your latest release? JUST FOR THE SUMMER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two women in the hospitality industry, frustrated with their careers and lives, decide to do a job switch that they hope will be a reboot and resolve all their troubles. Like real life, plans go awry, and challenges abound, but the hope of unexpected romance sweetens the swap. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted a big city boutique hotel and a sleepy rundown fishing lodge in the Northwest, so I went with Seattle and a remote area of Idaho. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! And although the two main characters are total opposites, I would enjoy certain elements in both. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Ginnie: Determined, Sincere, Hardworking. Jacqueline: Fun-loving, Confident, Selfish. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I was reminded of how much we need balance in our lives. I sometimes fall into Ginnie’s mindset of being a workaholic, and forget to have fun. Although Jacqueline was a little too fun-driven, I could use a bit more of that…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, A ROYAL CHRISTMAS? Melody Carlson: The idea for this book was initially suggested by my brilliant editors. Of course, I wasn’t too sure. I hadn’t written anything like this before and it didn’t quite feel like me. But I promised to think about it, and as I tumbled it around in my head, a story began—and I got pulled in. I was surprised at how fun it was to write and how much I enjoyed creating a fictional royal principality and charming kingdom—complete with some king-sized challenges.   Jen: Who is Adelaide Smith? Melody: Adelaide is a hardworking student, struggling to finish law school without much help from anyone. Raised by a single mother, who tragically died a couple years ago, her birthfather is a mystery, and she doesn’t have much in the way of family to fall back on. But she’s a no-nonsense, strong-willed young woman, determined to follow her dream of becoming an attorney.   Jen: What happens to Adelaide that turns her life upside down? Melody: When Adelaide receives a mysterious letter suggesting she’s related to royalty in an Eastern European principality called Montovia, she assumes it’s a scam, or…

A ROYAL CHRISTMAS takes us on a jaunt across the ocean, at Christmastime, to visit a sweet principality that feels like a page from a fairytale story.   A is for Ancestors…exploring and discovering an unknown heritage   R is for Regal…entering a world of kings and queens, rules and royalty O is for Openness…to experiencing and welcoming a different culture Y is for Youthfulness…an exuberance to embrace a fresh start A is for Adelaide…our reluctant heroine who is finding herself L is for Loyalty…to family and country   C is for Christmas…embracing new holiday traditions H is for Home…what Adelaide has longed for her whole life R is for Romance…what Adelaide discovers along the way I is for Importance…learning to discern what matters most of all S is for Security…discovering that real security is with loved ones T is for Truth…Adelaide digs deeply to find it M is for Montovia…the country that wins Adelaide’s heart A is for Anton…the hero who steps up and captures her heart S is for Surprises…all the happy unexpected discoveries along the way A ROYAL CHRISTMAS by Melody Carlson Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She’s been working hard to put herself through law…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SECOND TIME AROUND 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Mallory Farrell gives up her design career and oversized empty nest to transform her grandmother’s cheesy tourist shop into a beautiful interior design store called “Romancing the Home.” Despite opposition from local developer Grayson Matthews, her venture is so successful she is featured on a new home improvement show. But there’s a hitch. The TV show also wants to film Mallory’s apartment above the chic shop—and it’s a disaster area. That’s where Grayson and his construction crew step in to lend a hand. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the beautiful Oregon Coast. It used to be our second home, and I’ve set lots of books there. After we sold our little beach cabin, I’ve lived there vicariously by writing about it. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Like Mallory, I love interior design. At one time I worked for a very talented designer and considered a career in it. But I soon discovered I preferred writing. Still, I dabble in it from time to time, in my…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Melody Carlson!   Writes: A new Christmas novella every year—for more than 20 years!   About:   Melody lives in a charming mountain town in beautiful Central Oregon. She enjoys gardening and camping and riding her new electric bike. She recently moved into a new house that she designed and helped to build. She also writes novels totally unrelated to Christmas! And some of her novels are becoming TV movies. Her newest one, The Happy Camper, will premiere on UP-TV in October.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: I seek out readers who care about good healthy wholesome relationships. Readers who enjoy getting to know flawed characters with realistic problems as well as plausible resolutions. I look for readers who understand that most people’s holidays are not always filled with goodness and joy, but still hope for a bit of sweetness and light. I seek out voracious readers who are seeking more out of life.   What to expect if we’re…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LOOKING FOR LEROY   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two women head to Sonoma in a camp-trailer in search of a long-lost beau whose family owns a vineyard—but the only clue to finding him is that his first name is Leroy.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?   I drove through Sonoma wine country once on my way back to Oregon from San Francisco—and the landscape of rolling green vineyards was beautiful. We’ve wanted to return for a longer visit in our motorhome, but in the past few years they’ve been ravaged by fire—and then there was Covid. So I decided to create a family-owned vineyard that had suffered some fire damage and was trying to recover and visit vicariously.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?   Absolutely! I have great empathy for Brynna. She’s had some hard knocks in life but keeps bouncing back. As a teacher of younger children, she has a tender heart. But her tender heart sets her up for some heartbreak too.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Kind,…

I’m Melody Carlson and I’ve been writing Christmas novellas for a couple decades now. This year’s story, A Christmas in the Alps, transports us to France for the holidays.  Here we go! A is for Alps – where our picturesque French village is located * C is for clockmaker – the career that our hero (Kyle) is pursuing H is for hotel – run by a friendly French family R is for relatives – our heroine seeks to discover some of her own I is for investigate – our heroine strives to resolve old family mysteries S is for Simone – our reluctant heroine and her namesake great-grandmama T is for treasure – a mysterious letter promising Simone a family treasure M is for merry – will Simone’s Christmas be? A is for Arve – the pretty little fictional town in the French Alps S is for secrets – what really happened to estrange Simone’s great-grandmama from her family? * I is for intrigue – the more we learn, the more the plot thickens N is for Noel – Kyle’s charming competition in the romance game * T is for truth – can Simone ever get to the bottom of…

Hoping to escape the mother-­daughter conflict that was about to escalate to a new level, Emma hurried outside. Pausing on the snow-­covered path to the driveway, she allowed fat snowflakes to fall on her, even catching a couple with her tongue. Snow couldn’t hurt you. She looked all around, taking in the other large homes, beautifully blanketed in snow, and the mountains behind them. This place was truly magical! As she walked up the driveway, she spotted what looked like a caretaker’s cottage and slowly approached it. Hopefully the ol’ grump wasn’t as bad as Gillian had described. Holding her breath, she tentatively knocked on the door, expecting a gray, grisly old man to answer. To her surprise, a younger man opened the door. Dressed in jeans and a plaid flannel shirt, he stared at her with a puzzled expression. She suddenly wondered if she’d knocked on the wrong door. She smiled stiffly. “Sorry to bother you. I—I was looking for the caretaker, and I thought this was the right—” “Yeah, yeah.” He studied her with a furrowed brow. “This is, uh, the caretaker’s cottage.” She blinked. “Oh, so . . . are you the caretaker?” For some reason this guy didn’t…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Melody! Can you tell us about yourself and your new book, THE HAPPY CAMPER?         I’m a writer who loves camping. <grin> Also, I love restoration and décor. So anyway, a few years ago, I was a bit writing-weary when I happened to notice an old vintage trailer ‘for sale’ by the side of the road. The price was right and the 1963 camp trailer was cute…so I bought it and began to restore it. While restoring it, the idea for this book began to tickle my brain. Shortly afterward, I was writing THE HAPPY CAMPER.  Dillon Michaels makes a major life change by moving to her grandfather’s farm, and then into his old camper. What do you think readers will find relatable in Dillon’s choices to change her life? I think we’ve all hit crossroads in life–times when either circumstances or desires nudge us in a new direction. Both are the case for Dillon. She’s disenchanted with her demanding job, non-committal boyfriend, small shared apartment…and ripe for a change. She thinks Grandpa’s farm and his need for help is the answer, but when she arrives the situation has changed. Dillon has…

In a Title Challenge, authors are tasked with coming up with words starting with each letter of their title that relater to their book. Today is Melody Carlson’s turn for her festive holiday romance!  C is for Christmas, and plays a big part. H is for heroine and a hurting heart. R is for risk, Krista leaves in late fall. I is for ideals, a better life for all. S is for surprise, nothing feels right. T is for tomorrow, and hoping it’s bright. M is for mom, Krista hopes to do good. A is for angst, doesn’t go as it should. S is for sweetness, her dear little girl. A is for amazed, Emily loves their new world. T is for thanks to friends who help out. W is for woes that make Krista shout. I is for interest from a wonderful guy. N is for night and lights in the sky. T is for troubles, should she run away? E is for Emily, begs Mom to stay. R is for reasons, Krista has many. H is for hope, is there reason for any? I is for impossible, can this be real! L is for laughter, the best way…