This month I got to chat with another one of my favorite authors, Melody Carlson. She's a woman who wears many hats, so I was honored that she agreed to be interviewed! As a recipient of the RT Career Achievement Award, she has authored countless best-sellers, including Christmas by the Sea, Harbor Secrets, The Mulligan Sisters, Under the Summer Sky, Against the Tide, Diary of a Teenage Girl...and much more.
N: You are a busy lady! Not only did you recently release Courting Mr. Emerson (which was refreshingly funny!!!) and Riptide Rumors, but you've also got your latest Christmas novel coming out this fall - Christmas in Winter Hill. I'm looking forward to reading it! What do you hope people remember about the book (CIWH)?
MC: I guess I am still pretty busy (I even have some releases that didn’t make your list!) but, believe it or not, I’ve slowed down a bit in the past several years. Our world is in such need of (God's) grace these days, and so I try to inject some into each book and hope it will stay with the reader even after they end the story. My hope for Christmas in Winter Hill is that readers will be uplifted and encouraged - ready to take on the holiday season. Because Christmastime, while delightful for some, can be difficult for others. Sometimes a good story can help.
N: Tell us about any literary pilgrimages you've gone on?
MC: I’ve done numerous ‘research trips’ over the years. From following part of the Oregon Trail to Martha’s Vineyard . . . not to mention touring Europe or living in a third world country. All these diverse places have found themselves in one or more of my novels. Writing really is a good excuse to travel.
N: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
MC: Mostly it energizes me, but sometimes—like if I’m crunching a deadline—I might feel a bit exhausted afterward. But it’s a good sort of exhaustion, like a sigh of relief.
N: How do you select the names for your characters?
MC: After writing around 200 novels for women and teens, finding character names can be a challenge - and I'm afraid I've used some more than once. But I try to think of a name that somehow suits the character - although that can be pretty subjective. Sometimes I'll use a placeholder name while I'm writing in the hopes that the perfect name will present itself before I'm done.
N: If you had to pick a super power, what would be yours?
MC: I like the idea of weightlessness, so either flying or being able to swim underwater without resurfacing sounds like fun.
N: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
MC: I read book reviews from sources like PW (Publishers Weekly) or USAToday (forwarded to me by a publicist) but I barely read reader reviews from online bookstores like Amazon or B&N, etc...Because even if almost all are good, it's the one harshly worded negative review that will stick with me for days. So, I just tend to avoid them altogether.
N: What's your favorite line from any movie?
MC: That's a hard question because I love so many old movies, but I know I've used Scarlet O'Hara's line from Gone with the Wind a lot. "I'll think about that tomorrow." It comes in handy sometimes. "After all, tomorrow is another day."
N: Are there any surprises you learned along the way in your career?
MC: There have been a lot of surprises - from publishing so many books (which still staggers me) to getting some pretty cool awards. I guess I'm surprised that I'm still writing - and enjoying it!
N: What are you creature comforts?
MC: I like my creature comforts. I like being surrounded by beauty - not extravagant beauty - like simple beauty like you find in nature. Right now, I enjoy sitting in a comfy chair on my patio, near the fish pond, surrounded by flower pots, tinkling wind-chimes, and hummingbirds.
N: Do you believe in love at first sight?
MC: I do believe in love at first sight. But I also know it's easy to be tricked by infatuation. But I think some people experience something magical or chemical or spiritual at first meeting - and they just know. That's how it was for my husband and me. Although he seemed to get it first.
N: Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
MC: I remember a time, as a young Christian eons ago, that I thought fiction was sort of frivolous. Then I read a really good novel that made me see people and situations differently - and it was like the light-bulb went on. I realized that story was a fantastic tool for teaching about life. After all, Jesus taught through story...we call them parables.
N: What life experience has tested your faith the most?
MC: Raising my sons has been my biggest test. Their lives have not been easy - not on them nor their parents. Again and again...I have to give it to God and to trust Him for the final outcome.
N: How many pets do you have?
MC: Right now, I have one dog, a twelve-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Audrey. She always comes to work with me (in my studio) and she's a sweetheart. And, oh yeah, I have a bunch of pond fish that are like pets too.
N: What period of life do you most enjoy writing about (childhood, young adult, adult, middle age)?
MC: I actually like writing for all ages. It depends on what I'm working on. My Courting Mr. Emerson characters were older than usual, but I also am doing a tween series and absolutely loving those quirky young girls.
N: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
MC: I feel like there are almost always 'secrets' in my books. Sometimes I don't even realize it myself until I'm done. That's just one more thing that keeps writing fun for me.
N: List 5 adjectives to describe yourself.
MC: Creative, diligent, hopeful, loyal, sensitive.
N: Fill in the blank. Someday I want to...
MC: Someday I want to get into our motor-home and travel across the country, making stops at libraries, bookstores, schools, and national parks.
N: Tea or coffee?
MC: Coffee mostly. But I like tea too.
N: What's your motto in life?
MC: I'm not sure I have a 'motto,' but I'd like to it be:
I love God with all I've got and I love others with equal enthusiasm.
