Welcome to Jen’s Jewels, where each week I highlight a story I loved and the author behind the words. Today’s gem is ALL BOOKED UP by Melody Carlson. Let’s kick things off with a quick Lightning Round before digging deeper into the story.
LIGHTNING ROUND
• In three words, describe the vibe of your book.
Quirky, heartfelt, humorous.
• What’s your ideal writing fuel: coffee, tea, wine, or chaos?
Coffee, which must be good beans, freshly ground, sometimes with a bit of cream, sometimes just black.
• Plotter, pantser, or organized mess?
Absolutely pantster. And a bit of a mess too. The closest I come to plotting is toward the end of a book when I might use one liners for each of the chapters - just to remind myself it’s time to wind this thing down.
• If your book had a theme song, what would it be?
Maybe I’d steal the theme song from the old Golden Girls sitcom - Thank You for Being a Friend.
THE DEEP DIVE
• Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”?
I was sitting with a friend in my cozy library, which has 17’ high, floor to ceiling, bookshelves - filled with about fifty years of collecting books (from both my husband and me - we always loved books). Well, it was a rough period of caring for my husband 24/7 (who suffered FTD) and I suppose those around me could see the writing on the wall (he wasn’t long for this world). My girlfriend asked me, “Will you sell your house when he dies?” I just sat there stunned for a moment; this wasn’t a question I usually considered. Good grief, we’d just finished building this house, the first home we’ve owned free and clear, and barely gotten moved in. I looked up at my overwhelming bookshelves and sighed. “How can I ever move?” I asked more myself than her. “Who in the world would pack up all these books?” We both just laughed at that… but my writer brain began to play with it. What if a lonely widow did feel somewhat trapped by a library full of beloved books? And what if she (unlike me) had an overwhelming mortgage to pay? But she also had a big roomy house that had been in her family for generations… what if she took in older single women boarders much like herself. What could go wrong? Well, everything….
• Your protagonist: Did they arrive fully formed, or did you uncover them layer by layer? What surprised you most as you wrote?
They never arrive fully formed for me. That’s part of the fun. I knew Riva would be a bit like me, but as it turned out, not as much as I suspected. What we mostly had in common was widowhood – because by the time I wrote the book I was widowed too. Not my plan… but how life happens. Anyway, Riva was quite a bit more dependent than I had ever been—thanks to different childhoods etc.. So going through her situation might’ve been actually harder on her (I guess I love torturing my heroines a bit). But poor Riva had some big challenges. And I loved watching her grow and become stronger and more assured. And I was surprised that she got a bit of romance. I hadn’t planned it, but I think Riva needed it.
• Setting can be a character unto itself. How did your location shape the story’s mood, and what personal connection, if any, do you have to that place?
I gave Riva a beautiful old Queen Anne Victorian house in a small town in Oregon. My grandma had a similar home and since I live in a small Oregon town, that’s very familiar. Of course, her house became very much a part of the story. From the old world feeling library, to the enlarged remodeled kitchen (perfect for sharing, to the neglected backyard that the women worked together to restore into a lovely summer gathering place. And of course, since I love my outdoor gathering spaces this felt natural to me.
• What theme or question stayed with you throughout the writing process? Did you find clarity, or does it still linger?
To be honest, I was in a bit of a grieving fog while writing. It’s not uncommon for me to write through life’s hard times (I’ve done it over and over again and find it therapeutic) but I’d never written through such a difficult time. And there were moments when I worried the book would wind up being depressing. I mean widowhood is depressing! But I wanted to weave hope into the story. And connection with new friends, new life, new opportunities…. In the end, I think I accomplished that—although I’m not sure how. But I believe God was helping!
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
• I love hearing about authors’ reading lives. What’s currently at the top of your TBR, and what made you add it?
I have a couple – totally unrelated to each other. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (a friend recommended) and Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking (I got curious about after reading The Correspondent, which was fascinating).
• Share a behind-the-scenes detail readers might never guess. This could be a research rabbit hole, an unexpected inspiration, or a moment pulled from real life.
Shortly after my husband passed, feeling like a rudderless boat on unknown seas, I noticed something in the local paper about a grief group meeting at the library (a few block from where I live). I thought ‘why not?’ So I went and was shocked to discover it wasn’t really about grief, but about assisted suicide (I live in Oregon where this is legal). I felt blindsided and wanted to walk out, but had sat in an awkward seat where I couldn’t inconspicuously escape. So I sat it out, but it led to meeting a woman outside, who had also recently lost her husband and she, like me was shocked. We discussed our reactions, and formed a bit of a friendship. I used this weird situation on a smaller scale in my story.
• If you could have dinner with one of your characters, or remove one entirely, who would it be and why?
Maybe it would be the housemate Fiona who was immigrating from Ireland, I feel she had more story to tell that the book didn’t have time for. She was a good musician and hard worker, but also fun and lively but also had interesting depth to her.
LOOKING AHEAD
• Without spoiling anything, can you give readers a small peek at what you’re working on next? Even just the vibe or question you’re exploring.
It’s a novel about another older woman, further along in widowhood, who meets up with a young vibrant woman (who is in need of a mother). And weirdly, these two have an uncanny connection that is slowly revealed in this story of adoption and friendship.
• What’s the best way for readers to stay in touch and follow your literary adventures? Website, social media, newsletter, or carrier pigeon welcome.
I’m on Facebook and Instagram and have a regular newsletter that can accessed through Instagram, or email and hopefully my defunct website will be up and running soon melodycarlson.com
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share a song that capture the mood of your book or that you listened to while writing.
The only one that comes to mind is Kathy Mattea’s Sending Me Angels song.
Thank you so much for sharing your time, insight, and creativity. I can’t wait for readers to discover your story. Happy writing!
Thank you!
When preserving precious memories means welcoming unexpected changes, Riva finds that her heart has room for so much more than she imagined.
Widowed empty nester Riva Owen lives in the Victorian house that's been in her family for three generations, but finances have become a challenge she can no longer ignore. Her daughter is pushing her to move, and after considering all her options, Riva knows selling would be the smartest course. But she just can't bring herself to leave decades of memories—and her cherished library filled with hundreds of books.
When she pursues an alternative—opening her home to women like her who need a room to rent—Riva is unprepared for the mix of personalities and peculiarities of her new housemates. She is even more unprepared for Marcus, the handsome and handy older brother of one of her new tenants. The possibility of finding love again feels overwhelming, even as her tenants seem to have romantic schemes of their own.
Warm your heart with a story of found family, book lovers, and a second chance at love.
A heartwarming contemporary romance featuring a bookish widow finding a second chance at love. This small-town rom-com about new beginnings makes a perfect read for your book club.
Christian | Romance Contemporary [ Revell, On Sale: March 17, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800747251 / eISBN: 9781493452651 ]
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.
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen's Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he's better at napping than editing. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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