
Interview with Melody Carlson: A Christmas Carol with a Twist of Grace
From The Christian Romance Podcast by Kelly Jo Wilson
December 19, 2025 · 46 min
About this episode
Kelly chats with Melody Carlson about her Christmas novella and its personal significance.
Kelly chats with beloved author Melody Carlson about her heartwarming and deeply personal Christmas novella, Once Upon a Christmas Carol . What starts as a lighthearted holiday romance takes on deeper meaning as Melody shares the story’s uncanny parallels to her real life—including the grief of her first Christmas as a widow and the unexpected gift of a new “bonus daughter.” Set against the snowy charm of Michigan farmland, this novella is packed with holiday warmth, romance, and a powerful message of grace. Melody opens up about the book’s serendipitous themes, her favorite Christmas traditions, and how God’s timing is always perfect, even in fiction. Listen to the episode here. Meet Melody Carlson Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. Suttle Tea Shop (Author Kit Tosello’s fabulous tea shop) Follow Melody Facebook Instagram…
People in this episode
Host: Kelly Jo Wilson
Guest: Melody Carlson
Topics covered
- Christmas novella
- holiday romance
- grief
- personal story
- faith
- family
Keywords
- Christmas
- romance
- Melody Carlson
- novella
- grief
- faith
- holiday traditions
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Suttle Tea Shop
Books & works: Once Upon a Christmas Carol
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