Amy here: I’m about 100 pages in…check back to this post for my full review later. Until then, know it’s a chick-litish laugh out loud funny kind of book.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
IT’S A BLUE CHRISTMAS AT 86 BLOOMBERG PLACE . . .
MAYBE A CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY WILL BRIGHTEN THINGS UP!

The Christmas season is a magical time of the year when there is peace on earth, winter wonderlands, and rockin’ parties . . . right? With the holiday season upon them, the roommates of 86 Bloomberg Place are feeling far from peaceful, and the rockin’ party they’re planning isn’t coming together as planned.

Megan is struggling with a difficult boss and is forced to spend Christmas alone. Lelani can’t afford to fly home, and she isn’t sure she’d be welcomed. Anna’s old boyfriend has sailed back into her life, just when she’s met a for-real “nice guy” that she has been keeping away from her crazy Latino family. And Kendall has a crush on a famous actor who just might be the answer to her money woes . . . if only she could convince him she’s the love of his life.

Let’s face it, relationships can be hard work-whether they’re with family and friends, coworkers and customers, or boyfriends and girlfriends. And when you’ve got your first apartment, a real job, and grown-up responsibilities, relationships are loaded with confusion, emotion, and secrets you can’t tell anyone but God. Thank goodness He’s always around to listen!

INTERVIEW WITH MELODY CALRSON

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.
I grew up in a non-church-going home with divorced parents and considered myself an atheist until my teens when I did a complete 180 turn and gave my heart to Christ. I’ve been married 30 years (to the same guy!) and I have two grown sons and a four year old granddaughter. Also a lovable chocolate Labrador named Bailey. We live in the Cascades mountains in Oregon. I’m a full time writer.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?I like being outdoors (biking, walking, camping, gardening). I also enjoy dabbling in interior design—our current project is a tiny beach cabin that’s turned into a complete redo from the ground up. We hope to finish it this fall.

What has God been teaching you lately?
It seems like I have to keep learning some lessons over and over again. Particularly patience. I am, by nature, the most impatient person I know. I want it done and I want it done now. And I want it done right…yada-yada. But that’s not how life generally works. And it’s not how God usually works. So I have to continually remind myself to keep my mouth shut, to keep praying, and to JUST WAIT. You’d think I’d have it down by now (hear my impatience there?) but I don’t. I probably never will. I can imagine being 100 years old and on my deathbed, saying, “Okay, God, could you just hurry it up, please?”

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?
We’re pretty low key about the holidays. Mostly we enjoy being with family members and try to keep things light and bright. My husband’s birthday happens to be Christmas day and years ago, he decided he prefers lasagna to turkey so we have “Christmas lasagna.”

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
What a great question. Without a doubt it would be the power to heal. I know a lot of people who are hurting over various things (including mental illnesses, which is always a challenge) I would absolutely love to heal people. And then, of course, give God the credit since he’s the giver of the gifts.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I think it changed a lot. Everything from a lawyer (since I loved to argue) to a doctor (except I don’t like gore) to a teacher (probably because my mom was one). I never seriously considered being a writer (although I wrote all the time) because that seemed like the impossible dream to me.

Where are you headed next?
Literally, we’re headed for home in the next day or two (we’re at the beach right now). As far as my writing goes…I’m just finishing up my final Diary of a Teenage Girl book (#16). I’m also working with a producer in Hollywood who’s enthusiastically pitching some of my books and teen series for TV and movies.

Visit Melody’s website.
Buy the Book.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 6:51 pm

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