Books by Melody Carlson

Cuddle up with this cozy story of giving and forgiving--with a little bit of romanceChristmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all. And she may even find herself a new family of friends along the way.

It's official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard--in Sonoma. She doesn't even remember his last name. Jan insists they look for him, and the search begins.Beyond the slim chance they'd ever be able to find him are questions that have haunted Brynna for decades, including What is the point of digging up the past? and Can Leroy ever forgive me for losing touch?Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you on a trip to rediscover the carefree days of youth and, just maybe, to get a second chance at love.

Sink or swim? Paige's engagement to designer Dylan Marceau shocks the fashion world. Although Paige appears to be happy, Erin wonders if it's true love or just a desire for attention and publicity. As Paige's love life takes off, Erin is feeling pressure from Blake to take their friendship to a romantic level. But is she ready? These two very different sisters still have one thing in commontheir fashion TV show and all the drama that comes along with it. As they prepare for a trip to film in the Bahamas, the Forrester sisters discover that paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be. Can they do the right thing in tough situationsand the right thing for each anotherin a business that often encourages the worst?

Lost in translation? Having learned some hard lessons about the costs of recklessness and fame, sisters Paige and Erin Forrester feel ready to take their fashion-focused TV show on location to Paris. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for many of their good intentions to get lost in translation. An unplanned week of filming at runway model Eliza Wilton's family estate leads to romance, jealousy, and surprises. With cameras rolling, both girls have to be careful or the future of On the Runway could end up as wobbly as Paige's stiletto heels.

Feeling the heat. On the Runway has become a global phenomenon, and when Paige and Erin Forrester take their reality show to London, they get a reception to remember. Bombarded by crazed fans and the flashbulbs and interrogations of the infamous British paparazzi, the sisters know that their lives have changedbig time. Star treatment has its perks, but the girls quickly learn just how scorching life in the limelight can be. Before long, the sisters are stretched close to a breaking point. With zealous paparazzi poised to take advantage of even the slightest whiff of a scandal, the stakes have never been higher.

Big Apple. Bigger Problems. The success of the Forrester sisters' On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York's top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin's involvement hurt the people she's really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama.

A recipe for success or a design for disaster? Although they're sisters, Paige and Erin Forrester are like oil and water, night and day, denim and silk. Paige is an outgoing fashionista who loves to be the center of attention, while Erin is more comfortable sporting vintage garb and recording the action around her. When a near disaster turns into the opportunity of a lifetime, these two very-different sisters are given the chance to star in their own fashion-TV show. A guest spot on a hot teen-reality series and their first big red-carpet assignment give this unlikely partnership plenty of room for successand even more for failure.

As the Great War rages on, Sunset Cove continues to feel its impact. Running the small town newspaper, Anna McDowell can’t escape the grim reports from the other side of the world, but home-front challenges abound as well. Dr. Daniel is serving the wounded on the front lines. And Katy, expecting her first child, with her husband in the trenches, tries to support the war effort with her Red Cross club. Even as the war winds down the costs are high—and Sunset Cove is not spared.

If the Tide Doesn't Change, Who Will Pay the Price? As autumn of 1916 descends upon the once-peaceful town of Sunset Cove, Anna McDowell has great hopes that the excitement of the summer will be over, now that a few of the key players in the rum-running ring have been arrested. But with a daring jailbreak getting the town in a dither again, she knows that the danger hasn't passed for anyone in her coastal hometown. With a mayoral election keeping tensions high and the authorities busy searching for those behind the jailbreak, Anna has plenty to keep the newspaper busy. But when her sixteen-year-old daughter begins making noises about leaving high school and abandoning dreams of college, Anna realizes that prohibition isn't the only thing she needs to be worrying about. How deep does the root of corruption run in their town? As she digs deeper, Anna is forced to put the concerns of her own heart on hold in an effort to save some of the people dearest to her.

In the summer of 1917, US troops join the allied forces in the Great War. Back in Sunset Cove, Oregon, other battles wage. Anna McDowell continues to fight old fashioned stereotypes as she runs a newspaper committed to truth. Despite opposition, she's determined to expose ongoing rum-running and prohibition lawlessness. Adding to Anna's frustrations, her good friend Dr. Daniel seems to run hot and cold. He loves Oregon, and maybe Anna too, but he's pulled by his East Coast family responsibilities. Even the lure of a new modern Sunset Cove hospital doesn't seem enough to keep him in Sunset Cove. Meanwhile, Anna's strong-willed daughter Katy continues to develop her dress shop by inviting family friend Sarah Rose to help out. But the woman's presence tests the small town's tolerance. And Anna's concern that her daughter is growing up too fast is confirmed when Katy's romantic life takes an unexpected turn, which Anna fears is influenced by the pressure of a devastating war that is not only changing the entire world but Sunset Cove as well.

A Peaceful Coastal Town…Threatened by a Storm of Secrets It's 1916 when newspaper woman Anna McDowell learns her estranged father has suffered a stroke. Deciding it's time to repair bridges, Anna packs up her precocious adolescent daughter and heads for her hometown in Sunset Cove, Oregon. Although much has changed since the turn of the century, some things haven't. Anna finds the staff of her father's paper not exactly eager to welcome a woman into the editor-in-chief role, but her father insists he wants her at the helm. Anna is quickly pulled into the charming town and her new position…but just as quickly learns this seaside getaway harbors some dark and dangerous secrets. With Oregon's new statewide prohibition in effect, crime has crept along the seacoast and invaded even idyllic Sunset Cove. Anna only meant to get to know her father again over the summer, but instead she finds herself rooting out the biggest story the town has ever seen-and trying to keep her daughter safe from it all.

Anna Larson's daughter, Lauren, is confused, brokenhearted, and misguided. It's the turbulent 1960s and feeling alienated from her mother, Lauren chooses to stay with her paternal grandmother. However, repelled by the woman's manipulative and spiteful ways, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn at Shining Waters.

Sometimes when we look back, we are able to see ahead.

Now in its third year, World War 2 still rages, taking its toll on everyone. On the home-front, the Mulligans continue to face war-related challenges . . . and patience wears thin. Margaret is pulled in various directions as she attempts to care for her toddler and disabled husband Brian, who’s haunted by mistakes made on the battlefield—and their marriage is put to the test. Colleen is still pursuing her Hollywood career, but will the arrival of her baby change everything? And with Navy pilots being shot down daily, will Geoff escape the odds and make it safely home? Bridget still serves as an Army nurse in the Pacific front, where not only her life, but health and heart are in harm’s way. Molly continues to do her part to help her family and find her place in the world, but when her relationship with Patrick gets shaken to the core, she heads off on a journey that leaves her family conflicted. The war will eventually end, but will the Mulligan family remain intact when it does?

First there are shades of sorrow, then shades of hope. Will Gwen find shades of light? When her only child leaves home for college, widowed Gwen Sullivan discovers just how lonely an “empty nest” can be. How will she adjust and fill her empty days? At the urging of friends, Gwen takes a job with an interior designer—whom she soon discovers to be domineering and jealous of Gwen’s creativity. Suddenly she’s stuck doing menial tasks. When a sleazy client starts to harass her, Gwen begins to wonder if she’s cut out for the working world. She eventually meets Oliver Black, who gives her an opportunity to use her decorating skills, and suddenly Gwen sees herself in a more confident light. But Oliver is a man of many secrets, and Gwen wonders if she can trust her heart to him.

Jayne Morgan feels betrayed when her fiancé suddenly dumps her for his high school sweetheart just weeks before the wedding. She’d love to leave his hometown of Paradise, Oregon, but she’s signed a teaching contract, and the kids in her classroom need her.Then Harris McAllister comes along.Jayne certainly has a lot to learn about love. But Harris has a lot to learn about tolerance. Maybe, just maybe they can help each other along.