Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $12.00 US/$13.00 CAN
ISBN-13: 9781455528103
On Sale Date: 01/06/2015
Publisher: Center Street
Imprint: Center Street
Rita Jansen is living her dream as a hairstylist in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother has suffered a stroke. When she gets home to Chicago, Rita finds her mother is healing but facing a long recovery. Worse, without being able to run their family-owned salon, her mother could lose the business. Rita decides to help, but she only has until Valentine's Day to come up with a plan. As Rita takes her mother's place at work, the nearby skating rink she loved as a child brings back fond memories. Rita also finds herself renewing friendships with her childhood best friend, Marley, as well as her classmate Johnny. Although they now lead such seemingly different lives, Rita is surprised by how well she and Johnny connect and how far he will go to help her. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance kindling in the air and on the ice, their friendship may just fall into something more.
When and why did you begin writing?
I actually started writing when I was very young. The process of storytelling came easily to me and I enjoyed it. but I didn't get serious about writing (publishing) until about 25 years ago. At that time, I felt driven to write—almost like a time-release bomb had gone off inside of me. Even though my life was extremely busy (working full time with two school aged boys and lots of interests) I found time to write several whole books. Of course, getting them published was a much bigger challenge. But eventually that door opened for me and since then I've published more than 200 books.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Because the “gift” of writing came easily to me (I think gifts are like that) I sort of took it for granted, and didn't feel there was anything special about it. I had a hard time saying: “I’m an author” because I thought an “author” was someone much more impressive than I felt. Eventually a good friend cornered me and forced me to admit that I was an “author.” She pointed out that my writing ability was a gift from God and that I should acknowledge it as such. That painted a different picture for me and since then I have referred to myself as a “writer.” Although I still have difficulty calling myself an “author.”
What inspired you to write your first book?
As I mentioned, I felt compelled to write (and publish) at a certain stage in life. But there was a “small” event that helped ignite me. My older son was about twelve when I first began writing seriously. He was a voracious reader and had devoured every age-appropriate could dig up in our home and the public library, but he wanted to read Steven King. Naturally, I didn't feel he was ready for that yet. So I took him to a bookstore to shop for young adult books. After perusing many of the titles, I was so appalled at the quality (or lack of) in the teen books that I turned to my son and said, “I think I could write that badly.” I figured if the bar to publish was that low I might be able to get over it. So I set out to write a teen book. I laugh now to think of it, but that was a real turning point for me as a writer.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I like to think that I write contemporary fiction that reads like real life. Whether it’s a serious issues-based novel or a lighthearted love story, I like to throw in realistic challenges and everyday letdowns that are reflective of real life. Call it ‘conflict’ or ‘character-torture’ I like to mix it up a little. And I try to make my stories feel personal by getting inside my character’s minds which, hopefully, makes the tale come alive for the reader.
How did you come up with the title?
That was actually the publisher’s suggestion. They suggested the title while I was still writing the story. As a result I was inspired to write a scene in an ice skating rink that’s reflective of ‘love gently falling’—or perhaps not so gently. But no one gets hurt.
Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she is a writer who loves to write! She is a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 200 books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than six million. Carlson's passion for 'true to life' fiction has had great success for both the young adult and women's markets. Informed and aware of the challenges and struggles facing teens today, she writes young adult novels that she hopes will change lives and women's fiction to which women of all ages can relate. Her popular series, Diary of a Teenage Girl (Multnomah), has sold more than 775,000 copies and her popular Christmas novellas have sold over 590,000 copies combined. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
