Let Them Eat Fruitcake by Melody Carlson

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!

About the Author:


Melody Carlson has published over 150 books, with sales totaling more than three million dollars. Among those titles, many have appeared on the ECPA Bestsellers List and several have won awards including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award. She and her husband, Chris, live in the Pacific Northwest near their two grown sons.

Learn more about Melody at http://melodycarlson.com/.

Where did you get the idea for the book?

Having written for teens for nearly a decade, I wondered about my readers who were in their twenties now. I think that’s a hard age these days and I wanted to create something that would speak to that young career woman who’s trying to sort out her life, her values, her friends, her faith…. I think fiction is a great way to teach truth and my hope was that these 86 Bloomberg Place characters living together under one roof would inspire readers to be better friends, share their faith, and live life more fully.

What are the major themes of the book?

I jokingly tell people that 86 Bloomberg Place is like that old TV sitcom “Friends” with faith mixed in. The main themes are relationships, life decisions, and where faith fits in.

With which character do you most identify and why?

I’m probably most like Megan, but I’d like to be more like Lelani. Megan can be a bit of a bulldog sometimes, whereas Lelani is kinder and gentler and far more patient. However Megan’s faith is more substantial and she is having an influence in the house. It’s fun watching the characters mature, interact, become stronger friends, and figure out what’s important in life.

What kind of research did you have to do for the book?

Because the substance of the story is mostly young women and relationships, I suppose most of my “research” is through living.

Have you had any difficult or confusing relationships like those in the book? How did you handle and what was the result?

Right out of college, I shared a house with three other (very diverse) women. It wasn’t easy and one of the women turned out to be the most difficult person I’d ever come across. Ironically it was on the “mission field” and the women were all Christians…and yet I felt more challenged to love my housemate than I did anyone else in that entire third world country.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I hope they’ll enjoy a few laughs, a peek into the lives of some very human-like characters, and perhaps a spiritual challenge that they’ve found tucked between the lines.

Will we see any of these characters again?

Let Them Eat Fruitcake is the second book in a four book series (86 Bloomberg Place). The next installment is titled Spring Broke and the housemates end up going to Maui, where some mysteries about Lelani’s life are resolved. Also, there is romance and few other surprises. The final book is Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah.

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