Hallmark Vibes: Christmas Camp & Royal Romance with Karen Schaler

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.A royal Christmas ball, a mischievous rescue dog, and a dog trainer who drives the princess up the palace walls—what could possibly go wrong? In this feel-good holiday episode, I’m chatting with Christmas romcom queen Karen Schaler, writer of A Christmas Prince, Christmas Camp, and her new royal romance A Ruff Royal Christmas.Karen shares how she went from war correspondent and hard-hitting journalist to writing the cozy, comforting Christmas stories so many of us binge every December. We talk about the inspiration behind A Ruff Royal Christmas (including the real-life “devil dog” who inspired Stormy), how she stays in a Christmas mood all year even while living in the desert, and why she’s built a portfolio career across movies, books, audio, travel shows, and even real-life Christmas Camp retreats. We also go behind the scenes of filming Christmas Camp for Hallmark, talk about the power of comfort watches/reads, and get a sneak peek at what she’s working on next.📚 Books MentionedA Ruff Royal Christmas by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon | Royal RomCom, Christmas Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Christmas Romance, Hallmark Movie Tie-In | KU ✅ / Audio ✅Every Day Is Christmas by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon | Christmas Romance, A Christmas Carol–inspired | KU ✅ / Audio ✅Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon | Christmas Romance, Full-Cast Audio Original | Audible Exclusive ✅⏰Timestamps[00:00] Meet Karen Schaler & why she literally breathes Christmas[02:00] From war zones to Christmas romcoms: Karen’s journalism background[06:00] Inside A Ruff Royal Christmas: royal hijinks, rescue dogs & a big twist[11:00] Writing Christmas all year long (from the Arizona desert!)[16:00] Portfolio creative life: movies, books, audio & Christmas Camp IRL[21:00] Behind the scenes of the Christmas Camp Hallmark movie[27:00] New non-Christmas series, TV ideas & future Christmas specials[33:00] Where to find Karen online & holiday well-wishesJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode:🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible