We chat with author Jean Meltzer about The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, which is a tender second-chance romance in the form of Jewish retelling of A Christmas Carol.
Hi, Jean! Welcome back! It’s been about two years since we last spoke. How have you been?
Wow! Two years! Amazing! I’ve been great and I’m thrilled to be back here with The Nerd Daily and all your readers.
Your latest novel, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, is out October 21st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Hanukkah retelling of A Christmas Carol.
What can readers expect?
Like all my romcoms, you can expect some zany moments mixed together with hope and heart.
Where did the inspiration for The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah come from?
My mother. She is a psychologist and she often uses A Christmas Carol in therapy with her patients. We were talking about the book one evening, and she said something along the lines of, “A Christmas Carol is about seeing your story from someone else’s perspective.” That sort of sparked the entire book for me, and more importantly, helped form the amazing twist at the end.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Jared, the misbehaving rockstar with a heart of gold who also may be communing with the heavens… Every time I got to write one of his scenes, I laughed aloud.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Much like the characters I write, I’m chronically ill and disabled. Many times, I have to write through pain and fatigue. At the same time, creating stories—living inside these fabulous worlds with these swoony characters—removes me from the pain of my daily reality. I overcome these challenges my writing from bed, limiting work hours, and keeping up with doctors appointments so I can be the healthiest possible for the work.
What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve received?
The best thing I’ve learned is never tie your worth into a book. Write because you love writing, because you have something to say—and then, learn to self-edit, learn what it is you’re trying to say, and learn how far you can take a story. There’s no perfect in writing, but you can get a book to a place where it’s the absolute best you can do. Finally, if you’re happy with your book, chances are someone else will be, too.
What’s next for you?
Believe it or not, I’m taking the year off from writing and publishing to work on Jewish Joy Con—a groundbreaking three-day event celebrating the best in Jewish pop-culture, creativity, and storytelling scheduled for March 13-15, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. With an anticipated audience of over five thousand people, the planning is taking up the bulk of my time right now.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I run The Jewish Joy Book Club, so I’m constantly being pitched and reading tons of fabulous fiction. I would say run to get these books: Sisters of Fortune by Esther Chehebar, Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino, Match Me if You Can by Heidi Shertok, Back-slide by Nora Dahlia, and anything by Lynne Golodner!
