Latest / What’s Up, Wake / Seaside Stories with NY Times Bestselling Author Kristy Woodson Harvey

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Seaside Stories with NY Times Bestselling Author Kristy Woodson Harvey · What’s Up, Wake

• [00:00:00] Speaker 4: The internet, it's big, endless, and ruled by giant tech companies. You ever feel like sometimes your internet provider exists just to make your life as complicated as possible? It's okay to expect more from the internet. The internet can connect you to people, to new ideas and unlimited opportunities as long as your internet provider doesn't get in the way. We're ting and in 2014, we set out to build internet that puts people first. Fast and reliable, clear and predictable, priced fairly without the fine print. People first designed to put you in control for a long time. Your internet options were limited. Now they aren't. With the choice between big internet, complicated internet or your internet, you choose the internet that actually feels like yours. We're ting and we are here to help you make the internet. Your internet. [00:01:07] Speaker 3: Rescue Wood Rehab in Fuqua Arena is proud to be your local custom woodworking shop for furniture, home decor and more. Visit us and maybe spend some time with our shop dog. Amber. Rescue Wood Rehab is more than wood. It's an experience. RWRN c.com. [00:01:23] Speaker 8: Summer travel is coming. Make sure your car is ready. With care, car care family owned and operated, they'll keep you safe on the road all season long. Give us a call at (919) 380-0040 to schedule your summer service today or visit with us@carecarcare.com. Care Car Care. It must be right or we'll make it right. [00:02:24] Speaker: sunshine, second chances, and just the right amount of southern charm. Today's guest has mastered the art of the perfect beach read. We're joined by New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey, whose stories feel like a getaway and book form. Her latest novel summer state of mind just released this week. Bringing readers yet another page Turner with Fresh Starts, unexpected Connections and Small Town Secrets. If you're craving stories that feel like a warm breeze off the Carolina coast, you've found the right author. I often say that I'm excited about my guest and I'm always telling the truth. But y'all, as someone who's read all of her books today is 10 out of 10 as far as dream guests go, and I can't thank her enough for adding a what's up Wake Pit stop to her book tour. Thank you so much for being here. [00:03:16] Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. I love that intro so much. I'm like, I, I have like. 22 tour steps coming up. Do you wanna come with me and do that [00:03:22] Speaker: intro? I'll follow along. I would gladly follow along. [00:03:25] Speaker 2: That was [00:03:26] Speaker: beautiful. I'll be your hype man. [00:03:27] Speaker 2: That was beautiful. Thank you. [00:03:28] Speaker: Okay, so you are originally kind of local-ish to this area. Yeah. You went to UNC, you studied journalism, which I kind of found fascinating because. I would think that would lead to some nonfiction writing. Mm-hmm. Or maybe like being on the news or something like that. Mm-hmm. How did you pivot to start writing fiction? [00:03:48] Speaker 2: Well, it's so funny because I did go to journalism school. I actually had my first internship at the Salisbury Post in Salisbury, North Carolina. When I'm, where I'm from, when I was, um, a junior in high school, or I guess a senior in high school. And so, um, that was like my, my big entree into. Really writing for an audience. And I wrote this really funny garden games column for them, which then led into kind of a personal column and I just fell in love with it. And so I did actually go to journalism school originally for broadcast, and that was what I really thought I wanted to do. And um, about maybe sophomore year, I thought, you know, I really just think I'm a writer. And so I switched over and I took creative writing in college, but I always used to say, oh, I'll only tell real people's stories. I'll never write fiction. I used to say that all the time. Um, I got a master's in literature, graduated, um, and my husband and I got married and we moved to a little town, Newburn, North Carolina. You know, I went to go interview in the newspaper and they didn't have any jobs. And so it was like, okay, well you're gonna have to figure out something else to do. And so I made a huge pivot into finance and was doing that for a while. Didn't [00:04:54] Speaker: see that [00:04:55] Speaker 2: coming. Yeah. So I was doing that for a while and just. I don't know what, I don't know why. I think I was just young and I was like, oh, this is a great job offer and, you know, I needed health insurance and a 401k and [00:05:04] Speaker: yeah, you, you see the money and [00:05:05] Speaker 2: you [00:05:06] Speaker: gotta go and you're like, [00:05:06] Speaker 2: oh, I'm just gonna do it because mm-hmm. There's, there's not a job right now in what I wanna do. Um, and I started getting story ideas and just took a shot and decided to write a novel on a whim and. Here we are, 13 books later. I mean, I made that sound really easy. It was not easy, but [00:05:22] Speaker: yeah. [00:05:22] Speaker 2: Yeah. [00:05:23] Speaker: We're skipping over the challenging parts. [00:05:25] Speaker 2: We're skipping over the hard part, but yes. 13 [00:05:27] Speaker: books later. Well, speaking of hard parts, I've always heard that one of the most challenging parts of, of writing a book is having it published. [00:05:35] Speaker 2: Oh. [00:05:36] Speaker: So how did you, I, I heard that you found your first publisher by winning. A book writing contest or story writing contest, something like that [00:05:45] Speaker 2: I did. Which is absolutely insane. But yes, for sure. Like I think people, people will say to me, well, I mean. I wrote a book and I wanna, and I, you know, you don't wanna be negative, but I'm like, that is the, by far, the easy part, right? Yeah. Like, the writing of the book, like the getting published is really challenging. So, um, I actually wrote three manuscripts before I really thought, okay, I'm gonna try to get a book published. And so I, I did sign with a literary agent. Um, before the whole contest situation, which that can be really challenging too. I mean, finding an agent and, you know, people go back and forth and some people are like, it's harder to find the agent, it's harder to find the publisher. You know, it depends on who you ask. But, um, I did have an agent and that was really, really helpful for me because when I won this writing contest, he was able to negotiate a rewrite for me and that's how I ended up getting my first book deal. So I look back on that now and I'm like, that seems unbelievable to me. That I won a writing contest and got a book deal, but I mean, I was pretty, um, I, I like a plan B and so I knew I had this agent and I knew he was over here trying to sell a book, but I thought, how do I get my work in front of people? Mm. And I knew there was a final round judge and this contest that was an editor at Penguin Random House, and I thought, well. If I can get my work in front of her, if you can [00:06:57] Speaker: impress her, [00:06:58] Speaker 2: yeah. Then maybe this could lead to something. And so I was always kind of thinking along those lines, you know, and I had entered many of these contests and, and won several of them, but, you know, they weren't, it just wasn't in front of the people that could really make the changes. And so. Um, yeah, it was amazing. It still feels really magical to think about. [00:07:16] Speaker: Yeah. [00:07:17] Speaker 2: Like was meant to be all of that coming together be Yeah. Mm-hmm. I mean, I think there's like, I think in everything in our lives, like yes, there's skill and yes, there's work, and yes, there's practice, and yes, there's hard work, but there's also that tiny element of. Being at the right place at the right time of fate and of refusing to kind of take no an answer and just continuing to open every single door for yourself that you can. [00:07:38] Speaker: Yeah, I mean, I, I feel like I'm kind of a chicken. If some too many people tell me no, I'm probably gonna give up. So your, your point is, is true though. You really have to stick at it. [00:07:47] Speaker 2: Well, and, and when I look back now on kind of like the story of my life so far. Working in that financial job made me a writer. Yeah. More than being in journalism school more than anything else because I, I was in sales. That was all I did. Yeah. I was calling people who didn't wanna talk to me and talking to them about things they were uncomfortable with, like being disabled or dying or their retirement. Things that people don't wanna talk about, they don't wanna think about, they don't wanna plan for. And I was told no all the time and I persevered. So [00:08:15] Speaker: You got, you. You grew a backbone. [00:08:16] Speaker 2: I grew a backbone and I didn't really have one before then because. Everything had been sort of easy until that point. Yeah. You know, I didn't have a lot of rejection. That's a very good [00:08:24] Speaker: point. [00:08:24] Speaker 2: Um, and so I really, I look back and I'm like, if I had never done that job mm-hmm. I might not have had, 'cause I think those first people would've told me no. And I would've been like, I'm not good at it, I'm back. Yeah. Like, I wouldn't have thought, well no, it's a one in 5,000 shot that you're gonna get an agent. They're gonna be a lot of agents that are gonna tell you No, I, I had that frame of reference 'cause I knew. I'm gonna call in a lot of clients and a lot of 'em are not gonna buy from me, but some of them are. [00:08:46] Speaker: So now that you've been in the publishing world Yeah. For 11 ish years. [00:08:51] Speaker 2: Yeah, 11. That's exactly right. [00:08:53] Speaker: What has been the most surprising part of being in this world to you? [00:08:58] Speaker 2: That's a really good question. A lot of things have surprised me. It's a world that's continuously evolving and I think we're on this really interesting precipice right now of. AI and what's gonna happen and um, you know, how our world is gonna change in the next few years. I mean, I think most industries are though, honestly, but, but maybe writing more than some others. Um, but I think the biggest surprise, I mean, it's definitely a competitive industry and it's hard to work your way into, it's hard to stay in. Um, and so I think I thought, okay, well I'm gonna get in it and you know, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a lot of competition all the way through. But I think what's been amazing is just the friends I've made in this business and the way that writers really support each other. Especially, you know, other female writers who just have kind kind of come along and been like, how can I help and what can I do? And I literally, I was walking in here and I had this email from, um, Paula Ferris who writes nonfiction. She was, yeah, I love [00:09:56] Speaker: Paula [00:09:56] Speaker 2: Ferris. Yes, yes. Amazing. She has this like incredible platform and podcast. Mm-hmm. But she was a famous TV journalist. She just reached out and was like, how can I support your launch? And I just thought, oh my gosh. Like, you know, people are really, really supportive mm-hmm. In this business. Um, and I try to pay it forward and be really supportive back mm-hmm. Whenever I can. Um, but that was just a, a lovely surprise. [00:10:19] Speaker: Okay. So let's say someone is dreaming of being a published author. Yes. What advice would you give them? [00:10:26] Speaker 2: first thing is. When I was getting, trying to get published, I mean, my first book came out 11 years ago, but I got my first book deal. 12 years ago and signed with my first agent 14 years ago. So this has like been a while. Um, there were not as many resources actually, maybe for better or worse. Mm-hmm. But there are so many resources now. People are so open about how they got their book deals. It is so easy now to follow literary agents that you're interested in online, to read their blogs, to look at their posts. Um, sometimes I'll have people call me and I'll think. I don't know if you really want this, 'cause you haven't done any of this research. And it's like all these people are so accessible to you now and it's just like anything else, like if someone likes you, they're gonna be much more likely to publish you, right? Mm-hmm. Um, so I think, you know, following people that, following people whose careers you wanna emulate, following people who might be an agent you wanna work with, an editor that you wanna work with. Um, and I think for fiction, I get asked this a lot, but, um, you have to have a manuscript at the beginning. Now if you're, if you've published a bunch of books, you, you know, someone will probably buy your idea or whatever. 'cause you've sort of proven yourself. But, um, at the beginning, I mean, I, unless you're famous, I think, I don't know. Mm-hmm. I'm sure there's some case, but I would say 99% of the time you need to have a finished manuscript before you go out on submission, um, to, you know, agents first and then. Publishing houses, and that was a lot of pieces of advice. But I think just do your research. And I think agents are really impressed when you do your research too, and you're reaching out to them and you're saying, this is why I wanna work with you. 'cause I know you believe in this, or I know you publish this book. And minds like that. Or just being really specific about why you wanna work with someone goes so far because they're getting so many submissions. You don't wanna feel like. You're just one in a million. You want them to feel like you really want them. [00:12:16] Speaker: Yeah. Them, them. Particularly them. And you do. Yes, you do. And you, you do. Yeah. You need them. Yeah. You don't wanna be too desperate, but you need them. [00:12:23] Speaker 2: Yes. But you need them. Yes. You don't wanna be desperate, but you wanna be, you know, you know that, that, that line of like, that professional line of like, I know why you would be really helpful for me. [00:12:33] Speaker: You live in Beaufort now? Yes. Which is one of my very favorite places on earth. Um, I spend a lot of time there as well. I'm wondering how much the town of Beaufort or just even a small town in general really influences your writing, your characters, your, your scenery, everything. [00:12:54] Speaker 2: Everything, it's so important. Mm-hmm. Um, and I grew up in a small town, like I said, Salisbury, and I actually think at the beginning I would say that Salisbury and then Kinston, where my husband and I moved, were maybe even more of an influence than like living in a coastal town. Just because I think there's something about that small southern town where everybody knows everybody and everybody's in everybody's business. Mm-hmm. And the traditions go back for, you know, 200 years and you might live in that house, but. No one calls it your house because it's still, you know, Mercedes's house. [00:13:26] Speaker: Oh [00:13:26] Speaker 2: yeah. Which it was and you know, like that kinda thing. Um, and so I think that was the initial kind of influence. And then, um, I pitched the idea for my Peachtree Bluff series, which started with a book called Slightly South of Simple. And there were actually four books in that series. Now with another one coming soon. Um. And when I pitched that series, I really had the idea to set that in Beaufort. Mm-hmm. I really felt like I'd spent a lot of time in Beaufort at that point. And um, so you weren't living there yet? We weren't living there. [00:13:56] Speaker: Oh, [00:13:57] Speaker 2: okay. No, we, uh, we had a house there. Mm-hmm. But Beaufort and I have kind of like a. An interesting love story because I had never been to Beaufort until I was 19, so I didn't, I mean, which very young, but it was not the beach I grew up going to. [00:14:10] Speaker: Yeah. [00:14:10] Speaker 2: And I went there for the first time when I was 19 and we drove over the bridge and I was like, I'm gonna live here one day. [00:14:15] Speaker: Yeah. I kind of feel like everybody that crosses that bridge has the same thought. Has to say that, right? Yes. [00:14:21] Speaker 2: Right. So the fact that I ended up working here, this is [00:14:22] Speaker: where I'm gonna retire. I'm gonna, I'm gonna be here eventually. [00:14:25] Speaker 2: Yeah, totally. So the fact that I ended up living there is wild. 'cause I didn't even know my husband then yet. Um. He, his dad lived there. He had grown up spending his summers at Atlantic Beach. Like he was very entrenched in that area. Yeah. In a way that I just wasn't, but I didn't even know him then. Um, but we bought a house there in 2012 and spent like two years redoing it and had spent, you know, time there in the summer and all of that. But, um, truly never thought we would move there. I mean, maybe thought we'd retire there one day, but we were able to move there for quote, just one year when our son was in preschool. We kind of figured out how to do it. Then we never left. Uh, but I had pitched this idea originally wanting to set it in Beaufort. And this was so funny because, um, my editor and like my publishing house are in New York and of course the south that is. Especially then, especially 10 years ago, people weren't like writing as much about the south or whatever, and they were like, no, no, no, no, no. You can't set it in Beaufort because we just published a series set in South Carolina and people think North and South Carolina are the same place. [00:15:24] Speaker: And I was like, oh no. [00:15:25] Speaker 2: I was like, okay. I was like, well, where do you want me to set it? And they were like, what about Georgia? And I was like, sure, Georgia. But like at that point, if they had been like, we want you to set it on Mars, I would've been like. If you give me a book deal, I'll set it on Pluto, even though it's not a planet anymore. Yeah. Like whatever you want me to do. Yeah. [00:15:41] Speaker: I [00:15:41] Speaker 2: do not care. [00:15:42] Speaker: Well, and the word [00:15:43] Speaker 2: Peachtree, this [00:15:44] Speaker: sounds right for Georgia. Yes. So it [00:15:46] Speaker 2: makes sense. Well, and that's, and that's, so that's what, so when I started thinking like, okay, I am gonna have this fictional town in Georgia, I called my husband, I had this very short, um. Timeline for this, and I was on book tour when I got the deal. So I called my mom and I called my husband and I was like, this is the series that I pitched. They want a fictional town. They want these fictional characters. I described all the characters to my mom and I was like, I need names for them. So my mom named Ansley, Caroline Sloan, and Emerson. Wow. And Vivie, the little girl and my husband named Peachtree Bluff. [00:16:16] Speaker: Oh, that's neat. I love that. [00:16:19] Speaker 2: Yes. So it was between Peachtree Bluff and Starlight Island, which I also really liked. And Starlight is actually the state mineral of Georgia. Little fun fact there. Oh, okay. Which I think is so beautiful. [00:16:30] Speaker: It is. [00:16:30] Speaker 2: Yeah. But I love, that is [00:16:31] Speaker: a very pretty name. [00:16:32] Speaker 2: I love Starlight Island so much that I ended up using it in the books. Um. Right in In Peachtree [00:16:37] Speaker: Bluff. Yeah. [00:16:37] Speaker 2: In Peach Tree Bluff. I remember that. Yeah. So right across from our house is this island called the Rachel Carson Reserve. Mm-hmm. And so that became Starlight Island. [00:16:45] Speaker: Okay. [00:16:46] Speaker 2: In my Beaufort slash Peachtree Bluff. [00:16:47] Speaker: And it's funny that you're saying that because every time I read your books, I, as a reader, am imagining, oh, I wonder if she's talking about this place in Beaufort, or you know, this place on the coast. And, and I can, I, I think that's why I love them so much though, because I know the area and I can kind of. At least makeup in my mind what you might be talking about. [00:17:10] Speaker 2: Okay, so now you have to come to Beaufort in the fall, in September, we're doing another, we've done this a couple times, but we do these things called the Peachtree Bluff Town Takeover. [00:17:20] Speaker: I so wanted to do that last year. [00:17:22] Speaker 2: Well, you have to come. We can get you like a media pass. I would, but love that. But you have glad to come and you can do the. Tour. Mm-hmm. And then you like I have everywhere on the tour, like I named this, this, and I named this, this. And we like just go all the way through town and we talk about what everything's called in the books [00:17:35] Speaker: and I would so geek out on that. [00:17:36] Speaker 2: Yeah. [00:17:37] Speaker: Can't even tell [00:17:37] Speaker 2: you. It's so silly and it's so fun and people just like are so supportive of it. It really means a lot to me. [00:17:43] Speaker: I am, I'm in. Count Me in. Okay. I am curious though, where your ideas normally begin. Yes. Do you normally start with a character or a place or, you know. Some sort of dialogue in your mind? [00:17:57] Speaker 2: Oh, that's a really good question. And I love that you said that because actually a lot of times it's with some dialogue in my mind. Oh, [00:18:04] Speaker: okay. [00:18:04] Speaker 2: So you said that so beautifully. Um, I, I do often like, thank you. [00:18:08] Speaker: And that's all we have folks. [00:18:11] Speaker 2: No, I mean, really that's like very, um. Very like prescient of you to say. Um, but I, I do some and, and it's kind of weird 'cause sometimes I'll wake up with it in the middle of the night and it's often like two characters having a conversation, but sometimes I won't really know what it is yet. Um, but it depends, it varies from book to book. And sometimes I'll kind of have, um, like for example, I have a book called The Summer of Songbirds, and I wrote that book like in just the. Dog, early days of COVID where we were all stuck in our houses. Mm. And I was like, I just, where do I wanna go? Where do I wanna take readers? Where we can just be free and outside? Yeah. And I was like, summer camp. Yeah. [00:18:45] Speaker: Yeah. [00:18:45] Speaker 2: So like, that one started with me being like, I'm gonna write a book about summer camp. Um, but, but a lot of times they really do start with like dialogue between characters or, you know, some kind of, um. Almost like inner dialogue of a character. And I'll kind of start writing to kind of feel out, you know, who, who the character is and what their story's going to be. And it's kind of bizarre, but [00:19:06] Speaker 5: When you're having a stroke, every second counts, know the signs. Call 9 1 1 2. Wake Med Primary stroke centers and seven emergency departments are here for you 24 7. With rapid assessment, NEUROINTERVENTIONAL expertise, certified stroke rehab, a comprehensive approach that can actually reverse some if not all of the effects of a stroke. Wake med when seconds count. [00:19:37] Speaker 6: To start. This is from an North Carolina, from an, [00:19:46] Speaker 7: so here we go. Two. [00:20:31] Speaker: do you just like start writing or are you the type that's super organized and you outline everything? [00:20:38] Speaker 2: No outlines. I was the kid in school who, you know when you have to, you used to have those assignments and it would be like turn in the topic sentence and then the first paragraph. Yeah. And then the outline and then the essay. I would have to write the essay and then deconstruct it for the other parts. Oh. 'cause that is just not, my brain is not, yeah. That linear like that. Mm-hmm. Like it just does not, I can't have a hard time starting at the beginning and ending at the end because. I usually tend to write the, like, emotional high points of the story first, because that's what comes to me first. And then I sort of start piecing like, okay, what's actually happening here? Mm-hmm. Like what's the actual story? I know that sounds so bizarre. Um, and again, sometimes I have more of an idea than others. And um, for example, I had a book come out last year called Beach House Rules, and. It was not the book that I pitched and sold, which is hilarious. Oh. Um, but I got this idea for this book, like just hit me like a lightning bolt. And I was like, I wanna write a book about a Ian. And I pitched it to my editor and she was like, I don't get it. I dunno, this is gonna work. So I, I really had to like, sit down and write a hundred pages in a row so that she could really see like, and then she said, okay. I get it now. I get it. Let's do it. Um, but then after those a hundred pages, I was like, oh, thank goodness. And I wrote the end and then came back and wrote in the middle. [00:21:52] Speaker: Mm. Okay. Yeah. [00:21:54] Speaker 2: Yeah. [00:21:54] Speaker: I mean, I, I think, you know, writers all have their own styles from what I have found. Yes. In, in my life. I know that I'm the type, I have to have a dead. [00:22:06] Speaker 2: Yes. [00:22:06] Speaker: Because otherwise I'm just gonna put it off. [00:22:08] Speaker 2: Yes. [00:22:08] Speaker: So if, and, and I do my best writing when I know something is due. Mm-hmm. Like at midnight tonight. [00:22:14] Speaker 2: No. And I think that's the journalist in you. And it's probably the journalist in me. I agree. I really like a deadline. Mm-hmm. And even if I don't have one, like in my contract, I'm giving myself self-imposed deadlines all along the way. That's smart. Yeah. Because I wanna make sure. You're staying on track. I'm getting everything done and I'm, I'm like, you, I need those deadlines and there are too many other things tugging at our attention. [00:22:34] Speaker: Yes. I'll be like, oh, this is a great time for me to do a full overhaul of my website [00:22:39] Speaker 2: or something, you know, instead of [00:22:40] Speaker: I'm gonna clean out my closet. Right, [00:22:42] Speaker 2: right. Yes. And like, really, I need to write 10 pages today. Yeah. I don't need to be overhauling my website, so I have to, I keep myself on track that way too. [00:22:49] Speaker: Well, speaking of writing, where, where is your favorite spot to write? Not in your house? [00:22:56] Speaker 2: Oh, not in my house, yes. Oh, that's a great question. Well, this might be cheating 'cause it's not my house, but my husband built a new office in Beaufort, a new dental. He's a dentist. He's a dentist. He's dentist. And he built this beautiful dental office in Beaufort. Mm-hmm. And there are offices upstairs and. This is like kind of a long story, but we had a ton of damage to our house during Hurricane Florence and we moved around just around and around and around for the next 14 months and it was crazy. And so when he built this office, we decided that we were gonna build the upstairs so that if anything like that ever happened again, we could actually live there. And so [00:23:30] Speaker: Smart. [00:23:30] Speaker 2: Yeah. So his office is what would be. Like the primary bedroom and the bathroom, and then we put an office in there. For me that would be like the living room kind of thing. So it could function as an apartment that [00:23:42] Speaker: is very [00:23:42] Speaker 2: smart, but instead for right now, it functions as, you know, different living spaces. Mm-hmm. It functions as offices, but it could function as a home. So we thought if we ever have to live somewhere short term, we'll have. An option somewhere to go. Well, [00:23:55] Speaker: I've seen this is how the universe works. Yes. Now that you have a place [00:23:59] Speaker 2: Yes. [00:23:59] Speaker: You'll never get hit by another hurricane and you won't have to move out of your home. I, [00:24:03] Speaker 2: that's, so, that would be, that would be totally fine with me. I hope that is [00:24:05] Speaker: the case. Yes. I hope that is, now that you have a backup, you won't, you will never need it. But, but it's [00:24:09] Speaker 2: really pretty and I like writing there, but I also like to write. I like things going on. Like I was the kid in college. I liked to study at the loud library because I wanted, see, I'm opposite everything to be like going on around me. Yeah. So I could definitely like write at a coffee shop or that kind of thing. [00:24:23] Speaker: Yeah. I'm totally, I'm, I'm too much like squirrel. Mm-hmm. And did get distracted. Yes. Yes. Every second. Yes. Okay. One thing I'm super curious about with you mm-hmm. I read that you had a social media following before you became a writer. You and your mom. Started what an Instagram page together, started an Instagram page together and, um, it with like home decorating, right? Yes. I want to know if you feel like having already having a social media presence helped you become a, a published author, a successful writer. If that was like an already like set up readership that you felt like you had. [00:25:08] Speaker 2: So my mom and I started a blog called Design Chic, um, which is so funny. Back in the blog days. Back in the blog days. But we still have it and it's still like goes, I think blogs well [00:25:19] Speaker: for us coming [00:25:20] Speaker 2: back. I think they are too. So I'm like, oh, I'm so glad that kept it going. That you kept it. Mm-hmm. I mean, and it's still done really well for us. Like I think those early readers just are still with us. Mm-hmm. I mean, it's been 19 years I think. Can you believe that? [00:25:33] Speaker: Wow. [00:25:34] Speaker 2: I'm pretty sure it's been 19 years. I wrote a letter to like design sheet readers this morning, and I'm pretty sure it's 19 years. [00:25:40] Speaker: Do you know what I realized this morning? I, you're younger, you've gotta be younger than I am, but I realized that. 40 years ago was 1986. Right. And I thought it was gonna throw up. I was like's [00:25:51] Speaker 2: horrifying. [00:25:52] Speaker: It blows my mind. [00:25:52] Speaker 2: I know. It blows my mind the way time goes. Mm-hmm. But yes, so that was, maybe it was 18 years ago. I think I was 22. It was 22 when we started. So, um, so, so what I'm gonna say about that is. Funnily enough, I think that many years ago, no one really cared because we weren't having this, it wasn't really the age of social media so much yet, so I knew it was really helpful. I credit that blog and all of those friends that we had that were also bloggers. When my first book came out, I sent that book to every like friend, design blogger that I had ever had in the past however many years. 'cause we were a pretty tight-knit little group. Mm-hmm. 'cause we all started at the same time and there weren't that many of us. And I, those women sold that book for me a hundred percent. Like they sent it to their followers and I don't think the publisher cared that much about it. [00:26:49] Speaker: Mm-hmm. [00:26:50] Speaker 2: In 2026, would they have cared about it? Absolutely. Ah, okay. So I say now, I mean I do think it is extremely helpful in 2026. I think I knew it was very helpful in 2015. I don't think the publishing industry Gotcha. Thought it was as helpful. And for good reason. They were sort of like, I mean, it's a totally different audience and it was, but as you know [00:27:14] Speaker: mm-hmm. [00:27:15] Speaker 2: Readers don't just like one thing. Yeah. And there's a lot of overlap between people who want to read a women's fiction novel and a PE and people who like to look at pretty things for their home. Yeah. There was a lot of good overlap there. So yeah, [00:27:27] Speaker: I would think so. The two, the two marry well, [00:27:29] Speaker 2: the two marry very well. Mm-hmm. And we've actually, we've never had a separate Instagram account, like it's been Christy w Harvey from the minute we started. I talk about. Books and writing a whole lot when I have a book coming out. [00:27:40] Speaker: Yeah. [00:27:40] Speaker 2: Um, so we probably haven't posted a lot of design in the past few weeks, but um, but then we post a lot of design on there too, and it's always just kind of been a combination. So far it hasn't really seemed to be a problem. If it has, no one's told me. And you know, people will tell you. [00:27:54] Speaker: Oh, the, yeah. You would've known by now if you offended anyone would've known. [00:27:58] Speaker 2: I would've, I would've known. [00:27:59] Speaker: Speaking of social media mm-hmm. You have a, a group that you formed with a few other authors mm-hmm. To create friends and fiction. [00:28:09] Speaker 2: Yeah, [00:28:09] Speaker: and I checked last night. The group has 338,000 members on Facebook, and it's just a bunch of book lovers. Hop on and, and talk about their favorite books, but you also have a podcast. Can you tell us about friends and fiction? [00:28:24] Speaker 2: Yeah. The fact the 338,000 is unbelievable to me. Yeah. [00:28:29] Speaker: It was like I had to clear [00:28:30] Speaker 2: all my [00:28:30] Speaker: eyeballs and then look at that again and make sure I was reading that right. It's [00:28:33] Speaker 2: crazy. So we started Friends and fiction again during COVID. We all had book tours, so, so the podcast is Mary Kay Andrews, Kristen Hormel, Patty Callahan Henry, and me. And, um, we started during COVID when we all had books coming out, we all had big, huge cross country book tours that were canceled. And we were first thinking, okay, what are we gonna do to get the word out about our books? And then we started thinking, what are we gonna do about all these independent bookstores that have lost all of their traffic and sales? So just completely on a whim, we got on Mary Kay Andrews Facebook page on Zoom Live one night, and we were, we told everybody about our new books coming out. We highlighted independent bookstores where they could buy those books. Really encouraged people to support them. During this time, we had a thousand people show up for us live that first night, and we were like. Wow. People are bored. Oh yeah. Yeah. So, you know, we can really capitalize on this, but, so friends and fiction started, we thought we would have it for seven weeks, and at the end of seven weeks all our books were out. Um, we had launched them onto the world, and I think the group had maybe a. 10,000 followers or something, which seemed insane. I mean, because it had only been seven weeks. Yeah. And we, to grow something that quickly, we were like, okay, this is, this is really something. So we kept going and we kept going and we just celebrated our sixth year anniversary, which is unbelievable. So it's a, a web show, um, on Facebook and YouTube, and then it feeds to our podcast on Fridays. Um, but then, yes, book lovers are in there talking about books and reading all day, all night, all time zones, all countries. If you wanna know what to read. Hit up friends and fiction because they will tell [00:30:10] Speaker: you. And I just like add, I have a, a notes page on my iPhone that I add, uh, books that I want to read and it's just ever-growing. And I, I went on that page last night and I added some more books to my list just from, you know, people that are on your page that are saying, Hey, I just finished this book. And it was, it was so good. [00:30:26] Speaker 2: Well, it's been a great community and, and really I think when I feel it the most is when I'm on tour. 'cause people will come out and they'll say, yeah, I've been in friends of fiction since the beginning. Mm-hmm. Or I watched your launch show, or I knew about this event because of the page or whatever. So it's very nice. [00:30:41] Speaker: I have heard some pretty exciting rumblings about bringing some of your stories to life for the big screen, for the small screen. Uh, can you tell us anything about that? [00:30:54] Speaker 2: I can. Oh my goodness. It has been. Such an exciting couple of years, um, for that, that sort of project. Um, but I'll say, I can tell you about a few things. So my project is probably The Furthest Along is called A Happier Life, and it is a book that's actually set in Beaufort in real life, Beaufort. Um, one of the storylines is from. 1934 to 1976. I forgot. I wrote it a few years ago and I was like, when was it? Um, and then one of the storylines is present day. And um, that one is, um, in development with Amazon for a movie, which will be super exciting. And, um, I've. I've read the script. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say that, but, uh, it's wonderful and I'm so excited about it. And, um, so I'm executive producer on that, which is great. So I get to be like, pretty involved. And, [00:31:45] Speaker: um, that would, that sounds like to me that may would make all the difference in the world because if you were not executive producer, you would not. Really any say in the script. Right. [00:31:55] Speaker 2: Right. And people And [00:31:55] Speaker: in the casting and all the fun stuff. [00:31:58] Speaker 2: Totally. And people have different opinions. Mm-hmm. Like there are writers who are like, I just want you to take it and I want you to walk away. But I really like being involved in it, and I like being on the meetings and I like knowing where we are and who we're talking to, and. I think it's very exciting. Um, and I, I have a few other things that are in various stages of option and development right now, so I'm, I'm working on that a lot. I actually have something that I've written that is not a novel, um, that we're working on as well. 'cause I thought it was kind of off brand for me, but I thought it would be a good movie. So I'm, I'm working on, I would say probably five or six different projects right now. So a lot of, um, a lot of West coast zooming and, okay. I'm hoping to, I'm actually going to the West Coast on tour for a few days, but then I'm gonna go back in June to kind of. Nailed down some things that we're pitching and working on right now that I'm very excited about. So, [00:32:46] Speaker: well that's, that's where, that's where I'll join you for the book tour. Please. I'll go [00:32:48] Speaker 2: to [00:32:49] Speaker: the West [00:32:49] Speaker 2: coast with you. You just come with me to la I would love, we do all things. I've never been [00:32:53] Speaker: to la [00:32:54] Speaker 2: I would [00:32:54] Speaker: love that. [00:32:54] Speaker 2: I've only been like maybe once or twice. Yeah. And [00:32:57] Speaker: it sounds like you're gonna be going some more. [00:32:59] Speaker 2: I hope so. If you're gonna [00:33:00] Speaker: be. Making some of these things. [00:33:02] Speaker 2: And I really, there was, um, somebody that I was talking to recently and I was like, I really here, I'm gonna, I'm coming to work, but I really need to tour. Like these sets well there. And they were like, that's, [00:33:12] Speaker: that's the part I wanna tackle on. [00:33:13] Speaker 2: That's what it's all about, right? [00:33:14] Speaker: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. I mean, if you're gonna go to la you've gotta, you've gotta go see, do the LA stuff shows. Yes. [00:33:19] Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, you gotta be a tourist. Like, that's what I wanna do. [00:33:22] Speaker: Okay. My next question, you kind of just touched upon it a little bit. Your novels have an overarching theme of family, friendship and resilience, but have you ever thought about writing for a different genre? [00:33:36] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. That's a great question. Um. So yes and no. I mean, I've, I think I've dabbled a little bit. Like I have a book called The Wedding Veil that was historical fiction. Historical, yeah. Um, so that was a little bit of a different genre for me. Um, beach House rules did go a little more into like the mystery area. Mm-hmm. But, you know, the thing is, I just feel like no matter what genre I'm writing in, those are still the themes I'm writing about. Mm-hmm. Like, even if it's, you know, if it's a woman from the past, I'm still writing about. Family, friendship and resilience. Yeah. About writing a little bit of a mystery. It's still about family, friendship and resilience. Mm-hmm. Um, so I think, you know, I think I, I think I could actually go into some other genres at some point, but, um, I'm. I don't know. I'm loving what I'm doing now and it's just, and I'm, I'm really lucky 'cause my publisher has been very open to me just sort of writing the next book I really wanna write, which is great. [00:34:30] Speaker: That is great. You're to that point in your career, you can do what you wanna do. [00:34:33] Speaker 2: Well, I don't know about that, but they're just very generous with that. Yes, you can anything you want. They believe in me. [00:34:37] Speaker: Yeah, [00:34:37] Speaker 2: they believe in me, so that's very nice. [00:34:39] Speaker: So speaking of now, let's talk about summer state of mind. Yeah, it just came out this week. Yeah. It's your 13th novel in 11 years. Congratulations. That's, thank you. Quite remarkable. Can you give us a sneak peek about what the book is about and what inspired you to write this one? [00:34:56] Speaker 2: Absolutely. So Summer state of mind is about a burnout. Nick u nurse named Daisy, who on the first day at her new sleepy job in the small town of Cape Carolina, um, encounters an abandoned baby in the hospital. And this baby sends shockwaves through this town because how could something like this happen in a place like Cape Carolina where everyone. Everyone and everything. And so this baby puts Daisy in the path of Mason, who is an injured former baseball star, and Tilly, who's kind of the whole town's eccentric aunt and really sends, um, like I said, shockwaves through the town and causes a lot of long buried secrets to come out for these characters. But they will learn that with a lot of love and, um. Some resilience, as you mentioned, and a community theater production of Hello Dolly that sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong. Um, and this one was actually weirdly inspired by a newspaper article. I wish I had some grander story for you than that. Hey, [00:35:54] Speaker: you've gotta get your inspiration where you can find it. [00:35:56] Speaker 2: I, I read an article about a NICU nurse who adopted an abandoned baby, and I thought, oh, that would make a really good book. And then about a year later, a friend of mine who is a NICU nurse called me and said, I have a great story idea for you. One of my friends just adopted. A baby from the nicu, like that was her patient. And I thought, oh, huh, that's funny. 'cause that's something I was thinking about writing. So it was just those little pings. Mm-hmm. Kind of kept going and I eventually decided, okay, this is my next story and I'm gonna go for it. [00:36:22] Speaker: I, [00:36:22] Speaker 2: I [00:36:23] Speaker: love [00:36:23] Speaker 2: this [00:36:23] Speaker: one, this. Thank [00:36:24] Speaker 2: you. [00:36:24] Speaker: I will say, this is my first ever. Advanced Readers Edition that I've received from, yay. I even took a picture of the envelope, um, that it came in because I was so excited. Oh, love. I'm so glad [00:36:36] Speaker 2: to hear that. [00:36:37] Speaker: And I, I think this is my favorite of your books. [00:36:40] Speaker 2: Aw, thank [00:36:40] Speaker: you. If I dare say I loved it. Thank you. And the cover is beautiful too. I love the cover. Yeah, I mean, it, it's just, it's, it's just the story is beautiful. Everything's, I love it. [00:36:50] Speaker 2: And, you know, the North Carolina coast, well, so I, I think it looks like the North Carolina coast. It does. Which sometimes Oh, [00:36:56] Speaker: yeah. [00:36:56] Speaker 2: You know, you have, it's like, oh, let's have a broad appeal. And it doesn't necessarily look like North Carolina, but that one really, really does. [00:37:01] Speaker: Yes, it does. And I, yeah, I, I loved everything about the book. I loved Aunt Tilly. [00:37:05] Speaker 2: Oh, good. Well, you know, I wrote her because I, I wrote her an Under the Southern Sky, which was a book that came out a few years ago. She was a very secondary character, and I have never received more emails and letters about a character I have written than Aunt Tilly. And I thought, well, we gotta bring this woman back. Gotta give her her happy ending. [00:37:21] Speaker: You know, you're saying that. And now I knew I had heard it some, but I, I didn't put two and two together at all. [00:37:26] Speaker 2: Well, and I will say for people who have not read under the Southern Sky, this is 100% not a sequel, but No. Yeah. But Mason and Aunt Tilly are both very minor characters in that book. So if you kind of thought, if you read that book a while ago and, and you remember them. Yeah. Um, I just, they needed a second chance, [00:37:42] Speaker: you know? I love that [00:37:43] Speaker 2: they needed their story. Yeah. [00:37:46] Speaker: Okay. Speaking of stories, I am a huge fan of the Peachtree Uff series. It said tongue twister. It is for me anyway. [00:37:54] Speaker 2: Yes, no, it's [00:37:55] Speaker: okay. I'm very excited. [00:37:57] Speaker 2: You [00:37:58] Speaker: have a fifth, [00:38:00] Speaker 2: fifth in the series, [00:38:01] Speaker: fifth in the series coming out this fall. [00:38:03] Speaker 2: Yes. [00:38:03] Speaker: What can you tell us? [00:38:04] Speaker 2: Okay. Well, it's called Falling for Peachtree Bluff. The official release date is September 19th. And because we're, we're sort of local on this podcast, um, we have, the only thing that we've scheduled on the tour so far in stone is the Peachtree Bluff Town takeover. And I'm not gonna tell you the dates 'cause I'm gonna get it wrong, but it's the weekend the book comes out. Like it's that Saturday and Sunday and it's tour [00:38:23] Speaker: that you were telling me about. [00:38:24] Speaker 2: Yeah. So it's a bus tour. Mm-hmm. It's a luncheon, it's a dinner. There's like a champagne thing on the lawn at the historic site. It all sort of centers around the historic site. [00:38:32] Speaker: Okay. [00:38:32] Speaker 2: Um, but so that's gonna be a lot of fun. Um, and I mean it's, it's pumpkin spice season. Like what's better than Peachtree Bluff in the fall? Um, this is kind of funny though. So I wrote Christmas and Peach Tree Bluff. Uh, it came out in 2021 and, but I wrote it in 2020 and as soon as I was finished with it, I thought, oh, I know what happens next. But I thought, they're not, they're not gonna have another book in this series. It was supposed to be three books and now it's four and we're not gonna have a fifth. And about a year ago, my editor came to me and said. Would you ever wanna write another Peachtree Bluff book? And I was like, oh my gosh, I've written like three quarters of one that's just sitting on my computer. 'cause I just thought, well, I'm gonna write it for myself 'cause I love these people so much. So, um, so, so the story actually picks up, even though it's been a few years since I published one, it picks up two years after Christmas and Peach Tree Bluff. So it's really like 2023 even though it's coming out in 2026. Um, but I'm not very good at talking about it yet, but it's, um, you know. All the Peachtree Bluff shenanigans. [00:39:31] Speaker: Is there any chance that this might be one of the projects you'll work on for maybe a series? [00:39:36] Speaker 2: There's a, there is a solid chance that, uh, so we actually sold Peachtree Bluff to NBC and um, I was writing it as a matter of fact, and we sold the pilot and we were working on the second episode when the writer strike happened, which thank goodness, because we needed that riders striker. We would've been in a kind of a mess right now with all the AI stuff going on. Um, so I'm very grateful for that. And, um, but we have been, we have, I will tell you, we've been working on it. Again, I don't have any announcements to make yet, but we've got some. Good things that hopefully we'll be announcing very soon. So I'm excited about it. [00:40:07] Speaker: This, it really just sets itself as a TV series, you know, the whole, I know [00:40:12] Speaker 2: its [00:40:13] Speaker: a [00:40:13] Speaker 2: series, there's information, but it's just [00:40:14] Speaker: all [00:40:14] Speaker 2: Yeah. It's, it's too much for a movie. Definitely. Too much for a movie. [00:40:18] Speaker: Yeah. [00:40:19] Speaker 2: Yes. Yes. And I was pretty adamant, I had some people interested in movies, like when Slightly South of Simple came out. Mm-hmm. And then when the Secret to Southern Charm came out. For someone who had done none of this at the time, this was probably a foolish decision, but I thought, no, I really, if this is gonna come out, I'm, I'm, I'm pretty precious about this one in a way that I'm not about anything else. Other things I'm like, if you wanna change that or you wanna do that, or you wanna add that. Mm-hmm. Peachtree, I'm a little more like purist about, because it's just so close to my heart. And yeah, it is five books and I'm very attached to it, so yes. But it's, there's a lot of good stuff going on and I think we've, we found a good team, so. [00:40:55] Speaker: Okay. It is time for our WhatsApp Roundup where I ask a lightning round series of questions Before you go, and I know you've gotta get on the road, you are heading out to some important stops. Okay? I don't know if you're allowed to say this, but I'm gonna put you on the spot anyway. Okay. Dream casting for one of your characters. It could be any book. It could be one that you're not currently, you know, putting into production right now. The first person that comes to mind that you would love to take over as a character? [00:41:22] Speaker 2: I had never thought of this right now until now, when I just like cleared my mind. I think Meryl Streep could play the most unbelievable Aunt Tilly of all time. [00:41:30] Speaker: Oh yeah. [00:41:31] Speaker 2: Right. Wouldn't she just nail that? Like she could just, I [00:41:33] Speaker: mean, she could nail anything. [00:41:34] Speaker 2: She could would. That's [00:41:35] Speaker: an amazing, [00:41:36] Speaker 2: she'd be amazing. So, so Meryl Streep, if you're listening, we'd really like to cast you for this. Please and I, and I will come and be your hype man for that too. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [00:41:46] Speaker: We [00:41:46] Speaker 2: got [00:41:47] Speaker: this. Speaking of Aunt Tilly. [00:41:48] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. [00:41:50] Speaker: I feel like we all kind of have an Aunt Tilly in our life. Sure. Who is yours? [00:41:55] Speaker 2: Oh gosh. Um, I. I think mine has passed away. But it was a neighbor that I used to have, and I feel like she was just so eccentric and hilarious and would tell me the wildest stories. And I would think, is this real? Is this person even real? Um, and, and I actually, I again, hadn't thought about that, but I think she might have inspired Aunt Tilly. But I did have a Tilly in my family and I just loved that name too. And I just thought, that's just such a good [00:42:20] Speaker: Southern [00:42:21] Speaker 2: name. It's such a good Southern name. Yeah. And you can picture her as Tilly's, not very old, but she has that. There's this certain sector of southern woman that just thinks she's older than she is. Oh, yeah. Like Tilly, is that like she just thinks she should be like waited on as she's elderly and I'm like, you're like 60. Yeah. Like no one. You should not be driven around in the backseat. You are not old, but she just feels that she is. [00:42:42] Speaker: Yes. She's got an old soul. [00:42:45] Speaker 2: She's an old [00:42:45] Speaker: soul. Yeah. What is your go-to writing snack? [00:42:49] Speaker 2: Hmm. Well. I mean, a smoothie probably. I like to have something that I can just like sip on while I'm mm-hmm. That doesn't get like in my way, [00:43:00] Speaker: like Cheetos fingers. [00:43:01] Speaker 2: Right. And then you're typing Cheeto fingers on the keyboard. Yeah. Is not good. Now I've done that before for sure. Mm-hmm. But I just, I'm more of like a beverages while I'm writing. Oh, gotcha. I love to do like. Coffee and smoothies and tea and, but I've got a, a real circulation of beverages going at all times. Mm-hmm. And sometimes like three or four at a time. It's very, a very serious situation [00:43:20] Speaker: because you've gotta move from the coffee mm-hmm. To the tea mm-hmm. To the smoothie. It has to be in a, this [00:43:25] Speaker 2: is a lot of of hydration happening. Yes, yes, yes. Mm-hmm. [00:43:29] Speaker: Let's say you get to meet one of the Peachtree Bluff sisters in real life, which one would you like to meet? Oh, that's a hard question. Or, or which one are you most like? [00:43:41] Speaker 2: Um, I'm not most like her at all, but I think I would like to meet Caroline. 'cause I just think she's so like no nonsense and she says whatever she thinks. Mm-hmm. And again, she's one of the characters. It's funny to me because I think she's a controversial character. She's also people's favorite. Like I get like people love her uhhuh or they do not like, she's very polarizing and I actually think that's why she makes such a good character for tv. [00:44:06] Speaker: Yeah, [00:44:06] Speaker 2: yeah. 'cause you need this polarizing figures. Um, but I would love to meet her 'cause she just says whatever she thinks all the time. Yeah. She's very [00:44:12] Speaker: blunt [00:44:12] Speaker 2: and I don't, and I just think that would be, she'd be a good friend to have, she'd be like, no change. You do not look good in that. And sometimes you like, you need that energy in your life just a little bit. [00:44:21] Speaker: A little bit. Yeah, [00:44:21] Speaker 2: A little bit. Not too much. [00:44:23] Speaker: Maybe not daily, but [00:44:24] Speaker 2: Right. Not daily. Mm-hmm. Like, uh, one, sometimes I wanna say to Caroline, you don't have to say everything that you think. And I do think she has mellowed time has mellowed her in these novels. And also when we meet her in slightly south of Simple, her life is completely falling apart. Yeah. Um, but I love falling for Peachtree Bluff for her the very most, because. I feel like Caroline becomes a Caroline in a way that we have never seen her before and I love her for it, so [00:44:53] Speaker: I can't wait. Yeah. Okay. Finally, if you could go back and talk to yourself at the very beginning of your writing journey, what would you say? [00:45:03] Speaker 2: I, unfortunately, it's probably the same thing that I would say to myself now, but that just that you don't have to be in such a hurry. I had a professor at Chapel Hill who I met with right when I was at the beginning of all of this, and he said, the worst thing that can happen to you is that you get published too soon. And at the time I thought, well, how can that be? I'm just in such a hurry. I'm in such a hurry. Now I see what he means because once you start to get published, those books follow you for the rest of your career. And so you really wanna make sure, you know, I, I, the world changes, things change, right? You, you grow up. I mean, inevitably your first book's probably not gonna be your best, but I think that's always the way it's gonna be. But I think just to not be in such a hurry, 'cause it's all unfolding the way that it's supposed to. So those are, that's a good one. Words of wisdom for the world out there. Yeah. And for me, I need to just play that on replay for myself. Yeah. 'cause I am always in a hurry. I'm like, what's next? And what are we doing? And sometimes it's okay to just take a breath [00:45:53] Speaker: and sit where you are. [00:45:55] Speaker 2: Yes. [00:45:55] Speaker: Mm-hmm. Thank you so much again for being here. Thank you for having best of luck on your book tour. Let me know when I can catch a flight out to LA with you. I'll be there. I [00:46:04] Speaker 2: need you as my wing woman, so this is gonna be perfect. But thank you for having me. Yes. This is so incredible. And for people who haven't seen this studio in real life, it's amazing. [00:46:11] Speaker: It is a really cool studio. [00:46:12] Speaker 2: It's, [00:46:13] Speaker: yes. Thank you [00:46:13] Speaker 2: for having me. [00:46:14] Speaker: Thanks again.