One Golden Summer With Carley Fortune

Speaker 1 Extra value meals are back. That means 10 tender juicy McNuggets and medium fries and a drink are just $8.

Speaker 2 Only at McDonald's.

Speaker 3 For limited time only, prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska, and California and for delivery.

Speaker 5 The next time you fly, upgrade your comfort to Emirates Premium Economy. Sink into soft leather seats with raised legrests and adjustable headrests.

Speaker 5 Elevate your dinner plans with delicious regional dining, all served with complimentary premium drinks. Enjoy endless entertainment with up to 6,500 channels, including live sports.

Speaker 5 There's no other premium economy like it. Fly Emirates.

Speaker 6 Fly better.

Speaker 4 Say you've always wanted to see your favorite team from the best seats in the house. Here's the thing.
If you invest well, you could do things like that.

Speaker 4 With Empower, you can get your money working for you so you can go out and live a little. Isn't that why we work so hard?

Speaker 4 To splurge at certain moments, jet-setting off to see your team play at one of the most iconic stadiums, or getting your favorite player's super rare, autographed, one-of-one sports card.

Speaker 4 So use Empower to help you get good at money so you can be a little bad. Join their 19 million customers today at Empower.com.
Not an Empower client, paid or sponsored.

Speaker 8 Welcome to the shit show.

Speaker 9 Things are going to get weird.

Speaker 8 It's your favede villain, Kale Lower.

Speaker 8 And you're listening to Barely Famous.

Speaker 8 Welcome back to another episode of Barely Famous Podcast. Today I'm sitting with the lovely author Carly Fortune.
Welcome to Barely Famous Podcasts.

Speaker 9 Thank you.

Speaker 8 I'm so excited you're here. I'm about two-thirds of the way through one golden summer.
Love it. And I'm so excited because

Speaker 8 I go back to the lake in my hometown every single year.

Speaker 9 And so so I feel like this is right up my alley. You get it.
Yeah. You're a lake girl.

Speaker 8 I love it. So congratulations on the release of your new book.

Speaker 9 Thank you. Are you excited? I am so excited.
I think I'm most excited, like more than any other book, this book I'm most excited about. Why do you say that?

Speaker 9 I think it's because I, like, as this is my fourth book, and I've become more confident with every book. And also because readers have asked me for this book.
And

Speaker 9 ever since my first book came out, it's, it's like a companion novel to that book. It has characters from that novel.

Speaker 9 And people have been asking me for this book for years. And I finally felt like I was in a place where I could tackle it.
Like I felt confident enough to tackle it.

Speaker 9 And so I'm just excited that it's out there. And it's the beginning of, like, it's, it's the beginning of May.
So it feels like it's time for summer reading and some escapism and a happy ending.

Speaker 9 Like, I feel like we need this kind of book right now.

Speaker 8 What inspired this book? I know you said the readers were asking for it, but how do you, when, when readers are asking you for something, how do you actually bring it to fruition?

Speaker 9 Yeah, that's a good question. So they, the character, one of the characters in this book, his name is Charlie.
He was a brother in Every Summer After. And

Speaker 9 after that book came out, people wanted more of the main characters, but they also wanted him to have a love story, a happy ending. And I had

Speaker 9 people approach me at book events. They had two women wait at the very end.
end of the signing line for like an hour and a half.

Speaker 9 And they they looked at me and they said, we have a bone to pick with you.

Speaker 9 And I said, what? And they said, well, we've waited here all night to tell you like we need a happy ending for Charlie. Justice for Charlie.
Justice for Charlie.

Speaker 9 And I would have pitches for who he should be with. People were like matching him with characters from my other books and they were in my DMs all the time.

Speaker 9 And so I had him, like, I knew that I could write him. I felt like I had been thinking about him since I finished Every Summer After.

Speaker 9 Like even before I had an agent, even before I had a book deal, his voice was in my head right and back then when i got my editor we had talked about maybe a book for him but i didn't really have an idea okay and then um the you know when i was thinking about what i wanted to do for my fourth book i thought you know it's it's time i've been thinking about charlie i feel like i can kind of put all the expectations of readers and opinions of which there were many aside and kind of tell the story that i wanted to tell.

Speaker 9 And every summer after is really about like my relationship with the lake, where I grew up. I grew up on the lake lake in Barrys Bay, the setting of the book.
I lived in

Speaker 9 the bush, down a dirt road, and cottagers would come in the summer. They would come to their lake houses in the summer and the lake would kind of explode.

Speaker 9 And so that book is about my like teenage years, whereas this book is really about kind of what the lake means to me as an adult. And it was really a matter of figuring out.

Speaker 9 who the protagonist would be because I had Charlie and I did not know who she would be. And all my books have started with settings.
All of them have started with the heroines.

Speaker 9 And now I was like, I have to figure out who she is. And it was so hard to do.

Speaker 8 I love Alice. I think she resonate with her a lot.
I feel like I see myself in her. So I loved, I love her in this book.
Yeah. But so how do you come up with the names of your characters and stuff?

Speaker 9 Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. So for the men, the male characters, they're usually names that my husband vetoed when we were naming our boys.

Speaker 9 I love that, though. That's so creative.

Speaker 8 You're like, I love this name. So I'm going to use it somehow.
It's like, some people name their dogs after the children that they didn't get to use those names, right? So that's perfect. Yes.

Speaker 9 Yeah. I love it.
Yes. And Charlie was a name that I really loved.
Even when I was pregnant with my second, I was like, could I name them Charlie? I'm like, no, Carly and Charlie. It's too similar.

Speaker 9 It's too close.

Speaker 9 So that's where Charlie came from. And then Alice, like the female characters are all a bit different, but Alice is a girl's name that like one of my favorite girls' names.
And we don't have girls.

Speaker 9 So um, I gave it to Alice. And then I was trying to, I wasn't sure about her name because I wasn't sure it fit with Charlie, Alice, and Charlie.

Speaker 9 But then when I came up with her last name, which is Everly, Alice Everly, I just loved how that sounded. And then I was like, oh, Charlie would say that in such a sexy way.
Yeah. So it fits.

Speaker 8 And he does. Or at least in my head when I'm reading it.
And she goes, Heather calls her Allie, which I think is cute. I've never heard that nickname for Alice.

Speaker 9 Yes. Which I think is cute.

Speaker 8 It's a nice little twist of names.

Speaker 9 Yeah.

Speaker 8 Because I think, what is it called?

Speaker 8 Vintage names are like coming back. Totally.
So I feel like that's perfect. It's like a modern spin on

Speaker 9 vintage names. Yes, that's so true.

Speaker 8 So do you still go back to Barries Bay?

Speaker 9 I do. My parents still live there.
Really? Yes. Yeah.
So we had this house on the lake and they sold it 15 years ago. And I, um, I hadn't got, they still live in town.

Speaker 9 They had an inn and a restaurant, um, which they sold. And now they have a house in town.

Speaker 9 And before I wrote every summer after, I visited our house on the lake for the first time since my parents parents had sold it. And it brought back a lot of feelings and nostalgia.

Speaker 9 And so I still go up there to visit my parents. And I also, every year, my husband and my sons and I stay at a cottage on a lake nearby.

Speaker 9 So like it's still, and it's where I start writing all of my books. Like it's where I started to write One Golden Summer.
And it's where I wrote Every Summer After.

Speaker 9 And I just like love being at the lake so much. It's where I feel like, I feel like I take a deep breath as soon as I, like, I step inside the cottage and I look at the water and it's like,

Speaker 8 the air smells different.

Speaker 9 The air smells

Speaker 9 so fresh.

Speaker 8 I was telling you, like, I go back to my hometown. I'm actually going next month.
And I, as soon as I hit like the, I guess the county line, it just smells different. So it's like the nostalgia.
Yeah.

Speaker 9 Yes. I love that.

Speaker 8 But your, so your first book was a New York Times bestseller.

Speaker 9 Okay. It had this like slow build and then it then made the list and was on for a while.
Yeah.

Speaker 8 So, and I would imagine that each one of your books is like a baby to you, right? So how does it feel when you're like, okay, my first book made it.

Speaker 8 And then do you feel pressure or do you just, it's whatever happens, you're excited either way.

Speaker 9 No, I feel

Speaker 9 pressure.

Speaker 9 Yes, yes. And

Speaker 9 when I, when I was writing my second book, Meet Me at the Lake, Every Summer After hadn't come out yet. It hadn't been,

Speaker 9 I didn't know that it would be a hit, but I still like at that point, I felt pressure because I wrote Every Summer After just for myself. I didn't intend to publish it when I started writing it.

Speaker 9 Really? Yeah.

Speaker 8 So what was the final push that you were like, okay, I'm going to publish this?

Speaker 9 When I started, like I was about 14,000 words in and I was like, it's starting to feel like a book and I feel like I'm going to finish it. And

Speaker 9 then I sent the first few chapters to my best friend as I was still writing it. And she was like, you are going to be an author.

Speaker 9 And she was right. And she was so encouraging and just like, she was certain.
Yeah. And she's a huge reader.
My good friend.

Speaker 8 So she like a, what do they call a beta reader?

Speaker 9 Is it called a beta reader? She was a beta reader. She was one of the people that I sent the man when it was done.
I sent her her and three friends the manuscript. I love that.
Yeah. So nice.

Speaker 8 Yeah. So what were you doing before you started writing?

Speaker 9 I was a journalist for 16 years, but I wasn't writing. I was editing.
So I was assigning the writers and like coming up with the ideas for packages.

Speaker 9 And in my last role, I was overseeing Refinery 29 Canada. So I launched that brand in Canada, hired the editorial team, oversaw that team.
And it was so wonderful.

Speaker 9 Like I'm so proud of what we're doing. I loved the team, but it was so stressful.
And in 2020, I got off a really

Speaker 9 stressful work call, furious. And I was at this cottage at the lake.
And I remember it so clearly because it has a landline. And I slammed down the landline, which is like the best feeling.

Speaker 9 And I was like, I'm going to write a book. I've always wanted to write a book.
It's 20, like in 2020, I need to do something for myself. I need to, I've all my creativity has gone to my employers.

Speaker 9 I'm going to write a book. I'm going to finish it by the end of the year.
And that

Speaker 9 and that became every summer after. Yeah.

Speaker 8 So then what was, did you self-publish that one or did you go look for an agent?

Speaker 9 No. So then I found an agent.
Um, and I was very lucky. I ended up signing with my dream agent, Taylor Haggerty.

Speaker 9 And, um, and then, and she, we sold the book after that. That's so exciting.
Yeah, it happened very, very fast.

Speaker 8 And you, did you already have kids when that happened? I know you don't talk about your personal life super a lot.

Speaker 9 Yeah, I'm happy to talk about my kids. Yeah, I had one boy.
Then I have two boys.

Speaker 9 Max is eight, and Finn is four.

Speaker 9 And so Max was, we had Max, and then I became pregnant when I was writing Every Summer After. So Finn was born right when we were like finishing the edits on Every Summer After.

Speaker 8 So so much was going on.

Speaker 9 So much. And we moved houses at that time.
Oh my gosh. And it was like so wild.
Like I

Speaker 9 got a book deal, moved homes, finished edits on the book and had a baby within six weeks. And my husband was in quarantine in our house because it was like the pandemic.

Speaker 9 So he was, so I was like super pregnant and like packing up our house.

Speaker 8 And so it was just

Speaker 8 your world sort of flipped upside down in a very short time.

Speaker 9 It did, yes.

Speaker 8 But what is that trend on TikTok right now? It's like the butterfly effect.

Speaker 8 If you did not make one decision or you made one decision differently, your entire life would be different, but for the, the for the better for you, right?

Speaker 9 Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 10 I have way too much free time, said no one ever. Work, appointments, family and friends, life is non-stop.
And trying to find a new place on top of all that, completely overwhelming.

Speaker 10 That's where apartments.com comes in. If you want to make time for the things you love, but you still need to find your next home, apartments.com has tools to make your home search so much easier.

Speaker 10 And it's all on one site.

Speaker 10 With 3D virtual tours to get a peek at a rental listing, online tour scheduling, plus the ability to see the exact unit you're interested in and apply for a place with one click, renters can handle it all on apartments.com.

Speaker 10 Whether you're looking for a three-bedroom condo downtown, a two-bedroom duplex in a quiet neighborhood, a cozy studio in a walkable city, or even a single-family home in a cul-de-sac, you can find a place that checks all the right boxes.

Speaker 10 So, whichever stage of life you're in, settle down in your perfect home by using apartments.com. Make your move from the comfort of anywhere and make more time for you.

Speaker 10 Join the millions of happy renters and visit apartments.com, the place to find a place.

Speaker 11 The first impression of your workplace shouldn't be a clipboard at reception. Sign in App turns check-ins into a moment of confidence for your team and your guests.

Speaker 11 Visitors, contractors, and staff can sign in by scanning a QR code, tapping a badge, or using an iPad in seconds.

Speaker 11 We handle the security, compliance, and record keeping behind the scenes so you can focus on people, not paperwork. Enhance security without compromising visitor experience.

Speaker 3 Find out more at signinapp.com.

Speaker 11 That's signinapp.com.

Speaker 6 This episode is brought to you by Progressive Commercial Insurance. As a business owner, you take a lot of roles.
Marketer, bookkeeper, CEO.

Speaker 6 But when it comes to small business insurance, Progressive has you covered.

Speaker 6 They offer discounts on commercial auto insurance, customizable coverages that can grow with your business, and reliable protection for whatever comes your way.

Speaker 6 Count on Progressive to handle your insurance while you do, well, everything else. Quote today in as little as eight minutes at progressivecommercial.com.

Speaker 6 Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, coverage provided and serviced by affiliated and third-party insurers. Discounts and coverage selections not available in all states or situations.

Speaker 12 With Multi-View from Xfinity, you can watch up to four football games at once, which can lead to some tough choices.

Speaker 13 French toast nibblers or breakfast nachos. Actually, I was thinking about heading out only because I want to beat the traffic.

Speaker 7 The best part of the sleepovers the next day. I was going to throw the games on.
Bobby Big Wheels.

Speaker 13 I mean, how can you call yourself a sports fan without Xfinity? We got the multi-view, best college and pro games all in one place.

Speaker 14 I'm not going anywhere.

Speaker 12 This is how football was meant to be watched. Xfinity.
Imagine that. Restrictions apply.

Speaker 6 Multi-view requires Xfinity 4K capable TV box.

Speaker 8 Do you do journalism at all anymore? Just writing.

Speaker 9 No. I love that.
Yeah, I do too.

Speaker 9 I love that for you. And it was, thank you.

Speaker 9 Thank you. Yes.
Yeah.

Speaker 8 I don't know how you guys do it with all the critique and criticism with books, especially with Goodreads. I'm new to Goodreads like the last like year or so.
Do you ever get on Goodreads and read?

Speaker 9 I'm much better than I used to be. I used to be when before Every Summer After came out, I read every single like early review.

Speaker 9 And I remember a super negative review came in before the book had come out around, it was like Christmas Eve and I was at home in Barries Bay with my family. And I was like,

Speaker 9 and it was, it was like, and it felt like a very professional sounding review too. And it was like, this is unimaginative, unimaginative and this, that, and the other thing.
And it was so devastating.

Speaker 9 I was like, oh, people are going to hate this book. No.
And,

Speaker 9 and I, I, you know, I've really struggled. I've struggled with it.
Like I used to sometimes go on.

Speaker 9 Like I, my second book, I had so much imposter syndrome writing. And I, I, with both births, have suffered with postpartum OCD.
And so my anxiety is super bad.

Speaker 9 So I was writing it in this like bad mental state. And I felt like I couldn't do it.
Like the first book had been been a fluke and everything was going to blow up.

Speaker 9 And in like, when I'm in that kind of bad place, I like to try to like prove to myself that things are not going to go well.

Speaker 9 Or, or it's like, if, if I can think of all the bad things that could happen, maybe like it'll be okay. And I would like purposefully look at bad reviews.

Speaker 8 Really? I do feel like that is a little bit relatable though. Like I like, some people will say I'm a pessimist.
I think I'm more of a realist. Like I like to think of like what could go wrong.

Speaker 8 So that way when it goes well or if it does go well, then I am like pleasantly surprised. So I feel like that's relatable.

Speaker 9 Yeah.

Speaker 8 But it turned out well for you.

Speaker 9 It did. And I've stopped doing that.

Speaker 9 I've stopped doing that. I did not do that with One Golden Summer.
I am like, don't seek out reviews. They come, they come to you.

Speaker 9 Like they're all in your, and I like, you know, right now, this is publication day for me. And there's so, there will be so many like happy like reviews and comments.

Speaker 9 And it, and it's, and it's wonderful. But at the end of the day, it doesn't,

Speaker 9 it's not for you. They're like these reviews are for the readers and for the community of readers.
And it doesn't help you as an author either to have all these opinions in your mind.

Speaker 9 You have to be so focused when you write on just what you want to bring to the world.

Speaker 8 For sure.

Speaker 8 I don't like to leave bad reviews on books because if I don't like it, I always still tell people like, it wasn't for me, but you should read the reviews. You should definitely check it out.

Speaker 8 Like, I don't, because what's something that's not good to me might be so good to somebody else. It's so true.

Speaker 8 And I don't want someone to, especially now that we've done like the chapter seven book club on Barely Famous. I like, you know,

Speaker 8 I still want to give everyone a chance. And I love all the authors that I get to talk to.
And so just because, if there's ever a time where something isn't for me, it might be for someone else.

Speaker 9 It's so true. Yeah.
My best friend and I might like disagree on books all the time. Yeah.

Speaker 8 So we were just having that. Alessandra and I were just having that conversation.
She was like, I didn't love it, but we differ. So you might like it.

Speaker 8 And so I'm not going to not recommend a book simply because I, you know, didn't love it.

Speaker 9 Yes.

Speaker 8 But when you're writing your books and you have very realistic characters, how do you do that? Are you putting yourself in a setting? Are you picturing people that you know?

Speaker 9 How does that work? Oh, that's a good question. So, I

Speaker 9 can't see the characters very clearly. Like, I try to describe them so that you can picture them, but I'm not envisioning like an actor playing the role.
Okay.

Speaker 9 But I, the setting, like the spaces, I can see very, very well. It's like almost like a movie set for me.
And I do do draw out the like exteriors. Did you do this? I didn't.

Speaker 9 The painting on the cover is by Elizabeth Lenny, who's done all my covers. Really good.

Speaker 9 It's thank you. It's, she's so talented.
I'm so grateful for her. But

Speaker 9 yeah, I draw like the buildings. I draw the shoreline.
Like I like to be able to move my characters through the spaces. I love that.

Speaker 9 And that's, that's kind of how I.

Speaker 8 how I do it. Do you pull any inspo from yourself or people that you know in real life and put them into your character ever?

Speaker 9 I think there's a lot of me in all the characters. Um, and there are like bits and pieces of people I know for the characters.
So, in One Golden Summer, um,

Speaker 9 uh, Nan, who is Alice's grandmother, she's inspired by my grandparents. My mom's parents died before I was born, but they

Speaker 9 had a cottage when my mom grew up going to a cottage. And my grandmother would have the kids by herself during the week at the cottage with no car, no like, you know, laundry machine.

Speaker 9 And her her husband would come up on the weekend when he was done work. And there were these amazing photos of my grandmother at the lake and in her bathing suit and at this little cottage.

Speaker 9 And so Nan is really like my homage to my grandmother. I love that.
Yeah.

Speaker 8 And she feels like everybody's grandma.

Speaker 9 Oh, I'm so glad you think so.

Speaker 8 Like, you know, there's, there's certain people that you meet in your lifetime and you're not related to them, but they feel like your grandma too. Yeah.

Speaker 9 That's what Nan feels like. Yes.
Oh, I'm so glad. Yeah.
I'm so sure.

Speaker 8 And I also picture, because I was really close to my grandmother growing up and I was like, if my grandmother was still alive, this would be the relationship that I have with her.

Speaker 8 You know, and I just love that. It's so relatable and feels real.
Yeah. So I think that, you know, I did get to start reading it before it came out.

Speaker 8 But I think a lot of people will resonate with that because it really is the wholesome. I saw the collage that you posted or your team posted on your Instagram.
Yeah. That it was so cute.

Speaker 8 And I was like, this really is the wholesome granddaughter-grandmother relationship everybody needs.

Speaker 9 Yes. Truly.
Yes. Yeah.

Speaker 8 I loved it so much. Yes.
And you write escapism novels. So can you explain for people that might be new to reading what that is?

Speaker 9 For me, it is a book that no matter where you're reading it. So maybe you're on the beach or maybe you're in your apartment, you feel like you're transported into the pages.

Speaker 9 And so I want you to feel like you're on the lake. You can like smell the pine trees.
You can feel the breeze on your face and the sun on your skin.

Speaker 9 And that you are with the characters, like you are watching these characters

Speaker 9 interact with each other. They feel really real to you.
So you're like snooping on them and you are just in that place.

Speaker 9 Like you are immersed, like you are away from whatever your life may be and you are in the pages of this book. And

Speaker 9 for me, like my books all have happy endings. Like there's hopefully there's big emotions and you're feeling a lot, you're in your feels in lots of different ways.

Speaker 9 I want you to laugh and cry and like there's steamy bits and I want it to run the gamut. But I also like want like readers to feel safe at the end.

Speaker 9 Like there's there's, there's a happy ending, and hopefully, you walk away feeling better about humans and our ability to empathize with each other and relate to each other.

Speaker 9 And I think we really need that reminder right now. Um, I agree, yeah.

Speaker 8 I'm where I'm at right now, and I won't want to give any spoilers. I'm stressed out, yeah, I'm stressed because I don't know where this is going.
Okay, um, it'll be okay, but I, yeah,

Speaker 8 I love it so much, and I'm like, I just, if this has a not happy ending, no, you're good.

Speaker 8 Do you ever see any of your books coming to the big screens? TV, Netflix, movies?

Speaker 9 Yeah. So Every Summer After

Speaker 9 is being adapted by Amazon as a series. Okay.
And that's Greenlit, the first season is shooting very soon. Are you excited? I'm so excited.

Speaker 8 What is that feeling like, though? If you, do you get a say in characters that were casted? Do you get a say in production? Do you get any of that?

Speaker 8 Or do you sort of have to like sort of let go of the reins a little bit?

Speaker 9 Um, I have like a bit of a say, okay. Um, but it's not my adaptation, so it's like not the Carly Fortune and version of this book.

Speaker 9 Okay, and because it's a series, it's not, it's, it has to be bigger than the book, right? The world, the characters develop, yeah. Um, but it's it's pretty cool to see how it all comes together.

Speaker 9 So that's the furthest along. Um, Meet Me at the Lake is

Speaker 9 been optioned by Archwell, which is Megan Merkel and Prince Harry's production company. That's awesome.
Yes, in conjunction with Netflix. Okay.

Speaker 9 And

Speaker 9 that is in development.

Speaker 9 There is like a beautiful script for it. And I'm so, I'm so excited about that.
That was my toughest book to write. And there's a really important mental health story in that book.

Speaker 9 And I feel like from like the first conversation about this adaptation, it it was going to be treated with such care and respect. And that's like how I felt every step of the way.
For sure.

Speaker 9 So I'm really, really excited about that. And then my third book, The Summer Will Be Different, has been optioned, but we haven't announced who it's with yet.
That's so exciting. It's very exciting.

Speaker 8 What does that feel like when you get these calls or these emails or your team tells you, hey, like, by the way, do you just freak out? Like, what do you, what does it feel like?

Speaker 9 Yeah.

Speaker 9 I mean, it's all seems like there's always, you know, this person might be interested in it or this person. And it's like, oh, that's so fun.

Speaker 9 And I try not to get too excited about any, because you know how it is. Like, there's a lot of talk and there's a lot of.
you know, possibilities.

Speaker 9 But until you are, you know, having that Zoom call with a team or with a group of people and like seeing whether like they really are interested or you really connect with them and their vision with them.

Speaker 9 And then until everything's signed and sealed, I try not to get like too, but it's, it's been very surreal. Like having, you know,

Speaker 9 four years ago when my first book came out,

Speaker 9 I

Speaker 9 like had no, I didn't even know I was going to have a book. Like, so to have all of this happen, it's just like takes, it's taken a while for it to sink in.

Speaker 8 I would, I would imagine so, but it's all happening so fast. I mean, you're, we're talking about 2020 to 2025.
All of this is happening and you have.

Speaker 8 I guess almost all your books are being optioned, essentially.

Speaker 9 Yeah.

Speaker 8 What is that? How does your family feel? Did they feel like you are like, um, you went from being mom and a wife to celebrity overnight?

Speaker 9 Um, I think, well, my kids don't get it. They don't know,

Speaker 9 which is great. And my son, my oldest son, kind of is starting to get it, but, um, and he just wants to act in everything.
He's like, can I be in this? We have that in common. Can I be in this?

Speaker 8 If you need an extra, I'm here.

Speaker 9 Let me know. Okay.

Speaker 9 And, but for Marco, it's been like, I think the first thing for him was how I started writing every summer after, which was I wrote every single day. Like I would get up at 5 a.m.

Speaker 9 and write before I started work. And sometimes after Max went to sleep, I'd write or on the weekend.
And like I had just transformed. And I finished it in four months.

Speaker 9 And he was like, what is going on?

Speaker 8 And it was started as like a passion project?

Speaker 9 It was a passion project.

Speaker 8 So when it became, you got a book deal for it. What was his reaction to that?

Speaker 9 He was so excited. And he like, he has been like, of course, like, of course.
Like, it makes so much sense. Yeah.

Speaker 9 Um, but it had like sometimes, I think it was like last summer, maybe the summer before, sometimes we just look at each other like, what is going on? Like, this is

Speaker 9 so wild.

Speaker 8 Like, feels surreal.

Speaker 9 Surreal. That is so cool, though.

Speaker 8 Like, I cannot imagine what it would be like to see a book come to fruit, like on the big screen and see it all come to life. Yeah.

Speaker 9 That's so cool. It is.

Speaker 8 So when I first started this podcast, it seemed like I had to figure everything out on my own, the script, set up, filming, schedule, logos, and it was super, super overwhelming.

Speaker 8 But then I was introduced to Shopify.

Speaker 8 Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e-commerce in the United States.

Speaker 8 From household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started like mine at the time, you can get started with your own design studio with hundreds of ready-to-use templates.

Speaker 8 Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store to match your brand style, which I love. You can accelerate your content creation.

Speaker 8 And Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that help write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography. I don't know what I would do without Shopify.

Speaker 8 You guys can get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you, and you can easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling.

Speaker 8 And best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world-class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond.

Speaker 8 So if you're ready to sell, then you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into

Speaker 8 sign up for your one dollar per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash barely famous go to shopify.com slash barely famous shopify.com slash barely famous

Speaker 8 i actually have

Speaker 8 my neutral right here summer is full of big moments weddings vacations endless pictures and if you're dealing with hair thinning or shedding showing up and being present in those moments might feel tough but neutralful takes a whole body approach to hair growth, working from the inside out.

Speaker 8 So the sooner you start, the sooner you'll feel better, confident, and focusing on what matters to you.

Speaker 8 I know, I don't know about you guys, but I started actually cutting all my hair off when it started thinning. And I'm trying my best to take my Nutropol and thicken my hair up a little bit.

Speaker 8 So when I grow it back out, I'll feel better about myself. You guys may have heard of Nutrophil's hair growth supplements and wondered, do they actually work?

Speaker 8 And it is a fair question because so many hair supplements over promise and under deliver, but Nutrophil is different.

Speaker 8 it's the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand it's trusted by over one and a half million people and is clinically tested to deliver real results in just three to six months so if you're anything like me you have three to six months right like we can do this we can get our hair where we want it to be and adding neutrophil to your routine is easy no prescription is needed you can order online with free shipping and automated deliveries which is really nice i get everything sent to my door every single month subscribe to save up to 20 and enjoy perks like one-on-one naturopathic consults and free headspace membership to support your hair growth journey, which is really nice.

Speaker 8 This summer, you can stop worrying about your hair and start making memories.

Speaker 8 For a limited time, Neutrophil is offering my listeners $10 off your first month subscription and free shipping when you go to neutrafold.com and enter the promo code FAMOS.

Speaker 8 Find out why Neutrophold is the best-selling hair growth supplement brand at neutraphold.com, spelled N-U-T-R-A-F-O-L dot com, promo code FAMOS. That's neutralfold.com promo code famous.

Speaker 7 Time.

Speaker 15 It's always vanishing. The commute, the errands, the work functions, the meetings, selling your car?

Speaker 15 Unless you sell your car with Carvana. Get a real offer in minutes.
Get it picked up from your door. Get paid on the spot.
So fast you'll wonder what the catch is.

Speaker 7 There isn't one.

Speaker 15 We just respect you and your time.

Speaker 6 Oh, you're still here.

Speaker 7 Move along now.

Speaker 15 Enjoy your day.

Speaker 16 Sell your car today.

Speaker 7 Carvana.

Speaker 15 Pickup fees may apply.

Speaker 17 November is all about gathering, friends giving feasts, Thanksgiving dinners, and football weekends.

Speaker 17 Total Wine and More has everything you need for your table and your toasts with thousands of wines, spirits, and beers at the lowest prices.

Speaker 17 From bold reds to sparklers, you'll find the perfect wines to raise a glass this season.

Speaker 17 And when it comes to spirits, Total Wine has you covered from smooth bourbons and tequilas to all the essentials for your holiday cocktails.

Speaker 17 Hosting Thanksgiving, Total Wine's guides make it easy by taking out the guesswork.

Speaker 17 With the lowest prices for over 30 years, you'll always find what you love and love what you find only at Total Wine and More. Curbside pickup and delivery available in most areas.

Speaker 17 See TotalWine.com for details. Spirits not sold in Virginia and North Carolina.
Drink responsibly. B21.

Speaker 18 What if your drive was fueled with more?

Speaker 18 More protection, more performance.

Speaker 18 Shell V-Power Nitro Plus Premium Gasoline removes up to 100% of performance-robbing deposits to rejuvenate your engine's performance. Fueling every drive with a fuel like no other.

Speaker 18 Shell V Power Nitro Plus Premium Gasoline. More performance with every drive.
Compared to lower octane fuels in gasoline direct injection engine fuel injectors.

Speaker 18 Actual effects and benefits may vary according to vehicle type, driving conditions, and driving style.

Speaker 8 Do you think that Book Talk has had an influence on, you know, your books or your readers or even maybe

Speaker 8 your books being adopted?

Speaker 9 Oh, like I have no doubt that like book talk has an

Speaker 9 enormous influence. Yeah.

Speaker 9 I

Speaker 9 like, I'm not on it. So that is, I don't know, it's everywhere.

Speaker 9 Everywhere. And I think it's so wonderful.
Like

Speaker 9 I,

Speaker 9 having been in journalism and worked in magazines and newspapers and really like

Speaker 9 wanting to connect with an audience and sometimes publishing really wonderful stories that nobody like was reading. Sure.

Speaker 9 And so having like all this passion on book talk with people, like readers connecting other readers with stories and showing, you know, and I think what I love about romance and romantic readers on book talk is there's no shame about what they love.

Speaker 9 And I think that's so wonderful. And

Speaker 9 yeah, and I like, I was on book, I was on TikTok as a journalist and then was still on when Every Summer After came out. And it was so fun to watch it start to explode.

Speaker 9 And then at one point, there is a video that was like,

Speaker 9 it just like slams down the book and it's like worst romance book ever. And it had 64,000 likes.
And I was like, oh, this place is not for me.

Speaker 8 It wasn't yours, though, was it? It was mine.

Speaker 9 And I was, and it was like, like, for one. It's kind of amazing.
Like, I have, I have created this book that people feel so, so many people have opinions on.

Speaker 9 But it was, it was a a real moment where I was like, Okay, Carly, you are going to delete this and this is not a place for you.

Speaker 8 But was that maybe a moment of like, at least the book was getting out there?

Speaker 9 Yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure.
Silverlining. Absolutely.
Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 9 Absolutely.

Speaker 8 I mean,

Speaker 8 to be fair, I have never read a bad review about any of your books. So I don't know.

Speaker 9 I mean, thank you.

Speaker 8 I'm not seeing them. So they don't exist.

Speaker 9 I love that for you.

Speaker 8 How do you balance your home life and writing books, especially when you're talking about getting up early in the morning or maybe when the kids go to bed and stuff? How do you balance that?

Speaker 9 I'm really lucky. My husband has pulled away from his work.
And so he

Speaker 9 is able, and I write at home. So my office is at home, but he is able to like do the drop off and pick up in the morning.
He does lunches, he does dinners.

Speaker 9 And so I'm able to just like go like after the kids leave in the morning. I go to my office and I write all day.
I break break for like exercise and then I stop when the kids come home at 4.30.

Speaker 9 Sometimes I work a little bit longer.

Speaker 9 But that's, that's it. And because, you know, because he's home, because I don't have to worry about food, I don't have to worry about laundry.
I don't have to worry about pickup.

Speaker 9 If the kids are sick, he

Speaker 9 will like take them to the doctor.

Speaker 9 It's become so much more manageable. I wrote my third book with like the kids being, Marco was still working and the kids were sick all the time, and I was sick all the time.

Speaker 9 And I think we had three weeks of good health between like September and March.

Speaker 9 And by the time I was, that's kind of my writing period. And by the time we got to spring, I was, I just had a full breakdown.
I was like, I can't do this work as a mom looking after these kids.

Speaker 9 Like, I can't write with sick kids at home and I'm sick all the time. And that's why Marco stepped back from his job.

Speaker 8 But I love the place that we're in right now in terms of like the no gender roles or,

Speaker 8 you know, I feel like looking back at like my grandparents and stuff, it was a very different dynamic where today like men are more willing and able and it's not really super frowned upon for men to step up and let women do what they want to do with their careers.

Speaker 8 So that's amazing that you have that support.

Speaker 9 Yeah, I am, I'm so glad. Like that's really cool.
Couldn't do it without him.

Speaker 8 And you're putting Canada on the map.

Speaker 8 I think this is the only book that I've read so far.

Speaker 8 I mean, I can't remember any other books that are based out of Canada, which is kind of of cool because we hear about like celebrities and pop stars that come from Canada, but like putting Canada on the map.

Speaker 8 So, was that important to you that you wanted to talk about Barry's Bay?

Speaker 9 Yeah, when I started writing the book, like I wanted to write about where I grew up and how I grew up, and that was Barry's Bay, and because it was just for me.

Speaker 9 But then, when I started thinking about publishing the book, Canadian writers historically have been told that

Speaker 9 like I cared about getting an audience. Like, I wanted the book to, if I was going to publish something, I wanted people to read it.
Yeah.

Speaker 9 And Canadian Canadian authors have been told that Americans are not interested in books set in Canada. So a lot, a lot of the time you'll see authors

Speaker 9 setting their books in the States. And

Speaker 9 so when I was out to agents, I asked everyone, like, is it okay that my book is set in Canada?

Speaker 9 And I had varying opinions about that. What was that?

Speaker 8 I don't understand that.

Speaker 9 Well, outside of America, the kind of like take is that Americans aren't interested in anything other than america i read um have have you heard of lid liz nugent No, she wrote Strange Sally Diamond.

Speaker 8 Yeah. I'm pretty.
And then Alice Feeney, they write in Scotland, Ireland.

Speaker 9 Obsessed. I love it.
I mean, literally obsessed. I, like, when I went out, when I went and spoke to readers about Every Summer After and relayed that, like, they were so offended by this notion.

Speaker 8 Literally.

Speaker 9 But I had also talked to authors who had said, yeah, my book that was set in Canada didn't sell as well as my book set in the States.

Speaker 9 And it's just this long, like Canada is so bombarded with American media. And there's like, you know, Canadian musicians have a hard time breaking in.

Speaker 9 And there's just this like, historically, there was this idea that if you want to break in to that market, you have to like.

Speaker 9 talk to that market market more. Like the book shouldn't be super Canadian.
And so I was not willing.

Speaker 9 I had an agent tell me, a Canadian agent tell me that I should set the book in like a coastal East Coast town in on in the States and I was like I've never been there I can't like you can't I cannot like I can't I won't

Speaker 9 I guess it could be like Barries Bay nowhere

Speaker 8 but I like that it's like it's a real place it's a real place because I freak out when I like read a book and I hear a place like right now I'm listening to an audio book that is set near where I'm from yeah and it's just so cool to so cool to have that and so I think it's really cool that I mean I'm not from Canada but I think that's really awesome that people that go to berries bay or grew up on berries bay like they will be able to connect to this in a different way yes you know what i mean and i think like for audiences outside of canada it adds to the escapism because you've never been there and what i found like when i signed with my agent

Speaker 9 taylor she's based in los angeles and she's like i love the setting and when we found my editor amanda she's based in new york she's like i love the setting and i was like great like i'm so happy to to hear that and then you know in hindsight i was like oh the setting is like the care like one of the main characters of that book and i'm so glad that they had the like strength to be like no this is fine like this is going to really work with our readers like we don't see a problem here no absolutely i mean i want to go there yeah like if this is a real place let's take a vacation i'll take my whole killer network over there yes like everyone have a passport

Speaker 8 i love it so Do you ever integrate your thoughts and feelings from your own situations into your book.

Speaker 9 For sure. For sure.
And sometimes they often find their way in without me really realizing it.

Speaker 9 So with this book, Alice, she's a photographer and she is a freelance photographer. So she's really been hustling to get to a spot where she has a list of clients who love her.

Speaker 9 She's always making her clients happy. She's always saying yes.
She's always like delivering. And she's realizing that, wait a second, like what am I getting out of this?

Speaker 9 Like what like creatively, creatively fulfills me? And that is something that I really relate to,

Speaker 9 related to as a journalist. And she's kind of stepping back and trying to figure out, like,

Speaker 9 you know, what is work for me now and what do I want? And I think, you know, I'm somebody who I can have trouble figuring out what I want. It's like I am like a very hard worker.
I like to say yes.

Speaker 9 I like to stay busy. But then when things get quiet, are quieter, it's like, wait a second, what do, like, is this what I want? Yeah.

Speaker 9 What do I want?

Speaker 9 And so that, like, that felt really personal to me in Alice's story.

Speaker 9 And so little, like, things like that just tend to, like, I didn't know what her career journey would be when I started writing, but that like felt like right.

Speaker 8 I liked when she does the shoot for the mat. I think it was Swish magazine.
Yes. And she decides that she's going to send the pictures that were

Speaker 8 sitting right in her own heart. Yeah.
She was going to send those and she wasn't going to do what the editor asked or what she wanted.

Speaker 8 And I was like, I can resonate with that because I'm in a place at 33 years old where I'm trying to tell people no, not to hurt people's feelings, but because this is what feels right to me.

Speaker 8 And I don't want to be a yes man or a people pleaser. And so I resonate with that.
It's really hard to do. So hard.

Speaker 9 It's really hard to do,

Speaker 9 especially when we want.

Speaker 9 We want people to be happy with our work and we want to excel, but like you have to like, how do you, so how do you do that while like maintaining your, your dignity and like you what you value um it's hard hard it is hard but i love that you incorporate that in your books because they that's so real to real life so we're escaping but also maybe finding inspiration in the characters and we can use it in real life i hope so i for sure like i worked as a in women's media for the last part of my career and a lot of the stories that i would like want to assign as an editor about like our relationships to money or our our jobs or to our family are like that kind of comes into the books.

Speaker 9 So it's like there is this central romance, but there's also also looking at like our relationship to so many other aspects.

Speaker 8 This episode is brought to you by IQBar, my exclusive snack sponsor.

Speaker 8 IQBar is the better for you plant protein-based snacks made with brain-boosting ingredients to refuel, nourish, and satisfy hunger without the sugar crash.

Speaker 8 IQBar's plant protein bars are packed with high quality ingredients to help keep you physically and mentally fit.

Speaker 8 IQBar is totally free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, and artificial sweeteners for a natural anytime snack.

Speaker 8 And you can try any of their nine delicious flavors, including mint chocolate chip, chocolate sea salt, banana nut, toasted coconut chip, lemon blueberry, and peanut butter chip, which is my favorite.

Speaker 8 And with over 20,000 five-star reviews and counting, more people than ever are starting their days on the right foot with IQ Bar's brain and body boosting bars, hydration mixes, and mushroom coffees.

Speaker 8 I use all three. I actually have the blood orange hydration mix in my Stanley right now.
I'm obsessed.

Speaker 8 I actually started when IQ Bar sent me their ultimate sampler pack, and I loved the peanut butter chip. Like I said, that one's my favorite.
Even my kids eat these.

Speaker 8 And right now, IQ Bar is offering my special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ bar products plus free shipping. So to get your 20% off, text famous to 64,000, that's famous to 64,000.

Speaker 8 Text famous to 64,000, message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.

Speaker 14 You know, they say it's not what you say, but how you say it. And when it comes to making an impact, nothing speaks louder than your actions.

Speaker 14 For those who lead by example, who adapt and overcome, there's a vehicle that matches your drive. The Range Rover Sport.
The Range Rover Sport is a perfect blend of power, poise, and performance.

Speaker 14 With its assertive stance and refined driving experience, it's designed to make a statement.

Speaker 14 Want to elevate your drive, activate noise cancellation and cabin air purification for a pure, unadulterated drive, and with terrain response, you're ready to take on challenging landscapes with confidence.

Speaker 14 Plus, choose from a range of powerful engines, including a plug-in hybrid option. Ready to make your mark? Explore Range Rover Sport at Rangerover.com/slash US slash sport.

Speaker 19 Adobe Acrobat Studio, so brand new.

Speaker 20 Show me all the things PDFs can do.

Speaker 21 Do your work with ease and speed.

Speaker 20 PDF spaces is all you need. Do hours of research in an instant.
Key insights from an AI assistant.

Speaker 21 Pick a template with a click.

Speaker 20 Now your prezo looks super slick. Close that deal, yeah, you won.
Do that, doing that, did that, done.

Speaker 2 Now you can do that, do that, with Acrobat.

Speaker 19 Now you can do that, do that with the all-new Acrobat. It's time to do your best work with the all-new Adobe Acrobat Studio.

Speaker 22 You're tuned into Auto Intelligence live from Auto Trader, where data, tools, and your preferences sync to make your car shopping smooth.

Speaker 2 They're searching inventory. Oh, yeah.
They find what you need. They're gonna find it.
Can make a

Speaker 2 Pricing's precise and true. So true.
Get smart of car shopping.

Speaker 2 Just for you.

Speaker 22 Oh, it's just for you.

Speaker 22 Find your next ride at autotrader.com. Powered by auto intelligence.

Speaker 8 Have you ever written a scene in your own book and cried?

Speaker 9 Yes. Which ones?

Speaker 9 Basically, I cry every book that I write.

Speaker 9 For sure.

Speaker 9 I cried at one, the scene where everything kind of falls apart between Charlie and Alice. I cried with this book.

Speaker 9 Readers have been crying throughout like the entire end, which I just don't.

Speaker 9 I didn't anticipate that. The same with Every Summer After.
I remember when that book came out, people were

Speaker 9 my editor, when she first read it, she was sobbing for like the last hundred pages of the book. And I didn't,

Speaker 9 I cried when I wrote the epilogue to that book, but

Speaker 9 not through the whole ending. And you just never know how people will react, I guess.
Yeah, yeah. There's always like my editor always wants to cry.

Speaker 8 Well, if I cry in a book, it's automatic five stars.

Speaker 9 Oh, I love that.

Speaker 8 Automatic five stars. Because if you can like evoke, is that the right word?

Speaker 9 Evoke that type of reaction from me. Yeah.

Speaker 9 Automatic five stars. That's how I feel.
Like if I physically respond to a book, that is like that book is 100%.

Speaker 8 If I can laugh, cry. I mean, I've chuckled so many times at this that I'm like, I see myself here.
Do you know what I mean? And I, I just love that. But thank you.

Speaker 8 So if you had had a dream cast for this book, who would you pick?

Speaker 9 You know what? I'm like keeping my mouth shut on that because we're casting right now. Oh, okay.

Speaker 9 Yeah. Okay.

Speaker 8 I feel like,

Speaker 8 can I say who I think would be a good character?

Speaker 9 Of course. I'd love to hear.

Speaker 8 Rachel McAdams could be a good character. Yeah.
I don't know if she would be. Percy or if she would be Alice because I think they're both sort of,

Speaker 8 they have cool personalities.

Speaker 9 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 8 Maybe Scarlett Johansson.

Speaker 9 Ooh.

Speaker 8 I'm trying to think of people who haven't been in adaptations yet because I think Amanda Seifert is really good, but she is doing, she's in Longbright River, which is an adaptation.

Speaker 8 I really like her. For men,

Speaker 8 I can see Chad Michael Murray

Speaker 9 as Charlie, maybe. I can see that.

Speaker 8 But for Harrison, I don't know who I would pick for Harrison. Who is the guy that played?

Speaker 8 No, he's been in two adaptations already.

Speaker 8 They just casted him for one of Colleen Hoover's. He was in

Speaker 8 he was Atlas in It Ends With Us. Oh, yeah.
But they just casted him for something else. I think he, but Harrison has dark hair, right? And you describe him with dark hair.

Speaker 8 I'll have to think about that one. So what was the process for you to find Charlie's love interest? What was that like?

Speaker 9 So this was really hard. I've never done, like, created the protagonist after I had the hero.

Speaker 9 And because I knew Charlie really, really well from having written Every Summer After, and also having thought about him for like many years,

Speaker 9 I

Speaker 9 auditioned characters like it was The Bachelor. I created over a dozen characters.
I think I counted 18.

Speaker 9 Women with like different names, different job titles, different personalities, different ways that they intersected with Charlie, whether they had known him in the past or not known him before.

Speaker 9 And then I was trying to figure out like both a character whose story I wanted to follow and then how she paired up with Charlie. Okay.

Speaker 9 I wrote 11,000 words of a book with a different character that I threw away. Are you serious? Yeah.

Speaker 8 Will you use any of those characters in a future book?

Speaker 9 I don't know. I don't think so.
No. No.
I think that poor woman is

Speaker 9 done.

Speaker 9 She's dead.

Speaker 8 Alice is great.

Speaker 8 And I don't know how it ends. So

Speaker 8 I hope it's with Alice, but no spoilers.

Speaker 9 You know how it ends. I hope I do.
Yeah, you know. Okay.

Speaker 8 I'll circle back after, we'll circle back in book club.

Speaker 8 Okay, let's talk about Haya for a second. I'm obsessed with these vitamins.
My kids love them. They come in these little yellow jars that you can decorate with stickers.

Speaker 8 They come right to your door and we're obsessed. These are kids' vitamins.
And typical children's vitamins are basically candy in disguise.

Speaker 8 So they're filled with two teaspoons of sugar, unhealthy chemicals, and other gummy junk that growing kids should never eat. But that's why Haya was created.

Speaker 8 These are pediatrician-approved superpower chewable vitamins.

Speaker 8 While most children's vitamins are filled with five grams of sugar and can contribute to a variety of health issues, Haya is actually made with zero sugar and zero gummy junk, but it tastes so good.

Speaker 8 So it's even great for picky eaters like my own. Haya fills the most common gaps in monored children's diets to provide the full body nourishment that kids need to grow.

Speaker 8 And they're formulated with the help of nutritional experts. Haya is pressed with a blend of 12 organic fruits and vegetables and then supercharged with 15 essential vitamins and minerals.

Speaker 8 These include vitamin D, B12, C, zinc, folate, and many others to support immunity, energy, brain function, mood, concentration, teeth, bones, and more.

Speaker 8 But I love that these are non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, allergy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and everything else that you can imagine.

Speaker 8 Haya is designed for kids two and up, and they're sent straight to your door. So parents have one less thing to worry about when they're going to the grocery store or they're doing their click list.

Speaker 8 And like I said, my kids absolutely love them. They loved the entire experience from start to finish.
And I've worked out a special deal with Haya for their best-selling children's vitamins.

Speaker 8 You guys can receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal, you must go to hayahealth.com slash famous.
This deal is not available on their regular website.

Speaker 8 So go to H-I-Y-A-H-E-A-L-T-H dot com slash famous to get your kids the full body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults.

Speaker 21 Ever wonder where that cool product you just discovered on Amazon actually came from? Chances are it's from an independent seller.

Speaker 21 They actually make up more than 60% of everything sold in Amazon's store. We're talking about real entrepreneurs building their dreams, one sale at a time.
These aren't massive corporations.

Speaker 21 They're small businesses started by people just like you, turning their innovative ideas into successful brands.

Speaker 21 Whether they're crafting sustainable products from their garage or scaling their family business to reach customers worldwide, these sellers are redefining what's possible for small business.

Speaker 21 So next time you're shopping, think small. Check out amazon.com/slash support small.

Speaker 16 With markets changing and living costs rising, finding a reliable place to grow your money matters now more than ever.

Speaker 16 With the Wealthfront cash account, your uninvested money earns a 3.5% APY, which is higher than the average savings rate. There are no account fees or minimums.

Speaker 16 And you also get free instant withdrawals to eligible accounts 24-7. So you always have access to your money when you need it.

Speaker 16 And when you're ready to invest, you can transfer your cash to one of Wealthfront's expert built portfolios in just minutes.

Speaker 16 More than 1 million people already use Wealthfront to save and build long-term wealth with confidence. Get started today at WealthFront.com.

Speaker 16 Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank.

Speaker 16 Annual percentage yield on deposits as of November 7th, 2025 is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. The cash account is not a bank account.

Speaker 16 Funds are swept to program banks where they earn the variable APY.

Speaker 8 What is your writing process? So you get up before the kids, you sometimes continue throughout, you know, the day and when they get home sometimes. But do you give yourself deadlines?

Speaker 8 Do you, you're like, I'm going to write from this time to this time, and then I need to have the final first manuscript, I guess, for my editor on, you know, four months from now.

Speaker 9 Like, how does that, what does that look like?

Speaker 9 Yeah, so we've kind of changed the process, my editor and I, so that we have, I have more time with my first draft before I send it to her so i i give myself about four months to finish the first draft and like from until i get to the end and i don't revise as i'm going along okay and i keep a little graph of how many words i've done so like once i've got 10 000 words done i color it in every 10 000 words i color it in um that's kind of cute though it's really fun yeah i like it i like getting a gold star and it feels like getting a gold star well it's sort of like um and i really appreciate short chapters so thank you for doing that and that's something that we talk about in the book, like the reader community is like, I don't want to read chapters that are 35 pages long, 45 pages long.

Speaker 8 And so every time you get to a new chapter, it just feels like sort of like what you're talking about with coloring.

Speaker 9 And

Speaker 9 you're making progress.

Speaker 9 I love that.

Speaker 8 So then do you have a goal, I guess, for the amount of books that you, are you doing like one a year at this point?

Speaker 9 One a year, one a year.

Speaker 9 And that is like, plenty because I spend, yeah, I spend four months drafting and then I step away from it for a couple of weeks. and then I start revising by my, like, on my own.
Sure.

Speaker 9 Um, and that takes like a good chunk of time before I, so I just turned in the first draft of my fifth book to my editor.

Speaker 8 Um, so would you have a release date for like 2026?

Speaker 9 Yes, yes, that's right. So we don't have a date yet, but yes, yes, that's the, that's the plan.
Oh, I love that.

Speaker 8 That's so exciting. Yeah.
I don't know how you guys do it. I think that I would, I told you, I started writing a novel in 20, I think it was 2019, maybe

Speaker 8 never finished it it's still sitting undone and I just like it's so nerve-wracking and I just don't know like what the process is so if anyone else that is listening to this podcast wants to become a writer or you know look for a literary agent what do you suggest where do you suggest they start um I think in your case I would tell myself that nobody is ever gonna read it

Speaker 8 For me specifically or just any of the listeners?

Speaker 9 I'm not anyone, but like I think for you.

Speaker 8 Write as a passion project first.

Speaker 9 Yeah, just write, just write, assuming nobody's gonna read it, just write it as like the thing that you, the story you want to tell, without all, you can edit anything, right?

Speaker 9 You need the words first, right? You can make adjustments, you can improve it, but you need to have a first draft done.

Speaker 9 And so, whatever you need to do to like give yourself permission to do that and space and confidence to do it, whether that's like, I am going to like give myself an hour twice a week to work on it, or I'm going to give myself a word count goal.

Speaker 9 For me, I like, I was like, I'm going to finish it by the end of the year.

Speaker 9 And I, I figured out that in order to get an 80,000-word manuscript done by the end of the year, I needed to write 388 words a day. Oh, wow.
So that's what I did. I just wrote 388 words a day.
Sure.

Speaker 9 And it got done.

Speaker 9 And then

Speaker 9 I think having it is, it is so lovely to write with like no anticipation of anybody reading it. True.
And then read a lot, like read widely, which you do. And

Speaker 9 I found writing my book, I felt so, like,

Speaker 9 I felt so rebellious about it because it wasn't for my job and it wasn't for my family. It was just for me.
And I think sometimes it can feel really hard to do things that are just for us.

Speaker 9 And so we need to kind of like, the first step is figuring out how to like claw out some of that time and like the permission just to have fun and do it.

Speaker 8 I think that's good advice. It's so hard.
I mean, people will always ask me as a mom, and you know, as a mom, people are like, well, where do you find time for yourself?

Speaker 8 And this for you, I guess, started as that. It was.
This was for you to have time for yourself.

Speaker 9 That's right. I love that.

Speaker 8 Okay. So that's good advice for anyone listening.
If you want to write a book, just do it for yourself. and then see where it goes.

Speaker 9 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 8 Do you have a favorite author that you love to read?

Speaker 9 Oh, that's a good question. I feel like I have so many favorite authors and all my, like my favorite romance authors are all coming out with like new books right now.

Speaker 9 Tia Williams has a new book that's out today, which is a YA novel that's a spin-off of my favorite romance novel, Seven Days in June. And this book is about the character's daughter and her

Speaker 9 romance. So I'm really excited about that.
I love Tia Williams.

Speaker 9 I love Emily Henry. I love Annabelle Monaghan.

Speaker 9 I just just read this book called Sandwich by Catherine Newman.

Speaker 8 Uh-huh. I've seen it.
Does it have the beach cover? Yes. I know exactly which one you're talking about.

Speaker 9 I think this book is a book every single woman needs to read. I'll add it.
It is.

Speaker 9 So beautifully done. It's very short.

Speaker 9 The writing is incredible. And it's about this family going, going to this beach house.
They go every year. And

Speaker 9 the mother, she's about 50, and she is really going through the like the hormones.

Speaker 9 And she is like, it just feels so relatable and it's about grief and it's about marriage and it's about parenting and i felt like i was like in conversation with like womanhood reading it and it's a fast read like it's so good and it's funny perfect so i'm gonna have to get that i i think it's probably on my tbr on goodreads but i did i remember a book talker speaking of book talk talking about it last summer because it's been out for a little bit right yeah okay i think i know and it's like um sort of like a muted yes it's like kind of yellowy like yeah yeah yeah i remember that.

Speaker 8 Okay. So I will definitely be reading that this summer then.
And do you have a favorite author just in general?

Speaker 9 No. No.
I just couldn't.

Speaker 8 Do you read other genres besides romance or do you?

Speaker 9 I read a lot of like women's fiction. I'll read like a couple of thrillers every, every now and then, depending on what they are.
And I, yeah, I do read outside of romance quite a bit.

Speaker 9 So sometimes like I love, I want to have that comfort.

Speaker 9 And sometimes I want to read something completely different from what I do.

Speaker 8 I'm more, I'm new to the romance category, the romance genre, because I was so worried that they would all be so cliche. Yeah.

Speaker 8 And I don't know why I thought that because they're all so different and so relatable in so many ways that I actually love that.

Speaker 8 Do you read historical fiction at all?

Speaker 9 I don't. I haven't been on a historical fiction kick yet.
I feel like I need to because I love history.

Speaker 8 I cannot stop recommending The Nightingale. Okay.
Yeah. By Kristen Hannah.

Speaker 9 And The Women is really good too. Yes.
Yes.

Speaker 8 Love. And if you want something that's like not a thriller and I don't, what genre is Strange Sally Diamond?

Speaker 8 Strange Sally Diamond does not fit into any category and is just, I just love that book so much. So I would highly suggest that as well.

Speaker 9 Thank you. Yeah.
I'm going to look that up. For sure.
Yeah.

Speaker 8 It's quirky characters, like just something you could have never. imagined.
Like I truly have no idea where she came up with the story. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 8 So if you're into something that's, I mean, there's a little bit of romance in it, kind of.

Speaker 8 Yeah, it's just like, it's a good one.

Speaker 9 Did you you read The Husbands last year?

Speaker 8 Seven Husbands of Emily.

Speaker 9 No, The Husbands by Holly Grabazzio. I feel like you would like it.
It's about a woman, it's British,

Speaker 9 and so it has that wonderful British voice. And it's about this woman who comes home drunk from the pub, and

Speaker 9 there's a man in her flat.

Speaker 9 And she realizes, like, she's looking at her phone that they're in her hand, they're married. It's her husband.

Speaker 9 And she's freaking out. And then he goes up to the attic to find something.
And down comes another man. And what is happening is her attic is sending her different husbands.

Speaker 9 And if she wants to change the husband, she sends him back up to the attic and another guy comes down. And with each husband, her life is slightly different.

Speaker 8 So it's like the butterfly effect.

Speaker 9 Yes. Yes.
Except it's like, it's a comment on dating. It's like.

Speaker 8 it's funny to read this.

Speaker 9 You have to read it. And it's so good.
Okay. And it's like, it's a mystery.
It's a thriller. There's like, like, like, it's everything.
Yeah. I just feel like you would love it.

Speaker 8 I would probably love it. I, I am surprising myself when I step out of my comfort zone a little bit with the books.
So I feel like that's

Speaker 8 right up my alley. Yes.

Speaker 9 Actually. Yeah.

Speaker 8 Okay. Cool.
You guys can get one golden summer anywhere you can buy books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, your indie bookstores, and anything you want to plug.

Speaker 8 Also, what is your, where can people follow you on social media?

Speaker 9 I'm on Instagram at CarlyFortune, and my website is carlyfortune.com. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 8 Thank you. And as always, we run an online book club called Chapter 7 Book Club, and you can find that on kaylowry.com.

Speaker 23 Pluto TV has all the shows and movies you love streaming for free.

Speaker 23 That means laughter is free with gut-busting comedy like The Neighborhood, Boomerang, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Bueller.

Speaker 23 Mystery is free with countless cases to crack from criminal minds, tracker, and matlock.

Speaker 8 I'm a lawyer, like the old TV show.

Speaker 23 And thrills are free with heart-pumping hits like The Walking Dead and Pulp Fiction.

Speaker 22 Direct the Mundo.

Speaker 23 Feel the free Pluto TV. Stream now, pay never.

Speaker 24 Now y'all know there's always more to the story. And on the Tony Breanne TV podcast, we break it all the way down.

Speaker 24 Whether it's viral moments currently shaking up on the internet, Blake Lively has been acclaimed the American Dream Girl for quite some time now. And now it seems she's America's most hated.

Speaker 24 Pop culture phenomenon everyone's talking about, or deep dives into stories that deserve much more attention.

Speaker 24 These black women are getting pregnant by people that we also consider to be lower than them.

Speaker 24 I'm here to give you the full picture, genuine insights, and conversations mainstream media often overlooks.

Speaker 24 Some women are getting so many fillers and Botox injection into to their face that they don't even realize how crazy they could potentially look. Here, we explore different perspectives.

Speaker 24 To a lot of people, Kylie looks a lot older than she really is. And above all, we speak the truth.
That is not okay, and that should get you registered as a sex offender.

Speaker 24 You must check out the Tony Breanne TV podcast. You don't want to miss what's coming next.

Speaker 1 Extra value meals are back. That means 10 tender juicy McNuggets and medium fries and a drink are just $8.

Speaker 2 Only at McDonald's.

Speaker 3 For limited time only, prices and participation may vary.

Speaker 4 Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska, and California and for delivery.

Speaker 25 Shopify is a global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business and sell more with less effort thanks to the Shopify Magic, your AI-powered all-star.

Speaker 25 Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/slash red circle. All lowercase.
Go to shopify.com/slash red circle now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in.

Speaker 25 Shopify.com slash red circle.