Author Interview: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started as a writer.

I was always an avid reader, but it wasn’t until my senior year of high school, when I got an internship at my local newspaper and started writing my own column and covering interesting things in my community, that I thought about being a writer. That led me to go to journalism school—where I said I would never write fiction! From there, I got a master’s in English, but actually took a job in finance after graduation. I learned a ton from that job and, as I was traveling and spending a lot of time on the road, I started getting story ideas. I decided to try to write one just for fun. I ended up winning a writing contest in 2014 for what would become my debut novel, Dear Carolina, that led to a deal with Berkley. That book released May 5, 2015, so I’m about to celebrate an entire decade of being an author. And my twelfth book release! I never could have imagined I’d still be doing this, but it has been so much fun!

Your novels often explore themes of family, resilience, and reinvention. How does Beach House Rules (May 27 2025) continue that tradition, and what inspired the story?

People who have read my other novels have probably picked up on the fact that I love exploring what it means to be a family. I come from a really big, wonderfully chaotic family, and my best memories are with all my aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents. But I’ve found a similar type of feeling with the amazing friendships I have now, and I think, in a lot of ways, Beach House Rules was an exploration of that. In terms of inspiration, throughout the summer of 2023, I kept seeing articles and TV clips about “mommunes,” which are essentially moms that move in together with their kids for both parenting and financial support. I thought it was a cool idea, but it didn’t occur to me that it could be book material for me. As I was driving home from camp drop off one morning, I heard an interview with two women on a radio show who had started their own mommune—and someone called in to criticize, calling the idea “unnatural.” It made me wonder… What would people in a small southern town, where everyone has an opinion about everything, say about a mommune? And what would the disparity between the truth and public perception be? The idea took off from there!

Beach settings are a hallmark of your books which I personally love. What is it about coastal life that makes it such a compelling backdrop for your stories?

I live at the beach, so, to just get really simplistic about it, I think I’m inspired by the world around me! Juniper Shores, the setting of Beach House Rules, in particular, is a mix of Atlantic Beach, NC, the beach right over the bridge from us in Beaufort, where we spend most of our summer days, and the beaches of 30A in Florida, specifically Seaside. It’s a beautiful, picturesque setting, but there are also a lot of interesting things to explore in a setting like that, particularly the clash between those who have been there forever and are trying to keep things the same, and the people coming in tearing down the old to make way for the new. Then there’s the push-pull between full-timers and vacationers. It’s pretty, yes, but there are also a lot of layers to a beach town!

Your books often include a mix of humor and deep emotion. How do you strike that balance, and do you have a favorite scene in Beach House Rules or in any of your other books that exemplifies this?

Thank you so much! The scene that comes to mind first is when my protagonist Charlotte is having a bit of a breakdown in the bank. She’s just found out her husband has been accused of a crime, and she has no access to her home or her money—and a child to raise. So, for obvious reasons, it’s an emotional scene. But the way it plays out, the way the other people in the bank respond, and the way she interacts with Alice, another protagonist in the novel, is a little bit funny at the same time. And, really, so much of life is that way if you choose to view it as such. A little funny, a little sad.

Many of your books resonate deeply with women in midlife. What aspects of Beach House Rules do you think will speak to readers over 40?

Beach House Rules is all about reinvention, and I think women over 40 especially have probably been in a situation at least once, if not more, when they have to pivot, make a change, do something they never imagined, just as all the women in this novel are. I also think it’s a time in life where women begin to feel less susceptible to the pressure and opinions of the outside world, which is a huge, huge theme in this book.

For your loyal fans, is there anything in the pipeline you can tell us about?

Yes! In terms of novels, I’m very excited about my spring 2026 book. It’s about a NICU nurse who forms a special bond with an abandoned baby she’s caring for and decides to take steps toward adopting her—when her parents come back. I won’t give away too much, but two of the protagonists were secondary characters in a previous book of mine who have really never let me go. So that’s exciting! And… I will actually have two books in 2026! But one is still a secret 😉 I bet some of my long-time readers can maybe, maybe guess what it might be… In terms of film and TV, I am Executive Producer on the film adaptation of A Happier Life with Amazon, and Under the Southern Sky and The Summer of Songbirds are in various stages of development as well. I have a couple others that I can’t talk about quite yet, so that end of things is also keeping me busy, and I’m so excited to share my books in these new ways!

Let’s turn to your podcast, Friends & Fiction. You’ve helped build an incredible community of book lovers. How do you think it resonates with women over 40, and what role do they play in your audience?

Friends & Fiction has been an incredible gift. When we began, we were five women in five different decades of life, but we have such a connection and so much in common. Really, in some ways, we’re like the cast of Beach House Rules! We were all facing the same adversity—Covid—and we wanted to figure out a way to help bookstores and, well, our own books too, survive. We were all looking for community and the women who flocked to this group (more than 250,000 now!) are largely over 40 and were looking for that same type of connection during a time of serious disconnect. Now, those friendships and bonds have lasted well beyond that strange shut-down time, and it’s incredible to still watch those women show up every week online and, maybe even more so, in real life. We can always count on the fact that, when we have an event, there will be Friends & Fiction fans there, usually a whole group of them. And some of them are meeting in real life for the first time. I think it speaks to women’s ability to bond over the love of just one single thing and find community wherever we go.

Many women in their 40s and beyond are rediscovering themselves—whether through career changes, personal growth, or creative pursuits. How does your podcast encourage and inspire these transitions?

It’s incredible how many authors we interview who had whole lives before they became authors—including Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristin Harmel, and me! Every single week is a reminder that it’s never too late to chase a new dream or forge a new path. And that every person’s story matters!

Your co-hosts are all strong, accomplished women in the literary world. What have you learned from them that might inspire women navigating midlife?

Being a writer is very interesting because writing is so solitary, but the book release, the touring, Friends & Fiction, etc. is so incredibly forward facing. I honestly think one of the most important things these women have taught me is that I’m probably not ever going to reach a point in my career where I don’t care what other people think about what I’m writing and when I don’t have some doubts when I’m starting something new. And that’s okay. Learning to live in the uncertainty is a powerful part of the job, and they have shown me that all those things I often feel are very normal!

Friends & Fiction celebrates the power of female friendship. How has the podcast reinforced the importance of these relationships for women in midlife and beyond?

This group of women is incredibly diverse in every way you can imagine. But I think what the group has shown me is that it doesn’t matter how different we are in every other way. If we can bond over the love of a book, that’s all we need! These friendships have been forged over books, but these women (including the four hosts!) have seen each other through illness, loss, moves, job changes, everything you can imagine. And all because we love the same stories. It’s wild when you think about it. And totally wonderful!

What are some of the most inspiring stories from your audience—women who’ve been impacted by the books and conversations on your podcast?

The number of women that have told us—and continue to—that Friends & Fiction saved them during the pandemic is overwhelming. And it kind of saved us too, so we understand! But so many women who were alone during that time came to the group and the show each week to feel that sense of community and belonging, to laugh with friends even when we weren’t in person, to chat in the comments and find a new book to be absorbed in. We never ever thought we’d still be doing this five years later, and I think the other ladies would agree that running this show is a lot of work, much more than people would imagine. But these women still turn out for us every single week. They show up for us, so we show up for them. It’s as simple as that!

Thank you again, Kristy, for joining us!