An Interview with Carly Kaye

Carly Kaye is a Tennessee-based single mom and romance author. When not playing with her kids, Carly wears many (chic) hats: author, copy editor, and travel agent. She was inspired by her tenure as an English teacher and research as an English major/ reader of the classics, to write a balance of humor, angst, spice, the different faces love wears, and yearning. Her debut is a redemption arc for an infamous female character, and for all women given a label. For more information on A Lady of Means, book recs, and previews of what’s next, she is on social media: @carlywritesandreads.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

Period dramas first appeared on my radar with Gwyneth Paltrow’s portrayal of Emma in the mid-nineties (riveting children’s programming, I know) and started a lifelong love affair. I wanted a book with the fanfare, fashions, wit, scandals, the slow burn heightened by the strict moral codes, that appealed to me in both classics like Little Women or Wuthering Heights and historical romances like those of Lisa Kleypas and Tessa Dare. The more I leaned into the character’s voice, she reminded me of a Regina George in another time. I followed the path of a question: is a woman ‘mean’ or is she covering a litany of scars and deep feeling? What if she found a sturdy, loyal soldier who saw her through her redemption?

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

It was a bit hard to find at first. I wanted something that conveyed the historical backdrop, and the ties to Mean Girls. When I landed on A Lady of Means, I felt like it really captured the vibes of the book well. It was also fun to weave in little call backs to the title in the book.

Describe your dream book cover.

Some people harbor big feelings about illustrated covers, but I happen to love them. I wanted something with really punchy and lavish character art, and little details from the book. It was also a process of then narrowing down the colors and the positioning of the characters and the other elements to deliver a high-end looking cover. Giovanna Capel is the artist; she really brought the character and the atmosphere of the story to life!

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I miss you, I’m sorry by Gracie Abrams

Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez

Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt

Come Back Home by Sofia Carson

Dancing with Tears in My Eyes by Joshua Bassett

Messy by Lola Young

False God, Look What You Made Me Do, Delicate, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, The Prophecy, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me, and Ivy by Taylor Swift

History of Man by Maisie Peters

Francesca by Hozier

Diva by Beyonce

At Your Worst by Calum Scott

You Belong to Somebody Else by P.J. Harding and Noah Cyrus

Gorgeous by Doja Cat

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I am currently reading:

Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters, an anthology by various authors for both research and for comfort.

Godsbane by Lindsey Richardson, a chosen-one romantasy debut by a personal friend and fellow indie author.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

My background is in English/Literature, I was a classroom teacher for over five years. I now work as a freelance copy editor (for fiction/indie authors: @blackcatbookstagram) and travel agent. My niche for travel planning is bookish and business travel.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I don’t think there was, for me, ever a conscious decision to write or not to write. The characters and plot lines show up unprompted and don’t provide a moment’s peace until I’ve poured them onto a page. I’ve drawn inspiration from countless authors and works over the span of my thirty-something years, but some of my favorites are: Emma and Persuasion by Jane Austen, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Kate Chopin’s short stories, The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (Jamie Fraser walked so that Devyn Winter could jog in his shadow!) and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, to name a few.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I started writing this book on my phone on a Google Doc during my little one’s naptimes. He is now a kindergartener, and I have my own office. I’ve enjoyed making it a cozy and inviting space to curl up at my desk with ambient lighting, books, and some of my favorite things. I turned this from a ‘silly little writer dream’ (not my words) into something that I’m still growing (and so proud of!).

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

Trust your instincts. The professionals and opportunities and resources that either seem like a fit or seem too good to be true, probably are. It’s okay to take your time, to do your research, to not feel rushed, to ask questions. You are your own business now, and that takes time and grit to build.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope that a reader may see a bit of themselves in Lady Moria, human and flawed and resilient. A woman of her time – of any time, really – who pushes through some of the worst offerings of life, yet she only comes out stronger. She doesn’t sweeten her delivery for anyone or ask for anyone’s love. It’s her wit, her strength, her loyalty, that have one moody soldier besotted and earn the love of her harshest critic: herself. I also hope that readers see the many faces of love: female friendships, a bromance, found family, love that doesn’t fit into conventional labels – and appreciates those too!

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