Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

With the release of “Beach House Rules,” Kristy Woodson Harvey has a dozen novels to her credit.

Her first book, “Dear Carolina,” came out almost exactly 10 years ago, she said, on May 5, 2015, and now she is ready to release No. 12.

“It’s been kind of fun to say a dozen novels,” said Harvey.

A special book launch event for her latest novel is being held on May 27 at South Main Book Company in downtown Salisbury. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a brief talk by Harvey followed by the book signing at 6 p.m. in the event space at the bookstore located at 110 S. Main Street.

There will be copies of the book for sale at the store, and those wishing to pre-order one may do so by visiting the bookstore’s website for details.

Harvey shared that the space in the downtown store has some special memories for her as it was at one time the children’s area of Phil’s Shoe Store. She said with a laugh that she has vivid memories of going down in that area and being measured for her little slip-on Keds.

“I’m so excited to get to do a talk in a place I always loved so much,” she said.

Plus coming back to Salisbury for this big release is special as well, Harvey said, noting that the family moved here when she was 18 months old and she doesn’t ever remember anywhere else being home.

Harvey, who makes her home in Beaufort with her husband and son, said that Salisbury “was such a wonderful place to grow up, and the town was always so supportive of me,” she said. “So to be able to come home and celebrate with all the people who have been so important to me in my life is always really gratifying and I’m so appreciative that people come out and support me 12 books in.”

For those unable to attend this event on Tuesday, Harvey said that she would be right outside of Greensboro at Grandover that day for a lunch and at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill on Wednesday and the Quail Ridge Bookstore in Raleigh. Visiting 15 states on this book tour, she said these would probably be the stops that are closest to this area.

Harvey shared how grateful she is to those who come and support her and said that is what she would tell them.

Noting that sometimes when you get into your career and start thinking about the hard work you’ve put in, which she said is true, she added that, “everything that happens for an author is because of the reader.”

The readers, she said, show up, buy the book, share it with friends, tell others about it and read the reviews.

“And so I feel like when I go out on the road and I get to meet those readers and I get to tell them thank you for being the people that have allowed me to continue to do these things that I love so much because obviously if I don’t have readers, I don’t get to write books,” said Harvey. “So I’m just overwhelmingly grateful.”

Her new book is different in the fact that she got her idea for it from something she saw repeatedly in the media two years ago, something which hasn’t happened to her before, she noted. Her ideas are usually something more personal or a story from a friend.

A timely topic dealing with the expensive cost of living, Harvey said that the book is about a ‘mommune,’ slang for mom and commune and “is about a woman who finds herself in a dire situation and ends up moving into a former bed and breakfast with three other women and their children temporarily while she is getting back up on her feet.”

Moving in for financial reasons, the group is surprised at the emotional and day-to-day life support they also find in living together.

And while that part was interesting, what Harvey said she really found interesting was “what would people in a small Southern town say about this unconventional living situation. So that’s really what the book is about.” 

She shared that she has ideas for future books and said that when she wrote her first book, “it was like turning on a faucet, and it was like all of a sudden, all the little minutiae of life you start to realize could actually be an interesting story for a novel.”

When she got the idea to write her most recent novel, Harvey said she was supposed to be getting ready to begin a new series; however, she felt she needed to write this book, and her agent and editor agreed with her. And while the thought of a new series is exciting for her, Harvey said she is not exactly sure when that will take place.

Harvey did share that she has two books coming out in 2026. There are no confirmed dates as to when those will be released, but she thought perhaps one would come out in May and the other in September. 

Each novel that she writes means something to her while it means something different to the reader as they bring in their own experiences, thoughts and memories, she said. “So I love the idea that it becomes ‘our’ book and I’m very excited to share the story with everyone.”

And Harvey shared that she gets messages from people letting her know how much her books have touched them. She said it “just means so much to me that they would take the time to” reach out to her, adding that “it is nerve wracking to have a new story come out and not know exactly how people are going to feel about it and so to be able to hear from readers like that is really uplifting and it just makes you feel so much less nervous about the book coming out.” 

When asked what she would pass along to others trying to write, she shared several pieces of advice.

First, was to just finish the book.

She said many people tell her they want to write a book and have gotten to a certain point, but just can’t finish it, adding that she thinks there is something psychological about just finishing a manuscript. 

“So I always say to people who will say that to me, you have to finish the book even if it’s bad, even if it’s not perfect, even if it’s not how you want it to end, you have to finish the book. That’s always my big piece of advice.”

Secondly, Harvey said she tells them what might seem obvious, but it’s to write every day. And while it might not be something one wants to do, “we do it because we know that it makes us better. There’s something about doing that practice that makes it feel a little less scary.”

She did note that as a working author, it’s not always possible to write every day because, as she is getting ready to do, you are out on road tours and it’s just not possible. However, when drafting a story, she does write everyday, and that includes weekends.

“Writing everyday keeps me inside the story and I love it,” said Harvey. “I’m excited to do it. It’s not a punishment.”

She finds that mornings work best for her to start the day writing before emails and other things distract and it becomes harder to focus.

In addition to Harvey’s appreciation to those who read her books, she said that she is “always so appreciative of South Main Book Company and of the people that come out and support them because our local bookstores are so important to our community. I feel really proud to be from a town that still really supports the local bookstore, the events, and I am just so grateful that everyone comes out and supports me.”