When Carly Fortune started writing her first novel during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she never expected it to be published. He didn’t just do that Every summer after Get a place on New York Times The book hit the bestseller list shortly after its publication in 2022, but now, readers who fell in love with the heroes of Fortune (and their romantic saga set in the lakeside town of Barry’s Bay) can see the story brought to life in the Amazon Prime series, Every year after. “When I wrote Every summer after“We spent that summer in a cabin very close to where I grew up on the lake in Barry’s Bay,” Fortune, who now resides in Toronto, tells the Observer. “I was writing early in the morning before my job, before my baby woke up, and I was just writing for myself — I was trying to write about how I grew up and where I grew up.”
In the four years since the release of her first novel, Fortune has written four more best-selling books, all set in various picturesque locations in her native Canada. While she has noticed that her writing process has changed, one thing that has stayed the same is allowing the site to serve as her foundation. “I need to know where the action takes place before I can know what this story is going to be,” she says. “And the places so far are all places I know well, like Barry’s Bay, where I grew up, and where two of my books were filmed.”
In her last novel, Our perfect stormFortune magazine decided to re-explore the coastal city of Tofino, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. “I visited Tofino twice when I was in my 20s and living on Vancouver Island, and I fell in love with it,” she recalls. “There are ancient rainforests with trees that are 300 to 400 years old, and then the rainforest extends right down to the beach. The beaches are very moody and rocky with fog that comes and goes, so it has this kind of eerie, mythical quality,” she explains.
Much of the poignant quality of Fortune’s books comes from her descriptions of lush locations, a skill she credits to her 15-year career as a journalist. “I write everything down, I double-check everything I do; I pay attention to the smells and the way the light is,” says Fortune, who has also returned to Tofino to conduct research. “Because I write these overwhelming love stories, and the emotions are so great, I think having these real places grounds it all and helps you feel like you’re there with the characters.” to Our perfect stormThese characters came from a flash of an idea that came to Fortune’s mind while watching her children playing in the backyard. “I watched them chase a rabbit, and the rabbit was running under the fence around our yard, and I have this picture of two kids meeting like that,” she shares. “I thought about these kids for years, and they finally became George and Frankie.”
Fortune is already working on her sixth novel, which is due out next year, and this summer begins filming a Netflix series based on her third book, This summer will be different. “We’re casting this movie now, and it’s going to be shot in Toronto and on Prince Edward Island, where it was filmed,” Fortune says. But in the meantime, it’s all about Barry’s Bay. “Amazon also has the right to do so One golden summer [Fortune’s fourth novel, an interconnected standalone that features characters from Every Summer After]The intention is to weave One golden summer In season 2, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. with Every year after Officially on Amazon Prime, Carly Fortune spoke with Observer about adapting the book for the screen and her current essentials, including the must-see locations in Tofino that inspired her latest book.