This week, I’m tickled pink to welcome back New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey. The undisputed queen of the beach read is kicking off the month with her new release, SUMMER STATE OF MIND. If you’re looking for a blend of heartfelt emotion and coastal charm, this one is for you.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite writing season: hopeful spring, beachy summer, reflective fall, or cozy winter, and why?
Beachy summer! I’ve usually just finished with launching a new book and going on tour, and the stories are bursting out of me!
What’s one snack or treat that always appears when you’re deep in writing mode?
I love coffee with coconut milk a big scoop of chocolate protein powder blended in the blender. I drink way too much of it when I’m writing!
What’s one small thing that instantly puts you in a creative mood?
Going for a walk with no music, no headphones, just to clear my mind.
THE SPRING SPARK
May often signifies the start of something new. In what ways did this story represent a new chapter for you as a writer?
This was an interesting book for me to write because, instead of opening when my protagonist’s life is falling apart and then watching her rebuild it, we sort of watch Daisy fall apart and pull herself back together a few times throughout this book in real time. Our lives aren’t a straight line, and there’s some up and down involved! Something about that rang very true to me, and I hope it does to readers too!
What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?
It was actually an article I read about a NICU nurse who adopted an abandoned baby. I always think about friends wanting to spend every second with their preemie babies but, of course, this isn’t always how it is, and I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of that! It’s heartbreaking but, in this case, ultimately hopeful.
Tell us about a scene that changed significantly from your first draft to your final version. What made you rethink it?
Well… I can’t say specifically because it will ruin it, but let’s just say, in the first draft, the ending was the opposite of what it is now! I love trying things different ways and seeing what feels best!
Setting can shape a story in powerful ways. What role does the setting play in your book, and what inspired you to choose it?
Tilley and Mason were characters from a previous book Under the Southern Sky, so the setting was always going to be Cape Carolina and the beautiful peninsula where Dogwood, their family compound, has been for generations. But a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone was perfect for this book because the discovery of an abandoned baby shakes everyone to their core!
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Springtime is ideal for discovering new books. Which book is currently at the top of your TBR pile, and what other books are you looking forward to reading?
I just started Mary Kay Andrews’ Road Trip, and it is so fantastic! I am really looking forward to Emily Giffin’s Love You More and Kristin Harmel’s Meet Me in Paris. (Okay… Maybe I’ve already read it, and it is FABULOUS!)
If readers could step inside one scene from your book and experience it in real life, which scene would you choose and why?
One of the scenes that makes me so happy is when Daisy and the baby are at a baseball game, watching the local high school team play and Mason coach, and his whole family is there. Everyone is eating hot dogs and peanuts and cheering on the home team. It’s so small-town and happy and cozy, and we could all use a little more of that right now!
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek into your next project, minus any spoilers?
I am SO excited to be releasing Falling for Peachtree Bluff in September! Going back to this series, my favorite town, and my favorite family is so, so exciting! Plus, I mean, pumpkin spice… This book was a joy, and I hope readers love it like I do.
Where can readers connect with you and keep up with your latest writing news? (Website, social media, newsletter, etc.)
I am most active on Instagram, Kristy Woodson Harvey on Facebook, and I have a Substack newsletter where I share all my big news first! My website has all my newsletters there too, on my blog, as well as information about tour dates and all my books! Come follow me! We have a lot of fun!
Narrator: Matt Pittenger, Cassandra Campbell, Stephanie Einstein
After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight- knit town of Cape Carolina.
Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.
But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly! —sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.
Women's Fiction Friendship | Women's Fiction Southern [ Gallery Books, On Sale: May 5, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781668074886 / eISBN: 9781668074909 ]
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of fourteen novels, including Beach House Rules and the Peachtree Bluff series. A Happier Life is in development for film with MGM/Amazon, The Summer of Songbirds is in development for television with Hulu, and many of her other projects are in various stages of option or development for film and television. Her work has received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Reads. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the hit weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the award-winning interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen's Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he's better at napping than editing. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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