Carley Fortune recounted the rapid and intense reception to her first novel, Every Summer After, in 2022, describing the escalating expectations and scrutiny that came with early success. She explained that she wrote that book during the pandemic, channeling teenage experiences from Barry’s Bay into Percy and Sam, and discovered her voice as a novelist after a career in journalism.

Fortune noted she had not anticipated its widespread popularity and might have held back if she had known. She shared that readers frequently asked for more Percy and Sam and, in particular, for Charlie’s happy ending, citing a tour event where two readers demanded “Justice for Charlie!”

She admitted feeling daunted by requests for a sequel and emphasized that she did not want to write one, as she had left Percy and Sam where she intended. However, Charlie lingered in her mind, prompting her to seek both the right heroine and the courage to write his story on her own terms.

Fortune reflected on the shift that happens once a book is published, saying it belongs to readers as well. To craft the best story, she needed to quiet external expectations and focus on creating Alice, trying various character ideas before finding someone who fit Charlie and had an independent, compelling arc. She hoped readers would enjoy glimpses of Sam and Percy while keeping the focus on a new narrative.

She contrasted the autobiographical lean of Every Summer After with One Golden Summer, which let her examine returning to the lake as an adult. Through Alice, Charlie, and Nan, she explored how nature and distance from the city foster reflection and growth.

Fortune framed One Golden Summer as a story about going back to move forward, recognizing continuity and change from adolescence to adulthood. She highlighted themes of being seen, perfectionism, regret, time’s passage, and affirmed the lake as a source of good things, echoing Nan’s sentiment.