Jen: What was the inspiration behind your latest novel, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER?
Karen: Believe it or not, the main inspiration came from the purchase of a camera bird feeder. My husband regrets giving me this (since it started my obsession with birds) and is why I now have about 15 bird feeders around my house. After observing birds up close, I began to research bird behavior and how it mimics human behavior, especially that between parents/offspring and siblings hatched in the same nest. It was the perfect inspiration for a book about family bonds that sometimes are stretched so far they break.
Jen: Phoebe is such a richly drawn and multifaceted character. With her gift of premonition and her complex relationship with her sister, Addie, she comes across as deeply authentic. What inspired her creation, and how did she take shape for you during the writing process?
Karen: Her character is vaguely autobiographical. Although I come from a family with three brothers (I was the only girl), I understand from first-hand experience what it is to feel overlooked and to be the “responsible one” when it came time to care for our elderly parents, including a mother with Alzheimer’s. Although my story is far different from Phoebe’s, I shared the conflicted feelings and emotions she felt while interacting with her sister and mother which was what I tapped into while creating Phoebe’s character.
Jen: Your readers are captivated by your vivid portrayal of Charleston and the Lowcountry. What is it about this setting that continues to inspire you and draw you back into your storytelling?
Karen: From the first time I visit the Lowcountry thirty years ago and smelled the pluff mud, I fell head over heels in love. It’s an immersive love that touches all my senses. I visit often so that when I write about it, all I have to do is close my eyes and I can smell, see, taste and hear all the bits and pieces that create the magic of the Lowcountry. I get asked a lot why I don’t write about Cape Cod or the red rocks of Arizona and the simple answer is that even though I find these areas beautiful, they don’t touch my soul like the South Carolina Lowcountry does. Since setting is as much of a main character as the actual people in my novels, it’s important that I feel a connection to the place where I set my book.
Jen: I know your sweet pup Sophie is always by your side. How does she influence or support you during your writing process?
Karen: Besides always being a source of comfort—she’s very soft and cuddly—she also keeps me on task. After making my first cup of morning coffee or getting ready for bed, she plants herself and stares at me until I head in the direction I’m meant to go; to my office in the morning, or to my bedroom at night. She won’t allow me to get distracted from doing what I need to do!
Jen: Liam and Celeste add a powerful emotional depth to the story. What inspired their characters, especially Celeste's heartbreaking past?
Karen: I’m not a plotter—my writing is very organic. This means I always start with the main protagonist and her inner/outer conflicts and, of course, the setting since that’s the second main character. I’m like a cook in the kitchen making soup as I begin to write—adding this and that as I attempt to make a richer, more flavorful broth. That means when I think something is lacking, I consider characters to add that will fill in those gaps. The addition of Liam and Celeste were like the salt and pepper—the story would have been too bland without them!
As for the heartbreaking part of Celeste’s storyline, I can’t discuss it here with any specifics without giving anything away, but there have been several news stories in the last few years that featured those particular circumstances. I recall hearing about them on the news and the stories were haunting and mesmerizing. I couldn’t not put that in a book!
Jen: What's currently on your TBR stack? Any books or authors you're especially excited about this summer?
Karen: My TBR stack is filled to overflowing, per usual. At the top is Beatriz Williams’s UNDER THE STARS (which I just started, and it is AMAZING). Next up is from one of my favorite people and authors, Deborah Goodrich Royce, BEST BOY and last, but not least, THE LAST ASSIGNMENT by another favorite of mine, Erika Robuck. With so many good reads waiting, it’s hard to force myself away to write!
Jen: Can you give us a little sneak peek into what you're working on next?
Karen: I actually have a second book releasing this year, THE LADY ON ESPLANADE, the third book in my New Orleans-set series, due out November 4th. The series is what others have called Nancy Drew for adults and “where the Southern Living meet the Southern Unliving.” Lots of mystery, a dash of paranormal, a bit of romance, and a lot of family drama.
Jen: Do you have any fun summer plans when you're not on deadline?
Karen: I’m never - not - on deadline it seems, but I am going to be going on a lovely trip with my husband in September to Holland, Belgium, France and Portugal. I’ll need the break so that I can rested up for grandma duty in October which is when my daughter is due to give birth to my first grandbaby. I’m very excited and have already started shopping for my granddaughter. At this rate, she will need no clothes until she’s thirty!
Jen: What’s one thing your readers might be surprised to learn about you?
Karen: Despite the fact that I have written so many books featuring sisters and set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, I was raised with three brothers (not a sister in sight) and have never lived in South Carolina.
Jen: How can your readers connect with you online or keep up with your latest news and events?
Karen: The best way is to sign up for my newsletter—the link is on my website. That’s the best source for upcoming events, giveaways, and book information. I’m also active on Instagram and Facebook where I post book stuff and cute photos and videos of Sophie.
Jen: Thank you so much, Karen, for spending time with Jen’s Jewels. As always, it’s a joy to feature your beautiful storytelling. Wishing you a wonderful summer filled with inspiration, relaxation, and maybe a few extra belly rubs for Sophie!
Karen: Thank YOU, Jen - it’s been a pleasure as always. Enjoy the rest of summer and try not to melt!
A Gripping Southern Tale of Sisterhood , Secrets , and the Haunting Power of the Past
Beloved bestselling author Karen White returns with a captivating Southern drama about sisterhood, secrets and one woman’s reckoning with the past
As a child, Phoebe Manigault developed the gift of premonition after she was struck by lightning in the creek near her Charleston home. Plagued throughout her life by mysterious dreams, and always living in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Addie, Phoebe eventually moves to the West Coast, as far from her family as possible. Now, years later, she is summoned back to South Carolina, to help Addie care for their ailing mother.
As Phoebe’s return lures her back into deep-rooted tensions and conflicts, she is drawn to Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing years ago. Their connection brings comfort to Phoebe, while Celeste’s adult grandson Liam resurrects complicated emotions tied to Phoebe’s past.
But the longer Phoebe spends in her childhood home, the more her recurring nightmares intensify—bringing her closer to the shocking truth that will irrevocably change everything. Unfolding against the lush backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry, That Last Carolina Summer is an unforgettable story about the unbreakable bonds of family and the gift of second chances.
Women's Fiction Southern | Fiction Literary [Park Row Books, On Sale: July 22, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9780778310693 / eISBN: 9780369751492]
Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of 28 books, including the Tradd Street series, Dreams of Falling, The Night the Lights Went Out, Flight Patterns, The Sound of Glass, A Long Time Gone, and The Time Between. She is the coauthor of All the Ways We Said Goodbye, The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room with New York Times bestselling authors Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband near Atlanta, Georgia.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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