Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Heath.
Hi Carly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a rural area of the San Francisco Bay Area and came to Southern California for grad school. Originally, I wanted to be a screenwriter/filmmaker, but my love for prose and fiction inspired me to begin putting all my energy into my first novel. That novel, THE RECKLESS KIND, has all the things I’m passionate about—horses and animals, rebellion, defying social norms, and pushing back against the cis-hetero-patriarchy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a road filled with lots of bumps and twists and turns. The length of time it took from finishing my first draft of the novel to it hitting the shelves was about eight years. First, I needed to spend a lot of time rewriting my original concept because the idea of a queerplatonic relationship was so hard to grasp for many early readers. I realized I needed to figure out an artful way to break through their heteronormative programming in order for them to identify with the main character’s longings. Because my book is set in 1904, I didn’t have the ability to use the labels and vocabulary that we have today to talk about non-cis-hetero identities, so it took a lot of learning on my part to figure out how to show the reader who the characters in my book were and what they wanted.
Next, I needed to get an agent. Because my book is YA Historical (a hard sell) in a time period that is weird (early 1900s Scandinavia) a lot of agents were hesitant to take it on. After signing with my first agent and being on sub (the process of submitting the manuscript via my agent to editors) for over a year and not having any luck, my first agent ended up leaving the publishing industry. I signed with a new agent, and after being on sub for another year, the manuscript finally received an offer from Soho Teen! I was thrilled! After signing with them in 2019, it took another two years of editing before the book hit shelved in 2021. Now it’s out in paperback as of November 2022! So, for those keeping track at home, I started writing the book in 2013, finished the first draft in 2014, revised and began querying agents in 2015. Signed with my first agent in 2017, signed with my second agent in 2018, got a book deal in 2019, and the book finally got published in 2021.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an author and my award-winning debut YA novel, THE RECKLESS KIND, is out now from Soho Teen. The book is set in 1904 and it’s about three queer teens who defy the expectations of their rural Scandinavian village in every possible way—they leave their homes, go live on their own, and set out defeat the town patriarch in the region’s annual winter horse race. It’s all about compassion, love, and the desire to fight back against the restrictions imposed by society.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m very obsessed with astrology and you’ll see astrological symbolism in everything I write. Animal rights is also a huge part of everything I do, so readers will see those themes quite a bit in my work.
Pricing:
- Hardcover $18.99
- Paperback $10.99
- eBook $8.99
- Audiobook – free with audible
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carlyheathauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlylynheath/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlylheath
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCibVCIkd_5gsegJgnp-XXdA
- Other: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/668136/the-reckless-kind-by-carly-heath/
Image Credits
1st photo – photo by Brandie June horse photos – photos by Joanne Siegmann
