Carley Fortune, the author of Every Summer After, has a passion for fashion themes inspired by books.

      Carley Fortune has plenty to celebrate. Last month, she launched her fifth romance novel, Our Perfect Storm, and simultaneously had three of her works (Every Summer After, One Golden Summer, and Our Perfect Storm) appear on the New York Times best seller list—a first for the Canadian writer. She also recently concluded a nationwide press tour for Every Year After, the adaptation of her breakout summer novel into an Amazon Prime Video series, which featured appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show, at the Empire State Building, and the Tribeca Film Festival. Whether she's writing a new page-turner or carefully planning her press tour outfits, Fortune is focused on creating memorable experiences for her fans. For her appearances, she enjoys developing a fashion theme that playfully references the book she's promoting, while also including a few hidden surprises. As if we needed another reason to admire Fortune.

      For the Every Year After press tour, Fortune partnered with stylist Amber Watkins to design a summer-ready wardrobe suitable for a chic weekend in Barry's Bay. She discusses her inspiration, including her favorite Canadian brands, and reveals the title on her summer reading list.

      You dedicate a lot of energy to your press tour outfits. Having just finished your tour for Our Perfect Storm, which had a unique fashion theme, when did you start planning your outfits, and what does that process entail? Do you collaborate with a stylist or do it yourself? I view my book-tour events as a performance. I aim to provide an amazing experience for the audience, and fashion plays a significant role in that. I worked with a stylist, Amber Watkins, to create a wardrobe inspired by the moody purple cover of Our Perfect Storm. We started discussing the vibe and color scheme about a month before the tour began, and Amber created a mood board to ensure we were aligned before she sourced the clothing.

      Now that it's time for Every Year After, how did you decide on your looks for this press tour? Is there a consistent theme or style among them? The theme was "cottage but make it fashion"—involving cotton dresses, denim, and a touch of patchwork—all in blue and cream shades. We also wanted a standout moment for the Tribeca Film Festival premiere, and I preferred to wear a Canadian designer. We borrowed a stunning hand-beaded gown from Anmol Handa, a talented designer who had just showcased it at Fashion Art Toronto.

      If you could summarize your press looks for Every Year After in three words, what would they be? Lake girl in the city. Oh wait, that's five words.

      For attentive fans, have you included any Easter eggs from Every Year After in your outfits? Yes! There's a piece of jewelry that my husband had made for me, which I wore for nearly every appearance.

      In what way do these looks reflect your everyday style? I'm a fan of great shoes, and we discovered some spectacular ones. We incorporated beloved Canadian brands like Smythe and Hilary MacMillan and combined casual elements, like a cotton shorts-and-camisole set, with more sophisticated pieces—like a beautiful plaid Smythe blazer and stunning white Aquazzura heels. That's very much my personal dressing style.

      How was it for you to see the world of Barry's Bay and the characters from Every Summer After come alive on screen? It was remarkable. I grew up by the lake in Barry's Bay, and the book is deeply personal to me. I hadn’t planned on publishing it when I wrote it in 2020; it was simply a creative endeavor for myself. So to arrive here just six years later with a TV adaptation of that novel is genuinely extraordinary.

      Was there a particular moment from the book you were especially eager to see in the show? There’s a scene I refer to as the "You came home" scene, where Percy and Sam reunite as adults. It's the first significant emotional impact in the book and a fan favorite. It is beautifully recreated in the show.

      You are recognized as the queen of summer romance. What other books or shows are catching your interest this summer? I'm currently reading Whistler by Ann Patchett and listening to Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I just visited Banff for the World Media Festival and the Rockie Awards, where the Quebec TV series Empathie won several awards. It's a dramedy set in a psychiatric hospital and looks incredible. It's next on my watch list. Catch up on Every Year After, now streaming on Prime Video.