PHOTO: Karen White, bestselling author, opens up about her Southern inspirations, creative journey, and crafting compelling stories with heart and history.
A Journey Through Southern Culture, Strong Female Characters, And The Art Of Storytelling
Karen White discusses her Southern heritage, writing journey from business to bestselling author, character development, and upcoming works. She offers heartfelt advice for aspiring writers and reveals her creative process.
Karen White, a celebrated voice in contemporary fiction, continues to enchant readers with her richly layered storytelling and deep emotional resonance. With nearly two million books in print, translated into fifteen languages, and multiple titles on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, White has earned her place as one of today’s most admired authors.
Her Southern heritage runs deep, a legacy that serves as a fertile foundation for many of her novels. Drawing inspiration from the lyrical cadence of Southern speech and the region’s complex cultural tapestry, White’s books bring to life places like New Orleans and Charleston with vivid, almost cinematic clarity. These locales aren’t just backdrops; they’re fully formed characters that shape the mood, history, and heartbeat of her narratives.
Karen White’s masterful storytelling, Southern flair, and emotional depth have established her as a cherished voice in contemporary fiction worldwide.
Titles like The Lost Summers of Newport and The House on Prytania exemplify her knack for merging romance, mystery, and family drama into cohesive, emotionally rich sagas. Her upcoming release, That Last Carolina Summer (coming July 2025), promises to continue this tradition with her signature blend of atmospheric setting and layered storytelling.
White’s journey to becoming a bestselling novelist was far from conventional. With a background in business and a role as an operations manager in the software industry, she didn’t initially envision a career in writing. But after rediscovering her love for books—sparked by a “book hangover” from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series—she decided to put pen to paper. What began as a spontaneous act of creativity led to a contest win and a publishing deal, setting her on a new and unexpected path.
Asked about the Southern influence in her work, White reflects on her deep family ties to the region. “My family has been in the South since before the American Revolution,” she says. “There is something poetic about the way people talk and the way they tell their stories. Even the oppressive heat of a July afternoon spent on my grandmother’s porch became a cornerstone of my childhood memories and part of what I attempt to recreate in my novels.”
Her upbringing—particularly being the only girl among brothers—also played a pivotal role in shaping her strong female characters. “I spent a lot of my younger years hiding from my brothers while they chased me with a large insect or reptile,” she recalls with humour. But it was her maternal grandmother, a woman of grit and grace, who truly inspired her resilient heroines.
White is candid about the early challenges she faced as a writer. With two small children and a frequently traveling husband, time management became her greatest hurdle. Ironically, she admits, now that she has more time as an empty-nester, distractions like social media pose a new kind of challenge.
One of her most beloved contributions to the literary world is the Tradd Street series, set in Charleston and featuring a paranormal twist. “I cut my reading teeth on the Nancy Drew mystery series,” she explains. “So it was probably inevitable that creating a female-centered series with a paranormal bent would be a natural progression.”
Her storytelling style—an intricate weave of romance, mystery, and family tension—emerges organically. “I don’t prewrite or do character sketches or write an outline,” White says. “I start with my protagonist and setting and just start writing. I see the story unfold from my protagonist’s viewpoint and write it down.”
For aspiring writers, her advice is refreshingly straightforward: “Read, read, read—across all genres. Then just write. It won’t be perfect, but as long as you have words on the page, you can fix them later.” She likens developing a writing voice to mastering an instrument—it takes repetition, time, and trust in the process.
Despite her remarkable success, White remains grounded in the joy of storytelling and the connections she makes with readers. “My favorite part of writing is typing THE END. My second is hearing from readers. It’s humbling when I learn that my writing has inspired or comforted, and thrilling when they talk about my characters as if they’re as real in their heads as they are in mine.”
Through authenticity, heart, and an unwavering devotion to her craft, Karen White continues to elevate Southern fiction and inspire countless writers and readers alike.
This article was adapted from an interview with Karen White in the latest issue of Reader’s House.
