Interview with Author Carly Phillips
March had three wonderful indie author spotlights, but Carly Phillips has taken the cake for the most books published by far! She has written over 120 books in her nearly 30 year career, and was such an incredible pleasure to work with. We’ve had the opportunity to work with her in the past to create scents for past PR boxes, so it was so cool to be able to make these candles for her stories as part of the Indie Author Spotlight project. Carly spoke with us about indie publishing, advice she’s learned over her career, and so much more!
Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives outside New York City. She is the mother of two adult daughters and a Havanese puppy who stars on her social media and newsletter. Click here to visit her website.
Your Kingston Brothers series is one of your most popular. What drew you to write a series where the main character for each book is a different family member, and do you find it difficult to balance a series where the characters are all connected?
I have always written series with family members or friends, each hero/heroine being different for each book. It works for me! I don’t love a cliff-hanger in reading or writing. I love entangled family or backstories that carry through a series. Even better, we get to see how one major issue in the past affects each family member differently. Family saga type books are fun to write with each character getting their happily ever after. All my books stand alone so you can jump in even if you haven’t read the prior book(s).
With so many books under your belt, do you have any book boyfriends that have stuck with you more than others?
I do and for no particular reason. Ian Dare launches The Dare Family in Dare to Love and most readers fall in love with Alpha Ian. So did I. Another (non-connected) book I adore is Going Down Easy in The Billionaire Bad Boys series. But all my heroes have a special place in my heart!
What made you want to be an author?
After discovering Harlequin category romances (back in the day LOL), a voice in my head said, try writing. And the minute I sat down to write, I knew I'd found my love and calling and I wouldn't give up until I published. No indie publishing in 1999. Yes I'm dating myself! But it's been quite a ride and I love it.
What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?
I hope readers will finish my stories and feel good. Happy. Fall in love with the characters and want to revisit them. I want to take them away from hard reality and bring them into a world they love. I write strong heroines and alphas who protect them and though they're capable of handling themselves, my heroines find it a relief to be cared for, too. I want my readers to feel all those things for themselves, from their strength to their ability to give in and fall in love.
What is your favorite thing about indie publishing?
I love the freedom of being able to choose my covers, release dates, titles, and more. I enjoy the work it takes aside from writing. I love writing what I want to share with readers. Being able to shift things quickly, for example going wide retailers or putting books into Kindle Unlimited. Interacting with readers is fun, which you can do as a traditional author but I found more freedom as an indie author.
What is some advice that you’d give to aspiring authors who are thinking about indie publishing?
Indie publishing isn't just writing a book although that's the most important part - a great story, good quality, well edited, professional cover. Then you have to create all these things, hire people who are good at what they do = cover designers, illustrators, editors, etc. Everything must be professional. You have one chance to impress a reader - after that it's hard to get them to come back. Most of all, enjoy what you do!
What’s the best advice you have for writing a romance?
Know your genre and why readers dive into it - i.e. contemporary, romantasy etc. Write your own voice but also know what makes a story work. Stay in your lane - once you find a genre readers enjoy from you, stick with it and build from there. If you jump around, you risk diluting your readership. That said, if your creativity demands variety, be strategic about your planning.
You have a truly expansive back catalog of your books. For readers who are new to you, where do you recommend they start their Carly Phillips journey?
These days, I suggest people start with The Kingstons, book one Just One Night. That jumps into The Dirty Dares and segues into The Sterling Family. That’s a lot of books. After that, they can go to Dare to Love and read about the Dares all the way through. But the truth is, all my books stand alone so you can start anywhere!
What do you have coming next that we need to keep on our radars?
Falling for Trouble is brand new, and then the next book in the series, Falling for Real, comes out on April 16, 2026!
What is the best way to support you as an indie author?
Read my books on Kindle Unlimited, request my books at the library, leave reviews, share social media graphics, post and interact with me on the social sites, and recommend my books to your friends!
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