Meet Cue Interview with Author Casey Cline

Tara: So Casey, I would love to hear your Meet Cue for An Island Intrigue: A Hawaiian Islands Historical Romance! This is the second book in the Birds’s-Eye View Series, but for this particular volume: When, where, and how did inspiration first strike?

Casey: Thank you so much for having me, Tara. Because my novels are based on the travels of real-life English explorer, Isabella Bird, I already knew this book would take place in the Hawaiian Islands in 1873. With that parameter set, the inspiration truly kicked in when I developed the characters that travel alongside Isabella. 

My heroine in An Island Intrigue, Georgina, appeared in Book 1 at age three, so I already knew a lot about her from writing that book. Nineteen years later in Book 2, she still loves to collect orphan animals and still can’t seem to curb her rashness. The real trick was developing the hero to go along with her spunky and spirited personality. After days of brainstorming, I remember waking up before six in the morning one Saturday with my “eureka” moment on Joseph’s character – reserved and guarded. What better way to amp up the conflict in this novel than by having an opposites attract chemistry. 

Tara: I loved all Georgina's "pets" that she cared for along the way in the story, my favorite being Soot, the kitten. The book was so full of tidbits of historical facts, flora, fauna, of the Hawaiian Islands—some of them more obscure than what a typical tourist to the islands might experience. I lived in Hawaii for four years and recognized several of the locations where they were sight-seeing, which was really fun to see from a historical perspective, especially since I wasn't aware that Georgina’s aunt, Isabella Bird was a real person and that you based the book off of her travels! It must have been a fascinating book to research. Aside from Isabella’s first-hand account, what other texts did you use for your research?

Casey: As a person with zero medical background (I went to law school, remember) I can’t tell you how many times I cursed myself for making Joseph a doctor. But his occupation is crucial to the plot, so I found myself scouring medical treatises of the time to portray as accurately as possible the health conditions he treats throughout the book (including Georgina’s) and the “condition” he is researching about himself. These included Austin Flint’s 1866 “A Treatise on the Principles and Practice of Medicine” and Albert Hayes’s “A Medical Treatise on Nervous Affections,” both of which are read by Joseph in my book and both of which you can read (for FREE) if you’d like. 

Also, I loved discovering a photo of Isabella’s guest registry entry for the Volcano House (think an 1873 vacation rental perched on the side of an active volcano).

Tara: What a fascinating research rabbit hole! I love that you were able to insert your characters right into history with these detailed accounts for reference. In the story, your two main characters are as different as night and day. Joseph is quiet, reserved, and neurodivergent-coded, while Georgina is extroverted, adventurous, and seems to have no filter. From your bio, you seem to share several commonalities with Georgina’s character, including a diversity of interests and a love for animals. What was the biggest challenge for you in bringing these two very different characters together in the book? 

Casey: Ensuring that not only the romantic arc progressed naturally and logically (readers don’t want the romance to come too quickly or too slowly after all), but that each character’s individual arc did likewise. However, at the same time, I didn’t want either Georgina or Joseph to truly give up who they are at their core. I wanted to be sure that they could be their true, imperfect selves and still be loved by the other. 

Tara: I grew up reading books from the shelves in my grandma’s basement, where I was introduced to historical romance. Do you have any favorite historical romance authors who have inspired you in your writing? 

Casey: I was and still am an avid reader. I don’t remember when I first found historical romance, but as I’ve been reading in my genre most recently, I’ve absolutely adored anything by Mimi Matthews. She’s a master of building characters in historical worlds, and although I feel like I have a pretty large vocabulary, I always learn a new word every time I read one of her books. One thing I have to be careful of, though, is to make sure I don’t copy the style of other authors in my genre, that I’m being true to my own methodologies and voice. 

Tara: You have a knack for that historical voice, and I was instantly transported to another time, so I think you've achieved that! One of the big themes I took away from the story was that no matter how different people appear to be, if there’s a spark of love, they can find a way to reconcile differences. What’s the biggest takeaway you hope your readers will gain from reading?

Yes, the theme throughout my stories is that everyone is deserving of true love, of being loved for who they really are. That doesn’t always mean romantic love either. My novels incorporate love among siblings and friends, and come with the reminder that sometimes the one we need to love most unconditionally is ourselves.

Tara: Such a beautiful message, and one that's particularly relevant today. Finally, what are you most proud of in this story?

Casey: Finishing it! As the author’s note elaborates on, this story intimidated me in many ways. From the setting to the characters to the tropes, I created quite the parameters in which to write a (hopefully) compelling love story. But I couldn’t give up by any means (the one benefit of publisher-imposed deadlines?), so I soldiered on. And I’m so glad I did. 

It’s not a perfect book, nor will it ever be. But neither are we. Which is why I write these books. We all deserve to be loved for who we truly are, flaws and all. It doesn't have to be romantic love. Friends, neighbors, sisters, brothers, siblings, daughters, parents. True love is all around.

Tara: What a perfect sentiment. And congrats on tackling something you were intimidated by. The result was a delight to read. Thank you again for sharing your work! I wish you every success and best of luck as you work on the third book in your series!