Get ready to learn more about the book Sophie and the Sea in this discussion with sapphic author Cassidy Langue.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Cassidy Langue about Sophie and the Sea, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Forced Proximity category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Sophie and the Sea?
I wanted to see the one-bed trope, but in a hammock. Honestly. That’s where the whole idea started. Lame, I know. (I wish I had something more profound for you, but alas. Not for this masterpiece.)😀
Who is your favorite character in the book?
I’d have to say it’s a close one, but Vickie is that mean girl you love to hate, especially once her story starts to unravel. I loved writing the delicious tension between these two, especially the storm scene. One of the reasons I love this character is because of her story: the reasons she despises Sophie and the history that blows up in her face. I think that makes the ending so much more satisfying.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
This book involved a lot more research than any of my previous books. (I have quite a few books published under another pen name.)
I’d never been on a sailboat. That was part of it, but also learning about navigating by the stars, ocean currents, navigation equipment, weather, etc. It’s really strange, because only maybe 5% of what I learned actually made it into the book, but all that research helps me understand the characters and their environment so much better. YouTube still shows me sailing videos on the regular. And ironically, even though I haven’t had the pleasure of sailing, I could probably do it under duress—although maybe not in hurricane weather!
What is your favorite line from your book?
I think about making a smart quip, but her scent is fuddling my brain, and the taste of her neck is still on my lips. I know how stressful situations sometimes make people act irrationally, but what the f*ck was I thinking?
Is there a particular genre you would love to write but only under a pseudonym?
Yes! I have an entire enemies-to-lovers psychological thriller series planned, à la the Mindf*** series. A friend of mine recommended it to me last year, and I resisted at first. Tropes galore. Serial killer with a vengeance. Cop falls in love with her. (I was actually going into a minor surgery when I was reading this, and the nurses were concerned about my blood pressure until I explained to them what I was reading! LOL)
My sapphic version follows the same tropes: serial killer and the cop chasing her eventually fall in love (I’m not sure if they’ll get a happy ending yet or not!). The biggest difference, since I’m not really into all the blood and gore, is that this series is all about memories, how fractured and/or manipulated they can be, mind games, and revenge. There’s so much more to the story, but that’s the gist of it. If you’d be interested in reading that, let me know!
Do you have any odd writing quirks?
I almost always write with my earbuds in, but I rarely listen to anything while I’m writing. If I do listen to something, it’s usually super soft instrumental music. (Although right now, I’m writing a Christmas book so sometimes I put Christmas music on. My neighbors think I’m weird because I have my Christmas tree up in the middle of the summer and turn the lights on every night!) Most of the time, though, it’s just silence.
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
I have a really old, really fat torbie (tortoiseshell/tabby mix) that loves to distract me. She’s too big to sit on my lap while I’m typing, but sometimes she’ll sit on top of my desk. Luckily, I have a separate keyboard shelf so it doesn’t get in the way of me actually typing, but she tries to headbutt me and sometimes she won’t leave me alone. I can’t keep her out of the room, because then she’ll just sit and scratch at the door until I let her back in—and meow. She doesn’t really meow, she sounds more like a pigeon. I kid you not.
Even though she’s annoying sometimes, I love her and have no plans on trading her in for a younger model. 😂
If you could be mentored by a famous author (living or not), who would it be?
This is a weird question for me as a relatively new author, as it would seem like meeting a famous celebrity. (Okay, not like many sapphic authors can really be elevated to that status outside of our reading community, but still. You know what I mean.)
There are lots of authors I admire for their craft. Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Freida McFadden are the top two non-sapphic authors that come to mind, but as a sapphic romance writer, I’d definitely choose Haley Cass. Her quality of writing is chef’s kiss. Her character development is SO good, and her plotting is top-notch. There’s something lyrical and emotional in her writing that very few writers can pull off, and it’s beautiful. I would love to find out more about her creative process and learn from her.
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
Do I feel bad? Um. No?
Okay, there are two sides of this question for me. As the author, I never feel bad for putting my characters through the wringer. That’s what I’m here for. If I don’t do that, no one will want to read their story! Sometimes when I’m plotting and deciding what trials and tribulations to put them through, something particularly harsh comes to mind, and I have to admit—I’ve gotten quite excited about how much I’m going to hurt my poor babies. Example? I don’t want to give any spoilers away. [Ahem. Jellyfish.]
On the flip side of that, though, I have a tendency to get REALLY DEEP into my character’s mind while I’m writing, so I go through the same trauma as they do. One time, I was deep in the middle of a breakup scene and my mom called. She said I sounded sad, and was I okay? Yes, mom. I was just in the middle of tearing apart two people who are meant to be together and putting them through emotional trauma—and going through it with them! Of course I was sad. But I knew it would all be okay in the end, too.
Being an author is very bipolar for me.
What books did you grow up reading?
I read EVERYTHING when I was growing up. My dad owned a small used bookstore most of my life, and both my parents were avid readers. I remember reading Trixie Beldon, The Boxcar Children, Sweet Valley High, Judy Blume, Robert Heinlein. There were more that I’m forgetting, I’m sure. We went to the library constantly. Anything the library didn’t have, my dad would get for me. We didn’t have a ton of money when I was growing up, but that never stopped my parents from providing me with reading opportunities.
I don’t think specific books or authors I read when I was younger shaped me as a writer, but my love of books and the wide variety of stories I read definitely influenced my storytelling. I’m a firm believer that to be a good writer, you also have to be a reader—and reading outside your genre will always elevate your craft.
What books have you read more than once in your life?
Dozens. I go back to some of my favorites on a regular basis. I went through an Outlander phase where I read them in Spanish and French while I waited for the next books to come out. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that now (and after the end of #7, I have completely banned them from my memory. Shame on you for ending a book like that, DG!) Okay, I’m done with my rant.
Dickens and Kristin Hannah are two authors I revisit frequently. Sapphic authors I come back to a lot are Rachael Sommers “Chemistry” which I’ve read like 5-6 times, Haley Cass (I already gushed about her writing earlier), and Ashley Herring Blake.
AHB’s Delilah Green series is brilliant, but some of her YA books are serious works of art. If you haven’t read Ivy Aberdeen, Sunny St. James or Hazel Bly, you’re missing out. I’m not a big fan of YA, but her prose is very compelling.
Once I know the story, what keeps me coming back, you ask? For some of them it’s the writing, but for all of them, it’s about reconnecting with old friends and traipsing down memory lane with them. If you enjoyed a book the first time around and you’ve read a hundred books since then, you’d be surprised at how new those old stories will feel to you.
