I’m so excited for you to meet author Casey Cline!
Casey Cline collects hobbies and pursuits as quickly as she reads books. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking pies, quilting, riding horses, doing jiu-jitsu, or shooting guns. She likes to believe her degrees and licenses in business, law, and real estate aren’t entirely incongruous with writing historical stories about the ultimate adventure in life—love. Casey lives in Nebraska with her husband, two daughters, and three cats.
Christina: What is your book called?
Casey: The Wayfaring Widow
Christina: The cover is gorgeous. When was your book released?
Casey: September 30, 2025
Christina: Is it part of a series?
Casey: Yes, Book 1 of the Bird’s-Eye View Series
Christina: Can you share your blurb with us?
Casey:
A widow with scars from her past. A declared bachelor with his own troubled heart. Will their journey together lead to love or loathing?
To escape her grievous past and avoid her bleak future, twenty-eight-year-old widow Victoria Clarke joins her friend, Isabella Bird, on a once-in-a-lifetime journey from England to America in 1854. But Harrison Wright, the man acting as escort to the women on their journey, is cold and gruff, and his mannerisms conjure up the pains of Victoria’s past, especially her former husband’s mistreatment. Victoria doubles the defenses of her already fragile heart, but will it be enough to endure what she now feels is an ill-fated expedition?
Twenty-nine-year-old New York lawyer, Harrison Wright, has made a promise to his friend, Isabella Bird, to escort her around his home country. And unlike his father, Harrison keeps his promises. Since Harrison has sworn off women due to his own troubled past, he is not pleased Victoria will be joining the trip. But as a declared bachelor, he’s built an impenetrable safeguard around his own heart that should withstand a few weeks in this other woman’s company.
As the trio explores Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Niagara Falls, and New York City, surviving fires, disreputable innkeepers, sickness, and storms, Victoria and Harrison are loathe to find that they cannot avoid each other’s company. But in such close proximity, will Victoria and Harrison’s initial flared tempers lead to even stronger and more unavoidable feelings about each other? Feelings that have them questioning whether their journey will have the most unlikely of destinations: love and healing—and happily ever after—with each other?
Christina: I love historical fiction. What inspired you to write this book?
Casey: When I first heard about real-life English explorer, Isabella Bird, more than a decade ago, I knew I wanted to bring to light what this fascinating woman did and saw in a time when it wasn’t common for a woman, and an unmarried one at that, to gallivant around the world by herself. But I personally adore historical romances, so I invented fictional heroes and heroines (though they seem very real in my mind) to travel alongside Isabella on her journeys and, spoiler alert, fall in love with each other along the way. And so, the idea for my Bird’s-Eye View series was born.
However, it took my kids getting older and my paid job going from full- to part-time to finally find the time (and courage) to act on that desire. Book 1, The Wayfaring Widow, includes the sights, sounds, and people Isabella encountered in her 1854 trip to America from the point of view of heroine, Victoria Clarke, and hero, Harrison Wright. Both characters have emotional (and even physical) wounds from their past that they overcome during the story to find hope, healing, and happily-ever-after in each other.
Christina: What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Casey: Creating the characters and watching them come to life on the page is probably my favorite part of writing. Yes, it’s intimidating to stare at the blinking cursor on a blank page after typing “Chapter 1,” but I am more of a plotter, so by this time I would have already spent a few months formulating my characters, what hobbies they have, what makes them tick, what flaws do they have that they must overcome during the story, how they will directly attack each other’s flaws, etc.
Then, when rereading what I’ve written, I get goosebumps (the good kind) as I watch the characters change and grow (and yes, fall in love too). Creating something from nothing and sharing it with others who find enjoyment in it as well has truly been the best part of this author gig.
Christina: Can you share any challenges you faced during the research or writing process?
Casey: Isabella wrote and published first-hand accounts of her trips, so those have been excellent resources to guide my research. However, her books didn’t necessarily account for everything I needed to know, especially the timing of travel in those days. I made a lot of “if a train left Boston at 11:11 am, what time would it arrive in Cleveland” inquiries of search engines during my research.
In writing, I find editing the most challenging (and loathsome). After spending a year writing the draft and then several months revising, including incorporating comments from an editor I hired, I nearly cried when I had even more extensive edits to do upon receiving the feedback from my publisher’s editor. But most of that was fighting my mindset. When I opened myself up to the feedback and saw it as a way to improve my story, that’s when I really learned how to be a writer.
Christina: How do you develop your characters? Do they come to you fully formed, or do they reveal themselves as you write?
Casey: I really focus on what flaw or flaws the character must overcome during the story. Flaws can be a lack of self-worth (like Victoria) or the inability to get over the past (like Harrison) or things like rashness, greed, etc. It’s these flaws that drive the conflict in the story. I usually find ways for the hero and heroine to attack each other’s flaws (like Harrison’s comments made in protection of his declared bachelor status directly impacting Victoria’s lack of self-worth). And for the circumstances of the journey to do so as well (sickness, storms, duels, dances). It’s through this “trial by fire” that my characters discover they are worthy of true love (my theme for my novels).
And while I like to think I have everything worked out about my characters when I sit down to actually write, sometimes they surprise me. For example, Harrison’s penchant for writing poetry developed during the writing process.
Christina: I love when characters surprise us! If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives, what would it be?
Casey: Don’t give up! Creating is HARD. Getting that creation out into the world is HARDER. The process will try and test you, make you question “why am I even doing this?” multiple times. The only thing that can truly drown out the naysayers (including yourself) is to be passionate about what you’re creating and have a “why” that doesn’t depend on the “numbers” of that creative business (sales, reviews, followers, newsletter subscribers, etc).
Christina: Great advice! What has been the most rewarding part of your publishing journey?
Casey: Sharing in the joy of creating something with friends, family members, and readers. Publishing a book has been a dream of mine for more than a decade. Persevering through all the ups and downs, finally holding that paperback in my hand after countless hours of work, has been unbelievably rewarding. I hope that through my example, my daughters will know they, too, can achieve anything they set their minds to. The outpouring of support from my family, friends, and readers, forging connections with others throughout the process, has been immensely rewarding. I truly couldn’t have weathered the “downs” of this journey without that encouragement.
Christina: Now for some fun! What is your favorite snack to get your creative juices flowing?
Casey: I’m mostly grain-free, so I satisfy my craving for crunchy, salty snacks with Siete’s cassava chips. Thankfully, Costco stocks them in gargantuan bags. That, and lots of chewing gum. Apparently, I write best when my jaw keeps moving.
Christina: What book are you reading right now?
Casey: I’m reading Beth Brower’s “The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion” series. ADORE! Witty, charming, historical setting, romance. All the things I love.
Christina: If your book were made into a movie, who would you cast as the main character(s)?
Casey: I’m terrible with knowing who actors and actresses are, but I love making castings like this (not to be read as I’m good at it, though). After much Googling, here are my picks:
- Victoria (28-year-old widow, black hair, blue eyes, reserved/quiet): Mackenzie Foy
- Harrison (29-year-old declared bachelor, attorney, brown hair, amber eyes, secretly writes poetry): Cody Christian (with beard)
- Isabella (23-years-old in 1854, charismatic, enigmatic, always sees in the good in things, always up for an adventure): Emilia Clarke
Christina: What upcoming writing projects are you working on?
Casey: Right now, the edits for Book 2, An Island Intrigue, are underway. It will release September 8, 2026, with Scrivenings Press! This story takes place nineteen years after The Wayfaring Widow and tracks Isabella’s trip to the Hawaiian Islands in 1873. Georgina Wright, Harrison’s younger sister who was about three-years-old in Book 1, now gets her adventure! Her flaw is naïve impulsivity which conflicts with the personality of her guarded and reserved traveling companion, Dr. Joseph Livingston.
And in any free time I have, continuing to write Book 3, The Mail-Order Muddle. It’s due to my publisher November of this year, with a publication date of September 7, 2027. Seems far away now, but there’s lots of work to be done to get it there!
Christina: I’m looking forward to Book 2! Thank you so much for visiting with us, Casey!
If you’d like to know more about Casey or her books, check out these links below:
Website: www.caseycline.com
Newsletter subscription (FREE novella for signing up): www.caseycline.com/subscribe
Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest/Bookbub/Goodreads/Amazon, etc: https://linktr.ee/authorcaseycline
thank you so much for this opportunity! What a fun conversation!