Carley Fortune watches her novel become Prime Video series

Author Carley Fortune watched her debut novel come to life on screen this week when Prime Video released Every Year After, an eight-episode adaptation of Every Summer After that has already topped the streamer's TV charts in both Canada and the United States.

Fortune, a former Toronto Life editor who left journalism to write fiction full-time in 2020, has published five novels in five years, all of which became number-one New York Times bestsellers. The series follows Persephone "Percy" Fraser, who returns home to Barry's Bay for a memorial service and confronts Sam Florek—her childhood best friend, first love, and the one who got away.

Fortune watched the first episode from a Vancouver hotel room and found herself sobbing during the opening scene, despite having read the script. "Even though I had read the script and knew what it would be, it was very emotional for me," she said. "The series is a great adaptation—and I love the new storylines that help open it up for multiple seasons. I can watch it from the perspective of both an author and a fan."

Showrunner Amy B. Harris had been nervous about Fortune's reaction, but the author's response affirmed the adaptation's quality. Fortune credits her journalism training with teaching her to work on deadline and manage the relentless pace of her current life. Two more TV adaptations are in development, including one from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's production company.

Balancing it all has meant hiring her best friend as an assistant a year and a half ago—a necessary move as demands on her time have grown with each book cycle. Her challenge now is protecting time to actually write while managing months of back-to-back promotion cycles. "I want this moment to sink in because it's so special—yet I also have to think about what I want my life to look like," she said.