Lee Kelly, an entertainment lawyer by trade, just penned her third novel. I had the pleasure of reading it prior to its release, I could barely put it down. Kelly’s book, With Regrets, is a twisted dystopian adult thriller reminiscent of Big Little Lies and Bird Box. After reading the novel, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly and hearing all about her inspiration for her latest book.
What served as your inspiration for With Regrets?
Lee Kelly: I started teasing out the concept for With Regrets, my domestic survival thriller about a dinner party on the brink of the apocalypse, on an evening when I felt quite anxious leaving my young kids to attend an adults-only dinner… My husband and I were using a new sitter, as our parents and usual caregivers were unavailable, and I started spinning worst-case scenarios. I worried about whether the new sitter would be able to get the kids to bed and about what would happen if my son or daughter hurt themselves… or what would happen if there was a [worldwide emergency] and the power and phone lines went out, [making them unreachable].
LK: I tend to investigate my fears and insecurities [as] possible book ideas, and soon, I was teasing out those worries into a loose pitch. What if, during an adults-only dinner party, a worldwide, cataclysmic event strikes the Eastern Seaboard… and all the guests become trapped, unable to get home to their children? I’ve consumed a lot of post-apocalyptic stories in my time, but I realized I hadn’t seen many books about the end of the world that featured neighbors, friends, or frenemies. I also couldn’t recall a single domestic suspense novel where a dinner party devolved into guests scrambling for their lives because of a cataclysm.
I kept working on fleshing out this genre-blending concept and started to get really excited about this notion of combining a neighborhood drama with an apocalyptic thriller… but settling on the story’s shape, feel, and tone definitely took many iterations!
Do you believe that an apocalypse-like event could ever be possible?
LK: The first few weeks of the COVID-19 [pandemic] felt like we were living through an apocalypse, at least to me. Climate change, too, is a form of apocalypse, albeit a slower-moving one. But as for that cinematic type of global catastrophe that wipes out modern society near-instantly, I really do think anything is possible. Maybe that’s why I gravitate toward “what-if” storytelling and fiction so much!
Which five things would be in your apocalyptic survival kit?
LK: Oh, I love this question! I’m going to be practical here because my research for With Regrets has turned me into a bit of a “prepper myself” (I’d never heard of a “go bag” before starting… this story)! I’m also going to assume that power and modern communication go out during this hypothetical apocalypse and skip the natural choices like cell phones and phone chargers:
- A gallon of water (or two or three, depending on how big the bag is!)
- Non-perishable food: protein and dried fruit bars, cans of ready-made vegetables, peanut butter — as much as the bag will fit.
- A medic kit/first-aid kit.
- A flashlight.
- Local maps, assuming cell service has gone down so we can actually get out of Dodge (we are all so reliant on GPS and technology for directions!)
The book flap mentions author David Koepp. Do you draw inspiration from him? Who inspires you?
LK: I thought David Koepp’s Aurora was just brilliant. I very much enjoy stories like Koepp’s, which combine horrific or speculative or surreal elements with ultimately accessible, human-centered stories. Emily St. John Mandel, particularly her novel Station Eleven, is another inspiration, as is Mike Chen. One of my favorites of Chen’s is Here and Now and Then, which is essentially a father-daughter story explored through the concept of time travel. I also love Liane Moriarty and Ruth Ware, who are both such savvy commentators on female friendships and interpersonal politics.
Are any of the characters in With Regrets influenced by people you know?
LK: A friend recently asked me, after they finished reading With Regrets, if I was the main character, Liz. (Liz is a writer living in the suburbs and I am [also] a writer living in the suburbs, so I suppose it’s a natural assumption!) But the truth is, I’m all of the book’s characters on some level… I think writers often use their characters as vehicles through which to explore psychology and thorny topics and conversations; in that way, writing often serves as a type of therapy.
Like Liz, I did have a hard time acclimating to the suburbs [after life in]the city, and I very much struggled [with my family’s safety] during COVID-19. But like Pad ma, too, I struggled with postpartum [depression after] my first child’s birth. Like Britta, I feel the pressures of social media and society in general to always appear to be “on” and have it all together. And like Mabel, I do struggle to square the horrors of this world with the idea of a grand plan or design (although I desperately want to).
I was shocked to see you are an entertainment lawyer by trade. What inspired you to start writing?
LK: [When I was younger], I always answered “writer” when someone asked me what I planned on doing with my life. I went to law school because it seemed like a natural career path for someone who is interested in writing, reading, and research. But I always knew I wanted to write fiction in some capacity — I think I was writing my first true attempt at a novel while I was simultaneously studying for the California Bar Exam! It took years… and multiple story attempts before I was ready to shop a manuscript that I was proud of, and then after that, it took even [longer] to understand the business of submitting and publishing.
The wide array of characters and background stories you used in With Regrets allows almost everyone to see themselves in some aspect of the novel. Was that intentional?
LK: This question makes my day, because it is always my great intention to build a cast of relatable characters (or at least, empathetic characters). I always hope readers will be able to see themselves in the story through a character’s eyes or find a character familiar enough to anchor themselves in the novel. I’m thrilled that you found With Regrets to have such a cast!
Where can we find With Regrets (and your other novels) now that your latest book has hit shelves?
LK: With Regrets is available [at] all major retailers (Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and an array of wonderful independent bookstores). You can find paperback and electronic copies of my previous books — City of Savages, A Criminal Magic, and The Antiquity Affair — from [those] retailers as well.
It was so fun to talk to Lee Kelly and to get to know the story behind her creative process and writing journey. I hope you enjoy With Regrets as much as I did. If you read it, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Featured Photo by Ehteshamul Haque Adit on Unsplash.
