Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Author of CAPSIZED
A mystery and coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of an elite all-girls rowing club as they navigate first loves, first heartbreaks, and the bonds that form when winning isn’t the only thing on the line.
Now being adapted for Hulu, along with the producer of Pretty Little Liars!
For high-achieving Margaret Douglas, rowing is everything—her friends, her family, and her way into college. As a senior and varsity captain, she’s sacrificed everything to get where she is. But after mysteriously disappearing over the summer, rumors swirl: Was Margaret at Olympic training? Rehab? House arrest? Whatever happened, it haunts her . . . and when she returns at the beginning of the season, Margaret discovers that the sisterhood she once knew has moved on without her.
Meanwhile, spunky freshman and new girl Jo Bryant is being forced to row by her father: a former Olympian, a Boston legend, and the person Jo blames for her parents’ divorce. Jo knows nothing about the sport, or why Margaret’s return has everyone at the boathouse whispering, but she does know Margaret is the only person who doesn’t treat her like a joke.
For both girls, the varsity team is a fierce, messy found family; a sisterhood earned in five a.m. wake-ups and blistered hands. But there are secrets and scandals waiting to surface—and with the biggest race of the year on the horizon, Margaret, Jo, and their teammates are about to find out just how deep they go.
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Author I draw inspiration from:
Ally Carter (The Gallagher Girls series), Taylor Jenkins Reid (Atmosphere), Megan McCafferty (Sloppy Firsts), James Patterson (Maximum Ride)
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My bed on a sunny Sunday morning, a Dunkin iced coffee at my side!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Evelyn Hugo from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I would love to listen to her stories about life and love in old Hollywood for as long as possible!
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I remember wanting to be an author and "writing" my first book in kindergarten. I didn't know how to spell, so I drew squiggles for the words, and my grandmother translated it afterwards.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardbacks are my favorite! I love how crisp and orderly they are, and I color-code all the books on my shelves at home. Paperback is my choice for travel or otherwise being on the go, and I always have at least one book on my person (in my purse, my car, etc.). As for audiobooks, I'm admittedly not the biggest fan, because I have a hard time focusing. However, they have come in VERY handy when I'm running behind for bookclub and can listen at 2x speed during the car ride over!
The last book I read:
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. And I LOVE it! Everything about this book is exquisite -- especially how the authors play into the beauty of the unsaid/unexplained. I can't recommend it enough.
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I will spend days procrastinating with pen, paper, notecards, cork boards, markers, stickies -- anything and everything tangible. It helps me "see" the story, and I plot most of my books based on the structure I've learned working in a TV writers' room. But my actual drafting happens at a keyboard -- because once I get into a flow, my thoughts usually goes too fast for my handwriting to keep up.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Jo March from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I grew up one town over from Alcott's real life Orchard House, and one of my favorite thing to do as a kid was put on plays with my sister. I feel like Jo and I would be able to spend hours playing make believe (and/or chatting about the publishing industry).
Author Interview - Charlotte Lillie Balogh | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Art restorer & historian! I personally have no idea how to paint, but I have a friend who went to school for chemistry and art restoration, and I am fascinated by what she does. I love the idea of being involved in recovering a lost story or history, especially with a piece of art.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 90s! And as a 90s baby, I had a ton of fun writing about 90s fashion trends in my debut YA novel: Kill the Lax Bro.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Italy! I'm working on a book about my great-great-great-great grandmother who lived in Verona in the 1830s. I've been lucky enough to visit in the past, and I'd love to go on another research trip.
My signature drink:
When I'm writing: coffee! When I'm editing: taro milk tea with boba! When I'm venting: spicy margaritas! When I'm celebrating: prosecco!
Favorite artist:
Sandra Chevrier! She is a prolific painter and muralist who specializes with repurposing imagery from comic books. I've always loved superheroes and worked at DC Entertainment for several years, and I was literally AWESTRUCK the first time I saw her work at the Wynwood Walls.
Number one on my bucket list:
This might be a tiny one: but I desperately want to take the overnight train from LA to Seattle. I'd bring a book to read, a notebook for people watching, and indulge in the views from the glass top car.
Anything else you'd like to add:
In addition to writing, I also currently work as a girls' rowing coach -- which was part of what inspired my new book, CAPSIZED!
Find more from the author:
@charlottelilliebalogh (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack)
About Charlotte Lillie Balogh:
Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Charlotte Lillie Balogh is an author, a screenwriter, and a comic book writer born and raised outside Boston. She self-published her first book at sixteen years old and later graduated as a Remembrance Scholar from Syracuse University. CLB is a lifelong superhero fanatic, and she launched into the television and film industry by working at DC Entertainment on projects including Wonder Woman 1984 and the CW’s Stargirl. When she’s not writing, CLB mentors young women through RowLA and WriteGirl, helping to create the next generation of real-life superheroes. She is the author of KILL THE LAX BRO (available now), CAPSIZED (available September 8, 2026), and is currently adapting the CAPSIZED pilot for Hulu.
