Fated Mates S08.20: Trailblazer Lisa Kleypas

Podcast: Fated Mates – Romance Books for Novel People
Hosts: Sarah MacLean & Jennifer Prokop
Guest: Lisa Kleypas
Date: February 4, 2026
Theme: Honoring Lisa Kleypas as a romance genre trailblazer—her career, her influential characters, her philosophy on writing, female friendship in romance, and her forthcoming novel Queen of Lombard Street.

Episode Overview

This episode is a celebratory “Trailblazer” profile of bestselling romance author Lisa Kleypas, released to coincide with Derek Craven Day—Fated Mates’ fan-created “holiday” honoring Kleypas’s iconic hero. Hosts Sarah MacLean and Jennifer Prokop guide a rich, personal conversation with Lisa, exploring her influences, her landmark books (particularly those that revolutionized the romance hero archetype), how female friendship defines her pivotal series, her willingness to experiment across genres, and the community surrounding romance writing. The episode closes with a hilarious and heartfelt round of “Would Derek Craven…”—answering fan questions about the beloved hero’s hypothetical opinions and behaviors.

Key Discussion Points

1. Why Romance? Lisa’s Origin Story

[04:50] Lisa Kleypas shares her early love of books (“I was always a huge reader”)—from Little Women to the Brontës—and describes growing up steeped in Concord, Massachusetts's literary culture.

• Lisa's early passion for romance led her as a high schooler to save waitressing wages to attend a romance writers conference, where she forged connections (notably with editor Ellen Edwards at Avon) that sparked her writing career.
• Quote:

  “Once you start your first romance novel, that’s it. You are compelled to keep writing them until you get one published.” [06:51]

2. Early Career, Evolution, and Editorial Influence

Lisa details her first, unpublished attempts (“I wrote five novels, I think, and then the fifth one finally got accepted” [09:02]), and the impact of editor Ellen Edwards in pushing her toward bolder, more experimental stories, particularly those not centered on traditionally aristocratic heroes.

• Early books were “imitative”; she experimented with subgenres (Regency, Civil War, Western Time Travel).
• Ellen encouraged her to “free up your imagination—write something unusual” [11:57].

3. Derek Craven and Trailblazing the Working-Class Hero

Focusing on Then Came You and Dreaming of You, Kleypas and the hosts dive deep into the decision to elevate Derek Craven—a rough-edged, working-class character—to leading man, a radical move in 90s historical romance.

• Quote:

  “He was not the sort of character that you would ever have as a hero … he has a cockney accent, he’s a grave robber, uneducated…” [13:53]

• Lisa’s desire to write heroes who don’t hold all the power (“I was so tired already of … the hero had all the money... he has all the cards and there’s no challenge.” [15:06]).
• The impact: Lisa’s working-class heroes created a new archetype and left an imprint on the genre.

4. What Makes a Kleypas Hero?

Kleypas articulates her preference for heroes with “purpose and power, but not through entitlement.” [20:14]

• Preference for “men with skills” and those affected by the rise of industry, not simply landed titles.
• Themes of “hardship, vulnerability, and the relief of connection.”
• Quote:

  “I have a lot of heroes that have a real sense of inferiority and a lot of baggage, and so they’re all very driven… Once you make that connection, it’s like a relief… you’re with this person and now you’re going to be safe.” [41:33]

5. World-Building and Female Friendship: The Wallflowers Era

The hosts and Lisa explore the Wallflowers series—its shift away from family-focused series toward a core of female friendship—seen as a radical commercial risk at the time.

• Wallflowers inspired by her own community experiences (“I love world-building… seeing what happens with some characters in the next book.” [27:55])
• The strength of the series is the persistence of friendship after marriage—a direct answer to “the belief that you’re gonna fall in love and leave your friends behind.” [34:35]
• Quote:

  “The point of the series was these four female friends.” [36:03]

6. On Commercial Success and Creative Risk

The Wallflowers was Lisa’s commercial breakthrough, but she stresses she “never felt settled or, you know, quote, successful in that sense. You have to keep challenging yourself.” [36:30]

7. From Villain to Hero: The Saint Vincent Phenomenon

• The hosts discuss Devil in Winter and why readers (and Lisa) feel it's magic.
• Writing St. Vincent was “an obsession… That book wrote itself in like two and a half months.” [40:25]
• Other books where she recaptured that energy: Marrying Winterborne, Love in the Afternoon.

8. Complex Heroines & Historical Limitations

• Challenges of writing heroines who are as compelling as heroes given historical constraints.
• Pandora (from the Ravenels) as a personal favorite, reflecting Lisa’s own ADHD and drive.
• Focused on real historical women—e.g., Garrett Gibson inspired by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson.
• Frustration at lack of documented women in history: “Less than half a percent of all recorded human history is actually about women.” [48:03]

9. On American-Set and Contemporary Romances

• Attempts to write historicals set in America complicated by “problematic” aspects of U.S. history (“I’m not comfortable with creating an alternate… history…” [25:02]).
• Discussion of her contemporary Texas-set novels and how Sugar Daddy was a “hybrid” ahead of its time, blending romance and women’s fiction, and why publishing was hesitant.
• Quote:

  “At the time, there was much more of a sense of, you know, pick one thing or pick your lane and stay in your lane. To me, you need to give the story whatever sorts of angles and interesting shapes as you can.” [65:15]

10. Upcoming Novel: Queen of Lombard Street

• Inspired by her own health crisis and a sense of wanting “more” from the genre.
• Centers on a female economist/banker in 1880s England, navigating financial independence, forming a found family of ex-convicts, and tackling white-collar crime—with a powerful romance at its core.
• Mixed-genre, twice as long as her typical book (“like 150-something thousand words, so it’s a big book with a lot going on in it.” [58:43])
• “If I die, I’m happy that I’ve written this book.” [58:57]

11. Community & Mission: The Reader’s Experience

• Personal story of losing everything in a flood, and the comfort a romance novel provided; that sense of responsibility motivates her to always “do the best book I can do.” [72:39 | See opener and 00:00 in transcript]
• The vital power of the romance community, both writer and reader—to support, uplift, and push the genre forward.
• Quote:

  “If there’s ever a woman sitting on the bathroom floor, reading a book for comfort… if it’s mine, it better be the best book that I can do.” [75:00]

12. Mentorship, Romance’s Legacy, and Genre History

• Grateful for the friendship and mentorship of other authors, editors, and community, especially during hardships ("the Flood is an example of the romance community" [77:06]).
• Reflected on her place as a “trailblazer”—especially the impact of the working-class hero.
• Quote:

  “Bringing in working-class people and all the intensity that those types of characters bring with them has, has hopefully left a mark.” [79:52]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lisa Kleypas (on the importance of romance):

  “Romance publishing takes off because woman is no longer the B plot. We’re the A plot.” [29:21]

• Sarah MacLean (on Derek Craven’s impact):

  “Derek Craven feels transformational. … all of your heroes, I feel like, come from that sort of DNA.” [81:49]

• On reader-author connection:

  “There are real women reading our books who have real lives and real problems. … I think there’s not a single novel I’ve written since 1998 where I haven’t been aware of that somebody might be reading it who really needs it.” [76:00]

Not-to-Miss Segments/Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------------------------| | 00:00 | Lisa’s flood anecdote and the life-saving power of romance novels
| 13:00 | The moment Lisa “invented” Derek Craven, the working-class romance hero
| 27:55 | Inception of the Wallflowers and why she centered friendship over family
| 36:30 | On never feeling complacent and always pushing boundaries
| 40:25 | The almost magical ease and creative obsession of writing Devil in Winter
| 48:03 | The invisibility of women in history and mining archives for heroines
| 58:42 | The stakes, structure, and “why” of Queen of Lombard Street
| 72:39 | On writing for women “who really need it”
| 84:05+ | Extended “Would Derek Craven…” round—fun, canon-expanding, and affirming
| 93:39 | Finale: Lisa’s feelings on being recognized as a trailblazer, gratitude, and love for her readers

Would Derek Craven… (Fan Questions & Lisa’s Responses)

This beloved audience-interactive segment closes out the episode with Lisa herself adjudicating a series of hilarious, illuminating questions about Derek Craven’s hypothetical behaviors (84:05–94:00):

• Would he buy tampons for you?
  Lisa: “Oh, yes. Yes.”

• Would he donate to charity anonymously?
  Lisa: “Yes… he just wants to do the good it’s going to do. He doesn’t want attention for that.” [87:25]

• Would he use 3-in-1 shampoo?
  Lisa: “No, I think he’s going to use fancy shampoo.” [88:32]

• Would Derek Craven watch Heated Rivalry?
  Lisa: “Oh, yes.” (because “he’s seen it all—he has very few hangups.”) [86:41]

• Would Derek Craven clean his own gutters?
  Lisa: “No, no, no, no.” (everyone laughs)

• Would he win at Traitors?
  Lisa: “Oh, he would win it...” (unanimous agreement)

Concluding Reflections

The episode showcases Lisa Kleypas’s generosity and candor as both a craftswoman and a human being. Her impact on the romance genre—particularly in shifting the paradigm toward working-class heroes and celebrating women’s friendship and agency—is undisputed by the hosts and demonstrably beloved by readers.

Above all, Lisa’s care for her audience—writing for “the woman sitting on the bathroom floor who really needs it”—is palpable throughout. Her willingness to challenge conventions while delivering stories of comfort, joy, and empowerment solidifies her legacy as a true romance trailblazer.

Further Info

• Queen of Lombard Street publishes October 20th, 2026 (hardcover). Features a pioneering female banker, a Welsh undercover detective, found family, and romance against a high-stakes backdrop.
• Find Lisa online: lisakleypas.com and on Instagram (new presence incoming).
• All things Derek Craven Day and episode transcripts: fatedmates.net

For New Listeners

If you’re a romance fan or just romance-curious, this episode is a masterclass in both the genre’s history and heart. Whether you’re looking for reading recommendations, genre context, or simply joined to celebrate Derek Craven, you’ll find affirmation, inspiration, and laughter with Fated Mates and Lisa Kleypas.