United States, 12th Nov 2025 – First-time author Carla Janey has entered the literary world with The Long Deep Kiss, a candid and evocative coming-of-age novel set in the familiar rhythms of a rural Pennsylvania high school. Part nostalgic reflection and part unflinching exploration, Janey’s debut offers readers an intimate look at the complicated terrain of teenage life where longing collides with expectation, and the desire to belong pushes against the boundaries of small-town norms.
The novel centers on Terri Lightner, a diligent but restless senior at Westbrook High. Terri is bright, witty, and driven, but beneath her academic success lies a gnawing sense of isolation and a yearning for something more. Her heart is drawn to Calvin Whittaker, a football player who shares her intelligence but struggles with his contradictions. Surrounding Terri is a tight-knit group of friends, each navigating their dramas, and her younger sister Cheri, whose boldness and unapologetic choices clash with Terri’s cautious approach to life and love.
The author, Carla Janey, grew up in rural Central Pennsylvania, only a few miles from where her novel unfolds. She studied Biology at Thiel College, a background that speaks to her discipline and love of detail, but it is her lived experiences that shape the emotional honesty of her fiction. Now raising two young sons with her husband, Janey turns to storytelling as a way to preserve memory, reimagine youth, and spark conversations about identity, choices, and the many forms of courage. The Long Deep Kiss is her first published work, and though it is not autobiographical, it is steeped in the echoes of her own teenage years.
From tense classroom scenes and whispered conversations in crowded cafeterias to the anticipation of homecoming games and dances, Janey captures the universal push and pull of adolescence. Readers see Terri’s longing, Cheri’s rebellion, and the ways both sisters grapple with the same question: how do you carve out your identity when everyone is watching?
While The Long Deep Kiss vividly portrays high school life in the late 20th-century small-town setting, its themes are timeless. The novel addresses the thrill and vulnerability of first love, the friction between sisters, and the sting of disappointment when carefully laid plans unravel. It asks deeper questions about the meaning of intimacy, the risks of rebellion, and the quiet resilience it takes to move forward after setbacks.
Janey’s characters feel authentic because they are not idealized; they are flawed, conflicted, and often funny in their missteps. Terri’s sharp humor masks her self-doubt, while Cheri’s boldness sometimes leaves her vulnerable. This balance between wit and weight is what gives the novel its staying power.
“I wanted to tell a story that feels true,” Janey says. “Teen years are often painted as either perfect or disastrous. But they are more complicated than that. They’re awkward and exhilarating at the same time. I wanted to write a book that young readers could relate to and that older readers could look back on and say, ‘Yes, I remember exactly what that felt like.’”
Early readers have noted the novel’s brisk pacing and cinematic quality, with dialogue that feels both contemporary and grounded. The tension between Terri and Cheri adds an emotional core that elevates the story beyond a simple tale of high school crushes. Instead, The Long Deep Kiss reads like a mirror, reflecting both the intensity of youth and the lasting imprint those years leave on adulthood. Readers looking for honesty wrapped in humor and heartache will find themselves returning to these characters again and again.
The book, The Long Deep Kiss, by Carla Janey, is available on Amazon and across other leading platforms.
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Organization: Robert Carr
Contact Person: Robert Carr
Website: http://carlajaney.com/
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Contact Number: +18434331063
Country:United States
Release id:36592
View source version on King Newswire:
Debut Novel The Long Deep Kiss Explores Teen Emotions
