Happy December! The holiday season is in full swing, so I’m especially grateful to today’s guest for doing this interview! (She also just had a birthday, so be sure to send her belated wishes…)
Please help me welcome Kelsie Stelting!
Kelsie Stelting grew up in the middle of nowhere. (Also known as western Kansas.) Her rural upbringing taught her how to get her hands dirty and work hard for what she believes in. Plus, not having neighbors in a 10-mile radius as a child and traveling the world as an adult made her develop a pretty active imagination. Kelsie loves writing honest fiction that readers can vacation in, as well as traveling, volunteering, ice cream, loving on her family, and soaking up just a little too much sun wherever she can find it.
Kelsie and I first met in one of the many Facebook writing groups I’m in, and really got to know each other when she wrangled up eight writers to be a part of a young adult contemporary romance anthology. (Yes, the one I’ve mentioned before.) Kelsie not only organized the anthology and wrote a story for it—she edited and produced the book! It’s been a pleasure to get to know her over the past year and I’m happy to call her a friend.
Her latest book, Abi and the Boy Next Door, is a young adult contemporary romance novel with diverse characters, a ride or die group of friends, and a teenage girl who’s still figuring it all out. If you liked Sierra Burgess is a Loser, Dumplin’, or Sugar, it’s the perfect book for you!
Keep reading to learn more!
It’s the first day at my new school and I already have a wide load sticker on my back.
But this is still better than life was before. Before I was taken away from my parents. Before I moved in with my grandma.
Before I met Jon Scoller.
He’s cute, he lives down the street, but the guy asks way too many questions. Questions about a past I’d rather forget.
And I am not his type. He needs to be with a cheerleader. A perfect girl. Someone who doesn’t look like the before picture for a weight loss shake.
Jon makes me feel like I’m more than a number on the scale, but I’m starting to wonder: does he feel the same way or does he just feel sorry for me?
Buy Abi and the Boy Next Door
Now for the fun stuff!
What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?
My favorite genre is contemporary young adult. I particularly enjoy coming of age stories and watching characters come into themselves despite great challenges. I also love a sweet adult romance! I do write what I read.
I’m the same way. I keep saying I’m going to branch out, but there are so many good books in our genre!
What’s your favorite part about writing?
My favorite part about writing is escaping into another character and experiencing life through someone else’s eyes. It’s an incredible, freeing experience that allows me to connect with others on such a deep level.
That connection is what I most love about writing. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of escaping INTO a character, but that’s so true.
What’s the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part about writing is that there are so many stories I’d love to tell, and not enough time.
Preach.
What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?
I love doing hot yoga! I’m generally a fairly anxious person, so getting in tune with my body and sweating it out for an hour is amazing.
I’m beginning to think I need to try yoga—like go to an actual class. You’re the fourth person to mention it in as many days!
Who’s your biggest cheerleader?
I am. I believe in the work that I do enough to dedicate myself to it. Fortunately, I’m not my only cheerleader! I have the most supportive husband in the world who is a constant source of encouragement, and my entire family has rallied behind me and my writing. I couldn’t be more grateful for them.
I’m so glad you have an amazing support system!
Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!
Introvert or extrovert?
INTROVERT.
Morning or night person?
I’m a night person living in a morning person world.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon!
Sweet or salty?
Sweet, for sure.
Eternal summer or four seasons?
SUMMER. Give me some sunshine, and I’m happy.
Mountains or beach?
Beach.
Dogs or cats?
DOGS! (Two papillons to be exact!)
Over 5’5” or under?
Over, but not by much.
Left or right-handed?
Right.
Hoodie or yoga pants?
Yoga pants.
I LOVE your answer to morning or night. That is totally me! Although, I feel like that’s the case for a lot of writers.
Kelsie, thank you SO MUCH for spending time with us! Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m so thankful for Melanie and the young adult author community! On top of being an incredible writer, Melanie is a great friend.
Likewise! To my readers, you can find Kelsie online here:
Website | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
If you missed the previous interviews, you can read them here.
