About Kelly

I have been making up stories for as long as I can remember. I have endless notebooks and journals full of old stories that are so bad they make me laugh until I cry. Among those is my first novel, which I completed at the age of fifteen. It was a Backstreet Boys fan fiction. (Yes, it’s okay to laugh. My family always does.) I love fan fiction. I wrote fan fiction for a number of years in such fandoms as The Backstreet Boys, Smallville, Supernatural, NCIS, Castle, Firefly, and Veronica Mars. (And no, I will not tell you what my fanfic author name was. A girl has to have some secrets. Haha.)

Despite my writing habit, I never recognized myself as a writer and never had any clue what I wanted to do when I grew up. I attended college at BYU Idaho (Ricks for those of you as old as me) for three semesters and was three different majors. I started with voice performance, then switched to general education because I hated music theory that much, and finally I ended with outdoor recreation. (Park Ranger Kelly would have been cool.) I probably would have stuck with that one, but I ended up getting married and dropped out of school to move with my husband to Los Angeles.

It wasn’t until I became a stay-at-home mom and found myself stuck all day in a 600 sq. ft. apartment with no TV, no cell phone, no Internet, and no car (yeah, we were that broke), that I started writing a lot again. After a few years of people telling me I should get published, I decided to self publish and let the chips fall where they may.

Over a decade, dozens of books, and two pen names later, I am humbled at the success I’ve had. I’m thrilled that my stories are available worldwide in many different languages. Of course I’ve had my bumps in the road, and some of those potholes were doozies. But there have been so many more blessings: bills paid, best-seller lists, awards, book signings, workshops, school visits, and a couple movie options, but no movie yet. Hopefully someday! I’ve even read a few fanfics based on my books, which tickles me pink more than I can say. And, if you can believe it, there are even handful of children in the world who have been named after characters of mine! Mind-blowing. And so, so, so humbling. My readers are incredible!

But through all of this, my most rewarding successes are the heartfelt emails I get from readers. I want to cry every time someone says my books inspired them or helped them through hard times. I thank my Lord and Savior every day that I get to do what I love, and I sincerely appreciate each and every person who reads my books. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.