Featured Author | Kelly Siskind

After a successful career as a chef and entrepreneur in the fine cheese and gourmet food shop industry, Kelly Siskind was ready for a new adventure. Exploring the interior of British Columbia with her husband, the couple found space and adventure in the beautiful mountain town of Fernie. The friendly vibe captured their imaginations and hearts, and they made the move permanent in 2023.

Siskind is an obsessive reader, whose love of books gradually evolved into a love of writing, which began with a couple of attempts at completed works and many rejections. Her third book, however, was entered into a writing contest on Twitter, which matched her with a mentor. Under her mentor’s tutelage, she revised her book, which led to a 4-book deal with Hachette Book Group under the romance line, Forever Yours.

Her first book was published in 2016, and she now has three unique series in print featuring over a dozen titles. In an unusual move, her Bower Boys series is mostly from the male perspective – an interesting twist on the typical romance novel. Raising the temperature further, the One Wild Wish series features spicier romance with loads of banter as three girlfriends vow to make their birthday wishes come true, finding love along the way.

Talking about her vision when writing, she explains ‘Romance, by definition, has to have a happily-ever after. People read these novels to feel good, which gives them a sense of control in this very uncontrollable world we’re living in.’

Her novel New Orleans Rush is a great fall read. Loosely inspired by the Carrie Underwood song, ‘Before He Cheats,’ about keying a cheating ex’s car, the heroine in this story reenacts the lyrics… but she accidentally keys the wrong man’s car, leading the reader on a fun-filled romp through the magical streets of New Orleans.

Siskind hosts writing workshops at the Fernie Heritage Library, and she was a guest speaker at a literary conference in Calgary. She also offers developmental editing services for emerging and established authors.  

Kellysiskind.com