From childhood nightmares to bestselling success, Kellene has turned her vivid imagination into a thriving writing career. What started as a way to cope with anxiety grew into something much bigger—a journey that led her from Inkitt to a publishing deal with Galatea.
In this exclusive interview, Kellene opens up about her writing process, the challenges she’s overcome, and the powerful themes behind her work.
What was it like seeing your story gain traction on Inkitt?
Kellene: It was surprising! I wasn’t expecting it. The one that was initially gaining traction had about 17,000 reads, and I thought, “Maybe I’ll beat that one.” But it really surpassed that—the last time I checked it was over 200,000 reads.
Were there any key moments on Inkitt, like reader feedback or engagement, that paved your way to signing with Galatea?
Kellene: There were helpful comments from readers. For example, originally I did the French dialogue wrong because of Google Translate, and someone corrected me in the comments.
How did you first discover Inkitt, and what was your early experience like on the platform?
Kellene, author on Inkitt and Galatea
Kellene: I’ve been writing since I was little. It’s one of the ways I cope with my anxiety because I had extremely bad nightmares, which I later learned was a side effect from ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was 29. Writing helped me cope with the anxiety from my nightmares.
My husband encouraged me to share my stories because he thought they were really good. I did research, and Inkitt seemed the most friendly platform out there. Looking at Reddit reviews, people talked about how Wattpad is ruthless and Web Novel was super competitive. What I liked about Inkitt is that you could post what you wanted, and readers would give feedback but be nicer about it. You also had control of your own work, unlike some websites that require contracts to post your work.
Did Inkitt’s analytics or engagement features help you shape or refine your story?
Kellene: It didn’t really refine the story, but it helped me figure out the best way to gain traction is not to post the book all at once, but to release chapters consistently—not every day, but maybe every other day as a reminder. If you make readers wait too long, they get upset.
What advice would you give to other Inkitt authors hoping to sign a Galatea contract?
Kellene: Honestly, just have fun with it. If you’re having fun, other people will like your story. If you’re having a hard time writing, chances are readers will sense that you’re not into it.
Don’t stress about timing—my story was posted for over a year before I got noticed by Galatea. It doesn’t happen right away. As long as your book is still gaining traction even after you’ve finished posting, you’re doing well. Mine calmed down for a while, then suddenly shot back up again. This was actually my sixth book posted on Inkitt before I got the contract.
What inspired you to become an author? Was there a specific moment that sparked your passion for storytelling?
Kellene: A really bad nightmare that I couldn’t get out of my head. I wrote it down and twisted it into how I wanted it to go. That helped me control the nightmares. I started doing this around junior high, during puberty when everything goes into overdrive.
Can you tell me a bit about your first story?
Kellene: My first story came from those vivid dreams I had in junior high and high school. It was about getting chased down by someone constantly trying to hurt me. The dreams were so vivid I would wake up with bruises on my arms. I would twist the narrative into how I would fight back against whatever was attacking me. That’s also why I write a lot of strong female characters—standing up to abusive forces.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your writing journey, and how have you overcome them?
Kellene: Lots of self-confidence issues. I’ve overcome that through having a very supportive and interested partner. He’s always telling me I need to publish and try because it’s what I want to do. I needed to get out of my own head—that’s why I never posted when I was younger. During COVID, I thought “might as well” try posting, and I started getting good feedback.
What authors or books have influenced your writing style the most?
Kellene: Maria V. Snyder—I love her Poison Study series and Glass series. And I know it’s cheesy, but Stephanie Meyer with Twilight, particularly the werewolf elements.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? World-building, dialogue, plotting?
Kellene: World-building. I love writing different worlds because when it’s in a different world, it doesn’t have to apply to this world’s logic or physics. You have more freedom to write.
Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?
Kellene: Definitely a pantser. I can’t plan out plots. I get ideas of what I want in there, and then I evolve it from there. I can’t outline it and make it go a strategic way. Sometimes when I’m writing, it goes a completely separate way than what I wanted, and I’m surprised by it.
What do you want readers to know as they meet Celina in the world you created?
Kellene: She’s very calculated, very sarcastic, and she has a very hard wall. That’s because of all the trauma she’s gone through. But it’s made her into the perfect alpha and later into the perfect queen of the beast.
What do you want your readers to take away from the book?
Kellene: Just because you face a lot of trauma in your life, you don’t have to make it your identity, but you can certainly build on it to make yourself stronger. Always learn to move on, but never fully forget what happened in the past. Don’t let the past hold you back.
What makes your book different from other omegaverse novels?
Kellene: In a lot of werewolf novels, the female protagonist is getting rejected and trying to do everything to prove she’s perfect, while the guy is always trying to rescue her because she’s weak or fragile. In my book, Celina is taking out her own mate. She grew up realizing she’d probably never be mated and learned to be self-sufficient. She has guys wanting her, and she’s the one who gets to do the rejecting.
She’s not the one asking “what do we do?”—she’s saying “let’s do this.” It’s like that Reese Witherspoon quote about how she hated playing characters who always ask “what do we do?” and wanted to play characters who say “this is what we do.” That’s Celina.
What’s the most rewarding part of being an author?
Kellene: Seeing people enjoy my book. I always grew up thinking everyone would hate my stories, that I wasn’t a good writer. Now I can physically see people enjoying my work, and it’s exciting. Not everyone will like what you do, but there are people out there who like what you’re writing. The engagement, people being excited for what you’re writing or wanting to see what you write next—that’s the fun part for me. They’re excited for you, happy for you, they want more. It’s encouraging.
Final Thoughts
Kellene’s journey is proof that great stories come from unexpected places. From turning nightmares into novels to building a fiercely independent female protagonist, she’s carved out a space in the Inkitt and Galatea community that resonates with readers worldwide.
Her advice? Have fun, keep writing, and don’t rush the process.
Whether you’re chasing a book deal or simply writing for the love of storytelling, success can come when you least expect it. And as Kellene’s experience shows, sometimes, the most powerful stories are the ones you never planned to tell.
