Welcome Chelsea and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey. I always enjoy reading your blog at Chelsea’s World of Books and I feel honored to have you join me here.
Me: Do you have any special plans for the winter? Or are there any activities that you participate in related to the season? Do you have a favorite season?
Chelsea: This winter, I’m planning to cozy up by our electric fireplace and drink lots of coffee. I also plan to wear each of my sheep sweaters (currently I’m up to three… I have one in red, one in green, and one in blue). This winter (as of November), I’m also out on sub with my first manuscript with my agent. We’re taking a pause in December, as publishing often shuts down this time of year, and then we’ll be back at it again, fresh starting in January 2026. Currently, for my writing projects, I’ve just completed the first draft of my third book in my early reader series and am now starting on the fourth. I will be sending both off to my editor toward the end of December 2025 and the beginning of January 2026.
Me: How long have you been writing?
Chelsea: The short answer is always. Literally as far back as I can remember. I’ve always had stories running through my head, and it only seemed natural to let them out by writing them down. I feel like it’s the only way I could think clearly or get anything done. Otherwise, my brain would be crowded with noisy characters making all kinds of ruckus.
As for my writing career, I started with independent publishing back in 2015. I published a few young adult novellas and a children’s book with my younger sister. At that time, I wasn’t really looking at my writing as anything more than a creative outlet and was writing just for the joy it brought me. But that changed with the publication of my first picture book, ADHD and Me, which was published in its first edition in 2017. This book was received with a great deal of love from readers. And suddenly, the writing wasn’t about just what it brought me anymore. It was about what I could bring to others.
A few years later, in 2019, after several life events that had me sidetracked, I found my way back to writing, and at the start of 2021, I made the decision to seriously pursue traditional publishing for the children’s market. And I never looked back. I fully immersed myself in the literary world, dedicating myself full-time to learning the craft of writing for the traditional kidlit market… something I had no prior knowledge of. I learned everything I could about all there was to know about kidlit rules and industry standards, from word counts, story structure, voice, pacing, age-appropriate problems, you name it. I formed my first critique group and joined organizations like Julie Hedlund’s 12×12, SCBWI, Courage to Create Community, attended webinars and took classes with writing schools like The Writing Barn, and Write Academy, and began participating in writing events and contests like Storystorm, Fall Writing Frenzy, 50 Precious Words, and many more.
Fast forward to four and a half, nearly five years later, my perseverance paid off. I landed my first four-book deal with an editor in August 2025 and signed with my dream literary agent in November 2025.
Me: Congratulations on landing your dream agent, that’s wonderful! So, what, or who inspired you to write your book, ADHD and Me?
Chelsea: ADHD and Me was a labor of love inspired by my childhood and personal experiences and feelings while growing up with ADHD. I wrote this book because I desperately wanted to give a voice to kids like me who shared these, or similar, big feelings and struggles, but didn’t know how to express them. And that is exactly what this book has been able to do.
The response I’ve received from parents and children at events I’ve done at local bookstores/schools, /libraries has been nothing short of wonderful. When I see someone tear up while reading (which happens often), and they thank me for writing this story for them, for their grandchild, or someone else close to them, or when a little reader tells me “that’s how I feel sometimes,” or a parent says, “I feel like my child is truly seen,” it touches my heart and brings me a happiness that I can’t fully put into words. I think at the core, what it really brings me, and the reader, is a special moment of connection, belonging, and recognition. It’s a moment that says, “I see you. You aren’t alone. You are loved.” For me, that’s the greatest feeling to share with another person.
Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication. Were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly, lol, or not.
Chelsea: The route to publication for this book was definitely a learning experience. From book formatting, marketing campaign, hiring a contract artist, connecting with local community businesses, arranging events, and the list goes on. I learned so much during this time. And the experience helped me to make an important realization about what I wanted for my writing career. I realized that I wanted my books to be as easily accessible as possible to all kids, and for me, that avenue was through school and library distribution, so I knew that moving forward, I wanted to pursue traditional publishing to help reach that goal.
Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?
Chelsea: The first piece of advice I have is to identify the answers to the following questions: 1. Who do you want to write for? 2. What avenue of publishing do you want to take and why? Different paths will lead you to different places. It’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. One answer may be right for someone and not for someone else.
For example, if you’re writing a memoir and simply want to publish a book that you can hold in your hands and maybe share with a few close friends or family members, there are a lot of indie platforms that you could use to help you accomplish that, at a relatively low cost, and within a reasonably short period of time. But if you want to publish a novel and see it sitting on a Barnes and Noble shelf, that’s an entirely different story. That will require a lot more time, and most likely, you’ll need an agent, or at most, an editor, at a traditional house/press, to accomplish that goal.
For myself, I had to figure out what my goals were as a writer. And my goals aligned with the school and library market, which meant that I needed to go the traditional route. This all being said, make sure that you know your big why for writing. Why do you write? What does it bring you? And what do you hope it will bring others? If you don’t know what your “why” is, find it. The publishing industry is full of roadblocks, rejections, and setbacks. It requires a great deal of patience and perseverance to stay on the path for the long haul, and if you don’t know why you’re here, it will be easy to give up. But I hope you won’t, because you and your story matter.
Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.
Chelsea: I plan to publish many books! Or at least as many as my editor/agent can manage. As of right now, I do have set plans for the first four books of my early reader series to come out with Capstone in the spring of 2027, which I’m ecstatic about. These are my first “traditional” books- so really, it’s my debut! I’m also going out on sub with two picture book manuscripts at the beginning of the coming year, 2026. I’m very excited about this because both manuscripts mean a great deal to me. And one of them is the one that landed me my agent!
Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me. I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours and share it with my readers.
Chelsea: Oh, a recipe. Hm… I’m really more of a “wing it” kind of gal when it comes to recipes, and I’m always adapting/adding things. My husband is very good at following the rules, but me… not so much. I get rather creative in the kitchen… and just have fun trying to figure out my measurements!
But, let’s see… I do love making low-carb bagels. I found the recipe online, and it’s very simple. You just take one cup of plain Greek yogurt and one cup of self-rising flour and combine them. Then, if you want to make them “extra fancy,” you can do an egg wash coat on the top to help them turn that pretty golden-brown color in the oven, and you can add everything seasoning to the top before baking. I bake mine in an air fryer for about 12 minutes at 300 degrees, or until they’re golden brown. Some ovens/air fryers may vary, so I suggest just using this as a jumping-off point and experimenting. It’s always more fun that way anyway. At least, in my opinion. And the bagels really are quite delicious.
Thanks so much for having me join you and your readers today, Patricia. I appreciate you and all that you do for the kidlit community!
Me: Thank you for the kid words and for your time, it’s always fun getting to know writing friends! I look forward to seeing many more books of yours in the future. And of course, to trying those low carb bagels. I hope you have a wonderful day.
You can connect with Chelsea here:
Pat Brown Books 