Meet Kasie West | Young Adult Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kasie West and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kasie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My audience, my readers, are the most important factor behind my success. Without them, without people sharing and talking about and reading my books, I wouldn’t have success. Early on in my career, I was lucky to be able to publish two books a year. I think that really helped get my name and books out there. I’m super grateful I was given that chance and that readers seemed to connect with my way of telling stories.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I write contemporary romance for teens and I love every moment of it! I love telling coming of age stories about girls discovering their voice or not hiding who they really are or learning something new about themselves. And I love writing about love. It hasn’t been an easy journey to reach this point in my career. Breaking into the exclusive publishing world can be difficult. There are lots of letters written along the way about why your story should be picked, whether those letters are sent to agents or editors or peers. Those letters are followed by a lot of rejection. So much rejection. I thought I would learn to handle rejection at this point, but it’s still not fun. I’ve learned to cry, eat chocolate, and move on. Sometimes that works. But I have also had so many happy calls and emails where my story was chosen or a reader related to one of my characters that it makes up for the low points. Which is good because my stories are happy. I hope when people are finished with one of my books they have a smile on their face.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hmm. I think this question is for the LA folks. 🙂 I’m not quite that far south. I’m up here in Fresno. I can and will answer this question for Fresno, if you’re interested. As for Los Angeles, I’ve only been there as a tourist. I love the sunshine and the beaches. I love the food and the culture.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I already credited my readers, who I adore. My husband, Jared West, who supports every goal I’ve ever told him, is another key player in my writing journey. He never finds my dreams silly or not worth reaching for. I have the best of friends too. Many years ago, I told my very best friend, Candice Kennington, my writing aspirations and found out that she, too, was writing. At the time I hadn’t told anyone and I’m happy we confided in each other because we’ve been writing partners ever since. We give each other advice and feedback and it has been invaluable to me.

Website: www.kasiewest.com

Instagram: Kasie West

Twitter: @kasiewest

Facebook: Kasie West, author