Meet Whitney Welsh Gibbs | Author of the Fantastic and Romantic

We had the good fortune of connecting with Whitney Welsh Gibbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Whitney Welsh, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from a small coastal community on the Central Coast of California filled with tiny fisherman houses and countless scenic views, disturbed only by the sound of waves crashing against rock and the sea air rustling the trees. I think from a young age, the beauty and wonder of my hometown really helped to impact my imagination and creativity as I began to bring stories to life on page. There was always something to explore—always something that might hold the key to the magical or otherworldly, whether it be a mossy tree stump or a deserted and hidden beach.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an author, I think it is not unique to have a unique path to the craft of writing. Some of us pursue it from childhood, while others find it along the way. I found it along the way as I was working toward a life stranger than fiction—one of analytics and politics—when I most needed an escape from myself. I fell into the storybook, beginning as a self-published author with young adult fantasies and an adult contemporary romance and moving into a four-book series traditional publishing deal within three years of release of my first book.

The road has not been easy, but again it is as unique as writing is itself. My current series, which I signed with Azala Press in 2024, was signed within eight months of beginning the writing process. I am immensely proud of the stories I am able to create and the ways in which I have been able to grow my readership and my success as an author in such a short time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would love to take them to my favorite haunts! We would spend the day traversing the indie bookstores around the area making sure to hit The Last Bookstore, The Ripped Bodice, and Annabelle’s Book Club LA. We would eat at Los Amigos in Burbank, Bacari in Beverly Hills, The Silver Lake House (by Leela Thai), and Messhall Kitchen in Los Feliz. The Farmer’s Market at the Grove is a MUST and I would love to take them on a drive down the PCH. If it were the summer, you would find us a a Shakespearian Play at Griffith Park as the sun set; and we would not miss the opportunity to go to the New Beverly Cinema to see a classic on the silver screen.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have helped me along the way and cheered me on in my success. I would not have been where I am today without the supportive family I have that says creativity is possible and should be celebrated; my friends who taught me that life is about dreaming bigger than even your brain can imagine; and the teachers that became mentors, who let me share their space for a lunch period or when I had nowhere else to go and made me feel scene, loved, and immensely worthy.

Website: https://www.whitneygibbsauthor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneywritesstuff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitneywelshgibbs

Other: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220416912-the-land-of-frost