Interview with Kelly Jo Wilson 2025
Finding Grace in the Broken Places
A Conversation with Author Kelly Jo Wilson by Tiffany Amber Stockton
We live in a society that often celebrates presentation and polish over honesty. But author Kelly Jo Wilson writes stories that sit in the mess of real life and then shine a light right through it. Her debut novel, Finding Forevermore, traces Raven’s steps along a search for identity, belonging, and the kind of love anchored in God’s unwavering grace.
It’s no surprise that Kelly writes stories like this. Grace, restoration, and second chances aren’t just themes she explores. They’re the very fabric of her testimony.
A Message Straight to the Brokenhearted
When asked what she hopes readers take away from her novel, Kelly doesn’t hesitate. “I’d love for my readers to take away a message of hope in that they are never too broken to love,” she says. “God is always with them and willing to give them grace even through their brokenness.”
It’s a truth she’s lived. A truth she continues to lean on.
Kelly’s writing roots go all the way back to elementary school, when she spun imaginative tales about a character named Willy Worm. But the road from childhood stories to published fiction wasn’t a straight one. She spent years in nursing. Years of witnessing suffering, strength, loss, and the astonishing depth of human connection.
Still, the pull to write never left. And when she finally surrendered to it, God redirected her entirely.
“I actually started with a non-fiction focus,” she recalls. “Right as I was going to send that non-fiction book to an editor, God had other plans. He prompted me to write stories to the broken and go on a completely different path.”
As it turned out, that path would take two-and-a-half years, countless pages, and a whole lot of prayer.
A Writer with a Sojourner’s Heart
Though Kelly writes contemporary fiction, she approaches story settings with an explorer’s curiosity. Her fictional town of Elkwood, Pennsylvania, was born from her own roots. A research trip to New York City brought extra authenticity, and a little bit of adventure, to Raven and Cole’s journey.
“My favorite part was how my characters and their home were coming to life,” she says. “The experience was so exciting.”
But like any writer knows, stories don’t stay tidy. They shift. They grow. And sometimes they wander off in directions we never planned.
“This story had a completely different direction initially,” Kelly admits. “The more I dug into the core of the characters, the more the direction veered off course. Or maybe I should say on course.”
Yet despite making significant changes and cuts, even the deleted scenes too precious to trash sit tucked away in a folder, forever part of the book’s DNA.
The Wounds Behind the Words
Kelly writes about brokenness because she’s lived it. Long before she walked hospital corridors as a nurse, she battled silently with her own identity and self-worth. A moment in 2018 became a turning point, and it’s one she still carries with reverence.
“When God halted me in my tracks by telling me, ‘You need to stop,’ I knew exactly what He meant,” she says. “I held myself to an expectation that was unattainable. I wasn’t taking care of my body. And I wasn’t spending time with Him to heal my mind and spirit.”
Shortly afterward, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Two surgeries later, God had both healed her and made it possible for her to have children. That’s something she does not take lightly.
“I’ll never forget how He drew near to me in that way,” she says. “He never leaves me to bear the burdens alone.”
That experience—being brought to the end of herself and held by grace—now shapes every redemption arc she writes.
“Every time I sit down to write, I have to take a minute and surrender,” Kelly says. “When I don’t, feelings of overwhelm, not-good-enough, and imposter syndrome surface. The mistakes and horrible choices I’ve made keep me humble. When I pull in the characters’ lies or flaws, I dig right back into those experiences.”
In other words, she writes hope honestly, because she knows how costly and beautiful it really is.
Stories for Women with Silent Battles
Kelly’s heart beats especially for the women who hide their hurt behind strength. The ones afraid to admit their struggles, frustrations, or the moments when life feels too heavy to hold alone.
“I’d love to see more Christian fiction touch on really hard life issues,” she says, listing topics like abuse, abortion, mental health, and disability. “Christians face hard things in this world, but they have Christ in them, and He has overcome the world.”
Her mission is to create characters who mirror that reality. Flawed, vulnerable, but not defined by their wounds. Characters who walk the tightrope between the world’s pressures and the call to follow God. Characters who remind readers they aren’t alone.
One reader email confirmed for Kelly that she was on the right track. The woman shared that she saw her own struggles in Raven’s journey and, for the first time in a long time, felt encouraged to see herself through God’s eyes, not the world’s.
“That really hit me,” Kelly says. “It reminded me that God knows who needs the stories we write. We just have to be obedient and follow His lead.”
Looking Ahead with Open Hands
When asked what she would have done differently as a young writer, Kelly’s answer is simple: find community, keep writing, and follow Jesus.
And when she looks ahead?
“In the future, I will trust what Jesus has in store for me and surrender every day to Him.”
As for her fiction career, she’s already deep into Book 2 of the Renewed Hearts series, scheduled for release in 2026. Whatever comes next, one thing is certain: Kelly Jo Wilson will keep writing to the women who need to hear that they’re not too far gone, not too broken, and never beyond the reach of God’s restoring love.
And perhaps that’s what makes Finding Forevermore shine. It’s an invitation, one born from a life that has seen the broken places and found grace waiting there.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having an active imagination and a flair for the dramatic. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who works as a homeschool mom and independent contractor, helping others become their best from the inside out. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Kentucky. They have a daughter and son, and 2 cats. She has sold over 25 books so far, three of which have won annual reader's choice awards. She is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. (www.tiffanyamberstockton.com)
"
A Conversation with Author Kelly Jo Wilson by Tiffany Amber Stockton
We live in a society that often celebrates presentation and polish over honesty. But author Kelly Jo Wilson writes stories that sit in the mess of real life and then shine a light right through it. Her debut novel, Finding Forevermore, traces Raven’s steps along a search for identity, belonging, and the kind of love anchored in God’s unwavering grace.
It’s no surprise that Kelly writes stories like this. Grace, restoration, and second chances aren’t just themes she explores. They’re the very fabric of her testimony.
A Message Straight to the Brokenhearted
When asked what she hopes readers take away from her novel, Kelly doesn’t hesitate. “I’d love for my readers to take away a message of hope in that they are never too broken to love,” she says. “God is always with them and willing to give them grace even through their brokenness.”
It’s a truth she’s lived. A truth she continues to lean on.
Kelly’s writing roots go all the way back to elementary school, when she spun imaginative tales about a character named Willy Worm. But the road from childhood stories to published fiction wasn’t a straight one. She spent years in nursing. Years of witnessing suffering, strength, loss, and the astonishing depth of human connection.
Still, the pull to write never left. And when she finally surrendered to it, God redirected her entirely.
“I actually started with a non-fiction focus,” she recalls. “Right as I was going to send that non-fiction book to an editor, God had other plans. He prompted me to write stories to the broken and go on a completely different path.”
As it turned out, that path would take two-and-a-half years, countless pages, and a whole lot of prayer.
A Writer with a Sojourner’s Heart
Though Kelly writes contemporary fiction, she approaches story settings with an explorer’s curiosity. Her fictional town of Elkwood, Pennsylvania, was born from her own roots. A research trip to New York City brought extra authenticity, and a little bit of adventure, to Raven and Cole’s journey.
“My favorite part was how my characters and their home were coming to life,” she says. “The experience was so exciting.”
But like any writer knows, stories don’t stay tidy. They shift. They grow. And sometimes they wander off in directions we never planned.
“This story had a completely different direction initially,” Kelly admits. “The more I dug into the core of the characters, the more the direction veered off course. Or maybe I should say on course.”
Yet despite making significant changes and cuts, even the deleted scenes too precious to trash sit tucked away in a folder, forever part of the book’s DNA.
The Wounds Behind the Words
Kelly writes about brokenness because she’s lived it. Long before she walked hospital corridors as a nurse, she battled silently with her own identity and self-worth. A moment in 2018 became a turning point, and it’s one she still carries with reverence.
“When God halted me in my tracks by telling me, ‘You need to stop,’ I knew exactly what He meant,” she says. “I held myself to an expectation that was unattainable. I wasn’t taking care of my body. And I wasn’t spending time with Him to heal my mind and spirit.”
Shortly afterward, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Two surgeries later, God had both healed her and made it possible for her to have children. That’s something she does not take lightly.
“I’ll never forget how He drew near to me in that way,” she says. “He never leaves me to bear the burdens alone.”
That experience—being brought to the end of herself and held by grace—now shapes every redemption arc she writes.
“Every time I sit down to write, I have to take a minute and surrender,” Kelly says. “When I don’t, feelings of overwhelm, not-good-enough, and imposter syndrome surface. The mistakes and horrible choices I’ve made keep me humble. When I pull in the characters’ lies or flaws, I dig right back into those experiences.”
In other words, she writes hope honestly, because she knows how costly and beautiful it really is.
Stories for Women with Silent Battles
Kelly’s heart beats especially for the women who hide their hurt behind strength. The ones afraid to admit their struggles, frustrations, or the moments when life feels too heavy to hold alone.
“I’d love to see more Christian fiction touch on really hard life issues,” she says, listing topics like abuse, abortion, mental health, and disability. “Christians face hard things in this world, but they have Christ in them, and He has overcome the world.”
Her mission is to create characters who mirror that reality. Flawed, vulnerable, but not defined by their wounds. Characters who walk the tightrope between the world’s pressures and the call to follow God. Characters who remind readers they aren’t alone.
One reader email confirmed for Kelly that she was on the right track. The woman shared that she saw her own struggles in Raven’s journey and, for the first time in a long time, felt encouraged to see herself through God’s eyes, not the world’s.
“That really hit me,” Kelly says. “It reminded me that God knows who needs the stories we write. We just have to be obedient and follow His lead.”
Looking Ahead with Open Hands
When asked what she would have done differently as a young writer, Kelly’s answer is simple: find community, keep writing, and follow Jesus.
And when she looks ahead?
“In the future, I will trust what Jesus has in store for me and surrender every day to Him.”
As for her fiction career, she’s already deep into Book 2 of the Renewed Hearts series, scheduled for release in 2026. Whatever comes next, one thing is certain: Kelly Jo Wilson will keep writing to the women who need to hear that they’re not too far gone, not too broken, and never beyond the reach of God’s restoring love.
And perhaps that’s what makes Finding Forevermore shine. It’s an invitation, one born from a life that has seen the broken places and found grace waiting there.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having an active imagination and a flair for the dramatic. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who works as a homeschool mom and independent contractor, helping others become their best from the inside out. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Kentucky. They have a daughter and son, and 2 cats. She has sold over 25 books so far, three of which have won annual reader's choice awards. She is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. (www.tiffanyamberstockton.com)
"
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