Lindsey Kelk (born 3 October 1980) is an English author, journalist and former children's book editor. She initially signed a up-to three-book deal with HarperCollins following the submission of a manuscript for her first novel. To date, she has published 19 adult books and is also the author of the children's series Cinders and Sparks.[1]
Lindsey Kelk | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 October 1980 Doncaster, England |
| Occupation | Author, podcaster |
| Language | English |
| Alma mater | Nottingham Trent University |
| Genre | fiction |
| Notable works | "I Heart" series, The Christmas Wish, On A Night Like This |
| Website | |
| www | |
 Literature portal | |
Early life
editKelk was born and raised in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. She graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2002 and subsequently moved to London.[2]
Career
editKelk was inspired to write her first book I heart New York after returning from a holiday to New York City to her home in London, England,[3] and being unable to get over post-vacation blues.[4] She immediately decided it would be a series of books, each taking in different cities, partly inspired by her teen experience of reading the Sweet Valley High series of novels.[4] She found an agent through a roundabout route; having sent out copies of I Heart New York to various agents and having received several rejection letters, one agent got in contact with Kelk. However, it transpired that the agent disliked the book and wanted her to work on a different project, and that she "would have to use a pseudonym because [her] name sounded like a cat being sick".[5] Kelk decided not to sign with the agent and instead asked a friend who worked with book publisher HarperCollins to recommend one. The friend handed a copy of the book to the commercial women's fiction team, who signed her to a three-book deal.[5]
Kelk has written for many women's magazines, including a monthly column for magazine Marie Claire.[3] In 2009, she relocated with her full-time job as a children's book editor to New York itself, something she said was following in the footsteps of the lead character from her book series.[4] She currently works as a full-time writer.
In 2017, Kelk started award-winning[6] beauty podcast, Full Coverage, along with co-host Harriet Hadfield, a fellow British makeup artist and YouTuber in Los Angeles.[7] She is also one of the hosts of popular pro-wrestling podcast, Tights and Fights.[8]
After a visit to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls during a road trip in 2010, Kelk decided to write the location into one of her books.[9] I heart Hollywood was nominated for the People's Choice Award in the inaugural Pure Passion Awards in 2010, an awards ceremony set up by the Romantic Novelists' Association.[10] At the following year's awards, I Heart Paris was nominated for Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year.
Her novel I Heart Christmas spent two weeks on The Sunday Times bestseller list in December 2013[11] followed by A Girl’s Best Friend in 2015.[12] In 2023, her novel Love Me Do was chosen as one of the top seven popular fiction books of the year by The Times.[13]
Personal life
editHer favourite book of all time is The Secret History by Donna Tartt.[5] She previously lived in Williamsburg and Park Slope, Brooklyn[3] but moved to Los Angeles in 2015.[14] She has two cats and is a big fan of professional wrestling.[15]
Bibliography
editI Heart Series
edit- I Heart New York (2009)
- I Heart Hollywood (2010)
- I Heart Paris (2010)
- I Heart Vegas (2012)
- I Heart London (2012)
- I Heart Christmas (2013)
- I Heart Forever (2017)
- I Heart Hawaii (2019)
Tess Brookes Series
edit- About A Girl (2013)
- What a Girl Wants (2014)
- A Girl's Best Friend (2015)
Jenny Lopez Series
edit- Jenny Lopez Has A Bad Week (2011)
- Jenny Lopez Saves Christmas (2014)
Singles
edit- The Single Girl's To Do List (2011)
- Always The Bridesmaid (2015)
- We Were On A Break (2016)
- One in a Million (2018)
- In Case You Missed It (2020)
- On a Night Like This (2021)
- The Christmas Wish (2022)
- Love Me Do (2023)
- Love Story (2024)
Cinders and Sparks Series
edit- Cinders and Sparks: Magic at Midnight (2019)
- Cinders and Sparks: Fairies in the Forest (2019)
- Cinders & Sparks: Goblins and Gold (2020)
Susanna Red Series
edit- The Bell Witches (2024)
References
edit- ^ "Cinders & Sparks". LindseyKelk.com. 10 March 2019.
- ^ Barratt, Jemma (19 September 2013). "Lindsey Kelk - Q&A". The Avenue. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "The New Yorker: Lindsey Kelk". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ a b c Calvani, Mayra (13 October 2009). "Interview with Lindsey Kelk, Author of I Heart New York". Blogcritics. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ a b c "Lindsey Kelk Interview". NovelKicks.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Johnson & Johnson Beauty Awards 2019". The British Beauty Council. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ "Full Coverage on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "Maximum Fun: Tights and Fights". Maximum Fun. 4 August 2016.
- ^ Kelk, Lindsey (8 August 2011). "Lindsey Kelk: I Heart Canada". National Post. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Pure Passion Awards created by the Romantic Novelists' Association". Best Books. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Lindsey Kelk makes the Sunday Times Bestseller list - Furniss Lawton". Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ^ "lindseykelk on Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Murphy, Siobhan (1 December 2023). "7 best popular fiction novels of 2023". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Hello, 2015, I've got some news… - Lindsey Kelk". lindseykelk.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015.
- ^ K, Spencer (25 January 2012). "Lindsey Kelk". 12 Questions. Retrieved 19 May 2012.