Kelsey J. Lawrence, Author

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Kelsey J. Lawrence, Author

From breaking news & boardrooms to the big skies of 1910s Montana. In revisions of my first novel: a dual timeline historical fiction saga set in NW Montana.

Emmy & Murrow-winning journo, corp comms pro, painter & sketcher of the natural world.

06/05/2026

Instagram told me my video review had to be under three minutes or it wouldn't be shared with new followers (boooo). So, I had to cut a solid four minutes of thoughts about this book out of my reel. 😭

Jungle of Ashes by Brynn Barineau. Add it to your TBR immediately.

It follows Johanna Rogge, a young woman who travels to the Amazon Rainforest after her father is promoted by the Ford Motor Company to oversee the construction of an American city in the jungle. She meets Rafael Caetano, a young Brazilian man also employed Ford, and nothing about her time in the rainforest or the company’s plans go as expected.

I knew nothing about Ford's mission to grow a rubber plantation in the Amazon before reading this. The story of Fordlandia is WILD. I will absolutely be doing some digging to learn even more.

Watch the video for my full thoughts, or as full as Instagram would allow. And if you've already read it, let’s talk in the comments or send me a DM!

06/04/2026

Huge thanks to the Flathead County Library for making this fun story stroll adventure available to families like ours. What a great way to get us all outside enjoying nature together while sharing the joy of reading at the same time. Two of my favorite things!

Visit Montana

06/01/2026

Tucked in the basement of Kalispell Antiques Market in the town’s historic downtown is a booth made up entirely of books: pioneer stories, national parks, state parks, outdoorsy cookbooks, Montana in general. It’s perhaps the most comprehensive and eclectic collection of all my favorite topics I’ve come across in one place.

I found a copy of Per by E. Palmer Rockswold, a book I’ve almost bought through online resale sites more times than I can count, but always talked myself out of because of the stack of unread books already waiting on my bookshelf. When I opened the book and found the author’s signature inside, I took it as a cosmic wink.

Rockswold wrote this book about his Norwegian father who emigrated to America and claimed a homestead in North Dakota (where I grew up). The story of Per sounds parallel my own family’s history which is why I’ve been longing to read it.

Have you ever noticed that some books find us at exactly the right time?

05/21/2026

This is what filling my cup looks like.

Lion Mountain just outside of Whitefish, Montana.

Indian paintbrush, saskatoon that hasn’t berried yet, and a snack with my little dude at Skyles Lake overlook.

There is nothing quite like sharing this with a curious boy who loves learning and asks a million questions I can’t answer. These are the kind of adventures I live for.

05/19/2026

📖 Book recommendation: In the Great Quiet by Laura Vogt ()

📚 Genre: Historical Fiction, Western

🗓️ Published: April 1, 2026

📱 Format read: Kindle

⭐️ Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Laura Vogt made the land a character. Literally. It had its own voice, chapters, and POV!

In The Great Quiet is set during the 1893 Oklahoma land rush. Minnie Hoopes strikes out to claim land with every intention of doing it alone, but ends up with a mysterious outlaw neighbor (The Lawman) and several others who come to be her found family.

Vogt was inspired by her own great-great-grandmother’s story. I asked her how her family felt about fictionalizing their ancestors’ lives, and she said her family has been incredibly supportive and encouraging, especially her grandmother. I was so happy to hear that! It’s something I think about a lot now that I’m writing historical fiction too. How do those who lived the consequences of the stories that inspired our fiction feel about the end result? More often than not, I hear that people are honored, and that brings me a lot of comfort as I write. There’s nothing I fear more than disappointing someone whose real-life experience and memories might be misrepresented in my work.

As someone writing about Montana homesteaders, I learned a lot from this book. The similarities and differences between the Oklahoma land rush and Montana’s homesteading era were endlessly fascinating to me.

And the characters’ past secrets? Masterfully revealed. I never felt like anything was being withheld because I was just too absorbed in the story to notice I was waiting. But when Minnie and her outlaw neighbor’s pasts finally came out, I was absolutely gutted.

Go get this book.

Do you love books where the setting feels like a living, breathing character? Drop your favorites below!

05/14/2026

If you need me... I’ll just be in my office.

Yes, it’s a hammock. Yes, it’s approximately 2 inches off the ground. I’ll fix it later. Maybe.

There’s always something else I should probably be doing, but sometimes a good book and some fresh air are the only things that matter.

05/13/2026

📖 Book recommendation: When in Dublin by Tracy Avery (.books)

📚 Genre: Contemporary Romance

🗓️ Release date: May 20, 2026

📖 Format read: ARC/Kindle

⭐️ Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book steps outside the historical fiction genre, which is primarily what I read and recommend. But I do enjoy a detour, and even more, I love supporting debut and indie authors. So, here we go!

When in Dublin follows Jessica, a woman who has played it safe her entire life, building every decision around a single career goal. When she’s offered an opportunity to fast-track it by moving to Ireland for a year, she ditches her plans to buy a house and leaves Florida for the first time.

I saw a lot of myself in Jessica. I passed on so many opportunities in my 20s. Now, I sometimes look back and wish I had appreciated the freedom I had before life and career made responsibility such a real concept. I passed on studying abroad in Norway in college because I didn’t want to take on more student debt (wtf, Kelsey?). I walked away from an opportunity traveling the world with Norwegian Cruise Lines because a news producer position in Idaho felt like the safer, smarter path (again, wtf). The boldest thing I ever did was move to Memphis where I didn’t know a soul, and even that was still pretty safe and a very career-oriented in the grand scheme of things.

This book made me wonder who I would be if I had used my carefree 20s a little differently. I wouldn’t necessarily say I have regrets because I absolutely treasure the time I spent in Idaho, and I wouldn’t change where I’m at in life for anything. But, I do appreciate and enjoy a book that makes me reflect on my own choices and imagine the “what could’ve been” scenarios.

I have been following Tracy on social media for a while and I am inspired by her hustle as a self-published author and mom. Her passion for this book is so evident in her social media content, and it comes through in the pages of this book, too.

When In Dublin is light, fun, and I devoured it in just a few days. Go pre-order it now!

Address

Collierville, TN
38017

Website

https://kelseyjlawrence.com/

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