Meet Kelly Capriotti Burton | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Capriotti Burton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Hurry up and wait. It’s such an oxymoron and probably an unappreciated cliché. But for my journey, it’s the truth. At age 44, I became a published author for the first time.

I’ve wanted to be a published author my entire life. I started writing as a child; I completed two novel-length works before I graduated high school, but the time never seemed right to truly pursue it. I won a few contests and so forth, but nothing that was going to kickstart a career. So I took a lot of other paths, working in telecommunications, education, marketing, magazine publishing, managing a church office and then a running store. During those years, I became a mama and a licensed minister. I wrote a lot – promotional material, methods and procedures, magazine articles, blog posts, fan fiction. In 2016, I became inspired not only by a story to write, but also to find the time to write it. Still, I thought my chance to become an author had passed right by me. And then, around the time I became a runner (this was huge for my confidence and connections!), I also started meeting local authors in Myrtle Beach. I started learning about the idea of becoming an independently published author. It didn’t take many months of chasing down agents and publishers for me to embrace this path. I had the publishing background and editorial connections to help me. And I am not afraid to keep asking questions and trying new things. At age 46, I am now the author of five books, and I am just getting started.

What I’ve learned: the “hurry up” part is for the work. Life moves quickly, and we have to put the time in honing our craft. Books have to be written and edited and rewritten and rewritten again. But then, we sit tight for a minute and observe and wait to embrace the opportunity that is best for us. It won’t look just like someone’s else’s success or trajectory. But my path and the successes it brings me – no matter how seemingly big or small – belong to me!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always been an avid reader and writer. While I explore stories in various genres – from romance to thriller to science fiction to mystery, the thread that seems to tie the stories I love together is twofold: people who SWERVE and make the best of life when it throws them curves, and the exploration of found family.

Found family is an offshoot of unexpected circumstances, right? — because the nuclear family idea often doesn’t work for people. Perhaps the family of origin fails us, maybe someone is an only child who desperately wants siblings, we are estranged from our extended family or move away and build community. I love this exploration. I love how the family we gather helps us navigate the complications in life… so that is at the forefront of the stories I tell.

And yes, I tell stories like that because I have lived them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am in love with the Grand Strand. Though I have now lived here nearly 13 years, it still feels like a fairy tale when I compare it to the 33 years I spent in the landlocked midwest suburb where I come from.

An intimate, fun tour of where I live would include daily visits to the beach. Surfside is my favorite, but I also love Garden City and Pawleys Island. Morning walks there would be a must, but visits at dusk or twilight would be necessary too.

At least one meal on the coast. I love Sea Captain’s House in Myrtle Beach, which feels like an old family home and boasts delicious seafood.

For a taste of inlet life, we would visit the Marshwalk, walk along the shops and restaurants, have a drink and listen to a local band or two. And we must eat shecrab soup. We must. Drunken Jack’s has the best!

I love local shops and eateries. We would visit the cats and stacks at Back Again Bookshop, get bagels and coffee and Benjamin’s Bakery, look for gifts and souvenirs at the Surfside Farmer’s Market. We would have to walk around Broadway at the Beach, of course. My favorite store there is Southern Living, and I love happy hour at the Grumpy Monk. I would recommend an iconic southern show like The Carolina Opry. These are a few of my favorite things!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Black Dog Running Company

Website: kellofastory.com

Instagram: kellofastory

Facebook: kellfosastory

Image Credits
Amy Jane Photography, Alicia Ortman Photography