Kelsey Carlee, an author from the Seattle area, has made waves with her raw and deeply personal writing. Known for her unapologetic approach to sharing her experiences, Kelsey uses her work to help others navigate their own paths of healing. Her memoir, Double Crossed and Unraveled, is a gripping recount of relationships, trauma, and self-discovery. Through poetry, letters, and recollections, she offers readers a window into her life, touching on themes such as neglect, abuse, domestic violence, addiction, and recovery. Kelsey is also the author of The Double Yellow Line, a collection of poetry, and an epistolary novel continuing her story with Cole from her memoir. As she prepares for the release of her fourth book in 2025, Kelsey sat down with us to talk about her journey, her writing, and the powerful stories she brings to the world.
Q: Double Crossed and Unraveled is a deeply personal memoir. What inspired you to write it, and how did you find the courage to share your story so openly?
Double Crossed and Unraveled is a deeply personal memoir. I was inspired to write it and share my story with the hope that it would help others who are struggling with or have been through similar circumstances. Incorporating poetry, letters, and recollections was the easiest way for me to piece together my story in a way that made sense and described an accurate and honest account of my life experiences.
Q: The memoir incorporates poetry, letters, and recollections. How did you decide on this unique structure, and what role did each form play in telling your story?
Although cliché, I think that sometimes to move forward we have to look back at our lives. Something is healing in calling things what they are or were. It is common for heavy themes, such as those explored in my books, to be avoided and brushed under the rug. I understand that it can be triggering for some, depending on where they are in their healing process. I also know that when I was in the trenches of abuse, I would have given anything for someone to have understood and told me that I wasn’t alone. Having my books come full circle as I reflected on my childhood and relationships as an adult was powerful and important for me to take the power away from the hurt that lingered in my heart when reflecting on my past.
Q: In the book, you reflect on your relationships with Howie and Cole, as well as your mother. How did writing about these relationships help you process and heal from your past?
When I removed my mother from life support in 2019, a range of emotions surfaced for me. It took me back to an unhealed time in my life, specifically a period involving Cole and Howie with a deep level of unresolved grief. Writing about these relationships helped me both process and accept my past. My memoir, Double Crossed and Unraveled, and the epistolary novel, For the Eternal Record, are connected in that my memoir lays the foundation for the characters Cole and Howie. The backstory is important for context when reading the many-years-later book of letters penned to Cole, as references are made to our younger years.
Q: You’ve also written The Double Yellow Line and an epistolary novel. How do these works connect to your memoir, and what inspired you to continue exploring your story through different formats?
It shook me to my core, having composed and survived these one hundred reasons why. I’ve kept them a guarded secret, remaining unshared for many years, but the shame should’ve never been mine… These are my truths, and I sincerely hope that sharing them will help someone else struggling with grief in their healing from abuse. I encourage everyone with a story of their own to speak it, even if your voice is a whisper. Write it, even if your hand trembles and perspires while you do. There’s something incredibly powerful in knowing that you’re not alone, after all.
Q: As a survivor of neglect and abuse, what advice would you give to others who may be struggling with similar experiences?
As a survivor of neglect and abuse, I would let others know that if they are neglected or abused, they are not alone. Going through hell doesn’t have to define you, and you don’t have to carry the shame. You can choose to set it down and leave it with the abuser it belongs to. I know firsthand that it can be difficult to hold on to hope or even a shred of light during the darkest of times.
Q: Writing about personal trauma can be emotionally taxing. How do you take care of yourself while revisiting these memories during the writing process?
I think there is something incredibly powerful in knowing that there are others out there who survived and thrived after experiencing horrific things in their lives. Trauma is emotionally taxing, and taking care of yourself is imperative. How that looks can vary for different individuals.
Q: Your work is deeply tied to helping others. Have you received any memorable feedback from readers who were impacted by your stories?
Abuse thrives in silence and isolation, and being abused can feel like your voice was taken from you. The root motivation of my writing has always been focused on and deeply tied to helping my readers. I have received letters from readers who were positively impacted and reviews expressing praise for the courage it took to share my story with the world. It was quite some time ago that I surpassed my hope of helping at least one person not feel that they were alone in their pain and that they could share their stories too.
Ms. Carlee’s Books are available on her Amazon Kindle Page:
Connect with Ms. Carlee on her website.
