Former Brownsville resident releases latest novel, ‘Ties’
Former Brownsville resident Michael Kelso’s 13th novel, “Ties,” is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Michael Kelso
Horror doesn’t need bloodshed to thrill readers, according to former Brownsville resident and author Michael Kelso.
“It’s suspense,” he said. “Am I on the edge of my seat, saying, ‘What’s going to happen next?'”
While not strictly horror, he’s hopeful his latest novel, “Ties,” will also keep readers guessing. The self-published crime/mystery book, released through Amazon on June 6, focuses on a father investigating his daughter’s sinister secrets, the blurb promising “mystery, murder, mayhem, and a twist of romance.”
“Ties” is Kelso’s 13th book, along with numerous short stories. Two of his short stories feature locations in Brownsville, where he grew up: the Union Station and the former hospital.
His experiences working as a corrections officer influenced his first two novels, “One on One” and “Identity.”
“There’s not a lot of people, unfortunately, that just jump right up and say, ‘Hey, I want to read a book about a prison,'” said Kelso.
After retiring in 2016, he decided to shift focus.
His horror short stories found success on Reddit. Under the username Horror_Writer_1717, Kelso gripped readers with tales of park rangers and truck drivers encountering sinister threats. The success spread to YouTube, where narrators read his stories, racking up more than 3 million views.
With a growing social media following, Kelso leaned into writing horror. While “Ties” is a departure from that, he used the novel to engage in some cross-genre world-building. Fans of his first two books will recognize a familiar face in “Ties:” the sheriff.
“He carries over to most of my books, even if it’s just in a small way, because I liked writing that character,” said Kelso, who now lives in Bedford County.
His inspiration for “Ties” stemmed from three pieces he wrote for a group on TikTok called “authortok.” The writing prompts, created by member Neil Christiansen, helped Kelso form an idea for a new story.
“[After] those three successive short stories, I said, ‘You know what? I could definitely have a novel out of this,'” said Kelso.
Online spaces like Reddit and TikTok played a significant role not only as a sounding board but as a way for Kelso to build his own community. As an independent author, Kelso is familiar with the realities of self-publishing.
“I like having that control to say, ‘OK, I’m responsible for the quality, for the pricing, for the marketing, for everything,'” he said. “[Though] I wouldn’t mind if somebody else could step in with marketing and say, ‘This is how you’re going to sell a million copies.’ That would be great.”
Despite the workload, Kelso’s dedication and passion for storytelling keep him writing, as does the help of friends and colleagues. He credits fellow horror author Boris Bacic for his advice and support as well as two mentors he met on FanStory, an online site that offers experienced and new writers a way to get critiques of their work.
As for those who think they may want to write, Kelso’s advice, regardless of genre, is simple: “Write as much as you can, write as often as you can.”
“It’s through the process of doing it that you learn how to do it,” he said.
Kelso empathizes with the fear new writers feel when sharing their ideas, but he encourages them to push through it.
“Don’t be afraid to put them out there,” he said. “The only way you truly fail is if you don’t try.”