Get ready to learn more about the book A Soft Place to Land in this discussion with sapphic author Kelsey Kranz.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Kelsey Kranz about A Soft Place to Land, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Pennsylvania category in the 2026 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write A Soft Place to Land?
I always say that writing A Soft Place to Land was an accident. Going from concept to “I’m just going to outline this” to “oh %#@&, I’m actually writing a book” was a whirlwind experience. I made the decision to publish it after the US election in 2024 knowing that my community would need queer stories with happy endings more than ever.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favorite character is Elaine (sorry, Virginia, you still came first). I aspire to be as steady and emotionally intelligent as she is.
What inspired the idea for A Soft Place to Land?
I grew up listening to music from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. While listening to a playlist of songs I remembered from my childhood, I considered a character–who ended up being Virginia–trying to reconcile her sapphic yearning with the heterosexual demands of post-WWII society.
How much research did you need to do for A Soft Place to Land?
Since the story takes place in the 1950s, quite a bit of research went into the book. For example, the medical school that Elaine attends in Philadelphia was a real college for women training to become doctors, and the advice doled out in Virginia’s marital instruction books and magazines was real advice that women were given. I dug into the Lavender Scare–the McCarthy-style purge of government employees suspected of being gay–while writing, even though very little of the information ended up in the book.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
Iced coffee or cold brew with just a tiny bit of milk
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
When I finished A Soft Place to Land, I cried; I couldn’t believe I’d actually *finished* it. And then I think I had a glass of wine.
Is there a particular genre you would love to write but only under a pseudonym?
I’d love to write sapphic romance, but I would have to come up with a pen name.
Hey, wait a minute… 😜
Do you have any odd writing quirks?
Not sure if it’s an odd quirk, but I need either absolute silence or noise-canceling headphones and a relevant playlist in order to write. No conversation, no television, not even the sound of a video game controller (to my wife’s dismay).
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
I have a rescue pittie (8-9ish years old) who stares intently when she wants food, and a rescue cat (12-15ish years old) who forcefully head-butts any human body part she can reach when she wants attention.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
Since I write under a pseudonym and very few people know, I haven’t personally received advice. But, the best advice I’ve read has been to write badly. I can make a draft better, but only if the draft exists.
Have you ever cried when writing an emotional scene?
I have one scene with Virginia and Elaine that I refuse to write because I turn into a bawling mess just thinking about it. A couple of years after the epilogue, when Virginia and Elaine are in their late 80s, one is dying and the other is at their bedside for their final moments.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
I most often read contemporary sapphic romance. After many, many years of school, I can finally enjoy reading again now that I’m no longer obligated to someone else’s curriculum content. So, as I always say, if it doesn’t have women loving women, I’m not interested! (For now. Who knows what I’ll get into in the future.)
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
Unpopular opinion: the books I didn’t like, or didn’t think were written well, inspired me to write my own.
