About K.L. Baxton…
My Story
Middle grade book author.
Hi there, I’m K.L. Baxton!
But most people call me Katie. I grew up in suburban Detroit and still live in the same area. My writing journey started several months after I graduated from Western Michigan University in 2008. The economic recession allowed me the time to write and so did my part time warehouse job.
After spending twelve years writing, rewriting, and finishing my original middle grade book, “Nate and the Alien Stowaway,” I then decided to complete another manuscript which had been on my mind since 2016, “The Book Witch.”
Writing has always made me thrive, except when burnout struck from the countless editing with my first book. After the numerous rejections I had received from literary agents, I set it aside and allowed the magical flow from “The Book Witch,” draw me in.
Initially, my mental health challenges started as soon as I walked into elementary school. I wasn’t like the other kids around me, and I was bullied because they just don’t know how to deal with those who are different. Many kids are treated cruelly at school, and it’s important they know they’re not the only ones with mental health challenges. The kids around them who are considered normal are often dealing with issues at home, and they also bully those who are different to hide under their own insecurities.
As a result, I wanted to tell a coming-of-age story about kids with different types of issues and how they can support each other through kindness with an added magical twist. And now, here I am, a self-taught writer inspired by the pangs of growing up and mental health challenges.
Follow me as I help young hearts and minds understand it’s okay to be different, and others who tend to bully their unusual peers further understand how to cope with those around them who are different, one book at a time.
My Writing Journey
K.L. Baxton, a middle grade book author, tirelessly worked hard to overcome her own mental health issues that started from her childhood and followed her into her adulthood. It motivated her to stress the importance of kindness of kids who are different than their peers, and help the normal kids understand how to deal with those who are different. With the release of her debut middle grade book, “The Book Witch,” in 2025, K.L. has made herself into a storyteller who captures hearts and sparks interests.
Her interests in literature extend beyond her own stories. As an active member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), she is actively involved in the world of preteen literature.