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Chaylee McCleese - Teacher, Autoimmune Advocate, and Author

  • Writer: litkidsmagazine
    litkidsmagazine
  • 6 days ago
  • 4 min read

Chaylee McCleese works as a partner teacher at an Idaho charter school, where she teaches small language art groups to elementary and middle school students. She also uses social media platforms to advocate for young patients with autoimmune conditions because she has psoriatic arthritis. Her debut young adult novel, Pitiful Peaches, will be published by Evernight Teen on March 13th, 2026.


1. What inspires you the most? (For context: what is something that you look at that immediately puts your brain into creative mode?)

It may be cheesy to say, but everything around me inspires me, including the TV shows I watch and the books I read. Weirdly enough, memories from my childhood spark ideas for the stories I write. I could be doing the dishes and remember how I lost my first tooth, and then poof, a story begins to form in my brain. There is actually a scene in my debut novel about the main character losing her tooth in a chicken leg during a yard sale (which happened to me).


2. Are there venues or resources that allow kids to publish work, like chapter books, art, poems, etc.?

There are so many venues and resources that allow kids to publish their work! I try to encourage my own scholars to put their writing out there. Recently, I had multiple students get published through Littlethoughtspress’s blog. I try to be honest with my students about how hard and competitive publishing can be. However, each rejection is one step closer to finding the right place for your writing. Always be on the lookout for contests or opportunities to get better because they are everywhere. 


3. Why did you begin writing? Was it because of a person or something else?

When I was in school, I hated creative writing because I couldn’t come up with whimsical fantasy stories. Unfortunately, right after I graduated high school, I became sick with an autoimmune disease. I was bed-ridden for quite some time, and all I could do was read, write, and think. That’s when I started writing realistic teen and children’s fiction. I realized that I didn’t have to be whimsical. I could be creative with real-life experiences that people could relate to.


4. What or who was your biggest inspiration to enter your field?

My biggest inspiration are the teachers and librarians who sparked my love of writing. To name a few: Mrs. Quigley, Mrs. Norris & Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. McCann, Mr. Beckman, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Dyer. I would not be here without any of their teachings. I can not thank them enough. I also have to give kudos to my mom, who encouraged my love of reading and writing, no matter how awful or boring my writing was (and sometimes still is). 


5. Do you prefer writing by yourself, or with friends and/or family?

When it comes to writing, I am a lone ranger. I have my own thoughts and ideas of how a story should go, so I do not think I would be able to write a book with someone else. But I always take criticism and love getting feedback on my writing from my family and friends, so I can improve. 


6. What was your favorite subject in school?

You're not going to believe this, but it was math. Now, my brain doesn’t work that way anymore, and it is more frustrating than fun. As an adult, I enjoy language arts (of course) and social studies. 


7. How do you come up with titles for your books?

The plot of a story always comes to me first, and then I come up with the title. Pitiful Peaches is set in a rural town called Moose Creek. Moose Creek is known for its delicious peaches, so the fictional rock n’ roll band in my book comes up with a song surrounding that idea. Therefore, Pitiful Peaches is the title of a song in the book and also the title of the book itself. It is a double title (confusing, I know). 


8. Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

ALL of the time. I have two dogs named Iris and Otis. Iris always wants me to throw her ball while I am in the zone, typing on my laptop. Otis, on the other hand, will just whine because he wants to play outside. Despite sometimes making me stop, they are adorable. In almost all of my books, there is some sort of pet character. (In Pitiful Peaches, the main character, Penny, has a dog named Fawn!)


9. If you had to describe yourself in just three words, what would those be?

Loyal, caring, and hard-working. 


10. Do you ever stop writing and start something different?

My brain can only handle one book at a time, so I never write multiple books at once. When I have ideas for other stories, I write down my thoughts in the notes app on my phone so I don’t forget about them. So far, I have written three books in total, but only one of them is getting published. I look forward to continuing to pursue publication and inspiring other young writers to take a chance on themselves. You never know what might happen!


Congratulations on the upcoming release of your debut novel, Chaylee! Thank you for sharing your author journey with our readers. Please check out Chaylee's young adult debut, Pitiful Peaches, in our Bookshop once it's published. Keep shining!







 
 
 

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