Common Ground

Grounded in her ranch life, first-time author Kellie Kunzler writes of finding life’s commonalities

By Dianna Troyer

Three years ago, in an effort to comfort others, Kellie Kunzler started sharing uplifting messages on her Facebook page. It was completely out of her comfort zone.

“I didn’t know if anyone would notice or read my posts, but hoped by sharing my thoughts, maybe I could make a difference in someone’s life,” the Park Valley resident says.

People did notice.

“Many of them liked what I wrote and encouraged me to put together a book,” Kellie says. “The thought of publishing my own book felt overwhelming. I wasn’t sure how I would ever accomplish that.”

Kellie began researching online and learned about Author Ready, the mentoring program of New York Times best-selling author Richard Paul Evans. She signed up for the program and attended one of his summer writing retreats last June.

“I knew that if I got brave enough to publish a book, Richard was the guy I wanted to take advice from,” Kellie says. The Author Ready program guided Kellie through the self-publishing process.

“I’m so grateful for those experiences,” she says. “I came away from the retreat with a better understanding of how to write and a group of friends who I’ll cherish all my life.”

Last summer, she compiled her stories into a book, “A Different Kind of Same, A Country Girl’s View of the World.”

Her book is a collection of stories offering examples of how people all want to fit in.

“Once we realize this, it’s the beginning of seeing others in a new way, making it easier to be more patient and kind,” Kellie says. “My goal is to share a message of hope, understanding and recognition—of how alike we really are. I hope my book will help people not feel alone and bring some joy to their lives.”

Kellie says she likes to see people put aside their differences and focus instead on their commonalities.

“The constant state of contention bothered me,” she says. “I drew from my life’s experiences, which included living on a ranch, raising a family and helping in my community. I figured most people would be going through similar things and could relate, even if they weren’t involved in agriculture.”

Kellie juggled her writing with many other commitments. She and her husband, Del Dee, have six children and raise cattle. She also volunteers as an EMT, plays organ for her church and studied at Brigham Young University. In April 2023, she graduated with certificates in family history research, an associate degree in family history research and a bachelor’s degree in applied science. With her degree complete, she focused on publishing her book.

Kellie jokes about her family’s goats being the first to inspect her books when they were delivered to her home and left near her front door.

“I was sitting in a restaurant two hours away eating dinner with my son, Nick, when my youngest called me to tell me what she’d found when she got home from school,” Kellie says. “For half a second, I was upset, then the irony hit me and I had to laugh. My book is about being a country girl, and the goats were the first ones to inspect them.”

Unforgettable Impact

Having readers share their testimonials with her on her Facebook page and on Amazon has been gratifying, Kellie says.

“Each one is special to me,” she says.

“One is unforgettable. A lady became emotional while telling me, ‘I’m only three chapters in, and I already feel better about myself.’ I wasn’t expecting that. I’m grateful she shared that with me because I could feel I had made a difference in her life.”

Kellie says she is surprised some of her biggest promoters are men.

“Before I ever published the book, men told me they had read my posts on their wives’ Facebook accounts, that I had really good messages and to keep writing,” she says. “One has even been promoting my book to his customers at his oil change business.”

Encouraged by readers’ responses, Kellie is working on her second book.

“It’s similar to this one and should be ready by this coming fall or before,” she says. “I also have a few more book ideas I’m working on.”

“The most important lesson I’ve learned so far in my life, especially since 2020, is that while we all have differences, we also have many things in common. One thing, we are all children of God who want to be loved and accepted. We all want to fit in. Once we realize this, it’s the beginning of seeing each other in a new way. Being more understanding, patient and kind to each other is easier. When that happens, we end up changing the world for the better!”
— EXCERPT FROM “A DIFFERENT KIND OF SAME” BY KELLIE KUNZLER

Kellie’s books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, other online bookstores and her website, kelliekunzlerauthor.com.