Q&A: Misty Wilson, Author of ‘Falling Like Leaves’

September 16, 2025

119 4 minutes read

Q&A: Misty Wilson, Author of ‘Falling Like Leaves’ — Misty Wilson Falling Like Leaves Author Interview.jpg

We chat with author Misty Wilson about Falling Like Leaves, which is an autumnal teen rom-com about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival, think Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han!

Hi, Misty! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi, yes! So, I’m the author of the YA romance Falling Like Leaves. And while this is my YA debut, I actually have a middle grade graphic memoir out called Play Like a Girl, illustrated by my husband David Wilson, which is about when I played football on the boys’ team in seventh grade while trying to fit in with the “popular girls.” Before this whole author thing, I got a degree in hospitality management, then in nursing, and then in teaching. I worked as both an RN and a teacher before I began writing full time. I love rom-coms and romance novels (YA and adult) and TV, and I could gab about any of these things for hours on end. I live on coffee and milkshakes in Ohio with my husband, two daughters, and two cats.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I was a BIG reader when I was a kid. From Babysitters Club to Nancy Drew to the Boxcar Children to Goosebumps and VC Andrews books, I’ve always loved stories! I used to hide away in my bedroom and write really terrible poetry and short stories that I never finished, but for the most part, I didn’t really discover my love for writing until I was thirty and decided to try writing my debut graphic memoir, Play Like a Girl.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: the Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
The one that made you want to become an author: Oh gosh, this whole author thing happened so unexpectedly—and started with a graphic memoir—so I guess I’d have to say Raina Telgemeier’s Smile. But the book that made me want to write novels/YA is To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: JUST ONE?! This is so hard. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. (And also Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer).

**Your latest novel, Falling Like Leaves, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Cozy but tension-filled fall fun (Not sure if “tension-filled” counts as one word or two haha)

What can readers expect?

I think my publisher was correct when they described Falling Like Leaves as Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han. It’s chock-full of small-town charm, it’s both cozy and sweet, but it also has enough drama and angst to keep you entertained. I think readers can expect to fall in love with Bramble Falls and the cast of characters who live there.

**Where did the inspiration for Falling Like Leaves come from?**

Falling Like Leaves is really just a compilation of all the things I love. It was inspired by small town settings and some of my favorite shows (Gilmore Girls, Hart of Dixie, Schitt’s Creek). I also drew inspiration from my own life and that Fall Feeling. You know the one. There’s nothing better than the crisp air and crunching leaves, the earthy smell, the themed-activities, and delicious fall flavors. I don’t know if it’s because fall was always the start of the school year, but it feels like the season for new beginnings. And I wanted to capture all of that in a book.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

My favorite scene to write was one that takes place in the woods during a game of glow stick Ghost in the Graveyard. It’s a scene full of tension and confessions in the dark. I had so much fun with Ellis’s courage and Cooper’s conflicting feelings and how it all collided in this moment. However, Jake is my favorite character, and I had an absolute blast writing the arrogant-but-soft golden retriever boy.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge while writing Falling Like Leaves was the short amount of time I had to write it in—while my kids were home for the summer. The only way to really overcome this issue was to write in literally any small pocket of time I could find. My husband had my kids a lot while I wrote the first draft, which I pulled off in twenty-four days (it did need some big revisions, though). I am not a morning person, like, at all. But I got up at 6am every day and started writing, then I took the kids and let my husband work (he’s also an author and an illustrator), and once they were in bed, I would write until midnight or later. I was very, very tired last summer.

What’s next for you?

Lots! I currently have six contracted-but-not-yet-published projects. Falling Like Snow, the next book in the Bramble Falls series, releases late 2026, a few months later, my second middle grade graphic novel (illustrated by my husband) will release. A few months after that, the third book in the Bramble Falls series will release, then a few months later, a secret, unannounced project I am very excited about will release, followed by the final Bramble Falls book, then another unannounced project I can’t talk about yet! Meanwhile, I’m also trying to break into the adult romance space!