Katy Rom Com Author Hits USA Today Bestselling List
- ncookclark
- Aug 20
- 4 min read
KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
August 20, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy Rom Com author Kirsten Oliphant, who writes as Emma St. Clair, hit the USA Today Bestselling list with her latest release.
Kirsten Oliphant, a Katy mom and bestselling romance writer, made the USA Today Bestselling list with her recent release, If All Else Sails. With over twenty books in publication, Oliphant, who writes under the name Emma St. Clair, blends humor, heart, and tension in this popular enemies-to-lovers romance.
If All Else Sails is inspired by her own family’s sailing adventures along the Intracoastal Waterway.
“Years ago, I gave my aunt a journal so she could log her travels sailing with my uncle down the
Intracoastal Waterway,” says Oliphant. “From boat fires to running aground to almost being run
over, it was anything but smooth sailing—the perfect inspiration for If All Else Sails! I hope that
readers will find themselves laughing and kicking their feet but also reflecting on the
complicated relationships we often have with our families.”
Reaching the bestselling list has been a journey. In 2007 Oliphant went back to school and got her masters in fiction writing and found an agent for her first novel. Though she got feedback, the book never sold and that sent her back to square one. At that time, she and her husband were starting a family, so her time became more limited. That’s when she turned to blogging and got involved in social media.
“When my youngest was about two, I finally had a little more time and switched genres to romance--something I never thought I'd write--and self-publishing--something I never thought I'd do,” she explains. “I used a pen name, Emma St. Clair, not expecting that it would soon become bigger than expected.”
Now she has over twenty novels out and is making a full-time income by staying hybrid, meaning she will continue to self-publish (or independently publish) some novels while working with traditional publishers for others.
If All Else Sails came out on August 5, 2025, and continues to top the charts.
In If All Else Sails, school nurse Josie finds herself reluctantly paired with her brother’s best
friend—and her sworn enemy—Wyatt Jacobs, a grumpy hockey player recovering from an
injury. What starts as a begrudging favor quickly turns into an unexpected journey as the two set
sail down the Intracoastal Waterway to scatter Wyatt’s uncle’s ashes. Along the way, mishaps,
banter, and undeniable chemistry lead them to discover that love can be found in the most
unlikely places.
Hitting the bestselling list came without too much fanfare as Oliphant was like many working moms this time of year, busy with the back to school hustle and bustle.
“My agent sent an email with a screenshot, which I read alone after my family was all at school and work. So, it was without much fanfare,” says Oliphant. “I sent texts to family and friends, posted online, and then bought myself a pair of jeans I'd had in my cart forever.”
Her next book will be out this November and will be independently published and is the fourth book in a series about a fictional small Texas town called sheet Cake. She’s also working on her next book with the same publisher, Ella Enters the Group Chat.
“I usually jump right from one book to another, which I love. I'm an ideas person, and I sometimes feel like there is a logjam of stories in my head that I just need to get out and into the world,” says Oliphant.
She feels a big part of her success has been her ability to retain her identity and voice as an author when she moved to traditional publishing.
“I have grown a great following of readers, and I wanted to have my books with the publisher seamlessly fit in with my other books,” she says. “This was important to my publisher as well, who even encouraged me to have crossovers between If All Else Sails and my other books, so long as readers wouldn't feel like they had to read something else first.”
She has also been building a team of influencers for years, mostly on Instagram, who all love her books and help to share information around release times.
“One of the things I've learned over the years is not to put yourself or your writing or your goal inside of a narrow box. I've found myself writing in a genre I didn't expect, publishing in a way I didn't plan for, and even discovered some strange writing hacks,” she says.
For Oliphant, she says her best writing often happens when she’s exercising. She often types on her phone when she’s on an elliptical machine or writes while walking at a treadmill desk.
Oliphant loves to encourage other writers.
“Don't be afraid to try new things or test out genres or strategies or ways of writing that are different! There isn't one right way or one kind of journey,” advises Oliphant. “And whenever possible, write what you love because I truly believe readers can feel that love seeping through our words.”
Oliphant and her family have lived in Katy for over ten years, but they have lived here before too. Her husband’s brothers moved here in time to graduate from Katy High School, which is where her oldest son currently attends.
She and her husband have five children ages 8-17, with their younger four attending Aristoi Classic Academy, where her husband teaches.
They love hanging out at the new Old Katy Patio on Avenue A, the Los Cucos on Hwy 90, the Katy Beer Garden, Mary Jo Peckham Park, Fuji Sushi near Katy Mills, and Active Coffee.
If All Else Sails is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Learn more and buy
your copy, here.
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