Ellie Alexander is facing her most intense writing year yet—10+ books, multiple series, overlapping deadlines, and an endless stream of rewrites, page proofs, edits, and launches.

In this candid kickoff to Season 3 of Reality Writes, she and the Tech Guy break down the real-life logistics of being a full-time working author in 2026. They talk about managing burnout, the reality of saying no, how Ellie plans her schedule (and when it falls apart), and what it takes to stay creative under pressure.

Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or just someone trying to make your passion a career, this one pulls back the curtain.

It’s officially peppermint mocha season…for some of us. In this episode, Tech Guy and I dive into the great holiday debate: when is the right time to start reading (or writing) holiday books? We’re talking about cozy autumn reading trends, the publishing realities of holiday releases, how to get in the festive spirit when it’s 75 degrees outside, and why your sales might spike and then nosedive with seasonal titles. We also want your recs! Tech Guy’s still on the hunt for his next favorite holiday book, so we’re counting on you, darlings. 🎄

We’re recapping Ashland Mystery Fest 2025—aka my favorite weekend of the entire year! In this episode, we’re sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the third annual festival, including reader highlights, cozy chaos, mystery dinners gone wild, and why I still don’t have a t-shirt gun (yet). We’ll talk about what worked, what we’ll tweak for next year, and how it felt to hug hundreds of mystery-loving darlings from around the world. If you missed it, come live it with us. If you were there, get ready to relive all the joy.