Reality Writes
The Reality Writes Podcast stars bestselling mystery author Ellie Alexander and her Tech Guy husband as they reveal the ins and outs of writing. Ellie, who has written for big names like Macmillan and Simon & Schuster, and indie publishers like Storm, shares her journey from story ideas to publishing. Together, they dive into the highs, lows, and funny moments of creating captivating stories. With a blend of humor and honesty, Reality Writes offers a behind-the-scenes look at the writing world. So grab your coffee (or wine) and join Ellie and the Tech Guy for some story-spinning secrets.
Episodes
64 episodes
The Cozy Contract—What Readers Expect and Why Authors Can't Break It
There is an unspoken agreement between every cozy mystery author and her readers. Nobody signs it, but every cozy lover knows exactly what it says and can feel it the moment something goes wrong. In this episode, the Tech Guy and I break down a...
Reader Confessions—Bookish Hills We'll Die On - Part 2
Five more bookish hills. One major disagreement. And The Tech Guy is confident he's going to win this one.In this reader-focused follow-up to our fan-favorite Bookish Hills episode, I'm sharing five more hot takes that readers feel v...
Word Count Goals—How I Built a Process That Actually Works
Every book I've ever written started the same way: one word at a time.In this episode of Reality Writes, I walk you through my complete writing process. From the very beginning, when I was working another job with a kindergartner at home...
Fall Cozy Energy—A Sneak Peek at Upcoming Books
It's June, darlings, but we are diving headfirst into fall because that's just how publishing works, and also because fall is my favorite season and I refuse to apologize for it.In this episode, The Tech Guy and I talk about why fall has...
Your Burning Writer Questions Answered—Scene Craft, Querying & More
Got writing questions? We've got answers. In this episode, The Tech Guy and I dig into the questions that land most in our inbox, starting with a great one from a writer, Matt, in Cleveland, about how to structure and set scenes in a cozy myste...
Live From Leavenworth—Sloan Krause Mysteries Q&A
We're coming to you live from Leavenworth, Washington—the real-life Bavarian village from the Sloan Krause Mystery series! While I was busy signing books at A Book for All Seasons, The Tech Guy was hard at work "researching" the local breweries...
From Sprayed Edges to Box Sets—The Book Trends We're Obsessing Over
In this episode of Reality Writes, I'm sitting down with The Tech Guy to talk about the book trends shaping what readers are buying, collecting, and obsessing over right now. We cover cover art cycles, the love-hate relationship with movie tie-...
Fake It Till You Bake It—Answering Your Biggest Mystery Recipe Questions
You asked, and I'm answering! This week on Reality Writes, The Tech Guy and I are pulling straight from my overflowing inbox to tackle the baking questions I get most often from you. Am I a professional baker? Do I test every recipe? Can you sw...
When the Story Takes Over—What Really Happens When Your Book Changes Mid-Draft
Have you ever wondered what really happens between the book an author planned to write and the one that ends up in your hands? In this episode of Reality Writes, I'm pulling back the curtain on one of the most surprising — and honestly...
Independent Bookstore Day—Why Your Local Shops Matter
Independent Bookstore Day is April 25th—and we're kicking off the celebration early! 📚In this episode of Reality Writes, we're sharing everything you need to know about why indie bookstores are so much more than just a place to b...
A Death In The Dark—A New Mystery Plotted on a Road Trip
A man staggers into a detective agency covered in blood with no memory of the night before and...The Tech Guy and I go spoiler free on a brand-new cozy mystery, A Death In The Dark, the latest entry in my Novel Detectives series (a spin ...
First Draft Pitfalls—5 Things for Writers to Watch for
You've done it — you've written a first draft! But before you send it out into the world, there are five common pitfalls that trip up nearly every new writer, and I've seen them time and time again while coaching my writing students. <...
Why Reading Matters—And What We Can Do About It
Reading is in trouble — and not just for kids. In this episode, I'm sitting down with the Tech Guy to talk about some genuinely alarming statistics about literacy in the United States, discuss why reading matters more than ever, and share some ...
The 4th Annual Ashland Mystery Festival—Author Lineup Revealed
The announcement you've been waiting for is here, darlings! I'm so excited to reveal the author lineup for the 4th Annual Ashland Mystery Festival — October 8th through 11th, 2026 in Ashland, Oregon. In this episode, The Tech Guy...
Why Setting Matters—Building the World of Your Story
Ellie Alexander and the Tech Guy explore the role of setting in storytelling and why the places where stories unfold are just as important as the characters themselves. Ellie shares how she approaches choosing locations for her books, including...
Writer and Reader Scams—How to Avoid Them
Online scams are getting smarter—and both writers and readers are being targeted.In this episode of Reality Writes, the Tech Guy and I break down the most common scams we’re seeing right now in the publishing and book world.From AI-generated em...
Conferences, Conventions & Festivals…Oh My!—A Mystery Insider’s Guide
If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens at mystery conferences, conventions, and festivals, this episode is for you.Today on Reality Writes, I’m breaking down the differences between festivals, genre-specific mystery conventions like Mali...
Book 22 is Here—The Whisking Hour & a Bakeshop Glow-up
Book 22. I can hardly believe I’m even typing that. If you’ve been here since Book 1...thank you. Truly. And if you’re just joining at Book 22? Welcome to Torte.In this episode of Reality Writes, we’re celebrating the release of The Whisking Ho...
Writing Romance Across Genre—Cozy Mysteries to Rom-Coms
I’m talking romance today — specifically how love fits into cozy mysteries, why some readers adore it, why others don’t, and how I’ve woven romantic arcs into my series over time.We also dig into my recent shift into writing rom-coms, wh...
Reader Feedback—When to Listen and When to Let It Go
Writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum — readers are a huge part of the experience. But when it comes to reader feedback, not all of it carries the same weight.In this episode of Reality Writes, I’m talking honestly about reader feedback: when it’s...
Behind the Scenes—How a Cozy Mystery Series is Built to Last
How does a cozy mystery series last for dozens of books—and what causes one to end early? Ellie Alexander and Tech Guy go behind the scenes to talk series writing, subplots, reader expectations, publishers, and the real-world happenings that sh...
Plotting 2026—New Books, Projects, and Intentions
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
'Tis the Season (Already?)—Seasonal Book Trends in Reading & Publishing
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 tre...
Ashland Mystery Fest Recap—Highlights, Behind-the-Scenes & T-Shirt Guns
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, a...
Cozy But Not Deadly—Changing Up Genres
Join mystery author Ellie Alexander and The Tech Guy as they dive deep into Ellie's exciting venture into romance writing! In this episode, Ellie reveals her upcoming holiday rom-com duet, one of them featuring beloved characters from her M...
