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To AI or not to AI? For me, it's not really a question and, in this episode of Reality Writes, I tell you why.

The Tech Guy and I get behind the mics for an honest look at AI as seen from both writer's and reader's lenses and how it is impacting both worlds. I tell you why I feel that using an LLM to "improve" your writing isn't going to help you in the ways you think it will. Finding your voice is what writing is all about and no automated system is going to do that for you.

If you're worried you can't ever become a writer without using AI tools, this episode is for you. You absolutely can, darlings, and we'll talk you through the why and how.

Where do you stand on AI use in the writing and reading worlds? Subscribe and leave us a message.

Happy writing!

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Summer is flying by, darlings, so I'm calling this one the Last Chance Summer Dance. The Tech Guy and I share what we've been reading plus the towering TBR stacks sitting on our nightstands. We've got some thrillers, a mystery favorite, indie bookstore recommendations, and some surprises. Plus, I talk a little bit more about my two upcoming fall releases: A Fall to Remember and The Pumpkin Vice Cafe.

What's on your end of summer reading list? Have you read any of the books we mention in this week's episode? Let us know in the comments or send us a message. Happy reading!

Find all the books from this episode here:
https://bookshop.org/shop/elliealexander

What Ellie's been reading

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberly
A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Examiner by Janice Hallett
Behind Every Face by Charlie Donlea

What The Tech Guy's been reading

The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4)
The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
The Only Way Out Is Up by Django Wexler
Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney
He Who Fights with Monsters by Travis Deverell

Ellie's fall releases

A Fall to Remember (September 1)
The Pumpkin Vice Café — Bakeshop Mysteries #23 (end of September)

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Ellie may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It's one easy way to support the podcast, and we only ever link to books and things we genuinely love.

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Fall is my favorite season, darlings, so of course I set a whole book there. With A Fall to Remember arriving September 1st, The Tech Guy and I sat down for a spoiler-free deep dive into my new rom-com. I share why this one feels so different from my holiday rom-coms, how I found Miranda Brown, an accidental influencer who goes viral for all the right reasons, and the real (and reimagined) charm of Half Moon Bay, California. We talk about the hardest shift from writing mysteries to romance, weaving four points of view and multiple love stories, and one gorgeous first for me: sprayed edges. Grab a warm drink and settle in, then tell us: are you a lover of spice or no spice?

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We're back from our travels, darlings, and my inbox was overflowing, so we did the only sensible thing and turned your questions into an episode. This one is a true grab bag, pulled from the messages and DMs that landed while we were away. I share my honest take on querying agents now that AI has flooded the marketplace, why I fully humanize my own creative process, and how you develop a writing voice that's unmistakably yours. Then we give the readers some love, answering why a few books aren't on audio or Kobo, why Trouble Is Brewing will never be in print, where to find the recipes, plus my very particular writing quirks.

Tune in and let us know what you think. Do you have a question we didn't answer in this episode? Send us a message!

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Picture yourself stepping into a real-life cozy mystery — stunning fall foliage, charming streets, and 14 authors who can't wait to meet you. That's the Ashland Mystery Festival.

In this episode, we're giving you the full 4th Annual Ashland Mystery Fest preview—everything you need to plan your trip to Ashland, Oregon this October 8–12. We cover the full author lineup including debut authors and some beloved returning favorites, brand-new additions like escape rooms, audiobook narrators, and individual day passes, plus the reveal of this year's dinner theme. Spoiler: masks required.

Links:
Ashland Mystery Fest: https://www.ashlandmysteryfest.com
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: https://www.osfashland.org
Oregon Cabaret Theatre: https://www.oregoncabaret.com

Don't miss a single bookish moment — subscribe to Reality Writes and leave us a comment below. We'd love to know: are you coming to Ashland this year?

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Book three in the Novel Detectives is almost here! I sit down with the Tech Guy to preview A Murder at the Mansion, out July 21st, and this one comes with a first: an actual pet in the plot. Annie and Fletcher get called out to investigate a missing heiress at an estate that makes the Secret Bookcase look modest, and I share how a real Bay Area landmark keeps sneaking into my fiction (including two secret bookcases I didn't even know about when I started the series). Spoiler free, as always. Tune in for the full story behind the book, and preorder your copy now in ebook, paperback, or audio!

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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 all six clauses of the cozy contract, from justice served at every ending to beloved characters kept safe, from the setting that must always feel like home to the formula that is not a limitation but the whole point. Where did these rules come from? Agatha Christie had something to say about that. Settle in, Darlings. It's time to get legal.

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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 very strongly about, and this time, The Tech Guy actually knew what was coming.

We cover whether you should ever read a review before finishing a book, the case for always starting a series at book one, why taking a genre break might be exactly what your reading life needs, and why rereading a book you love is never time wasted. Then we get to Hill Five...

Drop your take in the comments.

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