We talk with author Lily Chu about fandoms and writing.

Lily Chu loves ordering the second-cheapest wine, wearing perfume all the time, and staying up far too late with a good book.

Four of her books have been released in audio as Audible Originals, performed by Phillipa Soo (The Stand-In, The Comeback, The Takedown, and Drop Dead) and John Cho (Drop Dead). Lily’s best-selling stories are critically acclaimed and have spent multiple weeks at number one in Audible Top Plus Listens, and have been named in Best of the Year lists.

Find her at https://lilychuauthor.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/lilychuauthor/

Books discussed in this episode:

• The Stand-In
• The Comeback
• The Takedown
• The Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
• Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
• Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London
• I'm Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

Cozy mystery author Ellie Alexander joins us to talk about writing mystery, setting them in small towns, what's next for her, and how books give you strength and opportunity.

Ellie Alexander is a voracious storyteller and a lover of words and all things bookish. Ellie believes that stories have the power to transport and transform us. With over thirty novels published and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

Ellie loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers through every phase of the process from brainstorming an initial idea to brand building and helping new writers find their path to publication.

Find her at https://www.elliealexander.co | IG: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander

Books discussed in this episode:

• Ellie's books
• We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
• Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
• Broken by Karin Slaughter

Julie Soto is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her books include:

• Not Another Love Song (romance)
• Forget Me Not (romance)
• Thrashers (YA)
• Rose in Chains (Fantasy)

Find her at https://www.juliesotowrites.com/

https://www.instagram.com/juliesotowrites

https://www.tiktok.com/@juliesotowrites

Our inaugural episode! Claire and Sierra talk about who they are (a bookstore owner and an author), what they love to read, and how to read books when you have a busy day job and a family. A LOT of laughing and banter.

Books mentioned:

• A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey
• The Second Chance Hotel by Sierra Godfrey
• Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
• The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

A short introduction to our podcast, Heartracers, a podcast about reading, writing, publishing, and selling books-- from a published author and a bookstore owner!