Bestselling hybrid romance author, Chelsea Curto joins Jamie this week to chat about her DC Stars hockey series and her traditional publishing debut, In Stormy Weather. Chelsea shares the surreal journey of writing her first book in 2022 to landing a major book deal, and why she believes that publishing is a marathon and not a sprint.

Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to decode the indie publishing world or a romance fan obsessed with forced proximity and sports tropes, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.

• Why hockey's physicality and 82-game travel schedule make it the ultimate sport for romantic tension.
• How Chelsea researched storm chasing and atmospheric science for her STEM-focused rival meteorologists in In Stormy Weather.
• The realities of being a hybrid author and balancing the creative control of self-publishing with the collaborative team support of traditional publishing.
• The Emily Henry book that sparked Chelsea's love for the genre and led to a magical full-circle career moment.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & Latest Releases

05:08 - Why Hockey Dominates the Romance Genre

07:50 - Writing Women in STEM & Storm Chasing

14:09 - The Leap into Traditional Publishing

25:17 - The Book That Started Chelsea's Journey

30:40 - From Flight Attendant to Bestselling Author

45:45 - Realities & Advice for Indie Publishing

57:45 - The Best of Both Worlds: Hybrid Publishing

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