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 Malice and BoucherCon, general writing conferences like Willamette Writers, and even bookseller and library conferences. They may sound similar but they serve very different purposes depending on whether you’re a writer, a reader, or an industry professional.Whether you’re a Darling who loves attending events, or a writer thinking about your first conference, I hope this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how it all works.

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 Hour, the 22nd book in my Bakeshop Mystery series. In this episode, we talk about what it feels like to write 22 books in one series, a spoiler-free look at what you can expect in The Whisking Hour, why this is the FINAL Bakeshop book in this format, and a special re-release of Meet Your Baker.We also talk about what it takes to keep a long-running series fresh, how publishing trends impact authors (sometimes in ways we can’t control), and why I’m incredibly grateful that the Bakeshop Mysteries are continuing.✨ I’d love to hear from you:– Do you prefer mass market or trade paperback?– Do you have a favorite Bakeshop book, character, or cover?And don’t forget — our After Party is waiting over on Patreon!

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, what surprised me most about the genre, and how writing romance has actually made me a better mystery writer. From slow-burn relationships and love triangles to Hallmark expectations, fall vibes, and why I’ll probably never write “spicy,” this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how romance really works in my books.

If you love cozy mysteries, rom-coms, or you’re a writer curious about crossing genres, this one’s for you.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

• A Very Novel Murder

• The Whisking Hour (Book 22 in the Bakeshop Mystery series)

• Clued in to Love

• A Cozy Kind of Christmas

• Upcoming fall rom-coms, including A Fall to Remember

🎧 Patrons can head over to Patreon for the After Party — where things might get spicy (PG-13 spicy… at most).