Welcome to Reality Writes

Ellie Alexander 0:05

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Reality Writes. I am author Ellie Alexander. This is the podcast where we talk about all things bookish, writer-ish, and whatever else is on our mind. And I'm here with The Tech Guy.

Tech Guy 0:21

Uh and hey, today we are going to be talking about something super exciting. Um, in fact, there's probably gonna be a little bit of an announcement about it later today on your socials, right? Um yeah. So, but before we get started, um be sure to give us a like. Uh, follow us on your favorite podcasting platform, really does help. Uh, we want to spread the word about all things bookish, reader-ish, writer-ish, um, and techish sometimes, you know. So we gotta get to get that in there. Um and for the patrons out there, be sure to head over to Patreon for the after party where we'll be divulging even more cool secrets about today's topic. Um so yeah, I don't know. Maybe.

Ellie Alexander 1:12

Maybe we don't know.

Tech Guy 1:14

We do. But but let's let's dive in. Uh, there you're gonna have some news today.

Ellie Alexander 1:21

Yeah, I need a drum roll for this. Do we have a drum roll?

Tech Guy 1:25

Oh boy. You you gotta you gotta give me like a more than a heads up on that. Here we go.

Ellie Alexander 1:35

Oh,

The Big Announcement

Ellie Alexander 1:36

love it. All right, we are announcing the 2026 Ashland Mystery Fest Author lineup. I'm so excited. That's right. That's right.

Tech Guy 1:51

All right, fourth annual. Woo.

Ellie Alexander 1:54

Fourth annual. Can you believe it?

Tech Guy 1:56

No, I can't. I mean, honestly, like, and this I I just want to take a pause to talk about it for a second. Like, for anyone who's ever put on an event, you know what we're talking about here. Um, you know the work, the number of people and the amount of work that it takes to put on any event of any size, but especially something that is citywide, even in a small town um that includes multiple venues, uh, people coming in from all over the world. Yeah. What do we have last last year? The third annual was like 29 cities, like yeah. How many countries? I I don't know.

How Big Did AMF Get? Year 3 By the Numbers

Ellie Alexander 2:38

59 cities and yeah, 29 states and five countries. Yeah, pretty awesome.

Tech Guy 2:43

Yeah, I mean, it's a lot. It it it it is a tremendous amount of work. Um, we are absolutely exhausted right before it starts.

Ellie Alexander 2:53

Yep.

Tech Guy 2:54

Then we have like four of the best days of our lives.

Ellie Alexander 2:58

Yep.

Tech Guy 2:59

Then we're exhausted again. That's right. And then the work starts all over again for the next year. But all of that said, we feel Ellie and I both feel incredibly lucky and and really are really, really grateful for not only the people who help make Ashland Mystery Festival a possibility, but all of the people who come and and experience the fun. Just wonderful. It's just been so wonderful.

Ellie Alexander 3:29

No,

What Makes Ashland Mystery Festival Different

Ellie Alexander 3:30

I mean, it's literally a dream. And, you know, I've we we did um an episode a month or so ago about conferences, conventions, and festivals. And and for me, oh my this really is the festival of like my bookish dreams. Like if this had existed when I was younger, I just I can't even imagine. I would have been mind blown because this is ultimately a festival for readers. And the goal is from the minute you arrive in Ashland, we want you to feel like you are stepping into the pages of a cozy mystery and spending the weekend just fully immersed in all of those vibes. And to your point, everyone who's come, everyone who's been part of it, like they have brought that energy, that level of connection, the joy, the, you know, like cheesiness of like sleuthing something out in the streets. And the goal is every year we want to keep improving and finding ways to keep it fresh and new and exciting. And um, yeah, it's just it's definitely a labor of love, but it's it's incredible.

Tech Guy 4:40

Yeah, it I mean, it and for those darlings out there who don't know, like this was literally all born out of one day. It was like, I want to make a festival for readers.

Ellie Alexander 4:51

Here's what I should do.

Tech Guy 4:54

And like with almost everything else in her life, she made it happen. So, um, and and like I said, it's taken a lot of people, and it's still it does take a lot of people who put this on, and we could not do this without the help of everyone involved, uh, you know, from all the folks at Travel Ashland and all the volunteers and our friends and family and and everybody. Um, but it is going to be even better this year for the fourth annual Ashland Mystery Festival.

Mark Your Calendars—October 8–11, 2026

Ellie Alexander 5:25

That's right. Okay, so darlings, before I announce the author list, get your phone app, get your calendar app up, get a pen, get a paper, like whatever it is, and mark your calendars for October 8th through October 11th. Those are this year's dates. Everything kicks off on Thursday. Although we learned last year so many of you came early on like Tuesday and Wednesday and got to experience Ashland and the Rogue Valley, which I highly recommend. Um if you're coming, like come experience it.

Tech Guy 5:58

Yeah, yeah. I I second that wholeheartedly. And and especially since like it's not exactly easy to get to Ashland from across the country or another country. It does there's not a major airport nearby. Uh the Medford Airport is nice, but it's very tiny. And um, and it takes a while to get to Ashland. Uh, once you're there, though, you're gonna want to spend some time exploring. And and there's just there's so much beauty and nature and community and I mean and beer. Have we talked about the beer in the Rogue Valley? Um I just want to oh, and there's wine too. There's there's also wine, yeah. And cider. Um, yeah, we got we all the bases are covered. Coffee. Yeah, coffee. Oh, yeah. No, it's it's amazing. Um, so yeah, so if you do, if you've never been to the Ashland Mystery Festival and you are coming this year, you're planning on coming for the fourth annual, um, there is a lot more to do than just the Ashland Mystery Festival. So if you can, and I this is not a requirement, uh obviously, um, but if you can and you have the time, um try to spend a couple extra days. Uh, give yourself some time to explore around the area outside of just the festival itself.

What to Do Beyond the Festival

Ellie Alexander 7:16

Yeah, absolutely. And uh the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, OSF, will be in season still. So you can get tickets to a couple shows. The Oregon Cabaret has shows there. I mean, there's just like a plethora to do. So for sure. But mark your dates, October 8th through October 11th. Come to Ashland with us. It will be stunning. It will be fall. And um, you're gonna want to meet and hang out with all of the authors that I'm going to share with you right now. Um, because again, this I feel like I'm not intentionally dragging this out, but I have so much to say on it. But I feel like it's like one of those teaser ads. And then, and wait, there's more. Um Totally.

Tech Guy 7:58

This episode is gonna be about 30 minutes long, and we're gonna get to the list about 29 minutes and 30

Revealing the 2026 Author Lineup

Tech Guy 8:04

seconds into it.

Ellie Alexander 8:05

No, I'm gonna get to it in just one second. But I do want to say, going back to the idea that this is a festival with readers, with you darlings in mind. The idea is that you're hanging out for four days with all of us as authors. There's not just like uh the authors are gonna be over here in their own private quarters, and you will see them for one signing and no other time. Like it is fully immersive for all of us. And the authors who come every year say the same thing. Like it's such a great experience for us. We learned, I mean, first of all, it's just amazing to be in space together with people who love cozies. Like, that's first and foremost. But secondly, like, I think I've learned so many new things that I want to like weave into books, and there are so many points of connection that happen. So yeah. Okay. Without further ado, I will let you know who's coming. All right. So we have Hannah Dennison, who's joining us from the UK again. Esme Addison, who's coming from the south. We have the one and only Ellen Byron. And the funny story that I have to share right here about Ellen Byron and the Medford Airport is when Ellen's flight landed last year, she got off at the Medford Airport. And as you're exiting, and we've talked before about how tiny the airport is, there was a whole spread of like free wine tasting and cheese and like pears and all the things from the Rogue Valley. And she was like, This is for us. So I said to the team at Travel Ashland, like, did you all do that? And they were like, No, I think that was just something that was happening. But from here on out, we need to be like, Yes, that is for Mystery Fest. I wouldn't be surprised. Yeah. Uh we have Lee Hollis coming back, Aaron Scott, Mia Mononzala, and Gretchen Rue. This year, we also have Jen McKinley, whose book is now gonna be made into a Hallmark movie. Oh my gosh. Oh wow,

Brand New This Year—Cozy Audiobook Narrators

Ellie Alexander 10:08

yes, that was news breaking just a week or so ago. Michelle Schuinard, Catherine Bruns, Matthew Green, and Kim Griswell. And as a bonus, one thing that I've been brainstorming with the team at Travel Ashland is that every year, now that we kind of have established the festival and kind of rotating through authors, we all we always want to have a mix of authors who have been part of the festival in a year or two prior, as well as new authors coming in and some debuts. We want to add in a cozy adjacent element every year, if that makes sense. So our cozy adjacent element this year is going to be two cozy audiobook narrators who are gonna peel back the curtain and talk all about the process of how a book goes from pages like that to being narrated in audio. And we have all kinds of fun ideas that we're brewing up to get to introduce you to that side. And if you're somebody, maybe, you know, we do have new writers and writers who are working on a fruit first project who come to the festival. Maybe there are some aspiring audiobook narrators out there. And if that's you, darling, this might be your sign to come and attend AMF this year. So Megan Kelly and her partner um in crime, Shannon, who do very different styles of audio, are both coming together. Um and we're gonna be putting their audio to the test live. That's that's as much as I can tell you now. But it's gonna be, again, interactive and immersive for sure.

Tech Guy 11:53

Oh, that's gonna be fun. Yeah. I've always wondered about uh, I mean, just seeing behind the scenes, because it like obviously getting behind the scenes of writing a mystery, um, you know, with you is one thing. But like the the whole audiobook thing, just because I know how I read it would take me so long to record an audiobook. If I I mean I can't even can't even imagine the editing that would have to go into that. It just it's it blows my mind.

Ellie Alexander 12:22

Um the editing and even just this when we do the podcast, you know, it's always fun. We're excited to do it. And then I don't want to talk for an hour or two, and these are like 40 minutes long, all told. And you're talking about narrating, you know, hours and hours of an audiobook. Yeah. So I'm super excited to have um that element this year. And um, I'm already thinking ahead for future years on what those cozy adjacent elements might look like every year to really bring in some people who don't always necessarily have representation at like the mystery conventions either.

Tech Guy 12:56

Yeah. Uh well, and that actually brings up a good point. We can crowdsource this a little bit for all the darlings of listeners out there. Please, like, if you've got a cozy adjacent topic or something you'd like to see at Ashland Mystery Fest, like drop it in the comments. Let us know. Um, we'll see if we can make it happen.

Ellie Alexander 13:13

Totally.

Festival Format—Panels, Dinners, Mystery Teas, and More

Ellie Alexander 13:14

Yeah. So um the overview will be very similar. We'll do a kickoff party on Thursday night at the historic armory. We have the armory for the whole weekend, which is so nice because it's it's a touch point for readers. It's like, we know that we're gonna have the kickoff party there, all of the key panels will be there, and then we'll have the closing reception on Sunday morning. I'm also excited to tell you for those darlings who attended last year and you may have met Allison Wolf, she's gonna be back as our official MC for the weekend.

Tech Guy 13:48

I love Allison. Yeah, she's got great energy.

Ellie Alexander 13:52

Awesome energy. Yeah, and it's just so great at bringing you in and making you feel like you're part of it, especially if you're someone who's coming solo. Like this is definitely the kind of festival to come solo to because there are so many opportunities to connect with other readers and make lifelong book friends too, which has been one of the coolest things to see happen now that we're four years into it.

Tech Guy 14:15

Yeah. And having Allison as an MC, like uh, you can get into a little bit of the lore behind how that came to be, which I think is a fascinating story. And I know you've talked about it before, but uh everybody it'd be good for people to hear. But it that's just having an MC is just an example of, or a host, uh, whatever you want to call her. Um it's just an example of how Ashland Mystery Fest has been like leveling up every year, you know. Um, that that has been um so fun to see because you know, we we learn as we go, venue changes, like format changes, author changes, like all of the things. And yeah, it's been it's been so fun to see it grow and and and really just kind of um you know mature into this this like really, really awesome uh uh gathering of like-minded mystery fans.

Ellie Alexander 15:10

So yes, absolutely. Allison won. Now I'm not gonna, I always say it wrong. Is it worst cooks of America or America's worst cooks?

Tech Guy 15:20

Someone I think it's I think it's a second. Uh I'll look it up while you're talking about it okay.

Ellie Alexander 15:25

You look it up. I feel like I want it to be the first, but it's actually the second. It's a reality TV show. And Allison slid into my DMs and was like, hey, I want to come to Mystery Fest, but I I I have this background, if I can help at all. And I literally just threw her to the wolf last year and and she took over. In fact, at the Saturday night dinner, we had a sleuth-themed dinner where you came as your favorite sleuth. And the Saturday night dinner is always kind of the flagship event for the weekend. It takes place at Ashland Springs Hotel. It's so fun. Every author hosts a table. So you get to have dinner with one of the authors, and we try to we try to bring it. Like not only do we bring it in terms of costumes, but you you get treated at dinner. You the the tables are themed over books or like whatever the costume is, all of that. Well, the key piece of entertainment is that every year we've done a panel where we build a mystery live with readers, and then the authors who are on that panel read it live at the dinner. So that's always been like the key piece of entertainment. Otherwise, you're just having not just, but it's about having dinner with an author, right? But all of the authors were in costume and the costumes were so fantastic last year. And Allison happened to be seated at our at our table, and I was like, hey, no notes. Like I hadn't given her any warning about this. I'm like, can you take the mic and go table by table and like talk to each of the authors and let us see their costume and why they chose it? Oh yeah, no problem. She's just like so easygoing. So um, yeah, I'm really thrilled to have her back and have her be a bigger part of this.

The Saturday Night Dinner and Alison's Return as MC

Tech Guy 17:04

Yeah. Um, worst cooks in America.

Ellie Alexander 17:07

Worst cooks in America. Okay. Yeah. Do you want it?

Tech Guy 17:10

Yeah. Um, can I give uh attendees, potential attendees, a pro tip for the costume party at the uh at the dinner? Uh try your costume on before you show up. I know from experience, and I shared this on the after party after last year's event, but I'm gonna share it publicly now.

Ellie Alexander 17:32

Okay, okay.

Tech Guy 17:32

I I did not. We we dressed we dressed up as as uh Monk and Sharona um for our costume, and I thought they were really good. I got all the pieces. I had everything. I had the houndstooth coat, I had the uh pants, I had the shoes, had the spray bottle and the rag and everything. Um I didn't open the shirt before the like dinner, I didn't open. I had the perfect like taupe button-up shirt. And I'm not a small guy, um, but I got a small shirt, literally a small.

Ellie Alexander 18:13

You didn't order a small.

Tech Guy 18:14

No, I didn't order a small, I did not order a small. Um, and but as small came, I squeezed into that shirt, and I was so uncomfortable for like a while. Yeah, it was it was it was pretty tight. It was pretty tight. Thankfully it was a little stretchy, but um yeah, wow, that was yeah. So try your costume. Why is the tech guy I'm like sweating like oh so hot, yeah, because I was wearing like the like uh yeah, that was just a small no tough, yeah.

Ellie Alexander 18:52

So try or at least maybe check the sizing before you buy it. Check the sizing, try it on.

Tech Guy 18:57

Yeah, yeah.

Ellie Alexander 18:58

Definitely lesson learned. Um, I will say that what we've done is that every year we've flipped the theme of the Saturday night dinner. So there will be a new theme this year, which will be announced soon. Um, I have not I have not officially announced it yet, but what I'm saying.

Tech Guy 19:18

I'm glad you said that. I almost blurted it out.

The New Dinner Theme Teaser

Ellie Alexander 19:22

What I'm saying is don't go buy a sleuth costume right now if you're listening to this, darlings, because we're going in a different direction and it's gonna be a little bit fancier this year.

Tech Guy 19:34

Oh wow. Still murder, still murder, still still murder, fancier murder. Okay.

Ellie Alexander 19:41

Um love it. I was having a planning meeting with the team at Travel Ashland and Allison, and we decided MC was a great term for her. But then as we were hanging up the Zoom, I was like, Yeah, but can we make it murder? So, darlings, this is my call out to you. Do you have something clever that we call Allison for the weekend that's a murder-themed MC?

Tech Guy 20:07

I mean, uh, she should be the chief inspector. She should be the chief inspector. Um something like that. Something like that. Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. But yeah, it would be great to hear from everyone. What do they think? I'd like to hear the suggestions. Yeah.

Ellie Alexander 20:24

Me too. Um, okay, so we'll have our flagship opening reception again, and then we'll have panels at the armory all day Friday, all day Saturday. There will be more immersive mystery dinners like we've had in years past. There will be mystery teas. Two of the authors will be planning an interactive mystery that you're gonna solve all around town again. And the idea that we have for this year is epic. Let's just say epic. I can't tell you anything more, but it's gonna be great. Uh, we'll have the flagship dinner, a closing reception. And then, of course, as always, all kinds of pop-ups around town. Shows will be going at uh the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the cabaret, like I talked about. The whole town is excited. I can't wait. It's gonna be magical. Absolutely magical.

How Ashland Mystery Festival Has Evolved Year by Year

Tech Guy 21:23

Yeah, it's fun. Um, again, just kind of reminiscing about the first three years. I I still like even going from year one to year two for the second annual. We had like every that's the year everybody got actual official badges and stuff when they were, you know, on lanyards and everything. And we were in in our hotel. Um, we could look down on the street and just we saw so many people walking around with these lanyards on, and it was just so exciting to see, like, and they're all like, oh, you know, like we're meeting each other. A lot of these, uh a lot of the attendees have met online and Ashland Mystery Festival. Was like the first time that they met in person. And that was really cool to see. Um, so fun.

Ellie Alexander 22:05

So fun. Yeah. And Trouble Ashland last year did new merch. Um, so cool tote bags and posters and sweatshirts and t-shirts. And like, yeah. So we're just every year we're learning more and we're getting, we're getting it down to a little bit of a science. I feel like I should knock on wood when I say that. But um, the blueprint is there. It's like with my books. When you're first starting a series, you're putting a lot more work into it because you're having to build the town and the setting and the characters. And once a series is up and running, there's still a lot of work, but you kind of have that foundation. And I feel like we really have that fan foundation and incredible partners in the team at Travel Ashland who bring it all together and again are so lovely at welcoming all of you, darlings. Like if you come, I don't think there's going to be a moment where you're not going to feel like, oh, I'm meant to be here. Like everyone is so generous and kind and want you to be in Ashland. So I love that piece of it too.

Tech Guy 23:06

Yeah, it's, you know, for like as a bit of an outsider, insider perspective, it it has been really fun to see this festival be so much focused on the readers because um the fact that the readers get literally get to meet all these authors in person. And and not just in a in a like, oh, I'm watching them on a panel up on a stage setting, but like Ashland is a small place and you might be out to dinner and sitting next to you is you know, Jen McKinley or Ellie Alexander or you know, whoever. Um, and it's just it's so fun to get to see everybody interacting in such a cozy environment.

Ellie Alexander 23:50

Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay, so the dates one more time. October 8th through 11th. The list of authors is gonna be up online, and then we will probably have ticket sales going live in the next couple months, and we're gonna do the same thing every year. We've been tweaking what works in terms of packages and then how to offer up other panels and everything else around the community that's just free and come as you are. So we're working on all of those logistics, but I will be sure to share once we're ready to go live with everything. Um, but pencil it in now, get ready.

Ticket Sales and What's Coming Next

Tech Guy 24:31

That's good. It's gonna be here before we know it. Yeah. I know I know. Like no matter that that that is the one thing that we have not mastered yet in terms of getting ready. We've I feel like we've gotten better each year, but but but despite best intentions, the last week or so leading up to because we always go up probably a week early, as we're there's a lot to prep in person before Ashland Mystery Fest happens. And so we need to be there early. But the week before we the week before the week is always just like very little sleep.

Ellie Alexander 25:08

No, very little sleep, lots of late nights.

Tech Guy 25:11

Yeah. Um it's all good, it's all fun. It's just um it it is uh yeah, one of these days maybe we'll get it all done in June. And I I would love to, but somehow it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen. No.

Ellie Alexander 25:24

Let's be realistic. No. No. That's okay.

Tech Guy 25:27

No. Um, why don't you read off the list again of authors just to um yeah, just so if in case anybody missed it, then they don't have to scrub back through the episode to hear them.

Ellie Alexander 25:40

Here's who's coming. Ashley Mystery Fest 2026, Hannah Dennison, Esme Addison, Ellen Byron, Lee Hollis, Aaron Scott, Mia Monansala, Gretchen Rue, Jen McKinley, Michelle Schoenard, Katherine Bruns, Matthew Green, and Kim Griswell, plus two audio narrators. Yay!

Tech Guy 26:04

That's awesome. Yeah, that's a great lineup. And you, yeah. I guess and Ellie Alexander. Uh yeah.

Ellie Alexander 26:10

Yeah. And a tech guy.

Tech Guy 26:12

Uh you'll be there. Oh, yeah, I'll be there. Oh, yeah. We didn't talk about the most important event, which is like usually beers with the tech guy. So that is um, that is uh we might have a venue change for that this year. I'm not sure. We'll have to see.

Ellie Alexander 26:25

Okay.

Tech Guy 26:25

I'll shake it up.

Ellie Alexander 26:26

Stay tuned.

Tech Guy 26:27

Or maybe, maybe more than one. More than one of them.

Ellie Alexander 26:30

Oh, okay. You heard it here first.

Tech Guy 26:34

I mean, you know, you people get tired of panels or whatever. They can't have a beer with the tech guy. Yeah.

Ellie Alexander 26:39

Yeah. It's sunny, it's pretty outside. Sure.

Final Thoughts and Gratitude to the Darlings

Ellie Alexander 26:42

Yeah.

Tech Guy 26:42

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. All right. Anything else you want people to know about this early announcement of a fourth annual Ashland Mystery Festival before we wrap up?

Ellie Alexander 26:55

No, I just huge gratitude to all of you who have made it so special, the authors, the team at Travel Ashland, and most importantly, the darlings for the last three years. And I can't wait to see you in Ashland this fall.

Tech Guy 27:09

Yeah, I can't, I can't either. Um, and now I'm gonna go start, I'm gonna start some of the prep.

Ellie Alexander 27:16

Okay, stickers. Here it comes.

Tech Guy 27:18

Exactly. Yeah, gotta get it, gotta get started. All right. Till next time.

Ellie Alexander 27:24

Till next time.