Chelsea Curto on Going From Flight Attendant to Bestselling Author

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.* From flight attendant to hybrid author with a bookstore-ready hockey series — Chelsea Curto is proof that a wild pivot can turn into a career you never saw coming. Romance author Chelsea Curto (the DC Stars hockey series, *In Stormy Weather*) joins the show to talk about her journey from flight attendant to indie-author-turned-hybrid-with-Atria, plus the wild "it might be the line of believability" story behind putting a woman in the NHL for her breakout hit *Face Off*. She also shares the hurricane-chasing inspiration behind her new meteorologist romance *In Stormy Weather*, and gives us her go-to book recommendations for readers who love emotionally deep sports romance. Perfect for readers who love sports romance, indie-to-trad publishing journeys, and hurricane season reads with heart. ## **📚 Books Mentioned** **In Stormy Weather** by Chelsea Curto —https://amzn.to/3TwnroWBuy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Hurricane/Weather Romance | Audio✅ **Face Off** (DC Stars #1) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ **Hat Trick** (DC Stars #4) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ **An Unexpected Paradise** by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Romance (debut) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ **Caught on Camera** by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Holiday/Seasonal Romance | KU ✅| Audio ✅ **Unsteady** by Peyton Corinne— Buy on Amazon | College Sports Romance (Hockey) | Audio ✅ **Long Shot** by Kennedy Ryan — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Basketball) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ **People We Meet on Vacation** by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ ## **⏱️ Timestamps** - \[00:00] Welcome & intro to Chelsea - \[00:01] Flight attendant career & current leave - \[00:02] Life as a flight attendant, myths vs. reality - \[00:03] How Chelsea started writing during COVID - \[00:04] Growth as an author since 2022 - \[00:05] Indie publishing & connecting with agent Caitlin - \[00:06] Indie vs. traditional publishing pros/cons - \[00:09] The DC Stars hockey series origin - \[00:10] Writing Face Off & putting a woman in the NHL - \[00:12] Atria picks up DC Stars books 1–5 - \[00:13] Face Off's breakout success story - \[00:15] Women's sports (PWHL/WNBA) & future series ideas - \[00:16] Introducing In Stormy Weather - \[00:17] Hurricane Charlie 2004 & growing up in Florida - \[00:18] Hurricane Ian 2022 sparks the book idea - \[00:20] Hat Trick & feeling "this one is special" - \[00:21] Release details & themes of In Stormy Weather - \[00:22] Laura's own hurricane history - \[00:25] Hurricane Maria & community resilience - \[00:27] The "Waffle House/Disney World" hurricane barometer - \[00:29] Clarifying the "elements" series concept (not meteorology) - \[00:30] Book recommendations: Peyton Corinne & Kennedy Ryan - \[00:31] Where to find Chelsea online ### Join the Conversation Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!