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 — Buy 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!