27 Books, Female Firefighter Heroes & Why Most Writers Quit Right Before They Make It - Constance Phillips {ep. 222}
June 3, 2026
Romance author Constance Phillips has published 27 books in 15 years—including her Sunnydale series and the To Protect and Serve firefighter/police spinoffs. She joins Alexa to talk small-town romance, writing four books a year, bending gender stereotypes, vendor shows, and the mindset that keeps her writing through the slow seasons.
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When Alexa met Constance Phillips in the drink line at Author Nation, she had no idea she was chatting with a romance author with 27 published titles under her belt. In this conversation, Constance pulls back the curtain on what a 15-year romance writing career actually looks like — the late nights writing from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. while raising young kids, the pivot from paranormal fairies and a reincarnated Harry Houdini to small-town romance, and the deliberate choice to populate her Sunnydale and To Protect and Serve series with female firefighters, female paramedics, and characters with physical disabilities. She and Alexa get refreshingly honest about the financial realities of a fiction career, why reinvesting in your business matters more than the headline royalty numbers, and the discipline of writing the next book while editing the current one. If you're in a season where your sales feel stuck or you're wondering whether you're "behind," this is the conversation to put in your ears.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
When Alexa met Constance Phillips in the drink line at Author Nation, she had no idea she was chatting with a romance author with 27 published titles under her belt. In this conversation, Constance pulls back the curtain on what a 15-year romance writing career actually looks like — the late nights writing from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. while raising young kids, the pivot from paranormal fairies and a reincarnated Harry Houdini to small-town romance, and the deliberate choice to populate her Sunnydale and To Protect and Serve series with female firefighters, female paramedics, and characters with physical disabilities. She and Alexa get refreshingly honest about the financial realities of a fiction career, why reinvesting in your business matters more than the headline royalty numbers, and the discipline of writing the next book while editing the current one. If you're in a season where your sales feel stuck or you're wondering whether you're "behind," this is the conversation to put in your ears.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- The math of a 15-year career. Constance has published 27 books since 2010, with the last three years producing four titles annually — a pace built on writing new words even while editing the previous manuscript.
- You're closer than you think. "Most people who quit don't realize how close they were to making it when they did." Constance's litmus test: if you couldn't write for a living, would you actually stop writing?
- Reinvestment is the real cost of doing business. Computers wear out, conferences cost money, advertising eats into royalties — building an author career means constantly putting earnings back into the engine.
- Series build readers. A connected world (recurring diner, hardware store, side characters) gives readers warmth and a reason to stick with you book after book.
- Bend the stereotypes. Choosing a female firefighter as a heroine and writing characters with physical disabilities into a small-town world makes the work feel fresh and reflects readers' actual lives.
- Small town romance is having a moment. When the world feels heavy, readers crave the cozy — the Gilmore Girls vibe, the familiar corner store, the safe place to escape.
- Vendor shows pay off. After stepping away from in-person selling for a while, Constance has seen real fanbase growth this year by getting in front of readers face-to-face.
- Compare yourself to your starting line, not the people next to you. Look back at where you began before you decide you're not far enough along.
Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, daughter, and three canine kids, where she writes contemporary and paranormal romance novels. With 27 published titles spanning fairy paranormal, a reincarnated-Harry-Houdini reimagining (Resurrecting Harry), and her connected small-town worlds (the Sunnydale series and its To Protect and Serve spinoff), Constance is known for friends-to-lovers and second-chance romances featuring diverse, inclusive casts. When she's not writing about people finding and rediscovering love, she's in the garden with her pups, cooking with fresh produce, or at an 80s pop concert with friends and family.
Learn more at ConstancePhillips.com and follow her on Instagram at @constancephillipsauthor.
References and Links Mentioned
- Constance Phillips' website: ConstancePhillips.com
- Instagram: @constancephillipsauthor
- Sunnydale Series (small-town romance set around a therapeutic horse riding facility)
- To Protect and Serve Series (firefighter and police heroes/heroines — Sunnydale spinoff)
- Resurrecting Harry (paranormal — a reimagining of a reincarnated Harry Houdini)
- Author Nation — where Alexa and Constance first met
- Women in Publishing Summit — Constance attended in 2025 and 2026 and has her ticket for next year
- WIP Society — year-round membership community for women authors and publishing pros: mywipsociety.com
- WIP Marketing Bootcamp! June 2026!
- WIP Business Bootcamp — coming in August 2026 (included in WIP Society membership)
Publishing and book marketing advice.