The Fear Doesn’t Go Away After You Publish: A Conversation with MM Romance Author Alex Cross Artwork

The Write It Scared Podcast

A podcast to help fiction writers work through self-doubt and learn the craft of writing a novel.

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The Write It Scared Podcast

The Fear Doesn’t Go Away After You Publish: A Conversation with MM Romance Author Alex Cross

May 31, 2026 • Stacy Frazer • Season 3 • Episode 107

0:00 | 48:48

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What happens after the book is finally out in the world—and all the noise starts creeping in?

In this conversation, indie MM romance author Alex Cross joins me to talk about emotionally intense storytelling, publishing pressure, writer’s block, and the challenge of protecting your creativity once readers, reviews, and big expectations enter the picture.

We talk about the Fire Between Us series and its highly anticipated second installment, From Our Ashes, which released May 4th, 2026, as well as her stunning Us duet—Echoes of Us and Becoming Us.

We dig into the craft, including keeping track of dual timelines, writing toxic relationships, character psychology, and messy, deeply human love stories. Alex also shares her journey into self-publishing, the realities of revising published work, navigating social media and comparison, and learning how to reconnect to why she writes in the first place.

It’s an honest conversation about creativity, vulnerability, and continuing to write even when fear and doubt get loud.

Timestamps

04:04 Meet Alex Cross

08:29 Choosing a risky debut

11:37 Echoes of Us

19:11 Crafting dual timelines

24:44 Revising published work

29:49 Fire Between Us update

33:30 Writing high-angst stories

35:53 Writer’s block + sequel struggles

37:56 Reviews, doubt, and social media

41:35 Boundaries and support systems