How NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part Two episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 8, 2026 · 37 MIN

How NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part Two

from The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience · host Kelton Reid

New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton returns to speak to me about the unknown nature of early spaceflight, watching The Right Stuff, the Artemis launch, and writing speculative fiction in her latest novel, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West, among others. Her new historical fiction novel, An Infinite Love Story, is described as Interstellar meets Daisy Jones & the Six: a sweeping dual-timeline novel set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, perfect for readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kate Quinn, and Kristin Hannah. Booklist called it "[A] charming exploration of romantic entanglements during the Space Race…,” and New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn said of the book, "Cleeton's most deeply personal and deeply moving book yet! As an Air Force spouse herself, Cleeton paints Vivian's agony for her husband's safety and her frustration with a system built on the unseen labor of its military wives with keen understanding and endless sympathy. Both a tender romantic drama and a fascinating deep dive into the 1960s space race, An Infinite Love Story soars as high as its astronauts." [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In Part Two of this file Chanel Cleeton and I discussed:  NASA’s unique use of squawk boxes during the Space Race How her IR academic background shaped the Cold War framing throughout her novel Why managing reveals in speculative fiction is similar to managing multiple timelines How to write a tearjerker What she’s cooking up for her next Cold War novel And a lot more! Show Notes: ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod ⁠ChanelCleeton.com⁠ An Infinite Love Story⁠ By Chanel Cleeton (Amazon) ⁠Chanel Cleeton Amazon Author Page⁠ ⁠Chanel Cleeton on Instagram⁠ ⁠Chanel Cleeton on Facebook⁠ Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 8, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

How NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part Two

0:00 37:02

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience episode published?

This episode was published on July 8, 2026.

Can I download this The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!