Connection Happens Episode 5

Author R. A. Dines, joins Christian Hurst for a wide-ranging conversation about reinvention, writing for kids, publishing, technology, and the future we may be building around ourselves. Rachel reflects on her transition from two decades in big tech and startups into full-time writing, the creative freedom that came with that change, and the difference between building work for clients and creating something that feels deeply personal and lasting. The conversation also explores her debut middle-grade novel, How I Hacked the Moon, and how her background in product marketing shaped the way she approached branding, design, and launching the book with the polish of a traditional Big Five release. They also dig into space exploration, the emotional power of lunar missions, the way younger readers think about technology, and why current developments in AI increasingly feel less like speculative fiction and more like a real-world dystopia. Along the way, Rachel shares why she hopes books might offer a kind of creative immortality, what she has learned about rejection and audience response, and why preserving curiosity, independence, and authentic human experience matters more than ever. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianhurst.substack.com (https://christianhurst.substack.com?u...)