Your Invitation to Book (& Craft) Alchemy

Our cozy reading, writing, and creative hideaway through a bookcase door

Welcome.

Come through the bookcase door into our space

Life as a creative can be a lonely endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. This space is a way for writers to come together and support what we all love most: cats books.

Think of this as a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, tea and coffee service at all hours, and perhaps something stronger in the evening if you’d like. We have big windows, but also an enormous fireplace, and cozy nooks everywhere to read, write, and dream. And now, as the conversations have unfolded, we’ve added art supplies into cabinets, tucked yarn and fabric and some sewing machines into the corners so your creativity can expand even more.

image: Andrew Putschoegl

I’m your guide, Caroline Donahue, a writer, book coach, and podcaster who helps writers complete books. My Master’s Degree in Psychology and Expressive Arts and work as an editor, proofreader, and bookseller have been the foundation of twenty years exploring the psychology of the creative process.

A passionate knitter the last 25 years, I’ve fallen in love with sewing my own clothing (evidence: the shirt in the above photograph) and with learning about the history of clothing. There are so many overlaps between the making crafts and the craft of writing. I’ll be sharing more about the points where these ideas weave together.

What’s in the card catalog?

I’ve curated and created resources for writers for nearly ten years, and Book Alchemy is where I share practical writing tips and inspiring stories, all in manageable doses.

In addition, we explore creativity and ways it can enrich your real, imperfect, busy life, just as it is.

Here’s a taste of Book Alchemy…

image: Andrew Putschoegl

Top Posts:

Here are a few of my most popular posts, without paywall:

• How I’m writing my next book without pulling my hair out

• Accomplishing over years: zoom out with writing goals

• Going Indie: why I independently published my nonfiction

• You Cannot Make Time: Writing goals that don’t make you feel shitty

The Secret Library Podcast:

image: Danielle Cohen

Since 2016, I’ve interviewed writers and industry professionals about writing and publishing books. See the show catalogued by season and topic here.

A few listener favorite episodes to get you started:

• Jojo Moyes (Author of Me Before You) reveals why it’s best to succeed slowly

• Emily Nagoski (Author of Burnout) and I discuss writing and burnout

• LaToya Watkins (Author of Perish) on how to connect deeply with characters

• V.E. Schwab (Author of Shades of Magic) gives the most encouraging advice ever

• Danny Ramadan (Author of The Foghorn Echoes) goes draft by draft through his writing process

Resources you get with your Book Alchemy library card:

Everyone can peruse public posts and listen to the full catalogue of
The Secret Library. If you’d like to dive deeper, here’s what’s available:

Free subscribers get:

• Monthly Footnotes posts

Paid subscribers get:

• Entry into member slow reads. Next up: Jane Eyre, starting February 2026.

• Monthly member lives

• Regular reading recommendations, craft, and handmade living posts

• Access the Secret Reference Library workshop videos.

Kind words from current members:

Enjoy settling in! Find a favorite mug, pull up a chair, and let’s read, write, and create together.

Need more support?

I offer coaching, courses, and tarot readings to writers.
You can also check out my books here.