Books

The Plus One

Available from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Order from your favorite retailer now!

A brilliant but socially inept robotics engineer builds her own wedding date–and learns more about love than she ever expected–in this hilarious and heartwarming debut novel.

Meet Kelly. Twenty-nine, go-getter, a brilliant robotics engineer, and perpetually single. When her younger sister’s wedding looms and her attempts to find a date become increasingly cringeworthy, Kelly does the only logical thing: she builds her own boyfriend.

Ethan is perfect–gorgeous, attentive, smart, all topped off by a mechanical heart endlessly devoted to her, not to mention he’s good with her mother. When she’s with him, Kelly discovers a more confident, spontaneous version of herself–the person she’d always dreamed she could be. But as the struggle to keep Ethan’s identity secret threatens to detonate her career, Kelly knows she has to kiss her perfect man good-bye.

There’s just one problem: she’s falling for him.

Available from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Order from your favorite retailer now!

The Plus One by Sarah Archer

Also Available Internationally

Reviews

In her debut novel, Archer concocts an endearingly unlucky-at-love heroine…A fun story that will appeal to geeks and beachgoers alike.
From robots to weddings, The Plus One made me laugh, cry, and wonder what dating would be like after I’ve already created the perfect man. Simply unputdownable!
Prepare to fall in love with The Plus One! Sarah Archer’s wildly inventive, laugh-out-loud funny, heart-tugging romance is perfect for our wired world. From the adorably awkward all-too-human tech-genius heroine to the dreamy boy-toy beau she creates, these characters are as alive, vibrant and winning as can be whether flesh-and-bone or bot. If you’ve ever needed a love life reboot or dreamed of finding (or building!) your soul mate, this whipsmart, witty pageturner is a must-read!
Readers who think they don’t like romance and those who think they don’t like science fiction may be astonished to discover themselves loving the combination in Archer’s irresistible, unputdownable, comic, debut romance novel.
The Plus One is bursting with heart and soul. It engineers thought-provoking questions about what love and humanity really look like. Archer is totally captivating.
An endearing and clever story about the crazy things we do to meet expectations.

Short Stories

A selection of short fiction I’ve published in literary magazines:

  • “In Good Hands”After Dinner Conversation – An artist struggles to make major life decisions in a world where smart devices are a little too smart. (Also available through Amazon.)
  • “Thurlene and the Ghost” – currently unpublished, finalist for the 2024 Doris Betts Fiction Prize – A female long-haul trucker in the 1980s develops an addictive relationship with an arcade game at a diner.
  • “Straight White Male”PangyrusA teenage boy battles college decisions, the psychological trash fire of the internet, and caring for his aging cat.
  • “The Fortune Teller”Caustic FrolicA dark, eccentric fairy tale about a little girl who makes a bargain with a stranger in the woods. What could go wrong?
  • “Ripe”Shooter Literary MagazinePushcart NomineeYou know when it’s the 1970s and you’re a housewife trying to buy groceries but you’re also very horny?
  • “Baby Doll”The Barcelona ReviewA reclusive woman–along with her pit bull–takes matters into her own hands when she discovers that her internet paramour is not what he seems.

Poetry

While poetry is really my first love as a writer, it’s also the form that most often ends up on the back burner behind fiction and screenwriting. I decided to motivate myself to write more poetry by compiling this free chapbook.

The poems in this collection all focus on female characters of various sorts, taken from nature, mythology, history, or just my imagination. Some of these poems are personal, some are fantastic, some a bit of both. And yes, there is big Lilith Fair energy in this book.

I also occasionally publish poems in literary magazines, such as “Chance Meeting” in Consilience.

The Write Quotes

At Charlotte Readers Podcast, we’ve compiled eight books of quotes gleaned from over 500 author interviews. In these pages, you’ll find inspiration, humor, advice–and if you’re a writer yourself, plenty that you can relate to.

Writers quoted include David Baldacci, Jason Mott, Therese Anne Fowler, Wiley Cash, Ron Rash, Judy Goldman, C.J. Box, Jill McCorkle, Craig Johnson, Sophie Cousens, and so many more.

And… the ebook of book one is FREE!

Learn more, and order the ebooks or print books, at our website.

  • Book 1: The Writing Life
  • Book 2: Learning to Write
  • Book 3: Writing Process and Tools
  • Book 4: Storytelling, Inspiration, and Research
  • Book 5: Writing Techniques and Characters
  • Book 6: Writing Community, Revision, and Editors
  • Book 7: The Emotional Writing Journey
  • Book 8: Publishing and Book Marketing

Death by Podcasting

Raspy Fuse and Salty Remarks have three days to figure out which of their author guests intends to kill them at their live year-end podcast taping. And why. And how to stop them. They’ll have to pull on their experience reading and writing mysteries to avoid… death by podcasting!
 
This comedic murder mystery novella was a fun experiment for me, both in writing a mystery and in working with a co-writer. My Charlotte Readers Podcast co-host Landis Wade and I crafted this together and had a great time coming up with tongue-in-cheek references for readers, writers, and podcasters to enjoy. Though we promise none of the bloody-minded author characters are based on our real interviewees.
 
The novella is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Proceeds help to support Charlotte Readers Podcast.

“Engaging characters enliven this brisk and entertaining mystery.”

-Kirkus Reviews

“I love mysteries, writers, novellas, and podcasts. Sarah and Landis threw all of these favorite things into a blender and created a unique cocktail that’s pure fun from start to finish. I think you’ll dig it. I did.”

-Bobby Nash, award-winning author of the Snow thriller series

“A romance writer, a thriller writer, and a poet walk into a podcast studio. Bullets fly. Poisons flow. Knives slice the air. If you binged Only Murders in the Building and are feeling withdrawal pangs, you need Death by Podcasting. It’s the perfect pick-me-up.”
 
-Nora Gaskin, award-winning author of The Worst Thing

“Step into the world of podcast production with this clever, comedic mystery where an impending crime keeps you guessing until the final revelation.”

-Jenifer Ruff, USA Today bestselling thriller and mystery author