Lily Writes

The deeper I get into a series, the longer it takes to shape each story. Every layer connects to something before it, every thread ties into the greater tapestry of the Vanguardian world. My newest release, Oracle: Legacy Keepers, took months to craft—Jade and Sable’s story demanded it.

These two had been haunting the edges of my imagination for years, quietly threading themselves through earlier books until they were ready to take center stage. I thought I was ready, too.

But is anyone ever really ready when the characters take over?

From the moment Sable stepped into the spotlight, her voice was bold, clear, and impossible to ignore. Jade, on the other hand, revealed herself more slowly—layer by layer. Writing her journey as the Prime Oracle was an act of discovery, peeling back strength and vulnerability until I could see the woman underneath.

This book asked a lot of me. The world-building was complex, the timelines intricate. Integrating the threads from previous stories and balancing new revelations on Oracle Isle took three rewrites before it felt right. And then came the beta readers and proofreaders—my invaluable reality checkers.

Because here’s the truth: in my head, the characters know everything. They live there rent-free, talking to me, showing me their world. But for a reader? They need clarity, context, and breadcrumbs to follow through the labyrinth. That’s where good proofreaders save a story.

At its heart, Oracle: Legacy Keepers asks one question:

What would you do if everything you believed turned out to be a lie?

For Sable, the answer is to fight—storm the world, rally the gods, and find her woman.
For Jade, it’s transformation—when the chrysalis shatters, she’s reborn: brilliant, raw, a little wild.

Some scenes were pure joy to write. The Junior Oracles started as nameless helpers and quickly evolved into chaotic little catalysts. And then there are Hades’ Hounds of Hell—Sable’s “very good boys.” They steal every scene they’re in. Honestly, I can’t wait to write their spin-off. Plutone and Apollo have definitely earned their own spotlight.

Now it’s November. Daylight Saving Time is done, the light has shifted, and I’m two-thirds into the draft of Sacrifice, the next book in the series. I’m falling in love with these new characters, their struggles, their sparks.

Last night, I took a rare break. We went downtown Ann Arbor for dinner and a show at The Ark, forgetting there was a home football game. The city buzzed with energy—crowds, laughter, that crisp autumn excitement. The show, Both Sides Now: The Music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, was magic. During the encore, three hundred people sang “The Circle Game” together in that intimate, historic listening room.

It felt healing.

Sometimes, stepping away from the keyboard—sitting in the dark with strangers and singing about the passage of time—reminds me why I write. Stories are our way of keeping the circle turning, of finding connection in chaos.

And tomorrow… it’s back to the page.