Lily Writes

April showers bring May flowers.

Nice sentiment.

Except… that’s not rain.

That’s snow.

Thanks Michigan.

Tonight is the NCAA Basketball Championship, and living in Ann Arbor? Things are getting rowdy. Students are already lined up outside the bars like it’s a holiday. There’s a buzz in the air—half anticipation, half chaos. (University of Michigan is based here and is in the final.)

We’re watching the game from home (comfort > crowds), but we might take a drive downtown later just to soak it all in. There’s something about the energy of a college town on a night like this.

I love it.

Last week we were at a legacy lecture at Michigan State University—my partner and I are both alumni—titled The Hispanicverse: An Ocean of Knowledge.

I used to work at MSU in the College of Arts and Letters, so I knew the professor. Respected her. Knew her work.

Or… I thought I did.

Because then she said something that made me sit up straight. She’s retiring. Not just to rest—but to write fiction.

Science fiction.

She studies ancient Peruvian texts… and writes sci-fi.

Also? She’s a Trekkie.

I love this so much.

It’s wild how you can know someone professionally for years and still not know the most interesting thing about them.

When asked why she never shared this side of herself before, she said her mentor told her—twenty-five years ago—not to include fiction writing on her CV. That it would undermine her credibility as a serious academic.

I get it.

I also… don’t agree.

But then again—I write romance. And I don’t publish under my real name.

So… maybe I get it more than I’d like to admit.

Writing Update (aka: March Was a Blur)

March was… a lot.

A good lot.

Love Code and Love 911? My first MM Romances. Written, proofed, and published.

Love Line and Love Drops? Drafted and currently with proofreaders.

And because I apparently don’t know how to sit still—I’m actively working on two more books.

At the same time.

This is how my brain works: when I hit a stuck spot in one story, I pivot to the other. Back and forth. Like creative cross-training.

What I’m Working On Now

Love Pop is Fire Chief Roman Delaney’s story.

Roman is… not a relationship guy. He’s older, a little grumpy, very set in his ways. His life is structured, controlled, predictable.

Until there’s a knock on his door. And a woman he’s never seen before is standing there with a baby.

“Not mine.” That’s his first thought. Followed quickly by: Wait… is it?

Spoiler: it’s not.

Rylan Ward isn’t a former lover. She’s not even the baby’s mother. She’s an attorney—and the baby, Siena, is a six-week-old orphan.

Roman is the uncle. And suddenly, the man who never panics? Is absolutely panicking.

At the same time, I’m deep into Love Mark. Tink’s story—and this one is… very different.

Tink (Alicia Belle) is sunshine in human form. Pink hair, endless energy, everyone loves her.

Rodney Lawrence? Not sunshine.

He’s the enigmatic owner of Dakota House North—a private BDSM club just outside Pinkerton Falls. Controlled. Observant. Dangerous in a very quiet way.

He’s noticed Tink.

From the beginning.

But he’s kept his distance.

Because he knows what he is.

And he thinks he knows what she is.

And in his mind?

They don’t belong in the same world.

That is… until someone becomes obsessed with Tink—and suddenly keeping his distance isn’t an option anymore.

This kicks off the Pink Matchmakers: After Dark series. And yes—this is my first dive into dark romance.

Cotton Candy vs. Jalapeño Poppers

Switching between these two stories?

It’s like bouncing between cotton candy and jalapeño poppers.

Sweet, soft, emotional romance… and then straight into intense, high-stakes, morally gray territory.

Honestly?

I’m having a blast.

I read a lot of romance. I love this genre and all its subgenres. Understanding romance tropes gives me the freedom to play with them—to go lighter, deeper, darker.

The original Pink Matchmakers stories? They fade to black when they reach the bedroom.

After Dark does not.

And Finally…

To my early readers—

Some of you are somehow finding and reading these books before I even manage to announce them.

I don’t know how you do it.

But I love you for it.

Thank you for being here. ❤️

Word Count:

January         71,354

February      87,463

March          135,487

April 4/6/26  53,184