Lily Writes

Got up late this morning—and honestly, I earned it. (April 15, 2026)

The tornado sirens went off last night and launched us straight out of bed. Not gently. Not groggily. Full adrenaline, heart pounding, move now energy.

And of course, the siren? It’s out our back window. When I’m working in my upstairs office, I can literally stare at the thing. So when it goes off… it’s not subtle.

A line of powerful storms tore through Michigan overnight. Grand Rapids had a tornado touchdown near the airport. Around here, one tracked from Chelsea to Romulus, riding I-94 like it had somewhere to be. Wind damage, downed power lines—but thankfully, no loss of life.

That part matters. Always.

We take tornado warnings seriously. Basement. TV on. Phones charged. Let the Eufy cameras do the outside watching while we stay put.

I learned that early.

When I was eight, a tornado went right over our house in Jackson. My aunt was visiting and came into my bedroom to pray with me.

Yes. Pray.

Not go to the basement. Not hide. Just… pray.

I remember the sound more than anything. Like a freight train tearing through the sky above us. Loud. Violent. Unforgettable.

No one was hurt.

So maybe Aunt Lori had connections.

But me?
I’m a basement-first kind of girl.

Writing Update

On a much less life-threatening note…

I got feedback back from my proofreaders on Love Line—Charlotte and Tavish’s story. Overall? Clean. A few minor typos, some small notes.

But one of my proofers was… not satisfied.

“Hurt him more,” they said about the villain. “He needs to pay.”

This is the same reader who regularly tells me: “Needs more dead bodies.”

We have very different genres in mind.

Love Line is a Christmas, small-town rockstar romance. Not a thriller. Not a revenge saga. But I did promise her the villain might make a reappearance in a future book where justice can be… more thoroughly delivered.

We’ll see. 😏

Meanwhile:

• Love Drops → off to proofreaders
• Love Marks (dark romance) → in progress
• Love Pop (surprise baby, late-in-life romance) → also in progress

Yes. My brain is juggling multiple fictional lives at once. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

Why I Write So Much (Apparently)

I’ve been thinking about this lately—because to some people (hi, sisters 👋), my output seems… excessive.

They think romance is boring. Repetitive.

I laugh. Loudly.

Romance is one of the most emotionally complex, character-driven genres out there. Yes, there are tropes—but tropes are frameworks, not limitations. What matters is how the characters live inside them.

So why am I so prolific?

A few reasons:

1. I read romance like it’s oxygen.
Have been since sixth grade, trading paperbacks on the bus. Gothic, sweet, angsty, rescue romance—give me all of it.

2. I’ve always lived in my head.
Stories run constantly. They help me fall asleep, survive long drives, and—let’s be honest—stay engaged during certain Zoom meetings.

3. I’m endlessly curious.
I like people. Even the weird ones. Especially the weird ones.

4. I’ve lived a lot of life.
And I use all of it.

The “Everything Becomes Story” Effect

For 18 years, I was an Executive Director of a Chamber of Commerce in a suburban town. Which means:

• Local politics ✔️
• Business drama ✔️
• Affairs everyone knew about but didn’t discuss ✔️
• Brilliant, chaotic entrepreneurs ✔️

Before that?

I grew up in a prison. My dad was a warden. I talked to inmates—some of them convicted murderers. Here’s the thing people don’t expect: They weren’t monsters all the time. Some were kind. Gentle. Especially with kids.

That kind of complexity stays with you.

Add in:

• A loud, competitive, high-expectation family
• Marrying young into a Navy life (hello submarines and found family)
• A decade working in higher education
• Leadership training, therapy, and a deep dive into human behavior
• And a lifelong obsession with art in every form

…and what you get is a very full creative well.

Nothing Goes to Waste

Everything I’ve experienced ends up somewhere in my books:

• Running the Detroit International Half Marathon → becomes a major plot moment  Guarding Cressida
• MFA-level art critiques → show up in character arcs Stalking Valentina
• Touring Cornell’s underground particle accelerator → yes, that made it in  Cedar Hawk
• Living in and traveling to places like Malta → fully immersive settings Vanguardian Series
• Cannon Beach, Oregon → emotional anchor, every time  The Riders, Vanguardians

Even the Pink Matchmakers series pulls directly from my Chamber of Commerce days—events, musicians, food festivals, restaurant culture.

It’s all connected.

Advice for Writers (or Future Writers)

If you want to write—really write—start living like everything is research.

Say yes more often.
Talk to strangers.
Take classes that have nothing to do with your “plan.”
Learn random, niche things.

You never know what will spark a story.

I once had a full conversation with a guy in a grocery store about toxic masculinity being “fake news.”

Was it unhinged?
Yes.

Was it useful?
Also yes.

And here’s the most important rule I follow:

Stop writing for the market.
Write for yourself.

Write what you want to read.
Fix it later if you need to.

But that for me mindset?

It unlocks writer’s block. And oh goodness, that’s where the magic lying just waiting for you to pick it up and run.