Lily Writes

September has been productive. Very productive, actually. Two books finished, one published, and another demanding my attention. Apparently, my characters have decided that if I’m going to take another vacation, they’d better get their stories told before I leave.

At least somebody is organized around here.

Love Bound is published, and I have to admit that I’ve developed a real soft spot for former Mayor Camille Voss. Writing her redemption story was an absolute delight. My beta readers liked her, too, although several admitted that if they’d been in Camille’s shoes, they would have packed their bags and left Pinkerton Falls.

Which, of course, is precisely why I made her stay.

Camille has spent most of her life operating under a fairly simple philosophy: beauty first, brains later, and get people to do what you want. How you accomplish that last part is largely irrelevant.

Leaving town would have been easy. She could have moved somewhere nobody knew her, reinvented herself, and continued playing by exactly the same shallow rules. New town. New wardrobe. New victims. Same Camille.

But staying? Walking down Main Street knowing that everyone remembers your mistakes? Facing people who have every reason to dislike you and choosing to become someone better anyway?

Now THAT takes courage.

And here’s what I particularly love about Camille’s story: Anton supports her, but he doesn’t rescue her from herself. He doesn’t wave his magic Dom wand and transform her into a better human being. (Although I’m reasonably certain he’d enjoy owning such a wand.)

Camille does the work. She makes the decisions. She learns to look in the mirror and recognize the woman staring back at her, without relying on everyone else’s admiration to tell her what she’s worth.

I like her. A lot.

And apparently, so do my readers.

One Meddling Teenager, One Tattoo Artist, and a Mother Who Never Signed Up for This

With Camille and Anton’s story out in the world, I finished the first draft and rewrites of Love Nut, which is now safely in the hands of my proofreaders.

This one was ridiculously fun to write.

Meet Miles Redford, the infamous owner of NFT, Now & Forever Tattoos. His teenage receptionist, Max, is graduating from high school and preparing to head off to college. Max has a problem. Not with his grades, his future, or his job.

His mother.

Ali is a successful CPA, a devoted single mom, and perfectly capable of managing her own life. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Max, however, is convinced she’ll spend the rest of her life working, talking to the cats, and shopping at Costco once he’s gone.

Naturally, he decides to intervene.

And who better to help him than his tattooed, ridiculously attractive boss?

There are a few complications. For starters, Ali has absolutely no idea that her son has decided to manage her romantic future. Miles isn’t particularly enthusiastic about becoming anyone’s dating instructor. And Max has a rather flexible interpretation of what constitutes helpful interference.

Enter Pink Match, several meddling coworkers, an observant mail carrier, and the OG Matchmakers who happen to live on Ali’s street.

Oh, the possibilities.

Love Nut is a romantic comedy full of misunderstandings, unexpected attraction, and people who really should mind their own business but absolutely refuse to do so.

And Max? That kid was a hoot to write. I suspect he’s going to be responsible for a few gray hairs before this story is over.

Fortunately, Miles is a patient man.

Well. Up to a point.

Up Next: A Virgin, a Menace, and One Very Inconvenient Soulmate

With Love Nut off to the proofreaders, I’m turning my attention to Love Not.

Yes, I know. Love Nut. Love Not.

I didn’t plan that. Sometimes book titles develop a sense of humor all their own.

This is the story of Marco Santori, a man who has spent years charming his way through Pinkerton Falls. Men. Women. Quite possibly half the eligible population.

Everybody loves Marco. Nobody takes him particularly seriously.

Which becomes a problem when Marco wakes up one morning and realizes that he’s tired of being everybody’s good time. He wants something permanent. Someone to come home to. Marriage. Children. A minivan with cracker crumbs in the seats and diapers in the back.

The whole happily-ever-after package.

Unfortunately, convincing the residents of Pinkerton Falls that Marco Santori has developed serious romantic intentions is going to require something approaching divine intervention.

Enter Rose Hunter.

Rose is in her mid-twenties, competent, authoritative, and perfectly capable of quoting historic preservation ordinances in her sleep. She’s also a virgin, a fact that the OG Matchmakers seem determined to remedy by introducing her to anything with a pulse and a penis.

Rose has had enough.

In a moment of desperation, she signs up for Pink Match. Surely the app can find her someone more suitable than the parade of eligible bachelors currently being marched past her by Pinkerton Falls’ most enthusiastic widows.

And it does!

Almost immediately, Rose is matched with an anonymous soulmate. Their messages are wonderful. Their conversations are effortless. For the first time, she’s connecting with someone who seems to understand the woman beneath her carefully controlled exterior.

She’s excited. Hopeful. Maybe even a little giddy.

She agrees to meet him.

And there he is, waiting with a pink flower.

Marco.

Freaking.

Santori.

Absolutely not.

To make matters worse, Marco and Rose are already on opposite sides of a rather heated dispute involving the renovation of Four Columns, the old Whitney mansion. Rose and her fellow preservationists have been making his life considerably more difficult, and he’s not exactly thrilled with her, either.

Except there’s something about Rose that gets under his skin.

Something that makes him want to look past the prickly exterior, challenge her assumptions, and discover the passionate woman she’s kept hidden beneath all those rules and regulations.

Rose wants someone who chooses her. Someone who sees more than the competent historian and helps her explore a side of herself she’s never felt comfortable revealing.

Marco wants the whole package. Love. Commitment. Kids. Minivan. Diapers.

And for once in his life, he wants somebody to believe him.

Getting past Rose’s thorns might be the biggest challenge of his life.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature Has Apparently Read My Travel Itinerary

October is going to be another travel month. This year has been full of side quests, and apparently, we’re not finished yet.

My partner and I are heading to Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Yes. Hawaii. Tahiti. Bora Bora. Tropical islands. Beautiful beaches. Spectacular scenery. All those places that make you stare at photographs and think, Someday.

Well, someday is almost here.

There’s just one tiny problem with bucket-list travel. You tend to plan these adventures years in advance, imagining glorious sunsets, turquoise water, and leisurely afternoons sipping something fruity beneath a palm tree.

Then, just as you’re preparing to leave, Mother Nature takes a look at your itinerary.

Another hurricane?

Really?

And now the volcano has apparently decided that three additional fissures would make things more interesting.

Fine.

Everything will be fine.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong when you’re traveling to tropical islands surrounded by an ocean during hurricane season, with volcanic activity thrown in for entertainment?

Don’t answer that.

Fortunately, I’ve learned that travel is one of the best ways to refill my creative well. New places, new people, unexpected conversations, unusual landscapes—it’s all potential material. My characters have an annoying habit of introducing themselves when I’m supposed to be relaxing.

And this trip promises plenty of inspiration.

I also intend to paint. A lot. There’s something irresistible about the colors of the Pacific, the light on the water, and those magnificent tropical landscapes. My paints are coming along, and I’m already imagining the possibilities.

Of course, that assumes Mother Nature cooperates.

In the meantime, Marco and Rose are waiting for me to get back to work. Camille is enjoying her happily ever after. Miles and Ali are with the proofreaders. And somewhere in the Pacific, a volcano is apparently auditioning for a role in my next romantic suspense novel.

September has been productive.

October?

We’ll see who behaves.