Lily Writes

Fall is here. Pumpkin Spice is back.

Apparently, it’s now mandatory to put pumpkin spice in everything from coffee to cookies to things that have absolutely no business tasting like a pumpkin.

I’m not a fan.

Give me a cup of tea or a glass of tonic water, my Kindle, a comfortable chair, and a few uninterrupted hours with a good book. Add a cat on my lap and absolutely nothing on my calendar, and I’m a happy woman.

Especially if it’s a book I’ve already read.

Yes. Already read.

I am an unapologetic rereader.

I don’t subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. I probably should, considering how much I read and the fact that I publish my own books through KU. But I prefer purchasing my ebooks and paperbacks. I want to own them, organize them, and revisit them whenever the mood strikes.

And boy, does that mood strike.

When I discover an author I love, I don’t just read a book or two. I devour their entire catalog. Then I go back and read my favorites again. And again. Sometimes I’ll start at the beginning of a series and work my way through the whole thing simply because I miss the characters.

Some people collect shoes. I collect fictional people and revisit them regularly.

And yes, I have spreadsheets.

My Fictional Friends Have Their Own Spreadsheets

My obsession with rereading probably started with

Jayne Ann Krentz , who also writes as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. Between those three names, she’s created an extraordinary collection of interconnected stories, fascinating characters, and worlds I never get tired of visiting.

I actually started keeping spreadsheets of her characters, relationships, and plotlines so I could follow the connections and reread everything in the correct order.

Perfectly normal behavior.

Right?

It was JAK who taught me how much I love a little paranormal intrigue mixed into my romance. Psychic abilities, mysterious connections, unusual talents, and just enough unexplained magic to make you wonder what might be possible.

And the romance! The tension. The attraction. The danger. Those wonderful moments when two characters discover that whatever else is happening around them, they’re going to have to deal with each other.

She’s good. Really good.

I suspect there’s a direct line from those books to my own fascination with fated mates, psychic connections, and the unmistakable Zing that runs through my Vanguardian universe.

Funny how the stories we love eventually become part of the stories we tell.

The Authors Who Keep Me Coming Back

These days, my rereading adventures take me in several directions, depending on my mood. Sometimes I want something sweet and emotionally satisfying. Sometimes I want danger, military heroes, and enough testosterone to require additional ventilation.

And sometimes I want aliens.

What can I say? I have range.

Holly Day and Ofelia Grand, two pen names for the same author, have become regular occupants of my Kindle. Their MM romances are books I return to over and over. There’s something deeply satisfying about finding an author whose storytelling consistently delivers exactly the emotional experience you’re looking for.

Then there’s Sybil Bartel.

Oh, those alpha males.

Her Uncompromising Alphas, Alpha Bodyguards, Alpha Elite, and Alpha Escort series are wonderful in their own ways. When I’m in the mood for protective, commanding, take-charge heroes who don’t do anything halfway, Sybil is my author.

Sometimes you just need an alpha.

Or several.

For my science-fiction romance fix, I head straight to

Mina Carter and her alien mate stories and spinoffs. I love her alien world-building, the way women are treasured, and the matchmaking programs that create some deliciously swoony romantic complications.

There’s something irresistible about a universe where technology can identify your perfect mate.

Of course, finding your soulmate and actually managing to live happily ever after with them are two entirely different problems.

Which might explain why I enjoy writing about that particular complication myself.

And then there’s Wren Wilds .

Her Florida Panhandle series—Stormy, Benji, and Levi—has become one of my favorite places to retreat when I want an emotional, beautifully written hurt/comfort romance. These are the books I reach for when Michigan weather turns miserable, the cat has claimed my lap, and I have no urgent plans for the afternoon.

Or evening.

Possibly the following morning.

I’ll just read one more chapter.

Famous last words.

Reading for Pleasure. Reading for Mastercraft.

Here’s the thing about being both an obsessive reader and a writer: I don’t think I ever read a book in quite the same way I did before I started writing.

I’m still completely capable of losing myself in a story. In fact, that’s exactly what I want. I want to forget where I am, what time it is, and whether I was supposed to be doing something productive.

But somewhere in the back of my mind, another part of me is paying attention.

How did the author make me care so much about that character? How did they build the tension? Why did that particular scene make me laugh, cry, or immediately turn the page? How did they create a fictional world that feels so real I’m genuinely annoyed when I have to leave it?

And perhaps the most important question: Why am I reading this book for the fourth time when I already know exactly how it ends?

That’s mastercraft.

The characters, the dialogue, the pacing, the emotional roller coasters, the world-building—all of it becomes another lesson. Not because I’m trying to imitate anyone, but because wonderful writing challenges me to become a better storyteller.

What do I have inside me that I haven’t put on the page yet? What emotional experience can I create for my readers? How do I write characters they want to revisit long after they’ve finished the book?

I love stories that stay with me.

Even better, I love writing them.

Meanwhile, Michigan Has Lost Its Mind

Fall has officially arrived, and Michigan celebrated with a temperature swing of sixty degrees in twenty-four hours.

Sixty.

Apparently, Mother Nature couldn’t decide whether we needed sunscreen or thermal underwear, so she gave us both.

Our hummingbirds are already heading south. The days are getting shorter, the leaves are beginning their annual transformation, and I’m reluctantly accepting that summer has packed its bags.

Which means it’s time for me to pack a few bags of my own.

Not for another vacation. At least, not the kind that requires an airport.

I’m getting ready to leave Pinkerton Falls.

Temporarily.

I’ve loved spending time with the Pink Matchmakers, watching the residents of that ridiculous little Michigan town fall in love, interfere in one another’s lives, and create enough romantic complications to keep me entertained for months.

And I’ll be back. There are still plenty of people in Pinkerton Falls who need to find their happily ever after, whether they realize it or not.

But I’ve been hearing other voices lately.

Older voices. More dangerous voices.

The Vanguardians are calling.

It’s Time to Bring Back the Zing

I’m ready to dive back into the universe of the Vanguardians, where the stakes are higher, the secrets are older, the heroes are considerably more dangerous, and falling in love can create complications on an interplanetary scale.

We’re talking ancient bloodlines, paranormal abilities, morally gray heroes, forbidden relationships, and that wonderful, electrifying moment when two people discover they’re connected by something neither of them fully understands.

The Zing.

And now the Vanguardians are about to collide with the Seraphi.

What happens when two very different worlds come together? What secrets are waiting to be uncovered? What happens when love crosses boundaries that were never supposed to be crossed?

Oh, the possibilities.

Danger. Drama. Disguises. Betrayal. Unexpected alliances. And, naturally, romance.

Lots of romance.

I’ve been collecting ideas, revisiting characters, and letting new storylines simmer in the background while I finish my Pinkerton Falls books. Now I’m itching to see where those ideas take me.

The possibilities are considerably bigger when your fictional playground extends beyond Earth.

And the romantic complications?

Let’s just say that finding your fated mate doesn’t necessarily mean the universe is going to cooperate.

I can’t wait.

So, while everyone else is celebrating the return of pumpkin spice, I’m getting ready for a different kind of seasonal indulgence.

Forget the pumpkin.

It’s time to turn up the heat.

And my favorite kind of spice?

Chili pepper hot.