Lily Black's Blog, page 3
June 25, 2017
Willowdale: A town so cute you could eat it
I adore my fictional town of Willowdale, so you all will be getting the occasional post about the inspiration behind it. Also posts on the ‘research’ I do–hitting festivals, treat shops, and quirky spots–so I can make Willowdale the most amazing small-town destination ever conceived. But just in case this kind of peek behind the scenes isn’t your thing, not to worry! I brought treats and a recipe to bribe you with.
No idea why my kitchen counter is showing up pink in this pic, but the import...
May 30, 2017
Staggering along with my hands in the air
Do you ever wonder how wise you really are? I’ve wondered that a lot of late. I was expecting my son back from his two year mission in Korea, at the end of April. To make sure I’d have all the time in the world to settle him in, I pushed through and on the morning of the same day we picked him up, I finished the first draft of my second Willowdale book.
*throws giant armfuls of confetti*
Except…between my deadline and our son’s return, I slipped on helping my teen daughter manage her care. S...
April 16, 2017
Why I would ever write about that? (yes, my answer to the stalker question)
There’s a question hovering in readers’ eyes when I tell them about my book. Once in awhile they’re brave enough to ask what they’re wondering: Why would I write about a stalker? Is it therapy, for my own nightmare?
Well, let me tell you a little story. It’s an ongoing one, actually, and the latest episode happened this past week. On that particular morning, I was playing with some book photography while I listened to an elderly friend, who needed to chat.
I can’t sit still for phone calls,...
March 16, 2017
Are you happy with your luck in life?
Picture a smokey bar, and a guy holding a gun. He points it at you, and asks in a gravelly voice, “Are you feelin’ lucky?”
The world seems fascinated by luck–and I’m no different! When I was a kid I was drawn to good luck charms of every variety, and spent hours searching for four-leaf clovers. Now I settle for lucky cookies.
I find the science behind good and bad luck super intriguing. Here’s an article which discusses what goes into good or back luck–and it can be nudged by our choices and...
March 1, 2017
Happy first of March! Do you have spring fever yet?
I feel so grateful that I live somewhere spring comes early, because for me March should be filled with flowers and energy and renewal! When I was in college, spring fever meant dying my hair or going on a crazy overnight road trip. Now it leaves me twitching to make travel plans and get outside. Or at least read outdoors!
Our spring will probably include a kayaking exploration of a new-to-us island, and later in the year I know we’ll spend a week at the beach. But I’m drooling over travel t...
February 21, 2017
Two ways to win and survive doing it
Are you all tired of me thanking you yet? I hope not, because the gratitude I feel as the positive reviews for Storm of Attraction roll in hasn’t dimmed in the least! I have the best friends and fans of any author anywhere, and I’m so grateful that my book baby has gotten the reception it has!
As a demonstration of that I have a couple giveaways to share with you!
The link for the Luck O’ The Reader giveaway is here. It has a grand prize of $100 plus oodles of lovely books and other chances...
February 13, 2017
A sweet thank you treat, for all my fans and #teamLilyBlack!
I am so thrilled to finally be able to share with all of you the small surprise I’ve been preparing! Fans of Brenda Novak will recognize these lemon bars–
–because I entered them into her recipe contest, for the holiday giveaway she was doing. And that’s actually how the bars got their name! You see, these lemon bars started out rather humbly, a favorite quick and easy treat in a house full of boys, when my husband was growing up. Later it became a favorite treat for me to share at book club...
February 12, 2017
What are the songs your heart sings?
Me, I’ve got both Les Miserable’s “One Day More” running through my head, and also the pop song with the chorus ‘tonight’s gonna be a good, good night’ stuck in there. Personally, I much prefer One Day More, but I’m excited that tonight after midnight my book will start popping up on people’s kindles as the first new hour of Feb 13th sweeps across the nation. An author’s dream come true, for sure!
It’s been a fun countdown, and I’m in love with my chocolate numbers.
Three…
Two…
One…
And my...
February 8, 2017
What does your wish list romantic date look like?
One of the cooler things about being an author is playing with your characters’ lives…and living through them. When Pat Esden asked me–in an interview here–what my characters would do for a romantic date, my thoughts jumped straight to Italy.
I’ve always wanted to go, myself, and it’s where my hero’s roots are, since his Grandfather was Italian. Add in Alexa, my heroine, and her love of books and libraries and I had the makings for a very cool date that could take in the Angelica library–
...January 30, 2017
Have You Heard of Mystery Thriller Week?
If you haven’t, you might want to check it out here. It will run from Feb. 12th through the 22nd and the organizers have managed to mobilize dozens of best selling and award winning authors across the thriller, mystery, and romantic suspense genres, pulling together a plethora of reviews, author interviews, and guest posts.
I’m particularly thrilled since the organizer’s had the excellent foresight to make the mystery-thriller shenanigans coincide with my book release–even though they’d neve...
