Pantser vs plotter - why it’s not an either/or choice. Lilac Mills shares her discovery writing process and why mixing methods works best for her.

Do you need the perfect setup to write? Learn why writing anywhere, with anything, beats waiting for the “right” place or tools.

Okay, so the disclaimer on all my books says something along the lines of... 'This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblence to an actual person, living or dead... is entirely coincidental.' It's kind of true in that I don't wholly base a character on one person. Not really. Okay, maybe just a bit... My characters tend to be romancenste

Many readers want to know whether I set my books in real places or are the settings entirely fictional. My answer is – ‘that depends…’ Not helpful, but true. Take my Island Romance series, for instance; all three books are set on the island of Tenerife, part of the Canaries in the Atlantic. The island is real and so are all the locations mentioned. If you're interested, I've written a blog pos t where I talk about the scenery and places that appear in the books. Even the v

I love incorporating animals into my writing because, let's face it, many of us have them and they're part of our families. My first uplifting romance - Sunshine at Cherry Tree Farm - was inspired by the loss of my little Westie. You can read about that here , if you like. The book acted as a catharsis, encouraged me to adopt Poppy, my adorable cockapoo. Millie is the pooch on the left, by the way. Then when writing about Nell, the Border collie in The Tanglewood Flower Sho

Learn how to slow down, refocus, and find joy in writing again - without the burnout.

Distraction and procrastination have been the words of the week, as I've been lured away from what I should be writing by the shiny-shiny allure of a new story that I'm itching to start. Monday began with breakfast out, a mooch around the shops and a walk by the river. The dog enjoyed the breakfast (of course she shared a bit!) and the river walk, but the shops not so much. I thoroughly enjoyed all three! The afternoon saw me itching to start work on a second book in my new

Hello and welcome! Hello, my lovely - I’m Lilac Mills (though you might also see me writing as Liz Davies or Etti Summers), and this little corner of the web is where I share bits of my life, my creative process, and stories that warm the heart. If you've come here after reading one of my books, thank you. It means so much to me. If you're new, I'm so glad you’re here. Either way, I hope you’ll feel at home here. Want to be notified whenever I write a new blog post? Why I wri

It's not every day that world renowned cyclists pass so close to my home town, and it's not every day that the Tour of Britain races up one of the most famous routes in Wales! The Tumble (aka The Blorenge) involves around 1,300 feet of climbing over a distance of four miles – a challenge not to be taken lightly, according to my husband who has cycled this route many times, although not reaching the summit in the impressively quick times the professionals achieve.   Unable to

If you've read the acknowledgements at the back of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle , you might r emember me mentioning my old art teacher and a certain vase? This is what I wrote: "I need to thank someone else: Mr Nicklin, my art teacher when I was in school (so many years ago) for introducing me to clay and not laughing at the result, even if my vase looked weirdly like a bottom. My mother pointed that out when I proudly brought it home. She still has it, but I’m not su

Do you enjoy finding out more about the authors of your favourite books? Morton S. Gray, author of gorgeous romances with a mystery to solve, asked me 'Who is the real Lilac Mills'. ​ If you want to know the answer to that question, take a look at her blog. ​ https://mortonsgray.com/2024/06/17/who-is-the-real-lilac-mills/   And she's asking other authors the very same thing! All Lilac Mills books Want to be notified whenever I write a new blog post? About the Author Lilac Mil

Earlier this month I attended a party in London which was hosted by my wonderful publisher, Canelo (plus Hera, who is now part of the Canelo group). Going to London is always a big deal for me, because it's not my natural habitat. Plus there's huge potential for me to get lost, or for things to go wrong! Thankfully, everything went without a hitch and I had a fantastic time. Not only did I get to meet all the brilliant pixies and elves who bring my stories to life (aka, the l

OK, I might be over-egging it here, but for someone who's not travelled more than twenty miles from home in the past two years or more, this was a big deal for me, because last weekend I went to the Romantic Novelists' Association Conference held at Harper Adams University - and had an absolute blast! Meeting up with old friends, discovering new ones, learning more about the craft of writing, publishing and romantic fiction, it was hard work but so very rewarding. And so much

I gave up the day job nearly a year ago to write full time (it was a scary decision and it still frightens me now!) and I must admit that it took me a while to get into a routine. I had been so used to getting up ridiculously early to write for a couple of hours, then coming home from work and trying to fit in editing and the rest of the admin type things that writers have to do that the change was a bit of a culture shock. I bumped into a colleague yesterday who wanted to kn

Have you got a favourite Christmas jumper?

I’m an only child. My mother is an only child. My father is an only child. And my grandparents lived with us when I was growing up.

You’d think, as an author, your writing commitments would stop at writing the story, wouldn’t you? I certainly did, when I was young and naïve (okay, maybe not that young!). My idea of being an author, before I joined the real world, was that you wrote a novel, sent it off somewhere, someone would jump up and down with glee when they clapped eyes on it, and you’d merrily dance off into the sunset to write the next one, your job done.

Finding the time to write has become a bit of a challenge.