Tucked away in a hidden corner of the stunning Welsh countryside, Foxmore nestles in the bottom of a pretty valley with a river flowing through it, and is surrounded by tree-clad hillsides with dramatic mountains rising above. I usually do some research before I start writing, which also gives me some inspiration, and I based Foxmore loosely on these places. The high street is Usk in South Wales, and the valley is Dinas Mawddwy, at the lower end of the Snowdonia National Park

Yesterday I had a lovely email from a reader who wanted to thank me for "bringing some happiness and fun into an old man's life". Charlie Horner is 87 years young, and yesterday was the anniversary of his wife's death. This is what he wrote: "The mourning period went on and on until one day , a friend gave me a "chick lit" to read , I remember thinking ," that's not my type of reading material ". The friend was a close friend of my wife's and she thought I needed some happine

I've been chatting to Ліра from lirabooksli. She discovered my Tanglewood series after it was translated into Russian by Snowdrop Publishing who is a Ukrainian publisher. They very kindly sent me the box set which were the cutest little hardbacks ever! Here's what we talked about... "Hello, Lilac! Russian readers know you by The Tanglewood Tea Shop , but we know very little about you." Tell us a bit about yourself, please. Where did you study? Who do you work for? I went to u

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

by the lovely Paige Briscoe, where I chat to her about my work, writing habits, and what I've read recently. I had great fun answering her questions and you can read the interview below. She also has lots of great stuff on her blog , so why don't you check it out. What do you enjoy most about women’s fiction? Aside from the romance, I like that most of them are character driven, and many of them deal with issues that any of us might face. And of course, the happy ever after

The Corner Shop on Foxmore Green is the My Chronicle Book Box feelgood book of the month for February. Isn’t it gorgeous!! You'll get...

Northumberland Libraries held a virtual Romantic Christmas event on December 14th, and w hat a lovely cosy afternoon we had! The Romantic...

I'm going to a Christmas party and you're invited (it's virtual, of course, because otherwise you wouldn't all fit in!). It's the Tea...

It's a blog for books, authors, writers and readers, and is owned by the lovely Karen Louise Hollis. Karen has been writing since she was a little girl, being brought up by parents who both worked as journalists. She was born in Lincoln, England in 1969 and has recently moved back there. She has five children and three grandchildren. In 2022, she published her first novel - Welcome to Whitlock Close - followed by her second novel Starting Again in Silver Sands Bay in 2023.  ​

Jill is a a 60+ year young, ex librarian (public libraries) and she's always loved books. Her wonderful blog is full of bookish news,...

Tinstone is an entirely fictional town and not based on anywhere in particular, although I was kind of setting it somewhere around the West Midlands, Shropshire area. However whenever I wrote about the care home where Nelly and Edwin live, I visualised the wonderful home where my own great-aunt spent the last eighteen months of her life. In some ways, she was very much like Nelly - feisty, opinionated, and very set in her ways, just not as sneaky.  Images: carehome.co.uk When

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,...

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...

I had been holidaying in the Olu Deniz area of Turkey for many years, but it was a trip to Ephesus and Pamukkale that led to me setting a story there, and the catalyst was something my husband said... He couldn't for the life of him remember the names Ephesus or Pamukkale. So – you've guessed it –  Ephesus became Elephant and Pamukkale Pinky Moon! I can distinctly remember saying that Elephant and Pinky Moon would make a fantastic title for a book, and that was the start of N

This is the question Women Writers, Women Books asked me - and this is my answer... Happy Ever After… It’s such an evocative phrase, isn’t it? We are brought up on a diet of it from an early age, usually with the words “once upon a time” at the beginning, and it’s woven into the very fabric of our society. But is it really possible to have a happy ever after? I certainly think so, which is why I write romance. I draw my inspiration from the wonderful women in my family and t

It's my OH who is the cycling fan, but I was quite happy to be persuaded to visit France when Le Tour de France cycling race was on a few years ago. I mean, I could put up with seeing some sweaty men on bikes if it meant being in France, right?​

I was interviewed by the lovely Kim Nash! You can watch it here. All Lilac Mills books

I've been lucky enough to have visited this glorious island several times, and the variety of landscapes never ceases to amaze me. I fell in love with it from the very first day, so I suppose it was only natural that I would use it as a setting in my novels - three of them, to be exact, collectively known as The Island Romance series. In Sunrise on the Coast , Sophie regularly walks along a coastal path between Alcalá and Playa de la Arena, and I have strolled this exact sam

I am taking part in I AM IN PRINT’s #HowToWriteRomanceDay on SAT 13 FEB 2021!   Here are the details:  The brilliant Emily Bedford ...

Discover the charming childhood tradition that inspired Lilac Mills’ festive novel A Very Lucky Christmas. From the sixpence in grandma’s Christmas pudding to hidden wishes and holiday magic, this post unwraps the story behind the story and the joy of finding unexpected good luck.

Dogs like sweetcorn, and sweetcorn kernels are good for dogs in small quantities (although they are high in fat and calories, so they...

So we're four months on since lockdown began in the UK and I started my veggie plot. Those of you who have been following my progress...

Remember those potatoes I was chitting on my windowsill? I stuck them in some compost (literally - there was no finesse involved), about...

Years ago, I dabbled with growing my own fruit and veg, and it was moderately successful. But GYO is time consuming, and I found that the...