Happy New Year and Happy 2023!

Hello lovelies!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2023 is starting off well for you. Today, I'm going to talk about my plans for the year. There's a little bit to get to, but let's go!

WRITING & PUBLISHING

Since I didn't get the chance to publish it last year, I want to write and publish Somebody to Adore, the second book in the Star Struck series. I have ideas for more books in the series, but I haven't decided when I'll be writing those. I initially wanted to write a third book, but I don't want to force anything.

I've learned these last few years that sometimes I need to go with the flow when it comes to writing. As much as I want to complete a series of books, I also want to focus on the stories that are inspiring me in the moment. If it is the next book in a series, great. If not, cool. Writing should be fun and not something that authors force themselves to do.

Also, deadlines are difficult for me. The pressure of finishing something by a certain date gets to me and can often make me anxious and stress me out. So, instead of making any promises for when to expect my books, I'm going to wing it and aim to publish at least 2 books. I may publish more than that, but we'll see how it goes.

OTHERWISE

Outside of writing, I've got some ambitions for the new year. I'll be renewing my Goodreads Reading Challenge again with 27 books. I also want to complete my 2022 crochet temperature blanket as well as other artsy projects. I'm also going to be healthier by eating better, exercising regularly, and aim to lose some weight to improve my overall health. I have some medical issues that stem partly from my weight, so I'd like to do what I can to make things better.

There are other things I'd like to do, but I'm keeping those to myself for now. *wink*

Last year, my word of the year was RESET. I does feel like in some ways I did reset certain aspects of my life. It took me some time to decide on my word of the year, but I finally settled on DETERMINATION. Why? Because I'm determined to accomplish all of my goals and make the best of my time in 2023.

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

2022: A Year in the Life of Lilly Avalon

Hello lovelies,

It's been a long year, hasn't it? I honestly thought that 2020 and 2021 were bad enough, but then 2022 came along and decided to make a mockery of the previous two years.

At the beginning of the year, I was psyched up to get more books published in 2022. The plan was to publish 2 books as Lilly and 2 as Jessica (my IRL name). Things were going well in the first part of the year. I was able to finish one book for each name.

Then the day I published my Jessica book (June 21st, first day of summer), I caught COVID. My husband had already gotten it, so I knew I would likely be getting it, too. It knocked me out for a week, then it took a couple more weeks for the brain fog to dissipate. Then the engine on one of our vehicles decided to blow up and we were unable to get it fixed. Not long after, my neighbor started to deal with some health issues. I helped her out as much as I could, but it became serious, and she needed to go to the hospital. She unfortunately passed away within a couple of months.

All of this was extremely overwhelming and made it difficult for me to focus on anything, let alone writing and publishing. I originally intended to push back my remaining two releases by one month each, but when everything continued to wreak havoc on my life, I ultimately had to acknowledge that it just wasn't going to work out this year. If I would've pushed myself, maybe I could have gotten one of them written and published, but the quality of the story wouldn't have been good.

So, 2022 was a bit of a mess to say the least. However, I did manage to publish one short story, Somebody to Treasure. It was first published in a limited-edition anthology in August, then I published it on its own in September. It may not be much, but I'm still proud of myself for being able to do it.

Despite the setbacks, I still had some good things happen in 2022. I joined Radish and four of my books are available to read on there now. I met my Goodreads reading goal of 27 books this year. I've also spent lots of time with friends and family, getting to see my mom for the first time in person since before the pandemic. And I was able to be creative with my cross-stitching and crocheting projects.

Now that 2022 is coming to a close... it's time to start thinking about 2023! I'll be posting my goals for the new year by January 2nd, so make sure you return to read that post!

Here's to a great year!

Somebody to Treasure Release Day!

It's release day for Somebody to Treasure!

After my year-long relationship ends abruptly, my best friend and movie star Jasper Schwarz whisks me away on a tropical vacation. The two of us have been friends for years, but this close proximity at a romantic location is stirring up emotions I never thought I'd have for him. I keep getting the feeling that he might be experiencing the same, but he’s a movie star and I’m just an ordinary girl. There’s no way he could be interested in me like that.

Or could he?

Purchase on Amazon | B&N (delayed) | Kobo | Apple | Smashwords

| Universal Link |

| Add to your Goodreads shelf |

Happy Reading!

Somebody to Treasure Cover Reveal!

Surprise, lovelies! It's a cover reveal!

Somebody to Treasure, my short story featured in the Sizzling Summer Nights in Paradise Anthology, will be available on retailers on September 13th. Today is the official cover reveal!

After my year-long relationship ends abruptly, my best friend and movie star Jasper Schwarz whisks me away on a tropical vacation. The two of us have been friends for years, but this close proximity at a romantic location is stirring up emotions I never thought I'd have for him. I keep getting the feeling that he might be experiencing the same, but he’s a movie star and I’m just an ordinary girl. There’s no way he could be interested in me like that.

Or could he?

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Preorder:

| Amazon | B&N [coming soon!] | Apple Books | Kobo | Smashwords |

What do you think of the cover?

Sign Ups for the Release Blitz and ARCs for Somebody to Treasure

Hello, Lovelies!
I am super excited to announce the sign-ups for the release blitz and ARC form for Somebody to Treasure.
This book is the first book in the Star Struck series and was featured in the Sizzling Summer Nights in Paradise Anthology.
If you're interested in sharing on release day or reading and reviewing an ARC of Somebody to Treasure, please fill out this form. I would love to have you be part of sharing this new release.

Here's more information about the book:

Title: Somebody to Treasure

Author: Lilly Avalon (ME!)

Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance

Length: Short Story (under 10k/43 pages)

Heat Level: 3 (according to this chart)

Release Date: September 13th

Blurb:

After my year-long relationship ends abruptly, my best friend and movie star Jasper Schwarz whisks me away on a tropical vacation. The two of us have been friends for years, but this close proximity at a romantic location is stirring up emotions I never thought I'd have for him. I keep getting the feeling that he might be experiencing the same, but he’s a movie star and I’m just an ordinary girl. There’s no way he could be interested in me like that.

Or could he?

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Don't forget to fill out the form for the opportunity to spread the word and/or read the book! Sign-ups will close on September 7th and participants will be contacted by September 8th.

Thanks for reading!