Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Deer Springs

  • Deer Springs is a small-town hot mess.

    This quirky small-town romance series is set deep in the Ozark Mountains in a tiny town where the modern characters live messy lives.

    It features a group of friends in their thirties as they navigate life and love, stumble along the way, and help each other stand back up again.

    These full-length, open-door romantic comedies feature a generous dash of angst and steam, but the love story comes first.

    And of course, they always end with a happily ever after.

  • The Ozarks are like an untamed land. The forests are deep, the deer are everywhere, and the bluffs look like the type of nature scenery you see in movies.

    It’s a beautiful place with forests, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, caves, lakes, streams and rivers.

    The wilder areas also have their share of elk, coyotes, bobcats, brown bears and mountain lions. There’s nothing like the sound of a coyote pack singing after dark fall.

    Nature holds a strong grip on the Ozarks.

    When I first contemplated starting the Deer Springs romance series, I knew I wanted to place it deep in the Ozark Mountains, because it’s a place in our country that really exists that not everyone gets a chance to experience.

    I’m writing the Deer Springs series for any of you yearning for a simple world where it’s okay that people still don’t lock their doors at night. One with less power lines and more stars in the night sky.

  • Of course! In fact, they make cameos in all of the books in the Deer Springs series.

    They may be secretly deciding on their wedding date as we speak! I have a feeling their wedding may even be the location of a scene in a future Deer Springs book.

  • I write contemporary romance. My current series is a small town contemporary romance set in a tiny town in the Ozark mountains. Each book in the Deer Springs series can be read standalone.

    I recommend reading them in order since many of the main characters are also featured as side characters in the other books.

  • I do! I love a good happily ever after and happy for now. It can’t be a romance without that, right?

  • I write open door contemporary romance with a generous sprinkle of steam and spice. There are a scattering of sexy scenes in each book, along with some adult language, but the love stories come first.

    On a 1-5 chili pepper scale my books typically land at a 3.

  • Enemies to Lovers: The tension and banter in an enemies to lovers romance can set the house on fire. I love to write two characters who absolutely can't get along, but are also drawn to each other like magnets.

    Curvy Girls: I enjoy writing plus size romances where the FMC's weight is not a primary driver of the plot. Sure, she might feel a little angsty during the let's-get-naked scenes, but that definitely doesn't stop her!

    Age Gap: I throw some age gap trope into some of my romance novels. Just like with the curvy girls, the age gap isn't the primary driver of the plot, but often an extra wrinkle for the FMC and MMC to navigate together.

    Slow Burn: I love a good slow burn. I’m all about the buildup. I get my swoon on from the small moments. It’s where the fireworks exist for me.

    Grumpy Sunshine: For me this trope is not just about an eternal grump vs. a ray of dazzling sparkles. Sometimes characters hold both these archetypes within themselves at the same time, and sometimes it exists within them on a spectrum of emotion.

    Forced Proximity: It’s fun putting two characters together in different scenarios and seeing how they engage, especially when they have to interact with each other.

    Shared Bed: I know, what a cliche! But it’s still fun to read and write this one. Nuff’ said. :)

  • People sometimes ask where the ideas for a book come from. The Luxury of Being Honest came to me in a flash. I woke up at three in the morning on a cold February night. It was deep winter in the Ozarks and I couldn’t fall back asleep. I bumped around the house for a while, trying not to wake anyone else up. It was right then, in the quiet dark of moonlight, that Emma and Grant’s love story came to life. I hurried to the computer and started writing. I wrote the first draft of the novel in a mad burst, doing long days and nights. Then spent months rewriting, editing and weaving the story tighter.

    I find my characters often breath themselves into existence. They start as a wisp of a thought, a light brushstroke hitting canvas.

    Then they follow me along on my walks while I get to know them, and they get to know me. It’s during these between times where their fate gets decided. If I feel their story is strong enough, I bring them to life.

  • I do! Lily Birch is my pen name.