The Springfield Chronicle: January 2025 Edition

lillianspringfield
Mar 30
3 min read

Backlist editions of my bimonthly newsletter are posted here. To stay further up to date, you can subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the site’s main page

A new dawn, a new day

Apologies for the missed correspondence, readers- I completely neglected to write or send out my November newsletter with no excuse beyond that I was simply at capacity. I had just published Romance Ridge, my day job was becoming increasingly demanding, and the holiday season was fast approaching. I attended three back-to-back weekends of markets and book events and was, quite frankly, too tired to bother marketing much beyond that.

My social media presence has all but disappeared, and I find myself taking a much needed digital and creative break as of late. While the gears of my brain continue churning with new story ideas (I truly don't think I could stop them if I tried), I have not picked up the proverbial pen since completing my recent novella; but fear not! I promise I'll hop back to it in time.

Okay, so what ARE you doing?

Working- a lot- but honestly, who isn't? You don't want to hear about my boring old day job. You want fantasy, passion, adventure! Realistically, so do I, which is probably why I have about ten books currently on the go. January is often a heavy reading month for me but, simultaneously, my brain is mush from December demands. As a result, I start a new book every couple of days and don't finish any of them until February. My bedside table becomes the literary equivalent of an iPod Shuffle. For your consideration, please find below my list of current and completed 2026 reads to date:

And when I'm not reading, I'm actively rewatching all the Bridgerton seasons (including the Queen Charlotte prequel) in anticipation of season four dropping later this month.

Back to my roots

Before I bit the bullet and attempted longer form writing, I was a big fan of short stories. Flash fiction was my literary drug of choice. I always assumed any book I managed to write would be an anthology of smaller stories but, alas, I surprised myself. Life is mysterious that way.

As I struggle to find the time and focus to write, I've been eyeing up a lot of short story contests. I'm hoping that firing off a few incremental submissions will keep my skills sharp. Which then begs the question: Do you want to read my short stories?

I've been toying with the idea of making some of these freely available to read, either on my website's blog, incorporated into the newsletter, or possibly some third option I haven't yet considered. Heads up, romantics, my short fiction is typically a little weirder than my novels and often falls outside the realm of contemporary romance. Nevertheless, I will keep you all updated as to the potential availability of these stories. Please feel free to reach out on my socials or by email with any enthusiasm or suggestions!

It's not too late to treat yourself (or someone else)

Yes, Peak Chemistry is a little Christmassy and we've since moved past its seasonal relevance. I don't blame you for feeling neither holly nor jolly when the world outside is an icy wasteland and/or a giant slush pile.

But realistically, it's never a bad time to buy yourself a book. Romance Ridge, while wintery, is not holiday-specific, and I promise the sunny '90s days of Heard This and Thought of You will defrost your frozen heart. You can purchase all three on Amazon by clicking on their images below: