A Case of Longing

Author Lily Baines’s contemporary romance novel is available on Amazon. This book tells the story of detective Rose Harper from the Chicago PD who has been partnered with detective Eithan Reed for the better part of a decade and has been in love with him despite herself for almost as long. Eithan was off-limits for a long time for various reasons and Rose isn’t even sure if he sees her as anything more than a partner and a friend. When the ‘we’re partners’ excuse she clung to becomes more and more irrelevant in a new case they handle, she’s forced to confront her own feelings.

You can find out more about this contemporary romance novelist on the Lily Baines website or on Facebook. Ask this contemporary romance novelist questions at Goodreads Author Lily Baines.

Lily’s Interview

Do you consider yourself (1) an introvert OR (2) an extrovert?

I’m a mix but I’d say I’m more of an introvert. I don’t like to be in the front line of things, I prefer being behind the scenes. I’m more comfortable with people I know. People who know me well can’t believe that I am uncomfortable in social situations, because with them I am open, talkative, confident, and funny. But in a new place or with new people, I can’t wait for it to be over. With the years I learned to be more confident, life sort of forces you to be. I managed a HR team in a high-tech company I worked for and was forced to be “the manager”. Even after ten years, I couldn’t get used to the feeling of having all eyes on me in team meetings or when I had to present to management and large groups, and that happened every week… Now, as a self-published author, I have to put myself out there and market my book and myself. Not easy for an introvert. This is why I write under a pen name. Most of the people I know don’t know about my author persona. I hope to be more comfortable reuniting the two in the future.

Easy to understand!

You prefer (1) to people watch OR (2) bird watch?

Watch people! I love people, human dynamics, interactions, behavior. Maybe that’s why I spent 20 years working in HR. That’s probably why I write. Stories pop into my head when I see or witness human interactions, situations, even in passing. For example, my next book’s idea just appeared in my head last summer when I was on a long weekend with my sisters-in-law in Montenegro, Europe. In one of the old towns we visited we witnessed a scene that immediately teased a story out of me. In the middle of this picturesque alley, a local man (who was very handsome, by the way) and a tourist boy who passed there with his parents holding a ball started playing soccer, and everyone stopped and watched because it was so endearing. They called at each other in two different languages while playing, with the only words both shared were Leo Messi and Christian Ronaldo, the famous soccer players. When they finished playing and the boy took the ball and left with his parents, the man had a pensive grimace on his face and my next story wrote itself. By the time I left for home, I had a rough outline in my head – a man who lost something important in life and a lonely woman find love in a surprising way. The soccer scene opens the story.

Wow! Impressive!

Are you (1) a morning person OR (2) a night owl?

A night owl, but I wish I was a morning person. I envy those who wake up early, feeling refreshed and energized and make the most of the day. I need several cups of coffee before I’m fully awake. My best hours are after 9pm. I can write into the night, do the laundry, binge-watch. I love the silence. But having kids and a day-job forced me to be more balanced. I quit my job 18 months ago and now I’m more able to sometimes give in to my natural clock.

Coffee, mana from heaven!

Thanks for being interviewed, Lily!