The Deepest End of Love is LIVE!
release day q&a + what this book means to me
IT’S RELEASE DAY, BABY!!!
Remember how far away September 24 seemed when I announced this book back in March? Well, IT’S HERE!!!
I’m so happy you can finally read Lila and Reed’s story. I absolutely adored writing these two idiots falling in love (idiots to lovers might be my signature trope at this point), and I hope you love them as much as I do.
The Deepest End of Love is extra special to me because I poured my all into a fictional character for the very first time. There are many bits of me in Grace and Maddie, but Lila? Oh, we’re one and the same. We share the same vulnerabilities, anxious thoughts, and self-deprecating tendencies, which wasn’t planned at all. I didn’t mean to turn Lila into Lis 2.0, but fictional characters want what they want. As soon as I got into her head (that sounds creepy) I saw myself. All of me. I won’t lie—I debated changing her personality a few times. I didn’t know if I could handle writing myself into a book, but nothing else I did for Lila worked. At the end, it was for a reason.
I needed to write this book exactly when I did. I’d become a prisoner of other people’s opinions, of my own perfectionism, of my people-pleasing tendencies, and I couldn’t escape. By writing a character who did, I freed myself. Needless to say, writing The Deepest End of Love was incredibly therapeutic.
Don’t even get me started on Reed. THIS MAN!!! He’s everything Lila needs in a friend, mentor, and lover. He’s also the best puppy dad, which only makes him hotter. I love him so much I could cry. He represents my most logical inner voice, the one that tells me not to blow things out of proportion and reassures me that I’ll be okay no matter what. The one I ignore more often than I should? Yeah, that one.
Fun fact: the advice he gives Lila and the kids at the youth center is real advice my therapist has given me. Obviously this book isn’t a substitute for therapy. I’m not a therapist myself in any way. But her advice quite literally changed my life, and I wanted to honor it in the best way that I can.
I can’t believe release day is finally here. But most of all, I can’t believe The Brightest Light series has come to an end.
What an insane year and a half it has been. I self-published The Brightest Light of Sunshine, my debut, in January 2023, and it’s been madness since. Becoming a full-time author, getting a publishing deal, audiobooks, translations, book signings, new friendships, so many lessons I needed to learn… I hope you know I don’t take any of these opportunities for granted. Being an author is my dream job, and I’d still be doing it if it weren’t a job, but having you all with me makes this journey infinitely better.
Okay, enough for now or I’ll start crying!!!
Here’s a quick release day Q&A. Thank you for submitting your questions on my IG stories. I’m answering the most frequently asked ones below.
Did you always know Lila’s was the last book of the series?
To be honest, no. When I wrote The Brightest Light of Sunshine in 2022, it was meant to be a standalone. But then Maddie’s story came to me, and I had to write it. It felt wrong not to. Once The Darkest Corner of the Heart was done, I looked at both books and the whole thing felt… incomplete. Duologies are great, but I knew there was a third story out there, floating around somewhere in my mind, that belonged with Grace’s and Maddie’s. The Deepest End of Love was the missing puzzle piece I couldn’t find until I finished the second book.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing The Deepest End of Love?
Just one? No way, I’ll give you three lol
Writing a female main character without a wounded past. Mainly because it was something I’d never done before. Grace (The Brightest Light of Sunshine) is a SA survivor, and Maddie (The Darkest Corner of the Heart) didn’t have the best parents or early childhood. Character-shaping tragedies can be cathartic for readers, and they’re often interesting to explore from a writer’s perspective. So when faced with a FMC who’d had it “easy,” I momentarily didn’t know what to do. Then I realized not every character calls for a wounded past, and that doesn’t mean readers can’t connect with them. I found myself pouring my own insecurities, fears, and anxieties into Lila—a character who doesn’t think she deserves the good things that happen to her because a) she’s made some mistakes in the past, and b) she hasn’t “suffered enough” to “earn it.” At first I thought nobody would relate to her, and instead would think she’s whiny and ungrateful (not this being what I think of myself when my demons win). But then I sent the book to my wonderful beta readers, who saw themselves in her and even shared some of her struggles. It made me realize that I’d created a FMC who, sure, was different from my previous two, but it didn’t mean she was weaker or less relatable. Lila’s wounds are valid, just like everyone else’s.
Another challenge I faced was writing Lila’s overthinking + self-deprecating tendencies in a non-repetitive-but-still-realistic way. This wasn’t easy because overthinking means repeating things in your head over and over again. I used to be a very anxious girlie myself, so I knew writing two anxious thoughts and calling Lila “an overthinker” wasn’t going to cut it. That’s worrying about something a normal amount. Overthinkers can’t stop even when they’re fed up with themselves. They “relapse” when faced with obstacles again. They can’t change their harmful habits overnight. Lila’s mind works exactly like mine used to until very recently—we’re the same age, have gone through some not-great stuff, and now, as adults, need to reteach our brains how to function in a healthy way. I wanted to see someone like me in a book, so I wrote it. And maybe she won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s okay—I’m still endlessly proud of this character and her growth.
The student/supervisor + age gap aspects of the book. Forbidden romances give me major anxiety in real life, but they’re SO FUN to write and read in fiction. In The Deepest End of Love, I wanted to make Lila and Reed’s relationship realistic, healthy, and loving. That’s not always easy when the stakes are high and their relationship is literally forbidden by college policies, so I was extra careful with how I navigated their dynamic.
What was your favorite thing about getting to tell Lila and Reed’s story?
Again, I can’t give you just one answer:
Giving closure to this family. I’m extremely lucky that so many of you have fallen in love with Grace and Cal, and then with Maddie and James. All of these characters have gone through their fair share of obstacles, and being able to show you how their stories end in The Deepest End of Love is a gift. Yes, this book is about Lila and Reed, but Grace, Cal, Maddie, and James all make some appearances. There’s a 30-year time jump between books 1 and 3, and I loved revisiting their dynamics so many years into the future.
If you know me, you know I go feral for a student/professor book. And although Reed isn’t Lila’s professor but her internship supervisor, I think the vibes are still there. And let me tell you… I had the time of my life writing their story. The tension!!! The sneaking around!!! GIMME!!!
Honestly, just Lila and Reed’s relationship in general. I fell in love with them HARD. Their banter was super fun to write, and exactly what I needed given the angst + heavy themes in this book (you can check out all content warnings at the bottom of this page). How they support each other, how patient they are with one another, them becoming accidental puppy parents, the spice… Actually, can I say everything was my favorite thing about writing this book?
Now that the series is over, which was your favorite book to write?
Every book I’m currently working on becomes my new favorite (I feel like this is the case for most authors), but if I had to choose one as my favorite to write… I think I’ll always say The Brightest Light of Sunshine. This is because, as my debut, I had no expectations or self-imposed pressure or deadlines or [insert other negative emotions writers go through when working on a book]. I only felt excitement, probably because I had nothing to lose. The doubts and the anxiety came after the first draft was done, and everything suddenly became too real. But while I was writing, it was just me + chill vibes.
Nobody asked, but here’s a fun fact about the cover of The Deepest End of Love:
The pink background was taken from the flowers on the cover of The Brightest Light of Sunshine—Lila’s parents’ book.
Before I go, here’s a list of places where you can find The Deepest End of Love (indie bookstores are marked with a *):
Amazon + Kindle Unlimited (this is the only place where you can get the ebook)
Amazon (paperback)
Audible (the audiobook is coming on October 15—keep an eye out!)
*Scribbles Book Shop (signed and personalized copies of all my 3 books available to US/Canada — VERY LIMITED)
*Beach Reads Bookshop (Canada)
Waterstones (UK)
Indigo (Canada)
These are only some options. Please support your local indie bookstore if you can. If they don’t carry my books, I’m sure they’ll order them for you :)
THANK YOU for spending release day with me. I hope you’re actually reading this because I’m currently in NYC (and about to sign some books in Chicago + Deerfield Beach!! Come say hi?) and this is a scheduled newsletter. I’ve never scheduled a post before and technology hates me, so I might be talking to a wall right now.
Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH for giving my books a chance. I hope The Deepest End of Love feels like a big hug goodbye to the series.
I can’t wait to show you what comes next,
Lis <3