What can I say about Lily Seabrooke that could do justice to what a sweet human being and ridiculously talented writer she is? Her books are full of trans representation, adorable people and moments that will melt the hearts of even the frostiest of ice queens. And did I mention she is one of the sweetest and most positive people I’ve ever known?? (And she loves cake. We’re definitely friends.)
Lily’s response when I sent out these interview questions made my day. We talked about mac ‘n’ cheese (I can’t remember why) and she really made me smile. I think this interview with her will make you all smile too, so let’s crack on!
Hi Lily! Tell us a little bit about you - who are you, and what do you do?
Hey there! I'm Lily, and I write sapphic books. That's kind of it—I don't have a life, so all I do is pretty much just write books. My dream is to one day write enough books that I get multiple category pages on Wikipedia to put them all in there, and anyone looking will have their eyes glaze over. Maybe that's a weird goal, but, like... let me live.
What made you want to sit down and write your first book?
I think it depends on what you mean by first book! I started writing seriously when I was seventeen, so that one was mostly because I wanted to be famous and successful and popular.
The first book I finished back in 2012, I sat down and wrote it primarily so I could win NaNoWriMo, and the first book I published back in 2017 was mostly because I just wanted to release something. But when I sat down and started to write sapphic romance novels in late 2019, it was because I wanted to write about girls kissing. I'm gonna be honest, that's pretty much the extent of my motivation. Being famous and successful and popular would still be cool, though.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I write them! I'm a very intuitive writer, so it just kind of happens. I don't outline or plan much when it comes to writing, so all the depth and additional development just happen along the way as I write a book and find out what it's about.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most, and why?
Probably Piper Fairway, from my 2022 Christmas release The Christmas Committee. She's a little hopeless and a little clueless but is super genuine and just doing her best! I, too, am the kind of hopeless airhead who forgets what I'm doing about sixteen times an hour, so she's very near and dear to my heart.
Has your own writing ever made you cry?
I'm a trans woman, and ever since starting on estrogen, I cry at basically everything. A pretty leaf? Crying. People saying nice things? Crying. A perfectly ordinary day?? Also crying, apparently. So yeah, definitely, but usually over the tiniest things. I'm a little bit of a drama queen, it turns out.
Does anyone you know in real life read your books?
Um... maybe my therapist. Is that maybe a weird answer?
Imagine your book, or one of your books, was made into a film. Who would play the lead roles?
I know basically nothing about actors or movies, but I did actually very specifically have Katie McGrath in mind when I wrote Holly Mason in Fake It! As far as Avery, I have no idea, probably someone cute because she's trans and trans girls are cute.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax?
I make food! I really like food. I'm kind of obsessed with cooking. Get me started talking about vegetarian meat replacements and I'll be on for days. I am also a big fan of sleeping! Special shoutout to sleeping for my relaxation time.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given with regards to being an author?
Don't read your reviews. It's not good vibes.
How about in general life?
Someone once told me to eat more ice cream, and I personally just think that was a great idea.
What is a motto you live by?
The only limits we have are the ones in our minds, and impossible or possible are only two states of mind. Oh, and also, when a dish doesn't taste like anything, add salt, and when a dish only tastes like one thing, add acid. That's a handy one.
How can people connect with you?
You could try showing up at my house! I wouldn't recommend it, though, my sense of decoration is underwhelming so it's pretty boring here. Aside from that, I'm around most often on Instagram at @lilyseabrooke, and you can chat to me on Discord too if you like, where I'm Lily Seabrooke#4104. You can also sign up for my mailing list on my website lilyseabrooke.com!
Finally a light-hearted one. If you were a sandwich, what sandwich would you be?
I would definitely be a cake sandwich. Soft yellow cake with frosting and sprinkles and maraschino cherries and a hot fudge drizzle, maybe a little bit of whipped cream on top? That's definitely a sandwich. It is now, at least.
Stop torturing me. Now I want cake.
If you enjoyed this interview, then make sure you’re following my social media accounts (@kblakemanwriter on Twitter and @katherineblakemanwriter on Instagram) to get all the latest updates! And if you want to support my own Sapphic Fiction journey while you’re here, my new novel The Summer We’ve Had is available now!