From Reader to Writer: The Authors Who Lit My Creative Fire

A Spark from an Unexpected Place

There’s something so magical about finding an author who makes you fall in love with reading all over again. For me, that moment came a little unexpectedly—through an audiobook recommendation.

I’d never considered myself much of a cozy romance reader until I stumbled across B.K. Borison’s Lovelight Farms. I was just looking for something lighthearted to listen to, but somewhere between the cinnamon-sweet charm of that story and the warmth of her small-town world, something clicked. My husband and I were joking one evening about me writing a book (definitely not a romance novel, or so I thought), and the next morning when I hit “play” again, it hit me instead:I could write a book. A romance book.

Discovering the Heart of a Story

After Lovelight Farms, I found my way to Molly Harper’s Southern Eclectic series, and that’s where I fell head over heels for the kind of stories I wanted to create. Molly Harper has such a gift for giving each character a lovable, distinct personality—and her dialogue? Always pitch-perfect. I adored how each book in her series felt like coming home to the same cozy town, full of people you can’t help but root for.

From B.K., I learned how powerful it can be to build a world you want to live in—a place readers return to again and again, falling in love not just with the characters, but with the heartbeat of the town itself. And from Molly, I learned the joy of voice and connection, of creating characters who feel real.

Finding My Own Voice

Though my writing style is uniquely mine (and I like to think no one could quite mistake it for someone else’s), I can’t deny that these women lit the spark. Their books reminded me that stories don’t have to be grand or dark to be meaningful—they can be warm, hopeful, and deeply human.

These days, I draw inspiration from all sorts of places—music more than anything else—but I’ll always credit B.K. Borison and Molly Harper for showing me that small-town love stories can be just as powerful as any epic adventure. They gave me permission, in a way, to write the kind of stories that make people feel cozy, seen, and loved.

Let’s Chat Books

If you’ve never picked up Lovelight Farms or the Southern Eclectic series, consider this your gentle nudge. You might just find a bit of inspiration waiting for you between the pages, too.

And tell me—who are your favorite cozy romance authors? I’m always looking for more stories to add to my TBR list.