Interview with Author: Lila Herron

A confident heroine refuses to take up less space.

A dark romance heroine who’s plus-size, confident, and fully aware of her worth should not be a rarity. Author Lila Herron, whose book Any Means Necessary delivers sharp banter, undeniable tension, and a heroine who refuses to dim her light for anyone.

We go behind the scenes on publishing and platform strategy. Lila breaks down how teasing an unwritten idea on BookTok went viral, what self-publishing taught her about craft and marketing, and what changed when Any Means Necessary was re-released through traditional publishing. If you’re curious about hybrid publishing, Kindle Unlimited page reads, and what it’s like to build a romance career in public while the algorithm shifts under your feet, you’ll get both honesty and useful detail.

Listen now, share this with a romance reader who wants more representation, and leave a review if you like what you hear. What’s the one thing that makes you trust a romance couple on the page?

Follow Lila on IG: @authorlilaherron & TT: @authorlilaherron 

Website: www.authorlilaherron.com 

Cover Art by: moi

Intro/Outro Music: positive vibes by nanaacom on Capcut

Contact Email: spillthesmutpodcast@gmail.com

Podcast IG: @spillthesmutpodcast TT: @spillthesmutpodcast

Jordan IG: @sipsoffiction TT: @sipsoffiction

Transcript

Welcome And Author Origin Story

Jordan 0:00

She noticed a lack of plus size representation in female main characters, especially in dark romance, and decided it was time to change that. Stepping outside of her comfort zone to publish a story she wanted to see on her bookshelf, she created heroines who are confident, vibrant, fully aware of their worth, and unapologetically comfortable in their own skin. Her writing delivers it all. Sharp banter, undeniable tension, and just the right amount of smut. After starting out in self-publishing, she is now traditionally published, and you can find her newest re-release, any means necessary, wherever you get your books. Please welcome to the podcast, Lila Heron.

Lila Herron 0:42

That was quite an intro. Thank you so much. I love that.

Jordan 0:45

Sorry, I sometimes I like forget how long it is as I'm writing it, and it isn't until I'm reading it that I'm like, that was kind of a long intro, so I'm so sorry about that. But like I had to put the important stuff in there, and there was nothing I could I couldn't leave any of that out.

Lila Herron 1:03

Yeah, no, I love that actually. I feel like like you forget who you are sometimes as a writer. You just think of yourself as like, oh, I just gotta go create this content, oh, I've gotta go do this, I gotta go like make sure I'm writing down my expenses and my spreadsheet. But then it's like people are like describing my books, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm a writer. Like I forget about that sometimes.

Jordan 1:27

So it's but that's kind of cool. That's kind of cool in the sense that you are a writer. And I mean, I guess too, I mean, I'm not a writer, so I can't relate to the forgetting about being a writer, but I feel like being an author and a writer is just such a huge accomplishment that most people can't say that they are, and I think that's really cool that you can say you are.

Lila Herron 1:50

Thanks. I you know, I never intended to be here really, it kind of just happened. I've been a creative my whole life. Um I I've written stories my whole life, but writing a book kind of happened by happenstance, just um because I was trying to go viral on book talk, and I posted about a story idea for this book, actually, for any means necessary, and it went viral a couple of times. Um, and then I was like, okay, I guess I'm writing a book. And it was the first book I'd ever finished writing, like my first story I'd ever actually finished writing, start to finish. So I didn't expect anyone to pay attention, but here I am, you know. It's been that's so cool. A wild ride. It's I've been very blessed. Yeah.

Jordan 2:44

Oh my oh my goodness. Okay, well, I do have more on that, but I do like to start off every episode with what is the highlight of your week so far?

Lila Herron 2:52

Ooh. Well, I love talking to new people, so meeting you has been great. Um I just hit a milestone for my second book, my indie

Weekly Highlight And Big Milestones

Lila Herron 3:05

published book that's on Amazon right now. It just hit 12 million page reads on Kindle Unlimited. So that's amazing. Oh my goodness. That is so that I've been paying so much attention to you know, any means necessary that I keep you know, forgetting that I have another book out there. So I'm like, oh my gosh, gotta give this one her little flowers, you know, over here.

Jordan 3:30

So oh my gosh. Oh, so side note, I know this episode's gonna be more about any means necessary, but is your goal to get your other one, which is I think it's like seeing red? Is that something I've I saw it for a split second? It's called Red My Lips. Oh, Red My Lips. Okay, I knew Red was in it, but yeah, is the goal to get that one traditionally published too?

Lila Herron 3:55

Um, not necessarily. I already sold the audio rights to podiums to make audiobooks, and so um usually publishers aren't super interested unless they can have all the rights to a book. Um, but I I kind of want to keep you know one series indie published so that I have a little bit more freedom about you know scheduling and you know, a little less oversight about the content in the book, and I can be as unhinged as I want to be. And and I'm so terrible at keeping secrets. Like I said, I started this whole journey by trolling the internet with a story that wasn't even being written yet, and that's my favorite thing to do is like post a story idea or a quote of a book that's not finished yet. And I can't do that with my traditionally published books because they have rules.

Jordan 4:46

Okay, that's fair. But for indie, indie published, I can post whatever I want. Okay, that that's fair. That's fair. I also I've heard not that I've talked to like that many authors, but I've heard every author that they self-publish and they traditionally publish, and they say they love the hybrid. So I feel like that you're you're like the best of both worlds in the sense because like you're out in bookstores and people can find you and they can read your books, but then you're like, now I can do what I want. Like this is all me. I feel like it's I feel like that's like it really is the best of both worlds.

Lila Herron 5:23

It's been great, and I feel like starting indie and going to traditional, like traditionally published, like traditional publishing is like a whole beast of its own. So like it's not necessarily like a straightforward path. Everyone has, you know, every author has their own journey, and I never expected to go traditionally published, so like I didn't go through the querying process or know anything about it, basically. So I'm learning as I go, but something that I enjoy about indie publishing is I get to see the numbers in real time. Like I said, I could see my page reads on Kindle Limited, I can see pre-orders, I can see how much money I'm making every day, I could see what posts are doing well and stuff or directly in sales terms. So it's nice to be traditionally published, but I don't get to see any of those things.

Jordan 6:15

Yeah, I didn't even think of that, but it makes sense too because it's like you have like the inside scoop of that where you don't traditionally publish your like publisher has all that information. So it's like, and you get whatever you get when you get it. So it's kind of like you can't even see. So again, the hybrid, it's the best of both worlds. Okay, so I kind of I know you kind of talked about this-ish of like how you got the idea for any means necessary, but I kind of wanted to ask the first question before we dive into your book of what inspired you to start writing and to write romance books.

Lila Herron 6:52

Oh, I just love love, you know, like I it's great, especially

Why Romance And Early Reading Roots

Lila Herron 6:57

in the world we live in. I feel like everyone needs an escape, and also I like to feel like I'm in control. Like I said, the whole letting go of the reins thing when I went traditionally published has been a learning curve. But also, like writing romance, I get to choose how the story ends, and I get to choose how the man acts. I get to choose, you know what I mean? He can be as unhinged as I want to be, but he's still gonna behave the way that I say, you know? We love it. Um, and I've loved romance, just growing up, I I started reading with reading um Mary Kate Nashley books, and I loved a murder mystery or a mystery. I loved Nancy Drew and then Agatha Christie, but then my mom had me let me borrow her Nora Roberts, a Nora Roberts romance, and I was like, oh my gosh, this is so addicting and like sweet. It was like a small town romance, and so I started you know diving into that and I've never really looked back. It's like I I still love a little mystery and a little murder and a little mayhem, but um, yeah, I don't know, there's just something about building connections like that and allowing my favorite thing to write personally is like like banter and like tension, and so allowing that to like melt into like a real connection is really satisfying for me.

Jordan 8:26

So fair. I feel like now don't get me wrong, I love a good spicy, smuddy scene because those are just so good, but it's also like the lead up to that, it's like the tension and the banter and the all of that before it that makes the smuddy, spicy scene even better in my mind. Agreed. So it's like I just I yeah, and I let off romance is too, it's like you just end up together, you know, like it's gonna be a happily, it better be a happy ever after, or else it's not a romance.

Lila Herron 8:58

I know. I tried to explain that to my boyfriend the other day, and he's like, Well, what about Romeo and Juliet? I'm like, that's a tragic love story, it's not the same. He's like, love story, romance. I'm like, you don't get it. You don't get it, yeah.

Jordan 9:13

Huge difference, huge difference. Yes, for sure. Okay, so now we can dive into your book because I have all the questions. Um, but I did want to start with so your book, Any Means Necessarily, was re-released, traditionally published in March. Can you tell the listeners a little bit more about the book?

Lila Herron 9:35

Um, yes, so it's a it's described as a cozy, spicy, dark romance with a confident plus

What Makes A Cozy Dark Romance

Lila Herron 9:42

size main character who doesn't take shit from anyone. And then the dangerous, tattooed um ex-mafia man who is obsessed with her. And I feel like that kind of great um explains it all. But I just the story is really about like an everyday girl just living her life who just suddenly gets caught up in this world of like crime and danger and like kind of gets seduced by it. And I just feel like that's so fun because I'm a regular girl. Maybe maybe it could happen to me, maybe it could happen to you. Some day it will happen.

Jordan 10:24

Well, maybe with like less violence. I like to think like it's like one of those things where it's like, um, in like especially in dark romance, there can be like blood play talking about that, and I know that's like not necessarily in this book, but I like have read about it, and then I'm like, I can be like, oh, it's so like hot, but like I will faint at like the sight of a paper cut. Like I could never actually you know, like in real life have that.

Lila Herron 10:54

You know what? I feel like that's something that's so important for romance too, is like it's a safe space for you to like indulge or like explore certain things that you might not necessarily want to do, but in like a safe environment where it's like controlled, you know it's gonna be a happily ever after, and you can stop reading what you can step away anytime you want. You can put the book down if you don't enjoy it, you can DNF at any moment. Um, and there are trigger warnings and everything to let you know if there's anything you're not comfortable with.

Jordan 11:23

Real life's not exactly like that, so I feel like and I think that's it's like so important too, because I was actually chatting with this about this with someone else, but of how there's consent between like the reader and the book of you picking up a book, you're consenting to reading it, and then you can put it down at any time. And when someone was telling me this, I was like, Oh my goodness, that's so true! Like, I never would have thought of that. But going back to Lexi, I have to say she's like one of my like favorite female main characters because I love those confident, like badass characters that like take no shit from anybody, and honestly, she's like one of my favorites. And I have a couple questions, so I like won't get into it too much because like well, I'll leave it for those questions, but I love her.

Lila Herron 12:16

Thank you.

Jordan 12:18

Um, but how did the story come to you? Like Lexi and Callum's story, and like and did you always want it to be a dark romance? Or was that kind of did that like the story lead to dark romance?

Lila Herron 12:33

Um, you know, so I like to tell people that it started as like an intrusive thought. Um, so I have anxiety, and I was actually house sitting at the time, um, in this big fancy house in Scottsdale, Arizona. And so at night, in this big empty house, it was just me and the dogs that I were I was

The Intrusive Thought That Sparked It

Lila Herron 12:54

watching. I would like, of course, my anxious brain would come up with fun little scenarios of like, all right, well, what if there's an intruder right now? What are you gonna do about it? And then I the story started, the the story idea started with, okay, I'm walking down this hallway. What if I turn the corner and there's a man standing in the kitchen? Like, what are you gonna do about it? And my answer was, well, what are you nothing? Like, what am I gonna do about it? But then it got me thinking, like, well, why would he be in the kitchen? And who is he? And then I, you know, started, you know, kind of daydreaming about like, you know, building these characters in my head. So um originally it was kind of me in the place of Lexi, um, which is why she looks a lot like me. But um, yeah, the story just kind of moved from there. Um, did I ever I feel like this was like my first dark romance that I ever attempted to write. I've had always had darker elements sprinkled in here or there, or like I don't know, I feel like it kind of grew that way, and then as I was writing, this the scenes just kind of took over, if that makes sense.

Jordan 14:08

So like yeah, it just and okay, so I know we want to keep this like mostly spoiler-free, but I feel like this isn't a spoiler. So you mentioned the scene of like if you walk into the kitchen and somebody was there. So is that essentially like how you came up with their like meat cue of him like just being in the kitchen, like re like putting more sauce on the steak?

Lila Herron 14:37

Yeah, that's that's basically it was like oh my gosh, who could this person be? You know, and what are you supposed to do about it? And so coming up with different ideas of like how would Lexi react? Is she gonna freak out? Is she gonna get angry and be like, get out? Is she going to, you know, try to physically remove him, even though she's five foot three and he's or five foot four and he's six four? You know what I mean? So it was just kind of yeah, just kind of developed from there. And then once I decided he was gonna be sexy and dangerous, then it kind of unfolded um about how dark the romance was going to be. Um, I know it's not the most dark romance, um, which is I feel like is why people describe it as cozy, because there's definitely darker romances. But he is like Yeah.

Jordan 15:36

I know exactly what you're talking about right now. Yeah, yeah. I don't know if I should like say that on the podcast, but I'm like it it is like dark.

Lila Herron 15:48

Yeah. So I feel like that was me dipping my toe for the first time into like writing it for myself because I've always been an avid dark romance reader, so it's just yeah.

Jordan 16:02

I love it. I don't know how else to describe it. I I love it, I love it. Um, okay, so I do want to take a moment for your dedication in this, where I'm gonna, I'm actually gonna read it uh to my fellow fat babes who wish they could see themselves in the books they read. You're hot, and this is your main character moment. So, first the dedication is amazing, and then second, what made you want to

Writing Plus-Size Confidence On Page

Jordan 16:28

include a plus size character and have it be the female main character? Like, what was your like thought process for that?

Lila Herron 16:37

It was kind of inherent, like it wasn't like some groundbreaking idea when I originally had it, because I've been plus size my whole life. Um and you know, growing up what reading stories, reading romances, and especially dark romance, like it was never a deal breaker for me that the main character wasn't plus size. But every time I would write a story, um, even just for myself, she was plus size because that's the perspective that I can write from. I've never been in a smaller body, I don't know how that is, but growing up reading about how wafer thin or petite or delicate, it kind of took me out of the story a little bit. And like I said, it wasn't a deal breaker, but I definitely was not relatable to my experience living in a bigger body. So writing about Lexi, giving her my specific body type, like I said, I was writing a book that I wanted to read. Like I felt like I was giving myself the main character that I didn't see in books, specifically dark romance growing up. And she was very easy for me to write. So um, I pulled from myself and like other plus size women in my life um that I know in my real life. So it's like I don't know, why not?

Jordan 18:01

I you know, and I I like it. I like it. And I know too, like I, as someone that has like bigger boobs, I could relate to Letty in the like in the sense of even that first scene where she gets the like steak, like she it's is it the oil? It's like the sauce where she like puts her.

Lila Herron 18:18

Yeah, it's like grease, yeah.

Jordan 18:20

And I was like, I can relate to that because of how in the way they can get, or like with her clothes with her boobs like falling out. I'm like, yes, that I could I can relate to that because I feel like you're right in the sense of everything in that way is always related to like they're small and perky and a handful. And I'm like, mine are not small, perky and a handful. That I'm just like exactly. So it and you know it's refreshing.

Lila Herron 18:52

Thank you. I agree, and I feel like I mean, I didn't invent dark like plus size characters in dark romance. There are there are several, and nearly enough, in my opinion, and then when they when you do find plus size main characters, I feel like they're often written as the wallflower or the self-loathing um person going through a mental health journey, or they're going through a weight loss journey, or you know, they have that moment of why would this hot man ever find me attractive? Well, I guess there must be something to love about me, and that's just never been my experience. Every story has its place, everyone has their own perspective, but that's just not that's never been my personal experience, and so it's like I mean, I'm plus size, but it's never been a problem getting dates, you know. Like I don't carry my worth in how men look at me. I don't I mean, yeah, sometimes it's annoying that dresses don't fit because of my body type. Um, but not every plus size woman is has curves in all the right places, or like that typical hourglass figure. You know, we have apron bellies like I gave Lexi, and that we're not all proportionate, you know. I'm five foot three and I have a 42 eye cut bust, you know. It's like you look at me, I'm mostly boob, you know.

Jordan 20:26

But but then it's like it's what makes it so like real and relatable, which can be so refreshing and nice to and that honestly, like going back to like even not necessarily her size, but like I felt like the story could be so relatable in thought process too. Like I could relate to the boob moment so much because that has happened to me, but then I could also relate to her, like, not well, not that I've ever seen anybody like any stranger in my kitchen, but her thought process of going through, like, okay, should I call somebody? Should I like like what how should I handle this situation? And I was like, Yes, it's not just like this, like I don't know, like I thought it was very nice that it wasn't just like, oh my gosh, he's so attractive. Like, I would do anything for him. It's it's like this is a stranger that I don't know in the house. And a man, yeah, yes, like in any real life situation, that would be like red flag, scary, like stop, drop, and roll type situation. Right. But and I know too, it's like fiction, but I just liked the perspective of okay, this is like very scary, and how do I handle the situation? And then, like, of course, she like builds an attraction because it's a romance, but like in the right timeline. I love that. Thank you.

Lila Herron 21:49

Yeah, I feel like I've never really been into the insta love trope. I feel like I feel like for me, characters it has to make sense that. They're attracted to one another, so like there has to be. So for instance, if it's a stalker romance, it's like, Oh, you saw her and you wanted her. Well, why? Is there a specific reason? Is there something from your past that you've been looking for in every other woman that you've never been able to see until you saw it in her? You know, is there some sort of spark of like, oh my gosh, this is my kid, you know, my twin flame? Or no, I feel like she has this sunshine that I need to harness and own. And it's like, I'm realizing my life is brighter only with her. You know what I mean? Like, there has to be a reason or like a specific dynamic that draws the two together. And so for me personally, it takes time to get to know the characters enough to find that connection. Because yeah, everyone, I mean, you could look at a guy and be like, oh, he's hot and want to hook up with him, but that doesn't mean like, oh, you're mine now, you know what I mean?

Jordan 22:58

Yeah, I mean, maybe that could be fun, but but like, but in a realistic way, that's like not necessarily something that would happen, even in like real life, too. So it's just like I think it's this like timeline that Lexi and Callum had, I felt was realistic in the way that not saying that like every story needs to be realistic, but I enjoyed the fresh respect perspective of it being realistic.

Lila Herron 23:28

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Jordan 23:32

You're welcome. Uh Jordan approved. Perfect. Um, so going back to the questions, if you could only pick one song to pair or sum up the book, what song would you pick? I know this is I love this question.

Lila Herron 23:53

Um, you know, this is so tough because there's so many. I don't know why, but that song, like who's the hecker? Oh my gosh, yeah, I feel like that encompasses Lexi as a person. I don't quite know if there's a song that gets the light and the darkness of the whole story, but I feel like that is just yeah, I feel like that's just the song I would pick. I mean, it doesn't necessarily fit the genre, but it totally can. It could, it can.

Jordan 24:31

We're gonna say it does. Because I feel like it can. It can. Um, okay, so I'm actually really curious about this question because I know that this book is a re-release and it was first indie published, you self-published it, and now it's traditionally published with a top five publisher. Can you tell us like how was it self-publishing

Self-Publishing Versus Traditional Publishing

Jordan 24:55

this book? And then how was it traditionally publishing it?

Lila Herron 24:59

Um, it was crazy. Like I said, I this whole journey started because so I'm a so I'm in social media marketing. My degree was in marketing. Um, I was working for a cabinet manufacturer of all things in on their marketing team, and then I got laid off. And so I was like, okay, I'm gonna take some time and I want to get to know TikTok as a platform to see if I can grow a following and add that to my resume for when I find a new job. And so I was like, I'm a I'm a reader, no-brainer, I'll join book talk, easy peasy. Um, and so I saw this video about a story, and I was like, I have a story idea like that. And so I posted a scene for a story idea that I wasn't even fully writing yet, and it got over 300,000 views. And then I posted a second time, and that got over 800,000 views, and my third video ever got over a million views, and suddenly within a week, I had 10,000 followers, and everyone was asking, title, please tell me, plus size dark romance, yes. Like, please tell me this is a book, please. I'm like, I guess I'm writing a book now, like I have to because these people are begging for it, and I didn't realize that I had this, like, I didn't realize that I had this found my niche without really trying. And so I kind of trolled the internet with my unfinished work for over a year while I wrote it. I kind of teased them and um shared as I was writing it. Um I gave up four times. I'm not gonna lie. Writing a book is hard. Writing a book is very hard.

Jordan 26:39

Imagine.

Lila Herron 26:40

So I'm not gonna act like deciding to write a book was just all oh, I decided, you know what, I'm gonna write this book now. And then it was just easy peasy. I I literally gave up four times and I was like, no one in my life even knows I'm writing this book. Sorry, I'll just disappear, you know? And I was like, uh, well, I mean, I have this book, I'll keep working on it. And then eventually I looked at it, I was like, I have this finished book, I might as well publish it. And I wasn't expecting anyone to be paying attention anymore because I'd been teasing them this whole time. Um you know, it algorithms change, and so I posted, you know, I published it. I, you know, my sister helped me edit it, and then I created the cover, the original cover myself, and then just watched a bunch of videos on how to publish on Amazon and format it and everything. And then people were reading it, and it got to the point where I was like, Oh my gosh, people are reading my book, and now I have to tell people about it because this might become a thing, you know? And uh yeah, so I told my mom a couple of days after I published it that I had written a book and I'd published it, and um yeah, so it was like kind of all happened, and then yeah, I got really I was really blessed to have found my readers when I did, you know, TikTok's not the same, the world's not the same, you know, and I I attribute a lot of my readership to timing, and of course, I'm not that's not to say that maybe I'm not a good writer and that I don't have like eye-catching ideas. Um but yeah, I was in the right place at the right time with a lot of this, and so yeah, I just I posted it and then people were reading it, and then I kept posting about when I was hitting milestones on my socials as they were growing, and that's how my agent found me. Um I think I believe I had posted about how many page reads on Kindle Unlimited. I had reached a certain milestone, maybe it was like 10 million page reads or something like that, and so my agent saw that and was interested, and she read my book and decided she wanted to represent me.

Jordan 29:11

Um and so and so kind of like all just like fell into your lap.

Lila Herron 29:17

That is so cool. It did. I mean, I'm still surprised that I'm here, to be honest. I'm so grateful. Um, and yeah, do I think I'm a good writer? Yes, maybe, and I do feel like I have good a good perspective in terms of like you know, character ideas and things like that. But am I necessarily like the best author there is out there? I feel like what people don't realize about publishing indie or traditionals, a lot of it comes down to like timing and like a little bit of luck. Um, because I know a lot of amazing authors who are so good at writing and they have written so many amazing books that just haven't quite hit their stride yet or haven't quite gone viral, or you know, are they haven't found that agent yet that's gonna, you know, help them in their trajectory towards traditional publishing? And yeah, so I've been really blessed to have found my readership when I did. And I don't even know if I could do it with how the algorithms are right now, or if I had to do it all over again.

Jordan 30:26

Can I ask you when you posted like what year was it you posted those three videos that like went viral with the idea of any means necessary?

Lila Herron 30:37

I think it was like 2023. I think it was like the very beginning of 2023. I think it was like February of 2023 I posted the idea, and then it took me a year to write any means necessary and then publish self-publish it. And so I I think because I think it came out in 2024. So originally, all these years are blended together. I can't believe it's 2026 at this point, to be honest. It's just what a whirlwind these past like decades have been like so and so yeah, and it was like and then I got an idea for another book, and of course, I'm like, I don't know why I decided to do it this way, but my book, my second book came out and it was a completely separate series, a totally different vibe from any means necessary, and so telling people, oh, I have two books out, it's like no, they're diff like different books, like they're not from the same series, or but I feel like you have your readers from any means necessary, they're gonna read your other book, no?

Jordan 31:53

Or have you found that that wasn't really the case?

Lila Herron 31:55

They do, I feel like they do. I feel like, but with Red My Lips, it's a very different vibe, in my opinion, in terms of like level of darkness, and um I feel like any means necessary has that sweet spot of like the Grumpy and sunshine, like regular people, you know, and the dark romance elements. But Red My Lips is like she's a serial killer, he's a a stalker, you know, they are toxic together, and it just they just feed off of each other's darkness in terms of um that dynamic. So it's a little bit different than sweet nutters and you know, that is like a different darker world. Yes. So it's like, I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm very there's like there's like a little detail about that story that I still people ask me how I came up with it, and I still I don't even remember writing it down. I just it was suddenly there in the story. She takes a very specific trophy from her kills. Um, and so I'm like, people are like, oh my gosh, that's like criminal minds. I'm like, I'm just the messenger, I don't even know how it got there, honestly.

Jordan 33:14

You know, the characters took over. It's the characters, they they took over that one.

Lila Herron 33:19

Uh and that's what I claim for Spice, too, because you know, the scenes, the smut scenes that happen, I feel like everyone's like, ooh, so this is what you're into, and it's like, no, this is what the characters wanted. You know what I mean?

Jordan 33:34

Like, this is what makes sense for the dynamic of the characters, like and then and I feel like that can actually because I I think too, that's like really good, even not you're sticking to the characters because I feel like I've read so many stories where the author doesn't stick to the characters, and then it takes me out of the story. So it's like you gotta do what's best for the characters.

Lila Herron 33:57

Right. And I will say, like, people who know me in real life, I'm like, don't be reading my books thinking that you're seeing into my brain and like, oh, this is what she wants, this is what she's into. Like, um, especially my boyfriend. I'm like, don't be thinking that you're gonna learn something new about me by reading that book, because I mean, Red Five does have um, no, I don't think so necessarily. Um he's he's definitely read like the descriptions online and like like for the release, he got me pink flowers that resemble the pink flower on the cover of the book and all that fun stuff, but he yeah, he's not a romance reader, and I've made it very clear that I don't really want the people in my life to read my books and talk to me about it because it makes me uncomfortable, to be honest. Fair. Um, especially because I was raised in a very religious conservative environment. So, like my mom reading a spicy dark romance written by me is not exactly something anyone has a bingo card this year.

Jordan 35:05

I get that, I get that. Uh okay, so what do you hope readers understand about the story or the characters that might not be obvious at first?

Lila Herron 35:17

Um, I feel like the male main character is always tokened as like morally gray, but I feel like with Lexi, she could also be considered morally gray, especially closer towards the end. She allows herself to like embrace some of

Morally Gray Choices And Boundaries

Lila Herron 35:38

um maybe her darker thoughts. Um I feel like yeah, you can be the sunshine to a grumpy dynamic, but you know, still have your own fangs. And so I feel like that was fun to write too, is you know, because in a lot of romances, you know, he changes for her, or it's like she just accepts that he's dark. But I feel like if you're already being seduced into like a world of danger and crime, you're a little more likely to be the type of person who is more willing to cross that line, you know, sometimes herself. And so that was fun to add to the dynamic, too.

Jordan 36:21

Which kind of leads me into my next question, which is also uh one of my like favorite parts from the book. And it's when Callum and Lexi are at dinner and something happens with like the waiter. This is me trying to be somewhat spoiler-free, but um, and Callum gets angry, but she tells him that she's not gonna take up less space for anyone, and that his feelings are not her problem in this that like scene specifically. And I love that I love that perspective of this, especially from Lexi's point of view and how because I feel like in most cases it would like I feel like in most cases it's there's usually that moment where something like that happens, and then it's the character's like, Are you jealous? and then it's like yeah, and then it's it's kind of goes in that direction. But I actually like how Lexi handled the situation of like how your feelings are not my problem, and I'm not gonna take up less space, and I'm not gonna stop flirting, even though I don't think she was necessarily flirting, but like Callum saw it that way. But I wanted to ask why you included the scene the way you did, and yeah, yeah, I love that scene.

Lila Herron 37:49

I it's still one of my favorite quotes that I've ever written. Um, I feel like it's so important. Here's the thing I am not the type of person to be told what to do, especially by a man. So for me, it's never been like you know, you need to, you know, a man gets jealous, he lashes out, and then she's like, Oh, sorry. Well, he must he must want me then. It's like, no, if you like me, you treat me with respect and you show me that you like me. If not, none of my business, not my problem, move it along. So for me, it's um part of it is my personal preference is that the characters in a dark romance, one's not bullying the other the entire book, and then they still end up together and happily ever after. It's not like he's gonna be sitting there tearing her down and she's gonna be like, oh, it's because he really cares. It's like, no, if he cares about you, he'll respect your boundaries and you can say whatever you want, and he will, you know, make those changes. And that's how I expect my man to be, you know, if he bother, if he says something that bothers me, then I'm gonna be like, What you want to try that again? You know what I mean? Like, is that what you meant to say to me? No, okay, then let's rephrase and move along. Um, and I just feel like it's important. I feel like a lot of stories with plus size characters, especially in like darker romance, they're like made to seem so small, and they're trying to like shove like make like dim their light or or try to take up less space. And I just feel like no, I'm tired of that narrative, to be honest. I feel like why should I? You know, why should I try to make myself take up less space because other people feel small? And I'm not gonna do that, so check the attitude or get away from me, you know?

Jordan 39:49

Yes, and so it was so good. That scene was so good. It's definitely my favorite scene of the book, I have to say, because I just it's just like it because it's like one of those things where it's like I also like I think maybe because you're right, because it usually since I thought it was gonna go the jealousy route, I think it's because I read so many books that that's the route that those situations normally take, of like, oh, he's jealous, you're like, are you jealous? Like, and then it's like because he likes me, where I love that she's like no, right, but and so I think that and then again it's like another fresh perspective, and yeah, I I just I really liked that scene.

Lila Herron 40:37

Yeah, I appreciate that. I feel like another thing too is that I don't know, like I said, I've I'm so I love like I have my man, but then there's men in general, and I don't want to declassify classify myself as like a man hater, but I definitely have decentered men from my life, so it's like oh, you're attracted to me and you think that means something. No, like unless I choose you, that means nothing. So unless I like you enough to choose you, too bad. Like, oh, you're jealous? Okay, well, go do that over there and stop trying to make it my problem. You know what I mean? And you know, I feel like I feel like and it was interesting because I wrote that in Callum's POV where you can hear himself thinking, oh, I wanna, you know, I don't want to spoil this, but it's kind of like on one hand, I kind of want to steal that light from her because she's trying to share it with other people and I want it myself. But I know I probably shouldn't. But then he tries to anyway, and it's like, no, she's gonna tell you exactly what she thinks about that, and you can't dim her light even if you wanted to, so knock it off, you know?

Jordan 41:50

Like maybe actually, actually, and I I kind of I do like it in the sense too, because I feel like he knows to cut the shit, but then also because then what I also like is the other scene of like I love those like quiet, it's uh I don't know like what you would call it, but and I again like I don't think this is a spoiler because this is just like a random scene, but the scene of the car and the short skirts and how he had leather seats, and she's like, I have to stop wearing like short dresses and skirts because my legs stick to the seat and it hurts. And it's like I think we can all relate. Like, I hate leather seats because they are painful in the car, right? But I love that then he the next scene of her getting in the car, it's suede or whatever I think it's suede. Yeah, yeah. Uh, and so I like that those like quiet moments of like he changes something to make her life easier, but to then also where she doesn't have to change herself. Like, so she likes wearing the short dresses and skirts, and now she can continue that, and so I I like that it almost and that clearly that's like later on in the book. So it's like I like those it's like he's learning.

Lila Herron 43:09

Yeah, I feel like with Callum, he's all about the control. So with her being such a big personality, he feels like his type of control isn't gonna might work with someone that you know he can intimidate in his job environment or like his world, but he's never really encountered someone like Lexi, and she's so big and full of life that he doesn't know how to handle her with care while also trying to feel like he's maintaining that control without accidentally trying to crush her in his hands. And so he has that like the dichotomy of like consideration versus control. So yeah, he's he hears and he sees something and makes you know changes accordingly, but then still like his initial gut reaction is trying to like. React in a way that puts him in control of the situation. And she pushes back. And most of the time, people are intimidated enough to let him be in control and he will take it further. But with her, she requires an apology. So you better say sorry, or I'm not talking to you anymore. You know what I mean? So having him figure out how to like win that war within himself of like giving up a certain amount of control to let her live um with that sunshine instill inside of her and you know live her life as largely as she does without feeling like he's out of control was one of the reasons why also I gave that scene, put those little moments in there and all that stuff.

Jordan 44:49

So I liked it. I liked it. Um okay, so the last question in authoring is are you currently working on any future projects? And if so, can you tell us anything about them?

Lila Herron 45:04

I am. I'm currently working on book two in the Hidden Sin series, which is going

Next Books And Release Plans

Lila Herron 45:10

to be um interconnected standalones. So it'll be the same series as Any Means Necessary, but it's not a sequel to Any Means Necessary. Um and I will tell you that uh Liam is getting his own story. So Okay, okay and the female main character, Stasi, is very briefly mentioned in Any Means Necessary as well. I think she's mentioned like one time at the very end, but um, so yeah, Liam and Stasi are getting their story. And okay, okay. Again, it's gonna be dark romance organized crime vibes. Um, I can't give away too much because it's very early on in the works, and you know. Fair, fair. I might take things back, you know what I mean?

Jordan 45:53

But understandable. I mean, like you don't know like where their story will lead, so it's totally totally understandable. Do you now I don't know if you can share this, but do you plan on self-publishing it or traditionally publishing it?

Lila Herron 46:07

Um, it is going to be traditionally published. Um when I signed with any means necessary, it was a two-book deal, so um my publisher has already signed with me for this book. So yeah, it will be going traditionally published route, my first fully traditionally published book from start to finish. Um and then also I am hoping to indie publish another book towards the end of this year, um, which would be the second book in my other series, the Stained Heart series, which would be the next book after um Red My Lips. So fingers crossed, everything works out timing-wise, and you have like a busy year. Yeah, you have a busy year ahead. You know, I'm a really slow writer, and I mean, I know a year doesn't sound that slow in terms of writing a book, but I have author friends who are they're writing like three books, like they're writing and editing and releasing like three books a year or more. With like holiday novellas, and then they're also writing for their Patreon, and they're also doing this, and I'm like, How are you, Wonder Woman? Like, I how can I I am so in awe of them that I mean it does add a little bit of pressure to me because I'm like everyone's like, when's your next book coming out? I'm like, sorry, I just finished putting this book out, like I'm doing my give me some time, give me some time, but yeah, I'm a I'm a slow, I'm yeah, I'm a slower writer, so no fair.

Jordan 47:45

You gotta you gotta write to like what's best for you. I mean, no one like you want to put out the best story, the best version of a story you can, so it's like you gotta take all the the time because I feel I feel like some people do rush things and then you can kind of tell, and then that's no fun for anybody. So right. You take as much time as you need. Thank you. I needed to hear that. I got you, I got you.

Lila Herron 48:14

Thank you. Yeah, thank you.

Jordan 48:16

Okay, so on to reading questions now. Uh, are there any authors who you looked up to before becoming an author, or even any authors you look up to now?

Lila Herron 48:29

Um, oh yeah, for sure. So growing up, I mean, I loved um Agatha Christie, like I mentioned earlier.

Favorite Authors And Must-Read Books

Lila Herron 48:37

Um, she writes very gripping mysteries, um, usually murder mysteries, and she has such attention to detail of like foreshadowing, and she has so many um like Easter eggs throughout her books because it's like a detective solving a crime, and so you go back and you're like, oh yeah, yeah, that all makes sense, and then it's like an aha moment, and I've always really admired authors who can put those little Easter eggs in and foreshadow without giving it away, and then still at the end being like, oh my gosh, that's amazing! Like that all makes sense now. Um, and then I also love dark romance author um JT Geisinger, she's got some amazing books, she's got a lot of amazing books. Um I love like ruthless creatures and all of that sort of thing, and then um the maid series by Daniel uh by Daniel Laurie. She, you know, that second book, so I think it's like The Sweetest Oblivion, the Maddest Obsession, and then I'm kind of blanking on the wording for the third book.

Jordan 49:54

The Darkest Temptation.

Lila Herron 49:56

Darkest Temptation, yeah. Something, yeah. Um, so the second book in that series, the maddest obsession, is actually um that character, uh Christian Alistair, um, kind of inspired Callum in the way that he's an FBI agent who's all who appears all buttoned up and like completely in control, and behind the scenes he's obsessed with this woman who's like messy and completely opposite him, and then also he's not the you know, his suit kind of hides how dark and twisty he is, and I just loved that, you know. The ending of that book was like the contrast of that, right? So that kind of gave me that spark for Callum a little bit too. Um, in terms of when I was developing him, he that's one of my favorite dark romance books, and so being able to write a character that's loud and vibrant and pretty pink, girly, and then you know, Callum who's who wears black and white and nothing else, and is always in control, and you know, he's don't mess with him, you know, that was a that was something that was sparked by reading that that book. Um I mean, I have a lot of amazing author friends that I look up to, like Kayla Kayla Gross is really amazing. She's the one of those authors that seems to be doing it all all the time, and uh she's got really diverse um books too, with a lot of different body type representation and like mental health rep and all those things. So um, yeah, those are some of the authors that inspire me and I've always looked up to.

Jordan 51:48

So what is your favorite quote that you have ever written in a published book or not published book?

Lila Herron 51:55

I have different levels of favorites, like that quote from Lexi is definitely one of my favorite ones. I'm not going to make my I'm not going to try to take up less space just because other people feel small. How you feel right now has nothing to do with me. Um And then also there's um there's a quote from the male main character in my book, Red My Lips, that says, um, if you don't have a God complex, I'll give you one. Um, because he's so obsessed with her. And so it's like she's saying, You're attracted to me. And he's like, like you wouldn't fucking believe if you don't have a god complex, I'll give you one. And I just love that. I love that too. So, you know, I feel like that kind of encompasses their dynamic and the level of unhinged, like unadultered attraction and like possessiveness that they have for each other and stuff like that. I feel like I just wrote a quote for my current work in progress that I don't know if it'll make it to the final round, but it's like you always have a way of opening your mouth and then talking out of your ass. I just think that's funny too. Wait, that's awesome. You always how do you always find a way of opening your mouth and then talking out of your ass?

Jordan 53:25

I really hope that makes it to the end. I I do too. I just feel like it's so perfect.

Lila Herron 53:30

I don't know, just you know, having those one-liners too. And I love you know, Lexi was so easy for me to write. Like her character just came so easily. So all of the one-liners that she, you know, is always shooting back in their banter is just I I don't know, lightning in a bottle. I don't know if I'll ever be able to recreate that dynamic again. But yeah, even just her being like, you know, you can't actually pierce me with your stare, right? You know what I mean? Like, you know, that's not actually going to like stab me, right? Just if you look hard enough, you know, stuff like that.

Jordan 54:06

Yeah.

Lila Herron 54:07

But anyway. Yeah.

Jordan 54:11

What genre is your go-to genre to read?

Lila Herron 54:16

Definitely dark romance or a small town romance. Like, I love like opposites. So it's like either like a super sweet, like hallmarky, like small town romance with like a baker and like a mechanic from a small town, or like you know what I mean? Like, oh guilty, sugary, sweet, sugar, spice, and everything nice. Oh, I love that. Or filthy, smuddy, unhinged, chop off some hands, you know, because you touched her type vibes. Um, fair, fair.

Jordan 54:55

Like you need to have you have to have that palette cleanser for after you finish a dark romance where he's unhinged, so it's like the perfect combination, right?

Lila Herron 55:08

Exactly. Yeah, definitely.

Jordan 55:10

Okay, so this is also my favorite question. I'd love to ask everyone. What is your favorite book? A book you would recommend to anyone and everyone. And it can't be one of yours, it has to be like your favorite book that you've ever read.

Lila Herron 55:24

I wouldn't, I don't I wouldn't even consider putting my books in there. Um I feel like the maddis obsession just transformed dark romance for me. Um I don't I don't know, there's just that that special sauce in there. If you don't like dark romance, I'm a sucker for the classics. I love Pride and Prejudice. I reread it like once a year. Um I don't want to be one of those authors that's like, you should be reading the classics. Put down your smuddy romance and actually read a real book because fuck it. I write, I write those smuddy romances. So read those smuddy romances. Oh, yeah, definitely read those smuddy romances. But also, like, there's something about like Jane Austen, the yearning in the men that she writes. Like, even watching the movies with like the whole hand thing, uh, it's just so good. Um fair.

Jordan 56:26

Not not gonna lie, don't don't hate me, but I I read Pride and Prejudice and I I didn't like it. I wanted to like it so much. No, I wanted to like it. I really, really did, and I tried, but I could I couldn't. I couldn't.

Lila Herron 56:40

It's okay. I feel like so I grew up religious, and I feel like read having reading the scriptures that I read growing up, like the Bible and everything, and then like reading like old timey speak books. Like, I wouldn't want to do the unabridged, like the unabridged version of like the newly you know how they try to put it in like modern words. I wouldn't want to do that, but it's so hard to stay in if you don't aren't used to reading that type of writing.

Jordan 57:15

Yeah, that that was definitely hard too. That was that was hard. That was yeah, especially you go from like smuddy romances that and then you're like pride and prejudice. It was like, what am I doing?

Lila Herron 57:30

It's definitely like a different pace too. It's funny because I noticed that like when I was watching season two of Bridgerton, I was in the middle of writing, trying to write something, and it was affecting like the dialogue in my books because of like how proper they were speaking, and then I was like, why does this sound so stiff? And it's because my brain was not in that mode for like woody banter, back and forth, like sexual tension. It was like dearest gentle reader, you know what I mean? It wasn't so it's it's definitely different, different modes, different vibes, but yeah, yeah. I also loved like ruthless creatures. I don't know, I just like I have specific books that I go back to, but it's hard for me to pick a favorite that I would recommend for everyone because taste is so subjective too, because I like direct romance, and one you know, when I first published any means necessary, Indie Published, I was all up in my reviews, you know, in a safe way, like I was never going to respond to them because it's for readers and not for authors, but you know, you can't help it as a newly published author. How did you do that though? Because like the re people readers are brutal. I know, and I mean, luckily a lot more of them were positive than they were negative, but I just thought it was like it just hit home more that reading is just like you can be the juiciest peach in the bunch, and someone doesn't like peaches, they like apples, you know what I mean? And it's just like I read one review that was like DNF'd at 70%. This is not nearly as dark as I thought it was gonna be, and then it was like or just finished, you know, wasn't nearly dark enough, and then the other, then my other one-star review was like way too dark, DNF'd after chapter so and so. And I was like, see, it's like you can't win them all. Like, some people are gonna think this is super dark, some people are gonna be like, this is fluffy and light, and like not it for me, you know, which is fine. It's thank you for reading anyway. Thank you for you know picking up my book in the first place. Um, honestly, that's how I feel now. Back then it was like, oh, I can't win with these people, you know, a little bit, but um, but that's what their reviews are for. It's for people who are like, like I feel like if I read a review that's like this book was way untoo unhinged and dark for me, I'm like, oop, add to read list, you know what I mean? Add to my TBR because I like them unhinged and twisty. You know, whereas other person would be like, oh, mark that off my list, you know, that's not my vibe. And so it's true.

Jordan 1:00:33

To each their own. Yeah, no, it's very true. It's very true. Uh okay, so we're on to the personal, which is the last four questions in the interview. Okay, now would you say you're a plotter, pantster, or a mix of both?

Lila Herron 1:00:51

Um, I would say a mix of both, but mostly a pantser. I don't I don't technically have a writing process at this point. Any means necessary was a disaster

Writing Process And Life Off Page

Lila Herron 1:01:06

because it literally started off with this idea. Like, my first idea for the story was the whole idea of like walking to the kitchen. And then as I was thinking, like as inspiration would strike, I'd think of conversations and scenes that I would want to include for the characters, and then I'd just kind of plop them where I thought they would go in the story. Um, I don't write chronologically, it's mostly based off of inspiration and when it strikes. Um, now I try to have an understanding of what the tropes are, what the ending, like what the end goal is, and then the overall general plot, but then yeah, I just move around. It's not chronological. So it's hard for me because I can't send my editor like the first three chapters or like send the first five chapters to my agent because chapter two is not finished yet, but chapters eight through thirteen are, you know what I mean? And so it's just yeah, and then you know, just writing based off of inspiration is tough when you're going through stuff that doesn't allow for a lot of inspiration. So I'm still working on that, but um yeah, I definitely I have a general idea of my story, I my storyline, and then my general plot, and then I kind of work unorganized inside of it, if that makes sense. Okay, okay, and then fill in the gaps later.

Jordan 1:02:38

Fair. I mean, everybody's writing process can be different, and it's whatever works for you.

Lila Herron 1:02:44

It is my process, it is very different. I don't even know if I'd call it a process. Okay, fair, fair.

Jordan 1:02:53

That's how it goes. We're here, we're here, people, we're here. Uh okay. When you're not writing or reading, what do you like to do in your free time?

Lila Herron 1:03:05

I love trashy reality TV. Lexa gets that from me. Um I watch so much reality TV. Me and my best friend are watching 90 Day Fiance before the 90 days. We watch Below Deck, we watch Um Real Housewives, we watch Traders, we watch Um Watch it all. There's a whole bunch of other yeah, we watch it all. Um, I love the drama of like trashy reality TV. Um I have a dog named Honey. She's um a white and apricot, gold um American cocker spaniel. So I'm usually outside a couple times a day walking her, making sure she's getting her exercise, and she's very demanding about when it's time to go out. So she can find me walking around with her. She helps me make a lot of friends. Um hanging out with my boyfriend, which is yeah, just chilling, and then um I love being creative. So um right now I'm designing a magazine on Canva instead of scrapbooking um of like the last year. So I moved to Connecticut and started my full, you know, writing full-time. And so I started in a new apartment, furnishing from scratch, like new state that I've never lived in with no friends or family here, new career. Met my man while I was since I've been here. So I'm coming up on one year in Connecticut, so I'm like making instead of a scrapbook, like a magazine on Canva that kind of looks back at everything over the over my first year in Connecticut. So I love that. I love that.

Jordan 1:04:53

That's so cool. I didn't even know you could do that in Canva.

Lila Herron 1:04:58

Yeah, so it's like you can look up magazine, they have some templates, but I just like to podge podge my own together or whatever, and then you can print it directly through Canva and like have it delivered to you as a magazine. I haven't I haven't printed it yet, but I saw I saw it on TikTok, so it must be true. It has to be true.

Jordan 1:05:20

It has to be. Wait, that's so cool. I mean, I need to look that up. I'm like, I I love Canva. I usually use it for like especially everything podcasting, like edit-wise. Canva makes it like so easy. So now I need to look up this magazine. I mean, I don't know what what I'm gonna do a magazine for, but the option is there.

Lila Herron 1:05:40

You can whatever you want. You can make it of like the outfits you wore, you know, this year, your favorite outfits, your favorite recipes. Like, yeah. I'm the op the opportunities are endless. Exactly. So yeah, and like for Christmas, I learned how to do felt ornaments. And you know, like stuff like that. I just love doing a creative hobby, like a creative craft. Keeps my mind my hands busy, and then my mind can usually wander off to quote ideas and spicy scenes I can write and Okay.

Jordan 1:06:19

I mean, you gotta you gotta keep creative, so then that way the ideas come and you can just like type them out when or write them out when you can.

Lila Herron 1:06:27

Exactly.

Jordan 1:06:28

What is a fun fact about you that your readers and the listeners might be surprised to learn?

Lila Herron 1:06:35

I was born and raised in New York, but I've never been to New York City. Born and raised, I lived in upstate upstate New York, so the Rochester area. So still like six hours away from New York City. But no, I was born and raised, I lived there for I want to say 20 years before I moved out of state. And I've never been to New York City. And uh that's where I based this book.

Jordan 1:07:01

Yeah, I feel like you need to go to New York City.

Lila Herron 1:07:04

I know, and now I live like a two-hour train ride away, so I'm gonna have to make some time to go and explore. It's just finding the time. Um, I will say I got really close. My mom and I, when I was in college, were very close. We had everything planned, we had a place to stay, we had tickets to see a show, like you know, very budget-friendly. And then Superstorm Sandy shut down the entire East Coast the same days that we were supposed to be there, so and then it was time to go back to college, and it just never happened. And then I moved to Phoenix, so and that's where I've lived the last almost decade before I moved back to the East Coast to be in Connecticut. So I will get there. I'm determined to get there.

Jordan 1:07:51

You will, it will I will get there, it will so wow, okay. And the last and final question, sadly, is what is one future goal that you would like to achieve? And it can be in life, it can be in authoring, it can be in writing, it could be in anything.

Lila Herron 1:08:10

This is a tough question because I'm always just surprised once I'm here that I'm like still trying to catch up with where I'm at instead of being like, I want to be, you know, New York Times bestseller. I would like to make a list one day, maybe not New York Times bestselling list, but like maybe like USA Today or Sunday Post. Um, I was really blessed to have my second book be an Amazon bestseller and number one new release during its release week. So maybe I've peaked as an author with my second book, but um I'd love to make a list, even if it's like number 100 or something. I feel like that would be good. We are manifesting this. You will make a list. We're gonna I want to make I want to make a list at some point.

Jordan 1:08:58

It's happening, gosh darn it. It's happening.

Lila Herron 1:09:03

Yes, we will get there. Um, and then you know, people ask me like, do I ever see any means necessary as like a movie or something? And I necess don't necessarily, especially now that like plus size, there's no one plus size in Hollywood at all, basically anymore. Um, even the ones that were aren't anymore. So I don't know. Oh my gosh, yes. Like who I would cast as Lexi and Callum if you know, ideally if it became a show. And I mean, I could give you some names for Callum, but I literally can't even think of anyone, not even influencers anymore, that I would cast as Lexi at this point. Because I wouldn't want to skinny wash her by doing a um a Nicola Coughlin who is actually like a size like eight or something, but she's cons she's got a round face, so she's considered like the plus size character in Bridgerton, you know. So it's like I would want to make sure that Lexi stays true to like her size and you know everything like that. But maybe one day, who knows? Maybe you just play Lexi. Okay, I don't know about that one. That's not really good for the screen, but maybe fair.

Jordan 1:10:26

Fair. I could not act at all.

Lila Herron 1:10:30

So like I'd be that I'd be like, I wouldn't be able to take myself seriously, especially hearing my own words, like sitting there reading a script that I wrote myself. I'd be like, Who wrote this? Oh wait, you know what I mean?

Jordan 1:10:43

Like oops, I did. Yeah, exactly. Okay, fair, fair. Um, so that is all the questions I have. Thank you so much for letting me interview you. I do want to give you the floor so you can say where people can find you, where they can find your books, and all that jazz.

Lila Herron 1:11:04

Um, yeah, perfect. So I just want to come out and say, like, please read my content warnings before you read any of my books. I want to make sure my books are not harmful to any type of communities. Um, I want them to be I don't want them to be harmful to anyone. So please make sure. It's so easy to get caught up in like

Where To Find Lila And Her Books

Lila Herron 1:11:25

a spicy quote that you see on social media and just dive right in, but please read the content warnings. Um, my book, Any Means Necessary, is now available at Barnes and Noble. It'll be available at Walmart and Target and basically anywhere you can buy your books, Amazon, um, Kindle. It is available in North America only currently, which is um hopefully going to change in the future. Um and yeah, and then my my other book, Red My Lips, is available specifically only through Amazon. Amazon, like paperbacks through Amazon, and then Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Um, but that's on every marketplace where Amazon is. Um, and Audible. And there is also an audiobook available of any means necessary, and then you can find me, Lila, um on TikTok, threads, Instagram, technically Facebook, but I forget that it exists, um, to be honest, um, at author Lila Heron. And yeah.

Jordan 1:12:31

So come find me, let's be friends. Be friends, be friends. Um, do you have a newsletter that anybody can like subscribe to? Or um technically, yes.

Lila Herron 1:12:46

But I really only ever push stuff out when I have something important to announce. But yeah, you can like this episode. Yeah, you can sign up through any of the links in any of my bios just to sign up for my newsletter. Um, and like I said, I'm not very intrusive, so I'm not one of those people who are like, every week you'll get an email from me. It might be a month, it might be a couple months. Once I have something to tell you, I'll let you know. I need to get on top of things, but yeah, as it stands right now, you should come join me, and it's fair, fair.

Jordan 1:13:22

Um, alrighty. Well, thank you so much for letting me interview you. I had the best time literally asking you all the questions. Thank you for having me.

Lila Herron 1:13:32

You've been so amazing, and you know, it's I love your podcast, so it's great to be able to be on it. I'm excited.

Jordan 1:13:40

Thank you. I'm I literally can't wait for this episode to air now. I'm so excited. Me too.