I had so much fun writing this love letter to elder Millennials.

Cross-posted from Substack.

Listen. I cannot spell “Millennial” with any consistency. There are entirely too many Ls and Ns, and I kind of feel like half of them are unnecessary? I did a quick search for this post to double check the spelling, and I *think* I caught them all in Common Grounds, but it’s a word that haunts me. A lot. As a Millennial, you’d think I’d know how to spell it (but, as an English teacher, you’d also think I’d know how to spell “plagiarism.” I struggle with that one, too).

Alas, it is a sticky word for me.

I’m not really sure why I felt you all needed to know that. But thank you for joining me in my Millennial misery. Don’t go anywhere, though! There’s more to this Millennial love-fest today, because we’re talking about writing (and reading) older characters.

But first…

The f****** cicadas have only gotten worse. And, listen, I fully realize how fortunate I am because they are not completely covering sidewalks and sides of buildings here. (If they were, I’d lose my mind.) But they are so loud, and now they are starting to fly out from the trees in my back yard. I cannot deal. I am basically a recluse now. I’ve moved my runs to the treadmill. I can still kind of sit outside in the yard, but only in the mornings before they really get going. Once it heats up out there, those f****** start dive-bombing things and people and the grass, and I just… cannot.

So, my early-summer coffee has not only been inside, but it has been wildly uncreative. Sometimes, I’ve just been drinking it *gasp* hot and *double gasp* black. (In my defense, I do it to use my Baker’s Blend mug for the good release-week vibes.)

I know. I need to be able to get outside and have some motivation to dress up my coffee again.

Luckily, Trevor knows a thing or two about great coffee. Even if I’m not making it right now, I made a man who makes it, and I feel like that’s kind of the same thing.

Trevor, like me, is also a Millennial. He’s on the older end of the Millennial spectrum, but he is one nonetheless. Also like me… he’s 40 years old (in 15 days, which kind of hurts to say, not going to lie). Emery is 37, and so is Vi. Cass clocks in at 34, Ethan is in his mid-thirties, and Mike is the same age as his buddy, Trevor. I did sneak in a dopey teenager and a Boomer diner owner just for some variety, but for the most part, this book is a not-so-subtle love letter to Millennials.

And it has been my favorite book to write so far.

It was so fun to write these older characters. Their eyes crinkle at the corners, and they have laugh lines bracketing their mouths. Emery’s neck hurts when she bends over her laptop to write for too long. Mike probably has some gray hairs he covers up with dye he doesn’t tell anyone about.

They have pasts. Sure, Emery doesn’t talk about hers a whole lot, but that’s because she’d rather not dwell on it. She’s 37 and has dwelled on it enough. But she’s childfree by choice, divorced, has been laid off, and has dealt with rejection by her parents for these things. Trevor has a strong connection with the men of his family, which has grown with time.

But they’re still hot as hell. Maybe even more so because they’re older. There’s a confidence about them that’s sexier than just a six-pack and some good hair. When Trevor sees something (or someone) he wants, he goes for it. He’s not afraid of a little hard work to get what he wants, either. And that’s true when it comes to the shop and the woman. Emery isn’t going to hide her body or slouch to cover up the fact that she’s tall. She’s also completely unashamed of her other life choices. She’s lived enough of her life to have come to a sense of security in the choices she’s made, even if she still doesn’t like to talk about them too much.

On top of it all, their friendships felt deep and real to me as I was writing them. People like to talk a lot about the friends you make in your childhood, but it’s the friends who stick with you into your 40s and beyond who really mean the most. They’ve seen you through some shit, and they’re still by your side. That, to me, is the best kind of friendship. I loved writing this friend group for that reason.

It’s nice to see myself reflected in characters in books, and I don’t see a ton of romances where both parties are elder Millennials (ew at that term). They definitely exist! But I don’t see a lot of them. So, I wrote one.

So far, the older characters have resonated with so many readers, and I love that. I wanted this book to be relatable to a wide audience, for sure. These characters are still goofballs. (They’re not *super* mature, but honestly, neither am I? I know plenty of 40-year-olds who still act like they did in their 20s, just slightly more tired.) But I did sneak some little things in there that will hopefully ring true for my Millennial readers.

Like I said, this book was the most fun to write so far. Maybe I’ll never stop writing characters who are my age. Because we can all find love at any age, with any backstory, and in any circumstance. I firmly believe that.

And, with that, I’m off to watch two of my 40-year-old friends get married this weekend. How cool is that?

COMMON GROUNDS COMES OUT IN LESS THAN A WEEK. I cannot even wait for this, y’all. June 4 is such a big pub day, and it’s really exciting to be a part of that. Look for some announcements and giveaways on June 4, too! It’s going to be a really fun day. I’m out of school! I’m going ALL OUT. It’s going to be great.

If you haven’t grabbed a signed copy yet, I have a few left that will ship out right away. I have some oopsies left, too! Grab them at my online store. More of a Kindle reader? Pre-order and have it delivered to you on June 4!

We need to pause the Common Grounds love fest for just a minute to talk about The Write Place special edition hardcover, because she’s here, and she is GORGEOUS. Lorissa really outdid herself on this cover. I literally cannot stop staring at it.

There are a couple of ways you can get your hands on this bad boy, and trust me, you want to. I didn’t just slap a new cover on the old story! There’s updated formatting, chapter and character art, and a spicy bonus epilogue from Daniel’s point of view that is exclusive to this edition.

Yeah, I told you you’d want one. So here’s how you get one:

• They’re available on Amazon! You can just… buy one. Easy.
• I’m running a pre-order period for signed copies on my website through June 21. After the pre-orders close, I’ll order books, sign them, and send them out. These will NOT be available signed after the pre-order period closes, so if you want it signed by me, get your pre-orders in now.
• Going to Romance Con? Pre-order your special edition from me and I’ll have it waiting at the table for you (with exclusive swag!) Pre-orders for Romance Con close August 1.

Okay, y’all. Next time I see you, I’ll be a FOUR BOOK AUTHOR. Four books before 40… and I started at 38. That’s just damn incredible, if I do say so myself. I’m really proud of myself! But if I start thinking about that too hard, I’ll cry.

So… until next time, happy reading!