May Musings: Romance, Rituals & a Cat Named Molly


Every month has its own kind of romance, but May? May feels like it’s been ghostwritten by a poet with a sunbeam addiction. The breeze smells like possibilities (and sunscreen), I keep craving honeycomb ice cream like it’s a coping mechanism, and Molly—the cat-shaped chaos agent in my life—is shedding like she’s auditioning for a summer fur coat commercial.

Here’s a peek into my not-so-structured life this May—equal parts writerly whimsy, seaside therapy, and feline mischief.


Morning Mood: Sea Breezes & Side-Eye


Woke up this morning to the soft thud of a plant being shoved off a windowsill. Molly’s way of saying, “Rise, human. There are sunbeams to chase.”

Coffee brewed, windows opened, and the scent of sea air rushed in like it had urgent news. I did half-hearted Pilates while mentally drafting a steamy scene. My multitasking was impressive. My balance? Less so.

Skincare was minimal but smug: SPF, tinted balm, and brows fluffed to main-character standards. I looked like someone who might stop and kiss a stranger in a rom-com montage.


Writing Life: Deadlines, Daydreams & Dialogue That Behaves


I’m deep into edits for a book that’s all slow burn and second chances. Ocracoke Island has become my fictional playground, and my characters finally started talking to each other again—in full sentences, no less. I wrote this line today:

“He didn’t say he missed her, but his silence did.”

Immediately followed by a solid five minutes of emotional recovery and three chocolate biscuits.

Word count: respectable.

Sanity: debatable.

Molly: sprawled across the keyboard mid-scene, adding a rogue “;;;;;;;;;;;;;” to chapter four. A dramatic flair I didn’t ask for.


May Days = Main Character Energy


Went for a walk when my brain started braining too hard. The tide was halfway out, and the light was that perfect shade of golden hour where even seagulls look ethereal—though one was aggressively mugging a toddler for their chips, which felt deeply metaphorical. Possibly for deadlines. Possibly for me.

Walks are when I untangle plot messes and make dramatic glances toward the horizon like I’m in a BBC period drama. A couple walked past holding hands, and I had the audacity to be jealous of my own fictional lovers.


Molly’s May Memoirs (as transcribed by her humble assistant)


  • Mood: Serene menace.
  • Achievements: Plant homicide, keyboard disruption, silent judgment.
  • Quote of the Month (if she could talk): “The only deadline that matters is dinner.”

Molly is currently curled in a sunbeam like the coastal queen she is, purring like she pays the rent. I envy her commitment to living romantically—without writing a single word.


Romantic Rituals & Soft Obsessions


This month’s self-care moments have been tiny but mighty:

  • Crocheted another silk scrunchie in pastel peach. Wore it. Felt like a woman with her life together (briefly).
  • Lit a lavender candle while editing a kiss scene. The vibes were immaculate.
  • Rediscovered the joy of taking a book to the beach and getting sand absolutely everywhere. Worth it...not on your life...

Currently:

  • Reading: Don’t Tell by Karen Rose (intense and excellent)
  • Listening to: Michael Bublé – Higher
  • Watching: Reacher (for “plot” reasons)
  • Craving: Ice cream. Always ice cream.
  • Thinking About: How sometimes the quietest moments in a love story are the ones that land the hardest.

Final Thoughts


May has been soft and slightly chaotic. The writing is flowing (ish), the sun is out (mostly), and I’m starting to believe again in the magic of ordinary days.

Romance isn’t just a genre—it’s a way of noticing things: light on the water, a good line of dialogue, the weight of a cat in your lap when you're trying to work. It’s in the rituals, the sea air, the scrunchies, and the snacks.

Until next month—

Write with love. Live with softness. And never trust a quiet cat.


With sandy toes and a full heart,

Dilys x

 A Day in the Life of a Romance Writer And A Cat Called Molly…

 

 

Every day is a little different when your job is to write kissing scenes and try not to be emotionally manipulated by a cat named Molly. But April has been a soft, dreamy kind of month. The sea breeze is warmer, my SPF is working overtime, and my brain is a beautiful mess of characters falling in love—and forgetting to do the dishes.

Here’s a little peek into one of those days.

 Morning Moments

Woke up at 6:47 am, not because I’m one of those highly-disciplined “morning pages before sunrise” people, but because Molly decided my face was the ideal place to sit. She was not wrong.

Made a coffee, opened the windows, and let the ocean breeze do its thing. It smelled like salt and sunshine. I did a few gentle stretches and half-hearted Pilates while listening to a romance audiobook. (Multitasking queen.)

Skincare was simple today: mist, vitamin C, and SPF 50. My makeup consisted of tinted moisturizer, fluffy brows, and lip balm with a tiny bit of pink because I like feeling like the main character.

 Writing Life

I’m knee-deep in edits for a new book—think slow burn, Ocracoke Island, and the softest kind of second chances. The characters have finally started cooperating after ignoring me all week, which is nice of them.

Wrote a line I kind of love:

“He kissed her like he wasn’t sure if it was the last time or the first.”

Word count: decent. Snacks consumed: many. Molly sat on my keyboard twice and added several rows of “zzzzzzzzzzzz” to chapter eleven. A creative contribution.

 

 

Life by the Beach

Took a walk around 4pm when my brain stopped braining. The tide was out, and the light was golden. I passed a couple holding hands and got instantly jealous of my own fictional characters. Typical.

Walks are my secret weapon for untangling plot knots and daydreaming new scenes. Also, I saw a seagull aggressively stealing someone’s chips, which felt like a metaphor for something. Probably writing-related. Probably not.

Molly’s Musings

Molly’s mood today: regal and vaguely judgmental. She knocked a plant over for reasons unknown and then stared at me like I was the disappointment.

She has no respect for deadlines, but she’s excellent company. Currently asleep in a sunbeam like the little coastal queen she is.

Self-Care Check-In

I did a full skincare wind-down tonight—double cleanse, niacinamide, tretinoin, hyaluronic acid, and night cream that smells like orange blossoms. Lit a candle. Wore a silk scrunchie that I crocheted with a new skein of silk/cotton yarn and felt like I had my life together (for approximately 27 minutes).

Pilates this morning helped ground me, but honestly, it’s the little rituals that are keeping me feeling human. Beauty is a love language, too.

Currently Obsessed With...

Reading: Karen Rose Don't Tell

Listening to: Michael Buble-Higher

Watching: Reacher

Craving: Honeycomb ice cream- I always crave ice cream of any kind.

Thinking about : How it’s always the quietest scenes in books that hit the hardest.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Today was messy and lovely in equal measure. I wrote words, walked in the wind, stared at my cat too long as she stared right back at me with those beautiful green eyes, and remembered why I love what I do.

Romance isn’t just something I write—it’s how I live. In the details. The rituals. The soft days like this.

Until next month,

Dilys x