Lula Ward's Blog

I’m so excited to share that Painted Visions releases on October 6! This cozy-fantasy installment returns to Moonlight Springs—where art, memory, and a dash of small-town magic tangle with second chances and found family.

Quincy Hawthorne, a quiet artist who runs the Crystal River Gallery, wakes to an irresistible pull to paint. By morning, her canvas holds the boardwalk at dawn—and a Victorian woman Quincy is certain she never painted. When the image refuses to behave like ordinary art, and a too-slick developer takes a suspicious interest, Quincy is nudged toward the Moonlight Inn and the circle of women who understand the town’s secrets. Enter Steven Zimmerman, an art restorer with a patient eye and a scholar’s heart, whose gift for uncovering what’s hidden pairs beautifully with Quincy’s emerging visions. Together, they’ll follow the clues that ripple through Quincy’s paintings—toward the truth, the Emerald Stone of Vision, and a choice that could protect (or imperil) Moonlight Springs.

Small-town coziness with a hint of mystery

Found family & women supporting women

A hint of romance

Whispers of time-slip magic through art

Big-bad developer threatening a beloved waterfront

P.S. If you’re new here, welcome! You can start with Starlight Antiques and binge the series. Long-time readers: watch for nods to earlier stones and a few familiar faces on the boardwalk.

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One More Sprinkle of Magic… Book Two Is Almost Here!

I can hardly wait to share this next chapter with you.

Sweet Memories Bakery, the second book in the Moonlight Springs series, releases this Friday—July 18—and I’m so excited to take you back to our little Ozark town where the magic is gentle, the pastries are warm, and the memories… well, they might just be more powerful than anyone realized.

This time, we follow Ivy Meyer as she returns to her grandmother’s beloved bakery, ready to start over. What she doesn’t expect? Cookies that bring back lost memories. Lemon tarts with a mind of their own. And a certain contractor next door who’s making her heart flutter more than her buttercream frosting.

If you loved Starlight Antiques, this story brings you deeper into the heart of Moonlight Springs, where friendships grow, secrets stir beneath the surface, and magic shows up in the most unexpected places.

I wrote this book for anyone who’s ever wished for a do-over, who’s felt the comfort of a recipe passed down through generations, or who’s wondered if the past is really as far away as it seems.

Thank you for being on this journey with me. Watching readers fall in love with Moonlight Springs has been such a joy, and I can’t wait to see what you think of Ivy, her mischievous oven, and the memory-infused magic that stirs things up.

Get ready. The bakery opens its doors this Friday. Bring your appetite—and maybe a few tissues.

With warmth and a pinch of sugar,
~ Lula

Sweet Memories Bakery

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Sometimes, the magic isn’t in spells.

It’s in the way the town librarian remembers your favorite author.
The way someone leaves you a note tucked into a flowerpot.
Or how the local café always seems to play just the right song when your heart needs it most.

In the world of my books, magic doesn’t shout.
It lingers. Softly.
Like something you almost dreamed.

Maybe the clock ticks backward when no one’s looking.
Maybe the pie shop knows your heart before your name.
Maybe… second chances are real here.

If you’ve ever wanted to disappear into a town where hope is its own kind of spell—
I think you’ll feel at home in my stories.

Stay a while. I’ve been saving you a seat.

~ Lula

PS Have you read Starlight Antiques yet?

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Cozy fantasy is where magic brews quietly on the back burner and adventure wears a hand-knitted cardigan.

It’s a warm cup of tea in a quiet cottage where something just a little enchanted lingers in the air. It’s stories where the stakes are personal, the pace is gentle, and the real magic is often found in friendship, healing, or simply belonging.

You won’t find epic battles here—but you might find a bookshop run by a retired witch, a forgotten key that unlocks an old family secret, or a village where everyone brings soup to a widower with a cold.

Cozy fantasy believes that wonder doesn’t need to roar—it can hum softly, like a lullaby or a memory. These are tales of soft magic, kind hearts, found families, and the courage it takes to open your heart again.

My books are also sometimes called paranormal women’s fictions. Women’s fiction with a touch of magic and romance.

So if you’re looking for comfort with a little sparkle, a story to curl up with on a rainy day, or a gentle escape where the world still feels full of possibility…
You’re in the right place.

~ Lula

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It’s almost here!

Starlight Antiques, the very first book in the Moonlight Springs series, releases this Friday—and I can hardly believe it’s finally happening.

This story has lived in my heart for a long time. It started with a quiet little antique shop nestled on a boardwalk in a charming Ozark town I visited. The story would NOT let go. And so it began. Moonlight Springs.

Moonlight Springs is a place I dreamed up as an escape—for me, and hopefully for you, too. It’s full of warm friendships, cozy shops, a hint of mystery, and just enough everyday magic to make you wonder what might happen if you really listened to the whispers in the wind.

Starlight Antiques is Maura’s story. It’s about finding your way after life has taken an unexpected turn. About opening yourself up to new connections, even when it feels easier to stay closed off. About strange antiques that whisper secrets, mysterious stones, and the way magic lives in everyday moments.

I can’t wait for you to step through the door to Starlight Antiques.

Thank you for being here at the beginning of this journey. Whether you’re a longtime reader or brand new to my cozy corner of the literary world, I’m so glad we’ve found each other. I hope this book brings you warmth, wonder, and maybe even a touch of starlight.

See you Friday,

—Lula

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Sometimes the most powerful stories start with a cup of tea.

When I started writing cozy fantasy, I wasn’t dreaming of dragons or epic quests. I was thinking about a quiet bookshop with a red door. A bakery where someone remembers how you like your coffee. A town that isn’t perfect—but one where people still show up for each other.

That’s what I love most about the stories I write: the quiet magic of small moments. A shared look. An old recipe. A letter you didn’t expect. That’s the kind of magic that lingers. The kind I want to fill my books with.

If you’ve ever found comfort in something simple—a dog-eared novel, a walk at dusk, or a fresh-baked cookie—then you’ve already experienced the kind of enchantment Moonlight Springs is made of.

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Why I Write Cozy Fantasy (and Why I Think We All Need a Little Magic)

I’ve always believed stories find us when we need them most.

For me, cozy fantasy arrived during a season when the world felt heavy, and I craved something lighter—not fluff, exactly, but something warm and real, with space to breathe. A place where the stakes were personal, not world-ending. Where characters didn’t need swords to be brave. Where small kindnesses mattered, and magic lived in antique brooches, forgotten recipes, and the way moonlight glints off a river at midnight.

That’s why I started writing Moonlight Springs.

I wanted to build a world that felt like a deep exhale. A place where you could walk into a bookshop and be handed the exact story your heart needed. Where a cookie might bring back your favorite memory. Where friendship, community, and unexpected second chances still mattered.

Cozy fantasy doesn’t ignore life’s struggles—but it meets them gently. It reminds us that healing can be slow, and that it’s okay to be both strong and tender. It gives us characters who feel like friends, and towns we wish we could move to. And sometimes, it slips in just enough magic to remind us that wonder still exists.

I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder sometimes.

So that’s why I write what I do. And if you’re here, maybe you’re someone who needs that kind of story too.

Thanks for walking the cobblestone streets of Moonlight Springs with me. The town is just beginning to reveal its secrets… and I can’t wait to share more.

Until next time—

Lula
Wishing you a warm cup of tea and a little starlight tonight

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Welcome to Moonlight Springs (and to My Blog!)

Hello, friend—and welcome!

I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. This blog is a cozy corner of the internet where stories, magic, and second chances come together.

If we haven’t met yet, I write cozy fantasy filled with heart, hope, and just a touch of magic. Think quiet mountain towns with secrets tucked between the cobblestones, antique shops that hum with memory, bakeries where a single cookie can bring back a forgotten moment, and bookshops where the pages might just whisper your name. That’s the world of Moonlight Springs, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

This blog will be a place for:

Behind-the-scenes glimpses into the stories and characters

Lore and little-known town secrets from Moonlight Springs

Cozy recipes, seasonal inspiration, and magical everyday moments

Updates on book releases and what’s coming next

And maybe the occasional surprise or giveaway, just for fun

Whether you’re already a fan of Starlight Antiques, or Sweet Memories Bakery—or you’re just dipping your toe into the waters of this quirky Ozark town—I hope this becomes a space you look forward to visiting.

Thanks for being here at the very beginning. There’s so much magic ahead.

With warmest wishes and a sprinkle of stardust,
Lula Ward
Author of cozy fantasy & guardian of small magical moments

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