Behind the bakery: How real life inspired Love & Honeybuns

Next week, Love & Honeybuns officially goes out on submission—which means my latest romcom baby is about to leave the nest and fly into the inboxes of editors everywhere. I’m equal parts thrilled, terrified, and completely certain I’m still dreaming.

Before Ivy and Joey head off to (hopefully) charm the publishing world, I wanted to pull back the curtain and reveal what’s behind the bakery doors—into the hilarious, unexpected, and very real moments that inspired some of my favorite scenes.

Because here’s the truth: a lot of what happens in my books… actually happened.

The popcorn debacle that defied math

In Love & Honeybuns, Joey tries to order something simple at the movies—a large popcorn and a large soda—only for the cashier to ask, “You mean Combo Deal #3?”

He says sure.

She rings it up.

And it costs him twenty-seven cents more for “the deal”.

Cue Joey’s confusion and the kind of silence that happens when the math simply refuses to math.

That scene? 100% real.

It happened to me and my husband at our local theater. He ordered popcorn and a Coke. The employee looked scandalized, like he’d just broken Snack Law, and said, “You mean Combo #3?”

My husband said yes.

Buttons were pressed.

The price went up.

We stood there, utterly baffled, wondering how saying “Combo #3” changed the total or our understanding of reality. The end product was identical.

When I sat down to write Love & Honeybuns, that ridiculous moment slid right onto the page—because honestly, the best romcom scenes are born from the absurd little corners of real life.

The swinger situation we never saw coming

Then there’s the scene that still makes me laugh out loud: the one where enthusiastic realtors Tad and Suzanne invite Joey and Ivy to, um… “explore new horizons together.”

They insist they can “always recognize their kind of people.” Ivy nearly chokes on her drink. Joey goes speechless for the first time in 200 pages.

It’s awkward, funny, and just the right amount of oh-my-God-is-this-really-happening?

Because it did.

A few summers ago, my husband and I went to an outdoor concert—one of those perfect Midwestern nights where the sky’s pink, the drinks are cold, and everyone suddenly feels like your best friend. We met another couple. They were fun, friendly, and totally normal. We chatted, laughed, danced, and had the best time.

Until the next day.

When they found us online.

And messaged us.

With… a proposal.

Of the non-business variety.

Listen. I write romance. I believe in chemistry, connection, and open-mindedness—but even I had to close Instagram, blink a few times, and say, “Oh. Wow. So, this just happened.” We politely declined. Then I immediately opened my Notes app and typed: future book scene.

And just like that, Tad and Suzanne were born.

Turning real life into fictional gold

Here’s the thing about writing romantic comedies: you don’t have to invent all the chaos. The world is already doing the heavy lifting. You just have to pay attention.

The tiny, ridiculous moments (like paying extra for a deal) reveal who we are when life doesn’t make sense. The unexpected ones (like an uninvited concert “proposal”) remind us how weird and wonderful human connection can be.

And when you mix it all together with a little heart, humor, and frosting—you get Love & Honeybuns.

Coming soon (hopefully to a shelf near you)

Next week, Love & Honeybuns goes out on submission—the thrilling, nerve-wracking stage where my agent sends it off to editors to (fingers crossed) find its forever home.

It’s a story about chasing dreams, falling in love, and laughing at the moments that don’t go as planned—because trust me, I’ve lived every one of them.

Here’s to the bakery-born chaos, the real-life cringe, and the twenty-seven-cent “deals” that make love stories (and life) worth savoring.