Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .
What drew you to the genre you write?
I love mysteries because they let you ask big questions in a very readable way. Who gets to belong? What do people hide? What happens when a community is forced to tell the truth? Cozy mysteries especially appeal to me because they are built around restoration. Something has gone wrong, but by the end there is some measure of justice, clarity, and community again.
How did you come up with your pseudonym?
I wanted a name that felt warm, readable, and a little literary without sounding fussy. Lila Blake felt right for the kind of books I wanted to write: mysteries with atmosphere, place, food, friendship, and heart.
Tell us how you got into writing?
I’ve always journaled and written short stories. This year, I started going to a local coffee shop before work and met a group of retired people from the neighborhood who gather there almost every morning. We chat about local events and all kinds of different subjects. Hearing about their past lives, the places they’d lived, and the changes they’d seen really got me thinking about stories, quirks, memory, and how places shift over time.
THE FILBERT STEPS grew out of my love for North Beach in San Francisco, and from thinking about what happens when a beautiful, beloved neighborhood becomes valuable to people who do not necessarily love it.
What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I’m currently a program manager in tech, but I’ve always been most interested in people. In another life, I might have been a social anthropologist. I like to watch how people communicate, what they avoid saying, and how complicated systems work. My strongest skill in my current job is being good with people and building relationships. I’m good at chit-chatting, which turns out to be very useful for writing mysteries. I’ve also done volunteer work in my community and belong to a couple of civic organizations.
How many books do you have published?
THE FILBERT STEPS is the first book in The Telegraph Hill Mysteries. The second book, THE YEAR OF THE GOAT, is already in progress, and the series will continue through several San Francisco neighborhoods.
Where do you write?
I write at home in San Francisco, often with coffee nearby and the fog outside doing its best to set the mood. I also take a lot of walks, which is where many of the best ideas arrive.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Mystery is my first love, especially mysteries with a strong sense of place. I also love literary fiction, historical fiction, books about complicated communities, and comedians’ memoirs.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I love talking to strangers. I’m always curious about people’s lives, where they came from, what they notice, and what they remember. A five-minute conversation in a coffee shop can stay with me for weeks.
Who is an author you admire?
Louise Penny is a huge influence because she writes mysteries with heart, moral complexity, and a deep sense of community. I also admire Donna Leon for the way she uses Venice as more than a backdrop. Her setting feels alive, political, beautiful, and wounded all at once.
Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
Finish the book. Then make it better. Try not to lose your mind before publishing. If you lose objectivity, put it down for a few weeks and come back fresh. It is very easy to stay in the dreaming, researching, planning, or perfecting stage, but the real learning happens when you complete a full draft and begin revising it into the book you meant to write. Also, it will never be perfect. At some point, you have to let it go.
What is next for you?
Next is THE YEAR OF THE GOAT, the second Telegraph Hill Mystery. It brings Vivian into a new case involving food, family legacy, San Francisco history, and the Chinese New Year parade. After the Telegraph Hill books, I plan to expand the series world into other San Francisco neighborhoods through the Fog & Quill Society.
The first book, THE FILBERT STEPS, will be released August 31, 2026.
Where can we find you?
On my website at lilablake.com and on Goodreads.
Now to have some fun . . .
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast always!
Fruits or vegetables
Avocados, kind of a vegetable-like fruit.
Sweet or salty snacks
Salty snacks. I have to keep chips out of reach.
Ice cream, cake, or pie
A crisp, a pie-like dessert that is gluten free.
Cooking or baking
Braising. I love cooking things slowly in the oven. Think beef Bourguignon, short ribs, carnitas.
Dining in or dining out
Dining in. Restaurants have gotten expensive in San Francisco!
City life or country living
City life. I don’t have a car, and I like being able to walk to places.
Beach or mountain
Mountains. I love the California redwoods. I just did a hike through Muir Woods in Marin a couple of weeks ago, but it was near the beach.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Fall, because that’s when San Francisco weather is actually the warmest. Our summer can be foggy and overcast.
Extrovert or introvert
Extrovert! I love meeting and talking to people. I get energized when I’m learning something new about someone.
And even more fun . . .
What is your favorite movie?
Vertigo. I love a San Francisco setting, a mystery, and an atmosphere that feels almost haunted.
You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Coffee, a notebook, and a very large stack of mysteries.
My bio:
Lila Blake writes San Francisco neighborhood mysteries about foggy stairways, old houses, found family, and the secrets people keep when a place begins to change. Her Telegraph Hill Mysteries begin with THE FILBERT STEPS, a literary cozy mystery featuring Vivian Salvatore, a fifty-two-year-old former teacher rebuilding her life after divorce. Lila is published by Sutro House Press, an independent fiction imprint based in San Francisco.