Track Four Is Not About You
by L.M. Bennett
Released: Apr 04, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Why this book and why now?
This book wasn’t supposed to exist at all. I had my 2026 planned out already. But then, in the middle of a scene, there’s a throwaway name–Bishop–that made me sit up. When I figured out who Bishop was, and that Shiloh was already there in Cam’s book (a cameo) I did a bit of backwards engineering. Next thing I knew, we were off to the races!
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
It took me a while to come up with the concept from this book. I always knew I wanted the two leads to be studs because I enjoyed exploring that dynamic last time and wanted to revisit it, but in a different way, and with an established couple. I cycled through a couple of different story premises that were just ‘mid’ until this one hit me right between the eyes.
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
A little nerve-wracking. When I started talking about it to others, I noted the excitement, but when I posted the cover and the commissioned artwork, the overwhelming reaction to those took me by surprise and made me a little nervous. I’ll be honest, I am still a little nervous. But, I am also excited.
What’s one fun fact about your book that most people wouldn’t know?
Cam’s love interest is mentioned in this book, but never seen.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
The funny thing is that the two characters in this book who like each other the least, Cam and Bishop, they’re secretly two geeks who would actually binge watch an Anime together. They’d probably annoy Shiloh in the group chat so much she’d have to mute it or leave.
What 3 things would your main character want with them if they got stranded away from civilization, and why?
Shiloh and Bishop would demand an unlimited supply of notebooks, pens and a way to record music/make beats. And they would insist on being stranded away only in a location where the coffee is God-tier or ELSE.
Were there any scenes or characters that surprised you as you wrote?
The scene where Bishop and Shiloh kiss for the first time. It started out as a concept, a wink almost, but as I leaned into everything a bit more: the emotion, the visuals, the overtly religious symbolism, the dialogue, that scene really came alive to me. I wasn’t even done writing it when I commissioned artwork of it. I think out of every scene I’ve ever written, that one easily became my favorite.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
I always enjoy a character who spouts the funniest, most unhinged observations, even if they keep those things to themselves. So for that, Bishop was the most fun to write. And Cam was the hardest because I had to thread a needle with her. She’s a friend to Shiloh and menace to Bishop, so I had to work hard to keep her from stealing the spotlight or becoming a villainous type of character. One of my beta readers called Cam messy. I’ll take that.
Did any of your characters surprise you by developing in unexpected ways?
There’s a sentence in chapter 3 that surprised me about them. They see each other across a room and their bodies immediately start speaking for them (Shiloh’s legs spread as she tries to take up more space as Bishop struts into the room), and that moment sent me right back to the drawing board, eager to flesh that out a bit more.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
Definitely something citrusy and bright, like Bishop is drinking when she and Cam were bickering at a party over an exasperated Shiloh.
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Lavender. (I tried to spell this on my own. It’s one of my favorite colors, but I have about a 50/50 shot of spelling it right on the first try.)
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I figure out the beginning and the end, and the midpoint, but loosely. I give myself time to get there, and figure out what beats fall in between those. Then, in future passes, I go back and sharpen, revise beats, add missing beats, then layer in micro-beats. Chapter 4 of this book, for instance, I re-wrote to further flesh out who Shiloh was to Bishop back then at Harmony Heights and the more hardened version she is now. We had to see that through Bishop’s eyes.
What are you currently reading?
Jaé D. Evans – Chef’s Kiss
