I’m a little late posting this, but I just released my new novel, Loved, on September 30th. Frankly, this past week has kicked my booty. It’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since Loved hit the shelves and I’m exausted as heck. Twelve hour days for new student orientation in the program where I teach was needless to say, very tiring.
What you may not know is that this novel was not only inspired at a very real resort, but also by Taylor Swift’s new album, Lover – and so was the cover! More on that later.
(But in the meantime, you can totally check out the playlist for Loved here!)
So, I thought I’d pop in and tell you exactly how Matt and Ellie’s second chance romance came to be, on top of all that other stuff. First of all, check out this view from a very real location, Menucha Retreat and Conference Center, in Corbett, Oregon:
This gorgeous sunset view of the Columbia River absolutely inspired the second chapter, which I wrote first, where Matt and Ellie share their first dance at Moscato Vineyard and took in some scenery afterwards. The minute I set foot in Menucha I knew this was going to be a setting of a fall romance. Yay for week-long teaching conferences!
I can’t even explain how relaxing, beauitful, and inspiring this location was.
It wasn’t until after I got back from my teaching retreat in late June that I started to work on Loved, but the characters took on a life of their own, including a very real – and rather embaressing – obsession with Taylor Swift on the part of our leading star, Matt. Can you blame him? His late wife adored Tay-Tay, and she saved him after Ellie left him broken hearted a few years before our novel starts. Then, the real piece of inspiration came from Sly Fox Cover Designs, (who also did Abby’s Promise cover, btw) when they posted this absolutely beautiful cover:
The caption read, “Inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album!” I knew it was Matt and Ellie right away, and “Loved” was completed in record time – thirty days from start to finish, can you believe it?
I hope you enjoy reading this second-chance romance with Matt and Ellie. Our lovers reunite one last time for a weekend get away, but is it too late for their love to rekindled?
As Taylor would say,
There are no rules when it comes to love.
– Rebekah
Rebekah Dodson 