The Inspiration Behind TO LOVE AGAIN
It’s always exciting to finally send a book out into the world — and even more so when readers start responding. One early Goodreads reviewer wrote:
“I have been eagerly waiting for this sequel and it did not disappoint… I am already missing Elsa and Victor and the beautiful setting of the book in the Arctic landscape which is so vividly described. I do hope there will be a third book soon!”
That’s exactly the kind of reaction that makes all the hours at my desk worthwhile.
Why I wanted to write a second-chance story
When I was younger, I had a long relationship with someone a little older. It didn’t work out — I realised he wasn’t right for me — but the experience left me wondering. What if two people who shared their youth found each other again years later? Would the old feelings return? Could they make it work the second time around?
I’ve read many stories of school or university sweethearts reuniting later in life, and I knew I wanted to explore that theme in fiction. That became Elsa and Victor’s story in To Love Again.
Love across cultures and classes
As someone who fell in love with a “foreigner,” I’ve always been fascinated by cross-cultural love stories. They bring with them questions of identity, family, and belonging. For Elsa and Victor, the added layer of their different backgrounds — both social and cultural — creates the tension that makes their reunion so compelling.
Why Lapland?
Of course, the setting was just as important as the characters. Finnish Lapland, with its snowy wilderness and dazzling Northern Lights, felt like the perfect backdrop for a story about rediscovery. The Andersson family’s mining empire, with its power and politics, offered a sharp contrast to the fragile Arctic environment — and to the purity of love rekindled in such a breathtaking landscape.
What comes next
Writing Elsa and Victor’s story also sparked new questions about the other Andersson family members. Those questions have already inspired me to sketch out ideas for at least two more Anderssons novels — and I can’t wait to share more about those very soon.
Read To Love Again before anyone else
For now, To Love Again is available exclusively in my store until 25 September — two weeks before it appears on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play and other retailers.
The ebook is just £1.99 / $1.99 until launch day (after which it will return to £2.99 / $2.99), and the paperback is £12.99 with free UK shipping. You can even read the first chapter right in your browser before you decide.