The initial kernel of inspiration came from my own life. When I was a kid, I spent some time in a duplex, and a cute boy lived in the other half of the house. He’d come through my room to hang out with us (my father scolded him for that lol), and when I was reflecting on that experience years later, I thought that’d be a fun setting for a romance. Then Madalyn and Miles popped into my head.

That was in 2018. Two years later, I was watching a lot of true crime and devouring thrillers. I went down a research rabbit hole and listened to stalking survivors’ stories. At the same time, I started rewatching Gilmore Girls (for the thousandth time) and while I love the Jess/Rory/Dean dynamic, I wanted to make it ten times darker. That’s when all the pieces clicked into place, and I started writing Always with You in November 2020.